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A Practical
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Uttarkaandda - Continued 442
Chaupaayi: Ati durlabha kaivalya paramapada: santa puraana
nigama aagama bada:: 442.
Kaakabhushunddi continued, "It is the view of spiritually advanced
persons, the Vedas, the Puranas and other sacred books that it is
difficult to attain the highest, namely, realization of one's identity
with Brahman. Even without desiring it, that highest attainment comes
over itself to a man who always remembers Shree Raama." In our path
of rational inquiry for Knowledge as a pure Advaitin, the
difficulties are control over senses and the six passions and the
annihilation of our ‘I' in us. When we ceaselessly remember Shree Raama
and surrender our all and ourselves to Him, He eliminates these
difficulties. So, by God's grace the devotee secures continual bliss
and both jnaana and kaiwalya. (See 275, 322, 443 and
Geetaa Implied in
the above is a host of benefits a devotee of God receives unasked. All
our vices arise from six passions in us. Their control not merely frees
us from vices but substitutes them with virtues necessary for us in the
world for our material contentment and spiritual advancement for
success in life and reaching our destination rapidly. God protects His
devotee. (See 177 and
Geetaa 9:22) The devotee receives all powers, capacities and
wherewithal. Without this help for his contentment, the devotee cannot
deactivate his ‘I,' which is necessary to secure jnaana or
Self-realization. For these reasons, bhakti is the royal path. 443
Chaupaayi: Jimi thala binu jala rahi na sakaa-yee: kotti
bhaanti ko-u kara-yi upaa-yee:: 443.
Kaakabhushunddi continued, "Just as water cannot exist for our
use without some support, for example, the earth for rivers and
oceans or a vessel for water, the bliss of liberation cannot exist
without devotion to Hari. A knowledgeable devotee gives up liberation from
the cycle of rebirths, in lieu of devotion. Without much labour,
devotion to God eliminates Avidyaa maya, the root of man's
suffering." Three
concepts are brought out here. Things, thoughts and feelings must have
a base on which they rest. Second. Devotion is preferable to
liberation. Third. Devotion eliminates maya or ignorance to secure also
for us jnaana or knowledge and its bliss. (See 439)
The bliss
of attaining moksha or jnaana is indescribable. (See
Geetaa 6:21-23) How can this bliss rest upon devotion on the earth when
soon after liberation the soul leaves the body? Shree Krishna gave moksha
or jnaana to Arjuna, and then advised him to become a devotee
to continue living in society as a selfless karmayogi and not
become a recluse on the earth. This means that the bliss of moksha
or jnaana can be enjoyed only on the earth and only through
becoming selfless as a true devotee. Devotion to
God gives us four forms of bliss. (See 148) The
impersonal God or jnaana, is
attained by a purified mind. Devotion to God purifies the mind. (See 241[23])
‘As the oil is to the flame in the lamp, Bhakti is to the flame
of Jnaana.’ (JV 29) So, devotion is the base for attaining the
bliss of God in His impersonal or personal aspect. After moksha
or freedom from a rebirth through Jnaana, the soul leaves the
body. The desire for devotion to God in person on the earth, however,
keeps the soul in the body for the being to enjoy the bliss of moksha
or jeevanamukti in life itself. (See 226) So,
devotion makes the bliss available to us. The bliss
of devotion is superior to that of jnaana, which comes on its
own to an unswerving devotee. (See 234, 442 and
Geetaa 4:39, 10:9-11, For the
large majority of people, other paths of meditation or Raajayoga,
of knowledge or jnaanayoga and of deeds or karmayoga
for attaining jnaana are dry, difficult and without love for
Shree Raama. For them, Tulaseedaasa suggests attaining jnaana
resting on the humility of devotion. This is the path of wisdom because
God protects His devotees and there is no fear of a fall in this path
as in other paths. (See 438)
For these
reasons, may be others too, Tulaseedaasa makes devotion the foundation
on which the highest bliss achievable by all paths rests for enjoyment
by people of all mental levels and makes devotion the receptacle for
the bliss of jnaana for its enjoyment on the earth. 444
Dohaa: Sayvaka sayvya bhaava binu, bhava na tariya
Uragaari: 444.
Kaakabhushunddi continued, "Without unshakeable devotion in the
form of the servant to his master, Shree Raama, a man cannot get
freedom from a rebirth. Keeping this in mind, please constantly
remember Shree Raama. He changes an insentient being into a sentient
being. Blessed are the worshippers of such an all-powerful God." Tulaseedaasa
finally clarifies that devotion to and love of God
comprise treating ourselves as a servant of our master God. His
service to God never satisfies a true devotee. To live as
a servant of God means that we live in spirituality. What is service of
God and our love for Him? All men, saints or sinners, are God's
children. So, to love all men in their reality as members of one family
through benevolence toward them becomes our service of God, the head of
this family. To desire others' wellbeing can be selfless too. (See 54) Any
activity that gives relief and joy to others makes us one with all in
God, which is jnaana in practice and is the best service of
God. (See 150-168,
241[18],
259, 262-268, 287, 386 and
Geetaa 3:25) Our daily duty for our daily bread and progress is God's
gift to us. To dedicate it to Him along with ourselves,
is our service to Him. We cannot dedicate our body and mind because we
have no control over them to treat us as their owner but we can
dedicate ourselves or our being or self to God, which we should. (See 246, 325-326)
Shree Raama and Shree Krishna both want us to fix our mind in their
names and forms. Doing God's bidding becomes our service to Him. So,
thinking about God and His message, speaking of them and singing sacred
songs also becomes God's service. (See 415 and
Geetaa 12:8) God likes a purified heart. To attain it becomes our
service of love to Him to please Him as a child pleases its mother by
doing what she likes. (See 318) Any
or all of these activities dedicated to God and therefore desireless
for us, are karmayoga. Pursuing these activities we live
spiritually in the world without allowing the world to live in us. In
this manner we also live for and in God’s refuge. (See Geetaa
8:7) For
developing devotion through service of God, we are advised that we have
first to feel, ‘I am His servant and slave.’ (See 366) Next
we feel, ‘God alone is all that I have for succour.’ After that, we
feel, ‘I am nothing, there is only God.’ This is how we dedicate, not
our body and mind but our being to God. We should always keep this
dedication in our mind. (See 325)
Shankaraachaarya
in his commentary on the Geetaa calls shloka 55 of Chapter 11
(read with Tulaseedaasa
brought out the importance of the devotee's attitude. 444A
Chhanda: Sura saadhu chaahata bhaava sindhu ki tosha jala
anajali di-yay:: Bk326 Gods and
spiritual aspirants look for one’s intent and attitude. Can a
worshipper satisfy the ocean with the offering of a handful of water? It is his attitude of
dedication that the ocean loves. (See 34 and Geetaa
9:26) Followers of
Sanaatana Dharma offer its water with prayers to a lake, river or
ocean. This is symbolic of the fact that whatever we offer to God is
already His. God knows and cares for the intent of the offer as
dedication or surrender to Him behind our act and not for the money
value of our offering. Tulaseedaasa
also refers to Shree Raama's omnipotence in the instant couplets. Maya,
being mere power or energy, has no consciousness. Jeeva has
consciousness. (See 440)
Through His inspiration and grace, Shree Raama
got the universe created by the insentient maya. (See 239) Maya
made
conscious Naarada insentient. He recognized Vishnu, yet in a fit of
rage, which is the role of the insentient maya, put a curse upon Him.
(See 75-81
in the Story) Shree Raama made an insentient rock into a woman,
Ahalyaa. 444B
Dohaa: Masakahin karahin Biranchi Prabhu, Ajahin masaka tay
heena: Shree
Raama can make a mosquito into Brahmaa, the first in the Indian
trinity of Brahmaa, Vishnu and Shiva, and make Brahmaa smaller than
a mosquito. Knowing this, the wise give up doubts and remember Shree Raama. No scientist can
create something from nothing or from things, which do not exist, for
example, a new element. God can from within Himself. A scientist only
discovers or manipulates the existing. If God can
make the sentient insentient, He can make the sky from the earth and
the earth from the sky and make a knowledgeable person into an
ignoramus. In reality, all are one and are only different forms in
which reality appears. So, changing one entity of matter or energy into
the other is a mere change in form and nothing more. (See 74) The
scriptures can neither describe God's power, nor Him nor are essential
for reaching Him. Incarnations of God or any claimant of any revelation
from God cannot put any limits upon what, when and why God cannot, or
can do something beyond all known natural laws, the scriptures and all
revelations. Responding to a man's conviction in His omnipotence, God
reaches the illiterate who yearns for Him and gives him experience
beyond scriptures and arbiters of religion. God is the master of
scriptures. God is not in sacred books or erudition. He is in our faith
in Him as the reality of all. To love all in their reality is knowledge
beyond books and erudition. All are born with love, which they show in
their family. This love needs to be made love for all, if necessary, by
introspection, study of scriptures or instructions of a guru. (See 17, 437)
It is the power of our faith that persuades God to do miracles for
us. Tulasee-daasa is re-emphasizing here this faith or shrad-dhaa
for our use. (See 2)
In humility and with gratitude, a devotee of the
personal God sees more miracles than others see. 445
Chaupaayi: So mani jadapi pragatta jaga aha-ee: Raama
kripaa binu nahin ko-u laha-ee:: 445.
Kaakabhushunddi continued, "If we treat devotion to Shree Raama as
a precious jewel, we do see it in the world. We secure it only through
His grace. Those who seek devotion intensely with trust, find it a mine
of bliss." To see
people devoted to Shree Raama is seeing the precious jewel of devotion.
To know the value of devotion and thereby develop the desire to pursue
it is to secure that jewel. We learn its value sooner if some holy man
illustrates it from his experience. Such a guide can also be our
mother, father, a teacher, or a sincere friend or a benefactor
commanding our respect. We meet him by God's grace if we ask Him. (See 304)
To a sincere seeker, God Himself appears in the most unexpected
persons or manner to guide him. After knowing the value of devotion to
get engrossed in it is to sell the jewel and live in the luxury of its
proceeds.
Some of us hear about God scores of times. Some see His miracles and
yet treat them as tricks of a magician earning his bread or fame or of
a cultist seeking a following. Others' experiences of miraculous events
or escapes are coincidences for them. Their past closes their mind to
matters of the heart and of the spirit. Often some such people neither
pray for nor expect nor experience God's grace to secure the jewel of
devotion to Him. From their inability to experience God's grace or the
way they live, however, it is practical wisdom for us not to judge
their spirituality, which is nearness to God and so we cannot know
it. 446
Chaupaayi: Moray mana Prabhu asa bisvaasaa: Raama
tayn adhika Raama kara daasaa:: 446.
Kaakabhushunddi continued, "I believe that Shree Raama's unswerving
devotees are greater than Him. If He is the ocean, His devotees of
tranquil tempera-ment, are the clouds, which quench the thirst of
the earth. If He is a sandal tree, the sages are the wind to
make other trees fragrant. Remembering this, association with holy
persons facilitates the development in a man of devotion to Shree
Raama." In addition
to the above, the greatness of the seeker or the devotee is that he
carries God in his heart. (See 150) The
guru enables the disciple to
invoke God's grace and to reach Him. In this manner both are greater
than God. (See 157, 276)
Tulaseedaasa describes the greatness of the
sincere seeker, teacher and preacher for the path of devotion to
God. Since the
creation began, God gave to each of us His religion of love, which we
all know, practice from our infancy and benefit from it. (See 262) If
we forget love and talk of God's chosen ones or ‘we' and ‘they,' it is
doubtful if we are yet fit even to talk about devotion or any fruitful
path to God whose family comprises all. (See 17) 447
Chaupaayi: Prathama kahahu naatha mati-dheeraa: saba tayn
durlabha kavana sareeraa:: 447.
Garurha asked Kaakabhushunddi seven questions. First. "Of all the
forms of bodies in the world, which body for a soul is the most
difficult to acquire?" Second. "What is the greatest pain or
suffering?" Third. "What is the greatest happiness in the world?
Please tell me briefly." (Garurha's Seven Questions to
Kaakabhushunddi Begin) 448
Chaupaayi: Santa asanta marama tumha jaanahoo: tinha kara
sahaja subhaava bakhaanahoo:: 448.
Garurha continued, "You know the characteristics of men of divine
vision and also of the wicked people." Fourth. "What is their
nature?" Fifth. "What is the meritorious deed preeminent in the
Vedas?" Sixth. "What is the greatest sin mentioned in the
Vedas?" By asking for the greatest, the characteristic ancient
Indian heritage of going to the base of the basic in questioning is
displayed here. 449
Chaupaayi: Maanasa roga kahahu samujhaa-yee: tumha sarvagya
kripaa adhikaa-yee:: Uk121 449.
Garurha's seventh question was, "What are the diseases of the human
mind? O Kaakabhushunddi, you are knowledgeable and kind to me. Please
explain all this to me." Garurha's
seven questions cover a man's life in practically all its aspects,
including his perennial problem of misery in myriad forms. Garurha did
not ask about diseases of the body but only of the mind. This is
because one of the greatest discoveries of ancient Indian sages was
that our purified mind and intellect aligned with our Self could alter
the chemistry and involuntary working of organs in our body to prevent
an onset of any disease, cure it and to make us live healthily even if
necessary without food or water. (See 65[19]) Our
body responds in
health to the purity and in disease to the impurity of our mind. Good
health needs love, care, understanding, encouragement, support and
freedom from the feeling of loneliness - all healthy food for a pure
mind. Frustrations, hatred, envy, anxiety and fear of uncertainty and
of the future and painful feelings and emotions, all are poisonous
foods for a mind thriving on impurities to cause all physical diseases.
We must know that, all of us are born perfect in our divinity, which is
suppressed by our imperfection in the form of our superimposed nature.
(See 242)
We can get rid of this superimposed nature by the proper use
of our mind to regain its perfection, which includes freedom from fear,
want, disease, misery and rebirth. Modern
research shows that every fraction of a cell of our body is being
replaced unceasingly every fraction of a second. The effect of the food
through a mouth and whatever we imbibe through the five senses from the
outside can affect this continuous replacement. (See 379) That
which
controls the effect and so controls this replacement from within us is
a part of the universal consciousness or the power in our mind
transmitted to each cell. This power can replace a diseased cell by a
healthy cell. This explains some miraculous cures. It is common sense
to know that this power rests in our mind because it has been
demonstrated that a man can control and stop even his breathing and
heartbeats if his mind is in his control to channel its power. This
power of a disciplined and pure mind flows to keep our body free from
disease and intellect empowered and empathetic for our maximum use.
Impurities in the mind make it uncontrolled and obstruct the flow of
this power to prevent and cure diseases. It is
obvious that our life principle provides the body the capacity to
survive in its environment. The human race is the proof of this
capacity of the power within our body to survive in good health. The
unending source of this power is the Universal Consciousness or cosmic
power, which in reality is in and one with our reality as our jeevaatmaa
or soul. A purified mind is one with jeevaatmaa and so taps
this cosmic power. The signs of a purified mind which heals the body
enclosing it are selflessness in thought, speech and conduct acquired
through self-discipline, which is best expressed in love, our will to
adhere to this attitude in practice and our unshakeable faith that if
we surrender our being that includes our body and mind to God, He takes
care of us. This is our potential for self-healing. This surrender
eliminates our mind to interfere with the flow of cosmic power from our
jeevaatmaa to replace the diseased cells of our body. The
body rejuvenates as in sleep when the mind is not active. Modern
research is rediscovering the prime role of faith in God on our immune
system and body's chemical processes in the prevention and cure of
diseases. American Medical Association noted more than 200 scientific
papers that mention religious factors in treating patients,
‘Statistically significant association between religious beliefs and
health measures... have appeared in studies of many diseases...’ the
researchers concluded. (Washington Post, 23 December 1997) ‘In 1992
only a few taught spirituality; now some 50 of the 125 medical schools
in the Sanaatana
Dharma holds that only a purified mind is healthy. It can harness the
power of faith in God to keep the body chemistry in order to rejuvenate
the healthy parts of the body, to eliminate the unhealthy and replace
them by healthy. (See 42, 318) Only
a mind free from the six passions
and filled with love and benevolence for all, including for those who
hurt us or are averse to us, is completely healthy, prophylactic and
curative and avoids habits, activities and environment, which invite
disease. One of the best means for sound health and freedom from
disease is minimum, not moderate, food, breathing exercises, a cheerful
disposition and spiritual discipline comprising our surrender to God of
our activities, and ourselves with faith in God to become His
instrument. This regimen and surrender that often test us, fixes on Him
the responsibility for our health and happiness. (See Geetaa
9:22) ‘Every
human being has potentials for healing. The healing energy is flowing
without any interruption in every human heart. By the right use of the
dynamic will, these channels of healing energy can be directed to the
suffering part of the body and mind. The healing energy can nourish and
strengthen the sufferer. The key of healing is selflessness, love,
dynamic will and undivided devotion to the Lord within.’ (HM 229) For
practical purposes, almost the total spiritual discipline for us
comprises selflessness, benevolence and love. (See 259) Some
are born
with this discipline as their second nature. This discipline can also
arise in us when we control our senses and six passions and surrender
our being to God. Love follows when we know that none can hurt us, the
hurt is our deserts and that when we sow love we reap love manifold as
a single seed gives thousands of fruit. (See 185) Our
will becomes
dynamic when we constantly keep in mind the purpose of our life, for
example, single-minded devotion, surrender of our will to God to become
a part of His will, that is, He is the
owner of our body and mind and should guide both in the manner He
thinks best. (See 325) To
accelerate our healing, undivided devotion is
practised, as Tulaseedaasa advises, by remembering God of our concept
in the manner of our choice and as often as possible and by our
constant awareness that we are with Him. Our concept of God is
important for single-minded devotion to Him for our freedom from
disease. (See 101,
155,
415)
This
ancient Indian methodology of a practical spiritual discipline
understandable even by an illiterate for the purification of the human
mind for tapping limitless cosmic power can be revived by the education
of its rationale. Indian rishis studied in depth the working of the
mind, what weakened it and what strengthened it and thereby discovered
the rationale for spiritual disciplines. Nothing in it restricts it to
Hindu religion because the rishis did not think in terms of a religion,
as we understand religion today. The entire discovery is for all
religions or for humanity in its variety of concepts about God. With
our education and living in that knowledge, we can then save the
colossal expenditure of money, manpower and time on hospitals, on
laboratories and cruelty to animals. This saving can be diverted to the
backward, needy and hungry the world over. We know the
symptoms of a physical disease to help the doctor. We are seldom aware
of the symptoms of a disease in our mind. The mind is diseased as long
as one or more of the six passions overwhelm it. We do not accept that
we are sick in our mind. We see symptoms of passions in others. If we
are proud we see others proud. The virtue we do not have we do not see
in others. The vice we have we see as a natural trait in all and so on.
This is how the diseased mind functions to cause desires,
disappointments, despair, stress, strain and fear, all ending in
physical ailments. To be aware of the diseases in our mind is difficult
and therefore their treatment. Unknown to us, the diseases in the mind
owing to its pollution affect more people than physical diseases. (See 318)
A mind free
of the power of passions, is often unaware
of its body or its ‘ We become
what we think is proverbial. (See 193) It is the
mind, which links us
to God and receives all His power to build our body and prevent and
cure its diseases. Body and mind become interdependent in deeds and
thought, respectively. Sometimes the excess of our passions raises
desires. (See 265) When
frustrated, they cause grudge, malice, guilt,
fears, complexes and continuous strain in the mind to make it
unhealthy. Such an unhealthy mind blocks the flow of spiritual power in
us to allow diseases to sprout in our body. We pray to God and
re-establish our link to Him. He gives us control on our passions to
make our mind pure and body healthy. To control all the six passions
throughout life as a Brahmachaaree and to secure our health and
happiness is the first discipline for adolescence and for life in
Sanaatana Dharma. (See 272[10,
11, 14-16]) For mental diseases, the
mind is both a patient and a doctor under the control of our will. Our
will can save us from the spiritual disease of ignorance of reality. We
gain control over our will and intellect by their alignment with our
inmost Self. (See 42) A healthy
mind uses atomic energy for human welfare. A diseased mind explodes the
atomic bomb. A diseased mind is selfish and holds the needy invariably
responsible for his plight. A healthy mind single-mindedly provides
short and long term facilities for the elimination of poverty
everywhere. Awareness of right and wrong separates a man from an
animal. Discrimination, selflessness and compassionate service point to
a healthy mind. To be abreast today of, or at least, to keep up with
the speed of progress in science and technology, we need unlimited
versatility and vision. Our equipment for acquiring both is a pure,
controlled and healthy mind tapping cosmic power within us. (See 78) (Garurha's
Seven Questions End) 450
Chaupaayi: Nara-tana-sama nahin kavani-u dayhee: jeeva charaachara
jaachata jayhee:: 450.
Kaakabhushunddi answered Garurha seven questions. First. "There is
no physical body in this world as good as the human body which is
desired by all the sentient and insentient creatures. It is the ladder
for reaching hell, heaven and liberation. It bestows the bliss of
Knowledge, renunciation of worldly attractions and of attachment and
devotion to God." (See 210)
[1] For a
life of fulfilment for the inquiring mind, it is necessary to have the
knowledge of our being, its body, its equipment and its purpose. The
‘I' in the man says ‘My body, my soul.' This ‘I’ is not our reality or
our body or a constant individuality. Ramana Maharishi says, ‘The "I"
thought cannot be the totality of the individual for it perishes daily
in deep sleep, but there is no break in the continuity of one's being.’
Sage Ashttavakra informed Janaka, ‘O king, know the Self as pure
consciousness, the unaffected witness of the phenomenal world, and you
will be free.’ (H 77-78) There are thus apparently two ‘I's in us. The
outer or active ‘I' says, ’My body and my soul.' This ‘I' identifies
our reality with our body, brain and individuality. The other inner ‘I'
is the eternal witness within, or our inmost Self, soul or jeevaatmaa.
It is our divine reality from which our life principle arises and on
which it rests. The jeevaatmaa is ever free though in apparent
bondage to the body for its role of sustaining the creation. When the
body dies, the outer ‘I' dies with it, the soul pure as ever leaves the
body to continue its role to give a rebirth to the outer or active ‘I’
in a new body, which the ‘I’ earned for itself. If the ‘I’ did not earn
a body, the soul is free from its apparent bondage to a body. The soul
is never bound. The entities, which it sustains in the creation,
enclose it and so appear to separate it from Brahman. It is noteworthy
that it is the outer ‘I’ in the body, which is born, which suffers,
enjoys, dies and transmigrates through birth and death. The jeevaatmaa
(as distinct from the commonly understood joyous or suffering soul in
its Semitic concept) is neither born nor suffers nor dies nor
transmigrates. It underlies the life principle and so is a carrier of
the outer ‘I’ in its transmigration. [1A] The
almost unbridgeable gap between some Semitic and western apparent
beliefs and Indian belief is that for some followers of the former, the
physical body with brain is almost an end in itself. So for these few,
sensuous pleasures are one of the main sources of almost the highest
happiness. Indians discovered that our physical body is of secondary
importance. The physical body is a means only for the highest bliss and
fulfilment beyond the sensuous. The purpose of life is beyond the
physical body. This is because the Indian objective is to recollect and
regain our reality of oneness with the Ultimate Reality to serve
humanity thereby. This Reality underlies the body and its life
principle as also the entire creation. When we attain this oneness in
life we acquire divine vision and reach beyond the five senses. The
senses limited our happiness to that of our physical body. In addition,
we receive the cosmic powers of more than nine tenth potential of the
human mind. This potential is presently untapped for its selfless use
for bestowing happiness and peace around us. This Indian discovery of
oneness with God can carry conviction by understanding the basis for
its availability. In the present age of pure reason conviction is
easier if someone can demonstrate physically the unbelievable capacity
of the human mind in its oneness with the Ultimate Reality. This
demonstration can persuade all sceptics and many others to be
interested in this Indian discovery. After gaining conviction, people
may explore this potential of our mind by methods, which the Indian
sages prescribed. The methods rely on faith in and use of eternal
verities. This potential however is for the selfless service of
humanity and not for serving in the attitude of 'we' and 'they.' This
potential becomes available for use after practical annihilation of our
selfishness and self or ego and gaining control over our senses and
passions. A recent example of the power one receives for selfless use
by living in the ancient Indian precept of oneness was Mahatma
Gandhi.(See 42)
This basic
difference in attitude toward the secondary and primary role of the
human body on the earth separates Indian and other beliefs, philosophy
and culture. Once we understand the reality of our being as not our
body, brain and individuality but as one with that which underlies the
universe, this difference in attitudes will disappear. [2] Our
physical body is not our reality. The physical body perishes. That
which perishes is not a reality. Reality is unchanging and forever. The
active ‘I' in us says, ‘I do or not do something. I enjoy and I
suffer.’ In sleep this ‘I' ceases to exist in the objective world and
enjoys and suffers in the dream world. Our soul, which is our reality,
is one with God in reality and is ever pure. It neither acts, nor
enjoys nor suffers. It only witnesses our activities and situations as
we witness a dream. When we deactivate or annihilate our active ‘I'
through disciplines, our unaffected human soul and God remain. They are
one. (See 241 and
Geetaa 6:29-31, 5:7) So, what are we as a human being
and its human body? [3] ‘In
most Western religions, importance is given to the body, mind and
intelligence. Amongst these intelligence is
regarded as the highest human faculty, representing man's self or jeevaatmaa.
Indian thought on the other hand considers body, mind and intelligence
as distinct and additional to one's own chit-ta and antahkarana
or the inner heart.’ (SS 73 8) The last is our pure consciousness,
which subsists after we deactivate or annihilate the active 'I,' for
example, in deep sleep, tureeya or in samaadhi. [4] The
immortal reality underlying our life and the source of power,
inspiration and grace in our physical body is our soul or jeevaatmaa.
Life is almost coextensive and synonymous with breathing. Life begins
with it and ends with breathing. Breathing is a function of the body.
The soul neither begins nor ends. It underlies the life principle and
is the powerhouse of inexhaustible energy for us to reach and use
selflessly. There are some questions. How does the soul remain
indestructible, enters, operates and leaves the body and with what?
Where does it remain and how long? How does it enter another body, and
why? What is the role of our body for us, and our relationship with our
environment and with our origin God or the Supreme Soul? Highly
advanced spiritual recluses gained knowledge and experienced truth.
They passed on the knowledge by oral tradition. Later sages recorded
knowledge of these subjects in the Shastras to satisfy inquisitive
students. For the not so spiritually advanced, they are at best
surmises. Sages advised against probing into matters relating to death,
the role of the soul and after life as waste of precious time and
energy. We should utilize time better for making the best of our life
here and now. Aiming at perfection, the Indian sages always insisted on
the workable for all and often ignored what was impractical for many.
They ignored all information not of instant relevance to the seeker.
Hence is the preeminence of the path of devotion over other
paths. [5] Since
the knowledge of the role of the soul in life and transmigration and
freedom of our ‘I’ from a rebirth is gained by personal experience of
many sages, words, definitions, terminology and expressions may
sometimes not appear to be uniform or precise in the record of their
experiences. Experiences are not wholly communicable. Apparently
imprecise expressions create different inter-pretations for the reader
who has often no experience of his own. As usual, Tulaseedaasa only
alluded to this knowledge. Devotion to Shree Raama gives us the maximum
of knowledge we need for our purpose without need to know the role of
the soul because it is one with God. We cannot know His role nor of our
soul. [6] Without
experience of the truth, an attempt is made here to understand to a
little extent, our body, mind, deeds and our soul in the role for which
they exist. Our ‘I' consciousness lives, experiences and dies. Its
death releases the soul from the body. We do not know the ease or the
difficulty of the exit of the soul from the body after good, bad, happy
or unhappy life. Experience of men who revived after clinical death and
of men of divine vision, however, confirms that God's grace makes all
exits from the world smooth for the experiencing ‘I' of all saints and
sinners. This is because death is neither punishment nor release; it is
the end of our body's present term on the earth and is as painless for
us as our entry into this term. Only after our entry into and before
exit from the world, we experience all joy, pain and suffering. So,
both our entry and exit are blissful for us. [7] We
think we are the body; others think of us as the expression of our
mind; what we really are is our inmost self or soul or jeevaatmaa
which emanates from Brahman and returns to Brahman at the end of its
role for the cycle of birth of the experiencing ‘I’ in material bodies.
(See Geetaa 9:18) Indian sages believed that there were 8.4 million
species of living beings. The human body is preeminent among them. It
is a gift to us to nourish and use fruitfully. The upsurge of the soul
to return to its origin causes the creation, change and dissolution of
the bodies enclosing the soul. The change to another body is for
evolution generally and not for regression. Rare exceptions apart,
after a being reaches the human body, it does not take birth into the
body of a lower living being. (See 390 and
Geetaa 6:40-45, [8] Our
human body comprises three bodies in one. The three are as one resting
upon our jeevaatmaa. They have separate names for understanding
their roles and not for experience separately. The understanding of
their role helps us to live free of anxiety, strain and fear and in
accord with our inborn divine nature in continual happiness. That may
be the reason why in spite of their general advice not to go into the
role of the soul in the human body and thereafter, sages mentioned
these three bodies. The advice was because Jeevaatmaa is one
with God and we can never know God’s complete role. We can know that
little which we can experience and observe. (See 148) [9] First
is the physical body. It changes from infancy to adolescence, to youth
and to old age. At its end, it ceases to breathe and function and
disintegrates. We as human beings inside the physical body continue
unchanged from infancy to old age, death and beyond because our reality
is the immortal human soul or jeevaatmaa underlying our
body. [10] Second
is our subtle body or the antahkarana. It comprises our mind,
intellect and consciousness. The fourth important ingredient of antahkarana
is the ego or our 'I-ness.' These are four functional names of our
mind. When it is wavering with thoughts and desires, it is our mind or mana.
When it analyses right and wrong, it is our intellect or bud-dhi.
When it forms awareness arising from experience, it is our
consciousness or chit-ta. When it is the expression of our will
to control the other three functions of the mind or identifies itself
with the physical body, it is our ego or ‘I' or ahamkaara. The
store of memories of our unfulfilled desires, of deeds done and our
attachment to them are pollutants of our mind. The active principle in
this fourfold role of the mind is our ‘ [11] Third
is the causal body. During life, the memories of unfulfilled desires
and of our attachment to our deeds through our desire for specific
fruits from them accumulate to form our causal body. When our physical
body dies our subtle body or the ‘I' consciousness, which suffered and
enjoyed also dies. Our attachment to deeds, unfulfilled desires and
impressions of the instant and past lives in the world accumulate in
our causal body. These are all inert entities. They become the cause of
our rebirth on the earth. The causal body is also called maya because
maya acting on us through our six passions causes this accumulation. On
death, this causal body or maya sticks to the jeevaatmaa and
escapes with it. To get rid of the causal body sticking to it, the soul
has to find another physical body. The new body is the rebirth of the
'I' or our rebirth. On our rebirth as in our present body, the ‘I’ as
we, can exhaust this causal body by bearing consequen-ces of past deeds
and not accumulating any consequen-ces by avoiding attachment to
present deeds. On this exhaustion of the causal body, the soul becomes
free from bondage to our body and leaves it. [12] The
causal body is of astral material or somewhat of the substance of a
dream. This body sometimes appears as a psychic experience for the
loved ones of the deceased. (See 358) This
experience is different from
some rare devotees' experience of gurus, gods and God's Incarnations in
flesh and blood. [13] Our
unawareness of the memories of past lives in our causal body frees us
to function without obstruction. For example, if we recognize many of
our intimate relations, friends and enemies of different past lives in
the instant life, our dealings with them objectively can be very
difficult. Our causal body frames our intuition and observable nature.
Different past lives create variety of men's observable natures or
individualities. (See 242)
[14] From
the causal body, the jeevaatmaa creates through its power
maya, our ‘I' as also the subtle body in the new physical body in which
we take a rebirth. The role of our jeevaatmaa, as a miniature
of Brahman, is the means for our rebirth, which is the same as
the rebirth of our active 'I.' For the role of our active ‘I' in life,
maya makes jeevaatmaa appear to us as separate from Brahman.
On death, the accumulations that the ‘I’ makes in lives envelope the jeevaatmaa
and separate it from the dead physical body. [15] The jeevaatmaa
is separate from our three bodies but pervades all the three. (See
Geetaa 10:38) It is our reality untouched by the rest of the body and
its actions. Jeevaatmaa is comparable to an actor on a stage
and the physical body and mind enclosing it as his dress. Without the
actor (jeevaatmaa) the mere dress and make up (human body and
mind) cannot act. The actor remains unaffected by the pains and
pleasures of his part. Similarly, our soul provides us with power,
inspiration and grace, for our three bodies to function. Our ‘I' acts,
enjoys and suffers. Our soul, however, does not. As a witness we are
affected by occurrences in our dream. As a witness, the jeevaatmaa however
remains unaffected by our acts and feelings in life. (See 130 and
Geetaa 13:22) [16] On
seeing a beautiful sunset, a poet bursts into verse, an artist into a
painting, a musician into a symphony, and a devotee of God into a hymn.
A fifth man, however, may notice nothing of interest for him to respond
to it. The sunset did nothing for anyone. It appeared as an
opportunity, which was grace, inasmuch as the four of them grasped it.
As a catalyst, the scene activated inspiration within each. This made
its viewers respond and use their own talent with the power provided by
the soul underlying the life-principle in them. This is how the jeevaatmaa
in our inmost self, which is God in man, makes us act through its
power, inspiration and grace. Yet as the sunset, the jeevaatmaa
is unaffected by the actions of the five viewers who are akin to the
active ‘I' in our human bodies. [17] Four
of the viewers responded in accord with their mental and spiritual
level in their subtle bodies formed by their past. The fifth man was
unaffected. One cannot judge the spiritual level of the fifth man or of
any man in life including oneself by outward expressions or one’s
visible achievements. (See 140) The
fifth man's spirituality will burst
forth in his own time in response to some other situation. ‘Full many a
gem of purest ray serene’ lies in many hearts invisible to
others. [18] In the
frame of our human body, the muscle power is weaker than and
subordinate to that of nerves, nerves to the mind, mind to the
intellect, intellect to the ego and ego to the power, inspiration and
grace of the human soul, the inmost Self or God. (See Geetaa 3:42, :43)
From the outside to the inmost core, our power increases till we tap
the unlimited reservoir of cosmic power within, which can move
mountains but for others' good. The means for this inward journey and
for the flow of power in us are a pure heart and righteous conduct of
truth, benevolence and compassion through selfless service, which is dharma,
and, in addition, introspection and meditation, provided the objectives
throughout remain bliss of all and reaching God. Through His grace, we
get the powers necessary for our daily work, which God assigns us. (See
42, 259, 318)
[19] The
acquisition of the human body is the last stage in the journey of the
being toward its destination in Brahman. (See 267) This
has two
meanings. After acquiring a human body, the ‘I’ or the being generally
does not earn for itself the next body lower in the evolutionary scale
in an animal. Second, unless our ‘I' makes the effort to free our jeevaatmaa
from its bondage to a body, our ‘I' continues in the cycle of death and
rebirth in a human body. [20] We get
a rebirth as a gift from God’s love for us. That love gives us a
succession of opportunities in life to be free from suffering and hell.
If we had only one life and we failed, there would be only hell. In
Sanaatana Dharma, a stay upon the earth, in heaven and in hell are only
stages in our journey to reach God. Each stay ends when we exhaust the
consequences of our past deeds, which we have to bear in that stay. As
God's love is for all, everyone without exception earns union with God
in the end as every baby returns to its mother after all its play. The
return is a stage higher than heaven. To enable us to reach God, He
gives us rebirth, if necessary, to facilitate working for our return to
Him. (See Geetaa 9:18, :21) [21] During
life we have two courses open for our body, mind and the ‘ [22] The
second course is that of continual bliss and freedom from fear, misery
and rebirth. For this course, we need to reject worthless desires.
Worthwhile desires arise only from love for and benefit to all. We
develop this love by understanding the oneness of all with us in God as
our reality and the law of karma that none does or can hurt us. We
dedicate our love-based acts and ourselves to God for his choice of
their fruit and of the quality of life for us. Thus, our acts become
desireless for us. So, they accumulate no consequences for our rebirth.
Since we dedicated all to God, He takes care of our needs and bestows
contentment and peace on and around us. This eliminates all unfulfilled
desires from us and gives us the highest continuous bliss. (See 390 and
Geetaa 9:22) Along with this desirelessness, we pray to God to give us
the strength to bear our consequences of past acts in this life itself.
We bear them and exhaust them. In this manner we exhaust our causal
body, which comprises cones-quences of our deeds and our unfulfilled
desires. Our desireless acts annihilate our ‘ In leading
such a life, our mind becomes desireless for ourselves and so pure. It
is free from maya, which operates through desires. Without any desires,
the mind becomes practically nonexistent. Maya, which causes our
rebirth, and desires are the two sides of the same coin. With no mind
and maya, we are free from a rebirth. (See 265) We
find that to live
joyously with such a free mind, we need understanding of our mind, our
role and the adoption of an attitude with firm faith in God that He
loves us to help us to live in this way. We do not need extra or any
time. Experience of living in it is not an instant panacea for our
problems. It tests us, but if we persevere, we see God’s grace helping
us at every step. [23] At the
end of such a life, our ‘I,' which encloses our soul is annihilated.
So, our soul regains its oneness with the Great Soul, Brahman that is
freedom from its bondage to the body. It happens in the same manner as
the water of the pond sealed in a pot placed in the pond becomes one
with water of the pond when the pot breaks. Even a noble desire of the
‘I' to experience God keeps the soul bound to that desire for rebirth
in the world for that experience. (See 363, 226) Man's
realization of
the oneness of his Self with Brahman, the great Soul, is called Kaiwalya.
[24] We
take the second course in [22] above, when the surge of our soul
inspires us in that direction in our instant or a later life. Our past
with us in the instant life forms our observable nature, which
motivates us in life. A guide, an event or our response to situations
or anything else can inspire in us this second course for our life.
This new direction is a sign of God's grace on us, which is His
guidance from within our inmost Self. This new direction is a must for
everyone sooner or later in the instant or a later life because all
have to reach our origin God. [25] With
our soul free from the bondage to our body, we can continue to live or
give up our body, depending upon the objective our ‘I' had. (See 148)
In the final analysis, the physical body does not bind the soul. The
‘I' consciousness binds it and keeps our jeevaatmaa apparently
separate from Brahman. By deactivating or annihilating our ‘I'
consciousness we can remain in our physical body, be one with Brahman,
be free from rebirth and continue to live in the world just as Janaka
did as a jeevanamukta vijnaanee (one liberated in life after
attaining jnaana) and karmayogi. Those gurus who attain
this state are very rarely found among men. In [26] All
creatures, sentient or insentient, animate or inanimate, desire the
human body in their next life, including objects such as a piece of
rock. (See 288)
[27] All
sentient and insentient have their soul inside them. ‘We have the
distinction of minerals, plants, animals and men, but they all have an
inner non-objective existence. The subject, Reality, dwells in all of
them.’ ‘The one eternal reality is revealing itself in higher and
higher forms through successive stages of manifestation.’ (RG 181-182)
No object in the creation, living or non-living, can come out of
something outside God, because there is no reality outside of God.
Coming out of Godhead Brahman no article can be without Brahman in
miniature in it. Hence is the concept of God’s literal omnipresence in
all, including the dirtiest particle in the creation. None, except an
Incarnation of God Himself, can manifest Brahman in its totality. It is
the degree of manifestation that differs in each object, not its
substance or Reality, which is Brahman of Vedanta or the Almighty God,
the only one that there is of all religions, but with a different name
and sometimes of a different concept in each. (See 65 and
Geetaa
10) [28] Any
object having a name and form is subject to creation, dissolution and
change. The soul in each object successively takes another object as
its body, which is generally a stage higher than the previous body.
Ultimately the soul takes to the human body. This evolution of bodies
is the nature of the creation for which the Great Soul provides the
life principle. (See 267)
Bursts of sparks of the substance of Brahman
in Its complete miniature form take on new bodies for a fresh cycle of
birth of bodies. In this scheme of things intangibility appears as an
attribute of the substance of Reality for it to be omnipresent or all
pervasive, and time is a quality of the manifestation of the Reality,
the role of time being to bring about continual change. In Sanaatana
Dharma time is limitless and therefore a cyclical concept and not
linear with a beginning and an end. Time and space pertain to the
phenomenal world and not to unmanifest Brahman Who always is. [29]
Evolution does not negate spontaneous creation of forms of varying
complexity in the creation at the beginning of any of its cycles of
creation and dissolution of forms. The simple, the complex, the one,
the many, the seed and the soil, in fact the universe with its variety
seems to have come into being together. (See 407) The
entire galaxy
hung together by a complex of forces beyond the orbit of each unit in
it shows the initial need for complexity to facilitate change. A
complex environment seems necessary for the simplest form for its
growth, change and development. Evolution is a mechanics for the
sustenance of creation in its complexity from its beginning. The soul
plays its role through changes in objects, which cannot be confined to
the living. Man is the highest object or form today. There can be a
form higher than man tomorrow. Some forms become extinct some are new.
The why and how of the whole phenomenon and its processes is not known.
Only God knows the reality. He begins and ends the cycle of creation
without end. [30] Swami
Ramakrishna points out that to go into the why and how of our bodies,
life after death, rebirth, the creation and its processes, is useless.
It is as if a man writes a thesis about the demesne of the owner of the
fruit garden, whereas the owner put the man in the garden to enjoy the
fruit. Some Indian sages, as Tulaseedaasa, declined to answer questions
on these subjects, which were of no avail in attracting God, Who is the
only objective of our life. It is, however, human nature to be
inquisitive. (Kaakabhushunddi's Answers to Garurha's Questions Begin)
451
Chaupaayi: Nahin daridra-sama dukha jaga maaheen:
santa-milana sama sukha kahun naaheen:: 451.
Kaakabhushunddi continued his answers to Garurha's seven questions.
Second, "No suffering equals poverty." Third, "There is no
happiness greater than the company of men of divine vision."
Fourth, "Men of divine vision suffer themselves in doing good to others. The wicked are unfortunate. They
hurt others." (See 432)
We become
poor the moment our want of something becomes painful for us. The man
with the most unfulfilled desires and needs is the most poor and
miserable even if he is a billionaire. Even with the barest minimum, if
we are content and not greedy for anything and with no unfulfilled
desire, we are not poor and are free from the misery of want or poverty
of unfulfilled desires. It is very
difficult, yet if a poor man accepts his poverty as a consequence of
his past lives, it rids him of anger from blaming others for his
poverty. Freedom from anger and animosity releases his energy. What
sees the poor man through is his own conviction that God helps the poor
because He loves them most as a mother loves her ailing child. With
that conviction, if the poor makes every effort and entrusts it to
God's care, he finds himself slowly ridding himself of poverty. God
frees him from his past and gives him relief through helpful persons
and situations. The success of this path is an observed phenomenon in
the upward mobility of the lowly in society. (See 261) We
get help in
this path if we realize that our situation is the best for our progress
toward Him, which God could give us as consequences of our past doings.
If our past was better or if we could do better otherwise, God was
powerful enough to give us a better situation. If we develop
unshakeable faith in and surrender in devotion to Him, He does change
our situation or us for the better. The Book repeatedly extols the
company of holy men or satyasanga, which develops faith and
confidence in us to take a path for our rapid relief from God. (See 30, 302, 394)
452
Chaupaayi: Para-sampadaa binaasi nasaaheen: jimi sasi hati
hima upala bilaaheen:: Uk121 452.
Kaakabhushunddi continued, "Just as a hailstone destroys itself in
destroying the crop, the wicked people destroy others' wealth and also
destroy themselves in their effort." (See 72) (A
Proverb) 453
Chaupaayi: Parama-dharama sruti bidita ahinsaa:
para-nindaa-sama agha na Gireesaa:: Uk121 453.
Kaakabhushunddi continued, Fifth, "Non-violence is the highest dharma
in the Vedas." Sixth, "The greatest sin is to find baseless
fault in others." Manu's Smriti
10:63 and the Shree Raamacharita Maanasa here prescribe non-violence as
the highest dharma (TGR 42) But the Geetaa does not do so in so
many words. This is why some wonder where did
Mahatma Gandhi find specific words in the Geetaa, which
prescribed non-violence. Besides reading other sacred books, Mahatma
Gandhi was a votary of the Geetaa and Tulaseedaasa's the Shree
Raamacharita Maanasa. To
understand Mahatma Gandhi's view, we have to know that no act has any
intrinsic quality as for example killing by drunken driving or killing
by a heavy load which slipped from our head and crushed a child down
the steep slippery road or killing of microbes by our breath or of
insects by our feet when we walk. When in anger against a person we
kill him, it is violence. When a surgeon cuts off a gangrenous arm, it
is not violence. Our intent gives each act the quality of violence or
non-violence. The Geetaa advises us to do all acts without any quality.
These are acts of duty or motivated by love in which we have no anxiety
for specific fruit of the act because we dedicate them to God for
results, which He thinks best for us. Such acts are desireless for us
and have no quality. Therefore, these acts are non-violent for us if
they have a benevolent intent. An act of violence arising from
incorrect intent has specific objective,
and anxiety for its fulfilment and is not qualityless or
desireless. Mahatma
Gandhi insisted upon qualityless acts of the Geetaa. These acts by
their intent cannot be violent and that is how he inferred non-violence
from the Geetaa. We determine such acts by applying tests prescribed in
the Geetaa. (See 240[23]
and paragraphs 148 to 150 of the Chapter the
Philosophy) Whether our correct act results in help or harm or violence
or not to anyone, is of some but not of overriding concern to us. This
is because God dispenses its result, which may not necessarily affect
us and is beyond our control. Our good intent is essential. The
perpetrator of violence is anxious to see the other harmed. His act is
not qualityless. It is evil and he cannot dedicate it to God. So, its
consequences affect him. We should avoid violent and therefore
incorrect intent according to both the Shree Raamacharita Maanasa and
the Geetaa. Our duty is
to protect our life, property, family, country and humanity from living
beings, man, animal, insect or microbes and nature. The performance of
this duty can result in injury or violence to that which threatens us.
For the protection of life a surgeon uses a knife, which is violence on
the threatening part of the body, but the spirit of his act is
non-violent for the body as a whole, which needs to be saved. The
performance of this duty to protect is for preservation of a life and
does not arise from hatred, anger, revenge or any other mal intent or
by a passion, which gives our act a quality. So defence is qualityless.
To give aggression the garb of defence makes it an act with an evil
quality, which all wars of aggression have. When Shree
Krishna advises Arjuna to fight to kill the wicked, it is as God that
Shree Krishna directs Arjuna and not as man. In following His orders,
Arjuna is carrying out a duty like a soldier under a commanding
officer. The duty to protect society from evildoers is violence in
action but self-preservation without malice in intent. The soldier
incurs no sin; the Commanding officer gets the consequences if his
order is incorrect. So, Shree Krishna, like a guru, earned the
consequences, if any, of His advice to Arjuna and Arjuna did not commit
any violence to earn its consequences. This is what happens when we
dedicate our noble-intentioned acts to God. We are free of
consequences, which accrue to Him. Shree Raama
killed Baali and Raavana. As a king, Shree Raama did his duty to punish
the evildoer regardless of the impact on the evildoer. (See 290) So,
did Arjuna in the Mahaabhaarata but on understanding his duty
from Shree Krishna. As an Incarnation of God, Shree Raama killed the
enemies of His devotees and the wicked to relieve the earth of its
burden. (See 226,
342)
All acts were for the protection of the innocent
and without violent or any incorrect intent toward the wicked and
therefore qualityless. Therefore, both books advise correct acts which
are desireless and have no quality of violence or non-violence. In the
above manner, Mahatma Gandhi inferred non-violence from the elements of
the paths of Vedanta in the Geetaa. Control over senses and passions, vairaagya,
vivayka, even-mindedness, selfless karma, God's grace and peace and
other elements of a spiritual or godly life are not possible without
non-violence. In addition, Mahatma Gandhi found the qualities of a
perfect man given by Shree Krishna in the Geetaa 2:55-72, Further,
perfection for becoming one with God is the aim of Sanaatana Dharma.
Non-violence is an essential quality of a perfect man. The last prayer
after all worship and sacrificial undertakings in Sanaatana Dharma is Aum
followed by Shaanti or peace repeated three times to invoke
Brahman to develop peace in our physical, mental and spiritual life in
society and develop peace in our body, mind and intellect for their
health. Peace is non-violence in thought, word and deed.
Fault finding is of two kinds. First, the critic personally verifies
facts. This is common. This negative activity however disturbs our
benevolent spiritual waves and retards our advance. We advance by
introspection for self-correction and improvement and not by looking at
others' faults except with the sole object of avoiding them ourselves.
Remembering our divine nature, we should give happiness by appreciation
of the good in others and not give pain by faultfinding. (See 389 and
Geetaa 15:7-8)
The second kind of faultfinding is either imaginary or arises from
hearsay without verification. It is often false and becomes a rumour.
Rumour hurts its victim repeatedly. (See Geetaa 2:34) Thus faultfinding
combines two heinous sins of untruth and violence. (See 116) No
other
sin can equal it. Pride makes us commit the sin of faultfinding.
Faultfinding in the instant couplet is different from a suggestion for
correction or improvement of our loved ones, particularly between
families and friends. When envy or pride motivates faultfinding, it is
reprehensible. Undisciplined faultfinding destroys love in families,
caring in any set up and magnanimity in society. Thereby it makes all
sick soon. The desire to help improve the loved one by pointing out a
fault with care, discipline and restraint is non-violent. This desire
contributes to excellence and restores amity in families and society.
To disregard the critic's intent and be alert to his criticism by
introspection is wisdom through faith in the law of karma inasmuch as
we earned the malicious critic. (See 295)
In some
sections of advanced society today, training for aggressive personality
for success in life includes variants of faultfinding, ‘Never accept
responsibility; blame others ingeniously for faults and failure,' is
conventional wisdom for many today. Often experts and technocrats,
eschewing responsibility, sometimes create ‘successful structures and
systems to solve problems.' They blame their failure on others or
extraneous factors. Improved replacements of their effort often are not
much better. No wonder the ancient Indian sages called faultfinding the
greatest sin. It destroys all that is human and worthwhile in life.
Faultfinding is akin to the nature of vultures. They wallow in what
humans abhor. (See 389)
454
Chaupaayi: Sunahu taata aba maanasa rogaa: jayhi tayn dukha
paavahin saba logaa:: Uk121 454.
Kaakabhushunddi continued, Seventh. "Now hear about the diseases of
the mind which cause suffering to everybody." The
couplets following this couplet in the Book call the power of six
passions and the forms of vices they create in us, the diseases of the
mind. These diseases are uncontrolled desires, anger, greed, and
attachment to worldly things, pride, hypocrisy, wickedness, evil
thoughts and lack of discrimination. Almost all human beings suffer
from one or more of these diseases sometime or the other. Few are aware
of them. Any one of these diseases when advanced can destroy us. It is
difficult to get rid of all of them for all times. To try to get rid of
all of them is one of the aims of Sanaatana Dharma. (See 272[10,
11,
14-16], 449)
Medical
research has to rediscover, if not already doing it, the role of a
purified mind through controlled passions in our prevention of and
recovery from physical diseases and sustained good health. The six
passions subject us all to constant stress
and strain of life for material achievements. These never secure us
continual happiness. That is why the couplet says everyone without
exception suffers from the diseases of the mind. When we reduce our
worldly desires the mind becomes healthy and we enjoy peace. (See 42, 259, 318, 363)
455
Dohaa: Nayma dharma aachaara tapa jnaana biraaga japa daana: 455.
Kaakabhushunddi continued, "Even if a man enforces discipline upon himself, follows righteous conduct in harmony
with his divinity, observes austerities, acquires knowledge, performs
sacrificial rites, repeats sacred incantations, does charity and takes
hundreds of other remedial measures, diseases of the mind do not leave
him." (See 454)
Almost all
the remedies enumerated here are not easy for practice today. Our pride
and the attractions of the world obstruct recourse to them. (See 427)
All remedies require a base of humility or total surrender to God.
Moreover, our attachment to worldly attractions makes us too weak today
to imbibe these remedies. It is said
that seventy-five per sent of religion is truth, justice, rectitude and
compassionate service of the needy or, in short, our conduct. Not a
high standard of living, but a high level of thinking with a heart
overflowing with compassion for the weak and needy shows a healthy
mind. This is something more than mere moral living. (See 240[5-7])
This noble living arises from our transformation of the self into
selflessness and elimination of base desires from our mind. Where there
are no desires and contentment prevails, there is no mind or a
completely healthy mind. If we do
not base our effort upon Knowledge with devotion to God, our effort
often fails to make our mind steady, persevering and so healthy. (See 17, 437, 458) Our
intellect aligned with our inmost Self purifies our
mind to make it healthy to nurture high thinking and is the secret for
our success and happiness. (See 42) 456
Chaupaayi: Raamakripaa naasahin saba rogaa: jo ayhi bhaanti
bana-yi sanjogaa:: 456
Kaakabhushunddi continued, "If Shree Raama's grace produces a set of
circumstances, all diseases of the mind are cured. This set
comprises: to seek and come across a self-realized guru, to have trust
in the Vedas, to have no expectation for the fulfilment of worldly
desires and to remain steadfast in these three resolves." If we
search for a guru, we should very carefully test him. If we live in
oneness with all and motivate all our acts by love, God sends a guru to
our door to meet our immediate need. This guru needs no testing because
he solves our immediate problem with his advice, which we find
workable. Examples of such a guru are: a doctor, a helpful relative, an
acquaintance conveying a thought in casual conversation, an article in
a magazine or newspaper suggesting a remedy and so on. All, who are
percipient, experience the availability of such a guru. All do not
recognize it as assistance from God even when it is nearly as good as
sending us a guru for our need of the moment. (See 157, 417)
457
Chaupaayi: Raghupati-bhagati sajeevana-mooree: anupaana
srad-dhaa mati pooree:: 457.
Kaakabhushunddi continued, "Shree Raama's name is the only life
saving herb for all diseases of the mind. An enlightened intellect and
reverential faith in devotion is the regimen. All these together might
cure the diseases. Innumerable other remedies cannot rid us of them."
(See 33, 42) Kaakabhushunddi
is shown to bring out the signs of our health and disease. Devotion to
God is health and its absence is disease. Devotion comprises belief in
God strengthened by the jnaana to make us live in oneness of
all with ourselves, motivating all our acts with love and selflessness
in conduct by our faith in karma and in God’s grace. Devotion minimizes
desires. An increase in desires is a symptom of disease. (See 277)
458
Chaupaayi: Jaani-yay taba mana biruja gosaa-yeen: jaba ura
bala biraaga adhikaa-yee:: 458.
Kaakabhushunddi continued, "A man's mind is healthy when his
renunciation of the world becomes powerful, his hunger for wisdom
increases and weakness for worldly desires decreases day-by-day."
(See 272 [10,
11, 14-16]) The instant
couplets give the signs of a healthy mind. The unhealthiness of our
mind is directly proportionate to the power of the six passions over us
to create worldly desires. The pride that I am the doer of all my work
is the most powerful passion. Too much of the ego or ‘I-ness' is a
weakness. Minimum innocuous desires are necessary for a vigorous mind.
A healthy mind selects noble desires and directs them to God for their
fulfilment if He so wills. (See 42, 327, 363)
Our
childhood attraction of a toy disappears when we grow. When we grow
spiritually, our attraction for worldly pleasures and for acquisition
of wealth, name and fame also disappears because we realize that our
continual happiness is independent of them. This reduces the impact on
us of changes for better or worse in our circumstances. With this we
secure freedom from strains, and peace and equanimity of the mind,
freedom from disease and improvement in our situation. When our
interest even unconsciously hurts others, the mind is diseased. An
objective analysis of the totality of circumstances surrounding any of
our achievements, finds that many favourable factors outside our
control made it possible. Our own role was minimal. Remembering this
finding rids us of too much of the ‘I' or egotism in us of being the
achiever and humbly turns us to the Creator of favourable factors and
of our good fortune. Couplets
from 454 to
the instant ones bring out that our link to God by keeping
Him in our mind somehow, invites His grace, which purifies our mind to
keep it healthy. (See 49) The link
makes us control passions and
develops detachment from worldly attractions. It encourages blissful
thoughts for all. God's grace creates helpful situations and corrects
our perspective for us to strengthen our faith in grace. The secret for
our success and happiness is the maintenance of this link to God with
faith. (See 42[3,
6-13], 177,
259)
459
Chaupaayi: Satasangati durlabha sansaaraa: nimish dandda
bhari ayka-u baaraa:: Uk123 459.
Kaakabhushunddi continued, "It is difficult for a man to be in the
company of spiritually advanced people even once for a few moments."
Here satyasanga
is literally the company of truth or God, which is available to us
through our link to Him, intros-pection, contemplation and meditation.
After this satya-sanga, the company of holy men for question
and answer sessions is the next alternative for us. (See 259, 460)
Study of holy books and of the lives of saints is the most easily
available satyasanga for us. Satyasanga is so precious that
Agastya specifically asked for it from Shree Raama and so did Shiva.
(See 234,
361) Satyasanga
is more difficult for those in whom
the upsurge for continual bliss and salvation has not surfaced because
their ephemeral worldly desires press for satisfaction first and resist
their recognizing spiritually advanced persons. (See 242) (Kaakabhushunddi's
Discourse and Answers to Garurha's Questions Ends) 460 Dohaa:
Girijaa santa-samaagama-sama na laabha kachhu aana: 460. Shiva
said to Paarvatee, "According to the Vedas and Puranas, our benefit
from association with spiritually advanced persons or satyasanga
is unequalled by anything else in the world. Such company is not
possible except by God's grace." The wider a
child's tastes for foods and enjoyment, the richer it is. Literature,
humanities, fine arts and wonders of science widen a student's field of
enjoyment. Detachment from worldly attractions and holy paths widen an
adult's perspective to enjoy his own being and life better. It
increases his enjoyment by sharing it with others. The child gets his
richness from parents, the student from the teacher and the adult from
holy men. The mother, teacher and holy men add to the bliss of each and
constitute their satyasanga. (See 126, 394) If satyasanga
with holy company were not difficult to find, millions would not have
missed this beneficial activity. In the absence of satyasanga,
life stories of Incarnations of God and of evolved gurus and their
message and teachings are a good alternative so also is remembering God
within us as often as we can. The company of the worldly great in
history and biography offers ephemeral pleasure but seldom offers
workable lessons for lasting peace in the world for self and society
within our reach. 461
Chaupaayi: Mana-bacha-karam-janita-agha jaa-yee: sunahin
jay kathaa sravan mana laa-yee:: Uk126 461. Shiva
continued, "All consequences of sins committed by thought, word and
deed are destroyed for those who listen with deep interest to the story
of Shree Raama's life." What we
call a sin is actually an error in ignorance as explained in 252 and 428.
All errors in thought and deeds are due to ignorance of our
reality and arise from the uncontrolled power of our passions. (See 66, 272[1-10,
13, 14]) 462
Dohaa: Muni-durlabha Hari-bhagati nara, paavahin
binaahin prayaasa:: 462.
Shiva continued, "Those who always listen to the story of Shree
Raama's life with reverential faith receive devotion to Him without
labour. Even sages who contemplate on Brahman to attain It do
not find that devotion so easily." Tulaseedaasa
reminds us that our difficulty is not in getting devotion but in
developing trust and unwavering reverential faith in the value of
belief in God in person and of devotion to Him. (See 2) Without
faith
in its value, devotion to God is not devotion. Many of us believe in
God but seldom trust that He is omnipotent enough to nourish us and
help us in a predicament, even if we surrender all our diligence and
good work and ourselves to Him. (See 325) Some
feel that only their
doing everything can provide for their good and bad days. They do not
trust their diligence as God's gift nor do they dedicate all to Him.
They cannot believe in the precepts that follow. Their free will for
its fulfilment can merge in God’s will. (See 42 [3,
6-13], 293) Grace
can be invoked. (See 261) Shree
Raama is real and easily available to
them in their need, (See 262) and,
He loves them more if their need is
greater. (See 369)
Similarly, some sages do not believe and have no faith in a personal
God. They have difficulty in getting devotion. These sages' own limited
concept of God that He can only be imperceptible, excludes God's
personal aspect, which other spiritually advanced persons' experience.
These sages cannot reach Sharabhanga's spiritual level to emulate him
and find it difficult to get devotion to Shree Raama. (See 226-227)
Other
humble sages with a purified mind can easily become Shree Raama's
devotees. 463
Dohaa: So kula dhanya Umaa sunu jagata poojya
supuneeta: Shree-Raghu-beera-paraa-yana jayhi nara upaja bineeta:: Uk127 463.
Shiva continued, "That family is sacred and praiseworthy in which
Shree Raama's humble devotee is born." The
greatness of a family is not in its lineage, profession or wealth. (See
262)
It is in spiritual values which Shree Raama's devotee tries to set
for himself in his thought, word and deed, as an example for the
family. Through his reverential faith in, devotion to Shree Raama and
living in both, even if one member of a family develops wisdom, it
secures happiness to the entire family through his example, counsel and
prayers. (See 126, 182, 314)
Standing by them, the family may also
secure fame in society. (See 15) The
devotee's example may attract
outsiders too. 464
Chaupaayi: Raamakathaa kay tay adhikaaree: jinha kay
satasangati ati pyaaree:: 464. Shiva
continued, "Those people who love the company of saintly persons,
respect their guru, adhere to good norms in conduct and serve Brahmins ( In addition
to the above, scriptures, messages from lives of saints and discourses
on religion are facilities for His devotees or those who believe in God
as a reality, in the value of surrender to Him and in humble inquiry
for their advancement or are His devotees. These subjects and
facilities are also for spiritually advanced men. They are not for
those who are proud of their intellect or as pure rationalists are nonbelievers in the
value of faith in God or in God Himself. (See 2) 464A
Dohaa: Jay srad-dhaa sambhal rahita nahin santanha kara
saatha: Those
who do not possess the wherewithal for their journey of life in the
shape of reverential faith in God or of the company of men of divine
vision and of devotion to Shree Raama, find it difficult to listen to
Shree Raama's story. Tulaseedaasa
brings out the need for acceptance of variety of views and beliefs
among men in 464B
Chaupaayi: Raamabhagati jinha kay ura naaheen: kabahun na
taata kahi-ya tinha paaheen:: Uk113 One
should not narrate Shree Raama's story to those who have no love for
Him. Even though
Shree Raama's story purifies the sinner and leads a listener to God,
this prohibition is necessary for the believers' own advance by
introspection for possibilities because it encourages variety of views,
beliefs and thinking for examining, testing and experimenting with
them. A believer not being always sharp in debate and in motivated
misuse of reason and logic that some non-believers display is often
shaken in his faith by any association with them. Fanatics in all
religions often miss or incorrectly understand the universal in their
religion, which is love and acceptance. Prompted by others and without
using their own common sense, which is the harmony of the intellect and
the heart, fanatics blindly use violence to spread their own religion.
History records it. Sanaatana
Dharma emphasizes the universal to eliminate the fanaticism of the
particular. It prescribes prohibition of the only or of the superior
way. It insists on non-violence by accepting diversity in unity for
living and letting others live. It accepts the believer in the formless
God, in God with form and in both and in other concepts. Sanaatana
Dharma is the only religion in the world to hold, first, that there is
no one, only, superior or wrong religion. Secondly, it believes that
the same Almighty God of all religions arranges different religions for
men in different times and climes to reach Him in their own way and
time in the end. (See Geetaa 9:18) It is an essential ingredient of the
universalism of Sanaatana Dharma to accept fanaticism and
fundamentalism, if any, in any religion as an integral part of the
mosaic of faith in human society. Thirdly Sanaatana Dharma believes
that God’s religion is love because He provides this as the only
knowledge to every child that is born. To reach him or spirituality in
every religion is possible only by His religion of love for all. So
God’s religion love is the only single spirituality that can be and so
is in all religions. The duty of the
state however is to punish violence in word and deed. So, the instant
prohibition is in tune with this basic universality of Sanaatana
Dharma. Sanaatana Dharma emphasizes example in word and conduct in
dealing by individuals for others to emulate. It does not give
precedence to precept, or preaching, over example for transformation of
others. Hence is the importance of control on senses and passions or Brahmacharya
by every individual for becoming exemplary. A man or a
guru can only exemplify what he himself tried with success. A guru’s
daily conduct is his message for testing him. Watching him, others may
follow his way or leave it. A guru does not seek disciples nor imposes
anything of his own upon any disciple. Even God lovingly leaves each
man to follow or not follow God's own dharma of love that He
teaches all of us since our birth. Instead of becoming exemplary in
love of which God is the personification, His misguided followers
sometimes even coerce others in His name. In the end,
every human soul must get freedom from the bondage of the ‘I' in the
body. God does not exist for the nonbeliever till his need forces him
or his soul inspires him. Then he remembers God, gurus, scriptures and
all. God sends a saint to his door, not forthwith but to each in his
time. (See 304)
Even God's own Incarnations and Messengers of His love
did not reach everyone everywhere. Many around almost all did not
recognize them as Incarnations but decried them. Out of His love, God
however reaches each being in some form or other from time to time and
place to place and repeatedly. Sanaatana Dharma denies arrogation by
anyone to force God's message in His name on anyone in the garb of
charity and compassion or of merely offering it to one. The liberality
of the prohibition in the instant couplet enabled Sanaatana Dharma to
survive millenniums. (See Geetaa Some faults
are given in 64,
332 and
334,
which a seeker should avoid. Opposite
qualities and other virtues are given here to invite God's grace.
465
Dohaa: Raama-charana-rati jo chaha-yi athvaa pada
nirvaana: 465.
Shiva continued, "If one wants devotion to Shree Raama or
liberation, one should listen to his story with reverential faith."
Shiva, the
great guru himself, shows us an alternative. It is available to us for
an identical or a better benefit if a guru or holy company is not
within our reach. Listening to, reading and understanding the message
of Shree Raama's story, for instance, in the Shree Raamacharita Maanasa
and living in the message, we can reach Shree Raama's abode and enjoy
supreme bliss or get liberation. (See 148 and
Geetaa 8:16) Incidents in
the story help us understand both the formless and the with form
aspects of God. This understanding develops unwavering faith in
devotion to God. (See 61) 466
Chaupaayi: Raamakathaa Girijaa main baranee:
kali-mala-samani mano-mala-haranee:: 466. Shiva
continued, "I have narrated the story of Shree Raama's life to you.
It destroys consequences of all sins and resulting dirt on the
human soul in the Kaliyuga and purifies the mind. The
story is a life saving drug for the disease of rebirth and is narrated
in the Vedas." The Shree
Raamacharita Maanasa has been the most read book for about five
centuries in The
available Vedas do not mention the personal aspect of God as in Shree
Raama. Men's experience of God as a person, however, is a perennial
reality, which goes before and beyond any scripture. The Vedas may not
mention Shree Raama or Shree Krishna by name. The experience of God in
His personal aspect, however, which people later also had through Shree
Raama, is an experience before the Vedas and recorded in the Vedas.
This record was the basis for Upanishads. Upanishads are the source of
the Dvaita In spite of
this information, some insist upon their own personal experience of
Shree Raama if he is a reality but without any effort or deep yearning
necessary for securing this experience. This insistence shows disbelief
in the experience of others because of ignorance of their methods for
experience even when these fortunate seekers commanded wide respect.
This disrespect to sages, who experienced or saw God, arises in
disbelievers from pride in their intellectual power. Pride distances
such people from Shree Raama. These people therefore conclude
erroneously that Shree Raama did not exist because the Vedas do not
mention Him. Many of the educated believe them. The illiterate often
experience Shree Raama in their guileless trust in ancient sages’
experience and emulating their example. 467
Chaupaayi: Ayhi manha ruchira sapta sopaanaa:
Raghu-pati-bhagati kayra panthaanaa:: 467. Shiva
continued, "There are seven beautiful flights of stairs in Shree
Raama's life story. Each is a path to secure devotion to Him. But it is
only when He is specially kind to a person
that he takes a step on any of the paths." Tulaseedaasa
emphasizes here that without God's grace we cannot even think of God;
to take a step on any path to Him is a far cry from it. (See 10, 304)
This first lesson is that to avail of the use of God we must accept
with faith His reality. From that follows the lesson that the
occurrence of the thought of God is a sign of His grace and our good
fortune to be blessed with it. We should hold fast to this auspicious
sign for good. It sets us on His path for our success and
happiness. There are
seven chapters in the Shree Raamacharita Maanasa. The first, Baalakaandda
shows that Shree Raama was an Incarnation of Brahman. The chapter
emphasizes the need for the understanding of both the impersonal and
personal aspect of Brahman and for enlightened and reverential faith in
Shree Raama as Brahman in person. It emphasizes the benefit of
remembering Him somehow, the best method being to repeat His name. It
brings out the value of devotion to Him. It shows the desirability of
basing devotion upon jnaana to make our faith in it unwavering.
It assures us of the certainty of our securing in life the impersonal
aspect of God through devotion to Shree Raama or to a deity of our own
choice and concept. The second
chapter Ayodhyaakaandda shows the path of selflessness and
detachment from worldly attractions and desires as exemplified by
Dasharatha, Kaushalyaa, Sumitraa, Shree Raama, Seetaa, Bharata and
Laksh-mana. The chapter emphasizes each family member's duty, the need
for communication in the family and family values. The chapter brings
out the qualities a man can acquire through devotion to Shree Raama to
secure His stay in his heart. For this Shree Raama makes the devotee
perfect in His image. The third
Chapter Aranyakaandda leads us through the path of
non-attachment to the world and attachment to God, to the path of
Knowledge and to the royal path of devotion to God in person. To attain
jnaana and bhakti, the sages, Kayvatt and
Shabaree exemplified this path. The chapter gives the secret for our
continual bliss in life through loving God as a baby loves its mother
on one hand and on the other setting our mind and basing our conduct on
love and benevolence toward all as one with us in God. This living in
oneness is practical jnaana by which we are empowered to do
the impossible that is noble. (See 259).
The fourth
chapter Kishkindhaakaandda shows the path of being true to
oneself, that is, to conform to one's own inborn divine nature in
dealing with others as demonstra-ted by Shree Raama himself. The
chapter brings out that for our divine nature to surface, we prevent
the six passions from becoming powerful in our mind by keeping it
somehow occupied by Shree Raama. The fifth
chapter Sundarakaandda shows the path of selfless service of
love and devotion or karmayoga, which Hanumaan demonstrated.
The chapter also brings out that if we turn to God, He accepts us with
all our faults and heinous sins, gives relief from them, purifies our
mind for regaining our oneness with Him and offers refuge to seekers.
This chapter also emphasizes the need for purification of our mind for
receiving its empowerment. The sixth
chapter Lankaakaandda shows the path of character and conduct
in life as exemplified by Shree Raama himself. It shows us the
qualities needed for our success in life. It shows us that the best way
of securing continual bliss and God is through one-sided love for Him
expressed through love of all in our conduct. The seventh
chapter Uttarakaandda contains Shree Raama's message that the
human body with a mind is our most precious gift from God for our
highest achievement. His message is also that the present age and time
are the best of all ages when the easiest path for reaching God and
special dispensations for the weak man of today are provided for us.
His message is that the highest dharma is love and benevolence
for all. It is that a purified mind keeps the body free from all
diseases and fit for the path of devotion to a personal God, for
example, the Incarnation of God. Finally, the message is also that this
path is the easiest among all paths for bliss and reaching God in
life. The sum of all chapters is to develop unshakeable faith in the reality of God as our loving mother. For Her to nourish us, we should think, speak and act in love for all who are Her children. We do this by hurting none and helping all as She does regardless of what others do to us. We always remember Her. We entrust our past, our all and ourselves to Her, thank Her for our situation and avoid doing wrong. We should be sincerely diligent in our daily work in the firm faith that She will protect us and, if in our interest, make our work and situation better. We can follow this course without need for sacred books, gurus, religious practices and visit to temples or places of pilgrimage. This is how Hinduism survived cruel Muskim rulers. 468
Chaupaayi: Mana-kaamanaa-sid-dhi nara paavaa: jo yaha kathaa kapatta
taji gaavaa:: 468.
Shiva continued, "Those who guilelessly narrate Shree Raama's story
and its message to others, find their noble
desires fulfilled. Those who listen to, narrate it, or joyously praise
it, cross the ocean of a rebirth as if it were a puddle made by the
hoof of a cow." The cycle
of birth and death on the earth is also compared to an ocean because it
is difficult to get across this cycle. Devotion to the personal God in
Shree Raama in the forms mentioned here establishes our link to Him,
which helps us cross the ocean. Those enjoy
Shree Raama's story most, whose devotion to the person of Shree Raama
creates a visual and almost concrete form of Shree Raama in their minds
for their intimate experience. Some are those who seek and find for a
fulfilling life, wisdom for daily use in the couplets in the
Book. 469
Chaupaayi: Suni subha kathaa hrida-ya ati bhaa-yee: Girijaa bolee
giraa suhaa-yee:: 469.
Paarvatee said to Shiva, "I truly enjoyed the story of Shree Raama's
noble life which you kindly narrated to me. You kindly removed all my
doubts. I have now a new love for Shree Raama." The doubt
in Paarvatee's mind was, ‘Was Shree Raama, who was King Dasharatha's
son, really Brahman Itself?’ This clouded Paarvatee's devotion to Shree
Raama. This doubt was similar to Satee and Garurha's doubt. The same
doubt assails many educated minds even today whether God Who is
imperceptible and formless can take a human form. (See 36, 65[2-15, 18,
20], 411)
Shiva's narration of Shree Raama's story and explaining its
message without referring to any scriptures removed Paarvatee's doubt.
Similarly, we can remove this doubt today by a study of the Shree
Raamacharita Maanasa and by understanding its message with enlightened
faith. Tulaseedaasa has collected the essence of the practical in
beliefs of and thought in the Vedas and Sanaatana Dharma for removal of
our doubts. So, for our benefit we can experiment with and test in our
daily life the truth of these beliefs by treating them as our own.
Hence is the popularity of the Shree Raamacharita Maanasa for centuries
among millions. 470
Dohaa: Main kritakritya bha-ya-un aba tava prasaada
Bisvaysa: 470.
Paarvatee continued, "I am deeply grateful to you. A strong devotion
to Shree Raama has developed in me. All my troubles have ended." All
troubles arise in life from our ignorance of our reality as one with
God or Shree Raama. Troubles arise from not believing that the
knowledge of this reality is of instant and lasting benefit for us.
They arise from not acquiring this knowledge and so not putting it into
practice in daily life because of lack of faith in it. The practice of
this knowledge can become our second nature and does not need extra
time. (See 66,
240[1-6,
9, 10, 21, 23]) Here Paarvatee is repeating
this lesson. Her doubt about Shree Raama's reality being God in person
caused her ignorance. After understanding His reality, Paarvatee's
troubles ceased when she entrusted them to Shree Raama' care. We too
can entrust our cares to Shree Raama. (See 325)
Shiva's discourse to
Paarvatee, which is shown to begin in 60 to 63
ends here. 471
Chaupaayi: Ayhi kalikaala na saadhana doojaa: joga jagya japa
tapa brata poojaa:: 471.
Tulaseedaasa says, "In Kaliyuga, the present age, certain
means for the liberation of the human being from his sufferings in life
and bondage to the cycle of rebirths, are not available. Some of these
means are meditation (Raajayoga), the performance of
sacrificial rites, the repetition of sacred incantations, the
observance of austerities and fasts and worship of God. In Kaliyuga,
the only effective means for reaching God is to remember Shree
Raama's name and to recite and listen to hymns in His praise."
Today we are generally too weak to follow the scriptural methods
mentioned here. Teachers explain the path of yoga in different ways.
Many teachers however have no experience of the result of what they
teach. Teachers with experience do not often move among people. One
practises yoga by striving for goodness through the austerity of vairaagya
or detachment from worldly desires and attachment to God. It is not
easy to find a purified heart or articles honestly procured for
sacrificial rites. Other methods demand disciplines for which we are
weak. Tulaseedaasa's final advice is that we can get freedom from
misery and fear in life by strengthen-ing our faith that we always have
God for our succour. To secure this succour, one way is to be alert to
every occasion to remind us of Him, for example, by expression of
gratitude to Him for all favourable and by prayer for avoiding
repetition of unfavourable occurrences. This alertness needs no extra
time earmarked for being in His company. (See 246)
Experience shows
that even to remember Shree Raama and sing His praise is difficult in Kaliyuga
today. The only spiritual discipline, which Tulaseedaasa suggests, is
to remember God somehow; the best method is to repeat His name. God
knows our intent in this repetition and responds to it. (See 100 and
Geetaa 8:7) 472
Dohaa: Mo sama deen na deena-hita, tumha samaana Raghubeera: 472.
Tulaseedaasa prays to Shree Raama, "None is so poor and in distress
as I am. There is none like you, O Shree Raama, who cares for such as I
am. Keeping this in mind, save the world from its frightful suffering
through the cycle of rebirths. Just as a beautiful woman attracts a
lustful man and wealth a greedy man, O Shree Raama, grant me that I
have for you the intensity of their combined yearning for what they
cherish." Shree
Raama's greatest love and care is for those who are wretched and in
distress, both materially and spiritually because He loves us as a
mother loves her baby. Such men have no control over their suffering
nor have anyone except God to seek help. Looking at his own faults and
past deeds, Tulaseedaasa found himself to be in dire spiritual
distress. He reminds Shree Raama of His nature toward the distressed,
so that Shree Raama would grant his prayer. (See 227, 261, 307)
It may
appear strange that such a great devotee as Tulaseedaasa should call
himself poor and in distress. Every devotee who is deeply in love with
God experiences in his heart great pain and distress at his separation
from the object of his love, God. The pain and distress of the
devotee's yearning are worse than those of the materially poor and the
worldly distressed. Tulaseedaasa is expres-sing here a devotee's yearning for Shree Raama. We are
advised that we should not treat ourselves as a weak and helpless
person. God gave us the mind and intelligence for a spiritual
discipline to suit their capacity to free us from our situation.
Tulaseedaasa points out that for any distressful situation, we should
make the best use of our mind and intellect, which should include
establishing of the easiest ‘Thou' master and ‘I' servant or mother and
baby relationship with Shree Raama. We should seek Him because He is
the greatest benefactor of those in distress. As a true guru,
Tulaseedaasa himself practises here the discipline he advises. Tulaseedaasa
found greed and lust as our greatest enemies till the end of our days.
We should always guard against them. He prays that if they cannot leave
us, God may change their demand for worldly pleasures into one for
happiness of God's love. Swami Ramakrishna had an identical experience.
He called lust and greed as Kaamini-kanchana, that is, woman
and gold.
Till Tulaseedaasa secures Shree Raama's love forever, he prays that he
should continue in his distress. Kuntee, the mother of Yudhishttara,
Bheema and Arjuna, the Paanddava princes, also asked for suffering if
in its absence she forgot Shree Krishna.
This is Tulaseedaasa's last prayer at the end of the Book. In this
prayer, he proves himself as a man of Knowledge and a perfect devotee
of God or Brahma-jnaaneebhakta (devotion based on Self-realization).
Considering that public service and welfare are the highest dharma,
he prays for the removal of suffering for all. (See 22) That would
remove his suffering too. This precept of service to and wishing well
of others first, regardless of who they are, is basic to Sanaatana
Dharma. (See 386)
Selflessness of Karmayoga and not selfishness
of Kaliyuga is the key to material and spiritual advancement of
society in Sanaatana Dharma. This shows the ignorance of those among
some educated who think that Sanaatana Dharma is selfish and does not
contribute to the wellbeing of society. If Tulaseedaasa wanted Shree
Raama's grace only for himself, he could put ‘mama,' that is,
me, for the word ‘bhava,' that is, the world, in the above
quatrain. In the
first line of the instant couplets, Tulaseedaasa gives his own
experience of his distress and Shree Raama's nature of compassion. In
the second line, he gives its result, that is, a heart, which bleeds
for the suffering of humanity. Compassion for all, particularly for the
needy, is the litmus test of a man of God. Compassion has become
Tulaseedaasa's prayer. Against this, in the second couplet, he asks for
himself only the love of God. (See 360)
Tulaseedaasa’s
prayer could not exclude those who were not followers of Sanaatana
Dharma, nonbelievers and those who lived anywhere in the world. Jews,
Buddhists, Jains, fire-worshippers or Parsis, Christians, Muslims and
Sikhs who were flourishing in Tulaseedaasa's time in 473
Chhanda: Raghu-bansa-bhhooshana charita yaha nara, kahahin
sunahi jay gaavaheen: 473.
Tulaseedaasa's last message is, "Those people who recite the story
and put across the message of Shree Raama, the jewel of King Raghu's
dynasty, or listen to it or sing it, wash away without labour the dirt
of Kaliyuga from their minds, and reach Shree Raama's abode."
The dirt of
Kaliyuga, the present age, comprises the uncontrolled
power of six passions and unfulfilled desires and consequences of deeds
of our past lives. Tulaseedaasa tells us here how to wash off this
dirt. Tulaseedaasa
gives here the final message of the Shree Raamacharita Maanasa. We have
to bring to surface our divinity by removing the dirt of the power of
our senses and passions from our mind. This effort makes our mind pure
to make it one with our jeevaatmaa or God within us to ensure
continual bliss in life. The controlled or pure mind enables us to see
in life realities and that God in Shree Raama is a reality. It gives us
an opportunity to serve Him in person and thereafter in His abode. As
an alternative, Tulaseedaasa gives pre-eminence to the practical ‘Thou'
and ‘I' or mother and baby relationship with God in His personal aspect
in Shree Raama. This relationship needs no disciplines, erudition or
effort but needs understanding with strong faith for a conduct
motivated by love for all that we learn from our birth and practise in
our family. This relationship itself purifies our mind. For a strong
relation-ship, all we need is, firstly, to have unshakeable faith in
the reality of God who loves us as a mother loves her baby and
secondly, to remember Him in a form of our choice somehow and as often
as we can. One of God's forms for remembering Him is Shree Raama. This
continuous association with God by remembering Him and a daily conduct
of benevolence as the expression of love for all as one with us, comprise the saadhanaa or spiritual
discipline that is easy for all to practise. This is all that
Tulaseedaasa suggests as the message of Shree Raama’s life or the Shree
Raamacharita Maanasa. |
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Home
Dedication
Reviews
An Appeal
Author's
Note
Arrangement
of Book
Hindi
Spellings
Table of
Contents
Tribute to
Gandhi
Introduction
The Raama
Story
Philosophy
Baalakaandda
Ayodhyakaandda
Aranyakaandda
Kishkindhaakaandda
Sundarakaandda
Lankaakaandda
Uttarakaandda
Index
Glossary
Proper
Names
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Appendices
Ghazal