Way of Devotion is Ideal

Gyana or knowledge, Karma or action and Bhakti or devotion is the three aids for progress on the path of spirituality. A Gyani, a knowledgeable person, reaches near the goal but yet a little distance remains in between. A Karmi, person of action, reaches nearer the goal but even then a little gap remains. A Bhakta or person of devotion reaches right to the goal. The gyani repents ultimately that he wasted a long life on dry discourses of knowledge and could not fulfill their mission. Karmis, too, repent likewise. They think that they worked and reached near the goal but did not.

Bhaktas don’t repent – because their minds are always full of bliss they neither feel exalted nor humiliated. There is nothing else in their minds except bliss, the unbroken flow of happiness, ananda. Therefore, they remain unaffected by pain and pleasure. Only a devotee can say this, and not the intellectual or the one dexterous at work. However simple an intellectual may be vanity always remains concealed in the mind. Intellectuals think they are not ordinary people. They feel that they know what others do not know. These feelings exist whenever there is vanity, ego.

Pride causes downfall. Thus we see that an egoistic intellectual is prone to fall. Where there is the possibility of downfall the path may be good but it may not be safe. Karmis, too, feel proud when they think they have accomplished some work. Outwardly they may express that they have done nothing, but secretly they harbor desire for publicity. A dexterous worker falls prey to these weaknesses.

Bhaktas have nothing to lose. Since they realize purusha and consider Him as their own, they have nothing to lose or gain. Only devotees can say that He is the same for all. Whether He causes pleasure or pain makes no difference because He who caused pain, like the one who gives pleasure, is the manifestation of Narayana. But intellectuals think objectively. Therefore, they feel pleasure, pain or humiliation whenever confronted with different circumstances. Devotees have no malice against anyone.

What is pleasure? It is a mental projection, a mental propensity. Pain too is the same. One is positive and the other is negative. There is no difference between the tow. The mental balance remains the same. Pleasure and pain good reputation, and adverse criticism – all are equal. There is nothing to gain or lose from name and fame. Likewise there is nothing to gain or lose from a bad name. There is difference of opinion on merging with the supreme. But to Him, all are the same.

There is only one path, the path of devotion. The goal of this path is not to ask Parama Purusha for something or to get something from him, but to serve Him. The devotee feels happiness in His happiness.

The greater devotees, however, think in a different way. They follow the path of devotion and serve Parama Purusha only to give Him pleasure, to make Him happy and never aspire to derive pleasure or happiness for themselves. This is the highest plane of devotion, utterly selfless. Those who work for the happiness of Parama Purusha are called “gopa”. This is the supreme height of devotion. It is the only true path.

To Destroy Evil and Violent Animals

Meaning: According to the line of Athervaved 4/3/4 — "It is our duty to destroy evil and violent animals, and thieves and wicked men. We must always find solutions to disease and bad tendencies".

Message: In the human body, along with "Jeevatma''(i.e. the soul),Paramatma(i.e. God, the supreme soul) tooresides. Jeevatma performs the deeds and gets the 'Karmaphal' i.e. the fruits of his deeds as wither reward or punishment. God, as witness, goes on observing all the deeds of man. By doing good deeds man achieves inner peace nd joy and by doing bad deeds man feels hatred and dejection within himself.

Man gets trapped into sinful acts because of many reasons.He also engages in sinful acts as a result of punishment for bad deeds in a previous

Free yourself

Some Mantras

Forgiveness is the one supreme peace

If among monks or nuns occurs a quarrel or dispute or dissension, the young monk should ask forgiveness of the superior, and the superior of the young monk. They should forgive and ask forgiveness, appease and be appeased, and converse without restraints.

Kalpasutra 8.59

The weak can never forgive; Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

M.K. Gandhi

As long as we don’t forgive people who hurt us, they occupy a rent free space in our mind. So forgive and forget.

Brahmakumaris

I can forgive, but I cannot forget – is only another way of saying, I will not forgive. Forgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note, torn in two, and burned up, so that it never can be shown against one.

Henry W. Beecher

Self examination

By self do you censure yourself? By self do you examine yourself? Self guarded and mindful, O bhikkhu you will live happily. Self indeed, is the protector of self. Self indeed, is one’s refuge. Control your own self as a merchant controls a noble steed.

Dhammapada 379-80

Examine thus yourself from every side. Note harmful thoughts and every futile striving. Thus it is that heroes in the bodhisativa path. Apply the remedies to keep a steady mind.

Shantideva

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test?

Bible 13.5

Examine yourself to see whether you have within you a strong sense of your own self-importance, or negatively, whether you have failed to realize that you are nothing

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Life is struggle itself

Meaning: According to the line of Athervaved 19/13/5 — if we wish to succeed, we should identify our strength. We face many hardships and difficulties in life. To struggle against them, one should achieve self confidence.

Message: Obstacles invariably come in every work. There is no field where one gets easily the valuable gifts of success on the path of progress, in any class of people; there are no men who are full of goodness only. It is also not possible that everything goes according to our schedule only. Every diligent man has to adopt the progress of fighting the adversities and to come out on his own path. Bad men cannot be turned into good men very easily, but they have to be tackled firmly again and again. By ignoring their bad conduct and harassment they have to be shown courageously that everything will not be carried out according to their wish, but there is a very thing will not be carried out according to their wish, but there is a very great importance of propriety and justice. For bringing evil men on to the right path, there is no way except to make them realize the uselessness of terror or harassment and the supremacy of propriety.

Men with daring are able to do as above, otherwise their insight and capacity become useless, Struggle is necessary for changing adversity into a favorable situation. Very hard work is necessary for changing poverty into prosperity. To make a weak body strong, the endeavor of exercise and diet has to be carried out. To develop an uneducated and uncultivated mind into that of a learned one, one has to study regularly with a lot of willpower and concentration. Those who do not develop the courage for such endeavor and valor will always find the doors of success and prosperity closed for them.

God helps only those who are ready to help themselves. The courageous are able to carve a path in the mountain also, Man's inner self is a source of limitless power and a storehouse of capacities. But the strength of courage is required to arouse them. Those who themselves struggle patiently against difficult situations and try to carve out a path by themselves; they also receive plenty of cooperation from others.

We are full of innumerable faults and wicked tendencies. If we allow them to remain as they are without the courage to pull them out, then our character will definitely be defacement and of a low level. A vicious circle has been formed of immoral conduct and evil social customs. If this vicious circle is not broken, then we will have to go on spending our lives in complaints and frustration only. If we do not maintain courage, do not oppose the improper, then this deep darkness will become deeper still. Without changing the old traditional concepts, it is not possible to cast into a mould of idealism and excellence one's life, in this material world. For spiritual progress, new systems and new methods and policies have to be adopted. Because of it, not only the person himself feels some complications, but family members also express criticism and opposition. How can one develop the necessary qualities without courage?

Courage and daring are spiritual qualities produced by the unlimited power of the inner self. We will have to strive after identifying that power and will have to then fight with daring.

Life is struggle itself.

Lazy Man Always Waste their Time

Meaning: According to the line of Rigved 5/34/5 Lazy men waste away their time of endeavor and hence they do not succeed anywhere. They get disappointment everywhere.

Message: God has created man for doing labor, for endeavor and deeds, by which, he can perform austerity on the path of duty. Both labor and austerity are required for whatever work that is done by man. Involvement dedication and engrossment are by themselves austerities only. Any work is successful due to them only. Whether we do good or bad deeds, without labor, austerity and endeavor, nothing can be done.

There are 24 hours in the day. Gayatri mantra contains 24 letters. The deity of Gayatri mantra is Savita (or the sun) which tells us to be bright like the sun, to go on and on without swaying on the path of deeds, and never to stop despite whatever types of situations and obstacles.

But today laziness has taken a severe hold over man. He wants to obtain everything without doing anything. His thinking is becoming distorted. He thinks that whatever is the wish of God, will happen. Therefore instead of the labor of one's duty, it is better to sit quietly and ask for favor from the deities and the angels. Man forgets that he himself has given birth to his present situations, and he only is the creator of his own destiny. To save himself from doing any labor, he has invented many excuses and he wants to get satisfaction by blaming his failures on luck. Hence he gets disappointments only. On fact, when a man strives hard, then adverse situations also become favorable. God also helps and failure is changed to success.

Laziness is a great enemy of endeavor. It is a big obstacle in man's progress and causes maximum harm to life's values. A lazy person goes on avoiding work and this habit makes him gradually incapable and helpless. Because of disappointment and frustration gradually man's ability of discretion is also destroyed and he loses his daring to struggle against difficulties. Whatever capacity he had earlier also diminishes and is finally destroyed. He wishes to do something, but due to laziness, is not able to do anything. He does not develop the enthusiasm to translate his thoughts into action.

Success is achieved by those who cast away their laziness, are ready, full of energy, make good use of their time and do not waste their time in absurd talks. Those who wish their own benefit and fame, they must pull out the evil of laziness by its roots and throw it away, and go on working diligently with faith and with the least amount of talk.

Only with that is the desired reward possible to be achieved.