Vishwas: One of the basic prerequisites of self realization or God realization is to have implicit faith and trust in one’s own self, your Guru and God. A firm belief about the existence of God is equally important and that we belong to HIM and HE belongs to us. Our relationship was established right since the inception of this universe and there is no doubt that we shall attain Him.
Nature and material world are composed of five tatvas. What relates to nature (like human body and material objects) are temporary, ever-changing, destructible and mutable while the soul derives from God and is, therefore, unborn, eternal, everlasting and primeval. The human body and the material world, because of their very nature, are prone to decay, but the soul is incorruptible. This material world is not real and the unreal has no permanent existence. The soul and God are real, are part of each other and the ultimate truth, and the real never ceases to be. This reality of both has thus been perceived by the seers of truth.
We practically observe every day this changing world with a naked eye and what we see with our own eyes does not need any proof. Everything is subject to change – relationships, objects, insatiable desires, actions, circumstances, situations. Change is the very essence of life in this material world. Our own body changes every minute. Modern scientists maintain that in seven years the whole body changes and that not even a drop of old blood remains. Nothing is permanent or stable here. What was available yesterday, is not available today; what is available today, will not be so tomorrow and the never ending wheel of time will continue to revolve. Our close relatives, our loved ones who were so very dear to us, our friends on whom we relied implicitly, left us. So much so, we did not even realize when our childhood, our youth left us quietly. But one existence, i.e. jeevatma, that kept watching these changes as a spectator, is the only real, stable and permanent entity. It is a law of nature that the one who takes birth, grows, changes, decays and over a period of time will be destroyed. In such a situation, any attempt made to establish a permanent relationship in this temporary world is a mirage.
Shradha: Having realized the temporary nature of this material world and frustrated by the dualties such as, attachment and aversion, love and hate, pleasure and pain, success and failure; strayed human beings need guidance of the One who will lead them out of this morass of desires, sufferings and ill-will. They need someone who can take them out of the darkness of this illusionary material world, show them light and put them on the right track. The solution to these problems lies in the solicitude of a true Guru, who can give them the knowledge of truth and lead them to salvation by teaching them patience, detachment and selflessness. It is the Sadguru alone who gives us the strength to intelligently fight adverse circumstances and come out of such situations by transcending all limitations. At a particular level, there is no difference between a Sadguru and God; both assume the same position and have solutions to the problems of suffering humanity.
Guru plays the pivotal role in reminding us of Divine advice, teaches us the art of living a balanced life with restraint and stability of mind. He is the one who dispels the darkness of ignorance and shows the path of light and eternal bliss. He is the one who brings about awareness that actions (karmas) performed under the influence of senses give rise to sensuous pleasures and pains, which are transitory and fleeting. He guides you how to discipline and bring under control the five wild horses – ‘kama’ (passion), ‘krodha’ (anger), ‘lobha’ (greed), ‘moha’ (emotional attachment) and ‘ahankara’ (ego) and helps you to take the chariot of your life in the right direction of inner peace and tranquility. He brings about a realization in you that over-indulgence in sensuous objects give rise to Tamoguna which results in regret, remorse, sorrow and loss of peace. Like a father, Guru holds your little finger and conditions you to fearlessly travel from the illusionary material world, to the realms of spirituality so that you could be one with the Real One and realize the ultimate truth – i.e. God. With Sadguru’s grace, at this point of time, when you look upon your Guru with love, awe and reverence, then faith and belief (Vishwas) transforms into ‘Shradha’ (reverence) and, unconditionally, you start following him unto the path of truth.
Sewa: Sewa can also be termed as karmayoga. Service to mankind should be rendered with a sense of sacrifice and dedication, relinquishing all attachment. Alleviate the sufferings of humanity and earn the prayers and blessings of Daridra-Narayan. Rendering service to mankind with a feeling of selflessness is, in fact, serving the Lord himself, because He is present in every human being. By doing so, we attain the highest good. In return, the all merciful, benevolent Narayan showers His abundant blessings on us and accelerates the process of our spiritual advancement. Interestingly, when we render service with a feeling of selflessness, not with ostentation, pride or a desire to gain fame; not as charity to give a feeling to the recipient that he is an object of pity; but with love and compassion, with a feeling that to do so is our duty; then we establish an unbreakable bond of ‘bhavana’ between the two. When our sewa is moistened with love and compassion, resultant contentment and happiness is gratifying both to the giver and the recepient in an infinite measure. Such an act of a ‘karamyogi ’ generates ‘satoguna’ and the all pervading infinite is always present where such ‘karmas’ (actions) are being performed. Guruji said, “no form of worship is greater than serving his creation – the mankind. Japa (inward recitation of mantras), dhyana (meditation), and nishkam sewa (rendering selfless service to mankind with a sense of dedication and sacrifice) is the simplest and shortest route to attaining salvation and God realization.
Gyan: Knowledge about the existence of God, the ultimate truth, and the temporary nature of this material world, is Gyanyoga. That this material world is subject to change and is destructible, but the soul and God are permanent, everlasting and eternal. Mankind is the most exalted creation of the Lord. In fact, every human being is like a mobile temple in which He has established Himself in the form of an Atman. Atman is an inseparable part of Param-atman. If our thoughts are pure and satoguna is predominantly prevalent in us, then we can perceive the presence of God in every being that we come across. Clearer the mirror, equally clear would be the reflection.
The human body is a creation of nature and therefore mutable, while the soul derives from God and is, consequently, eternal. The body, because of its very nature, is prone to decay, but the soul is incorruptible. Tamoguna, Rajoguna, and Satoguna are the characteristics of nature, whereas God is beyond these gunas. It is human susceptibility to Tamoguna and Rajoguna that binds us to the material world and makes us suffer. In the ultimate analysis, to be one with God, we need to transcend these three Gunas, because these Gunas also have a binding factor. Transcendence from these gunas, releases us from the short-lived fruits of our karmas in earthly existence and we become one with ‘Sat-chitta-ananda’, where there is no ego, but a state of bliss. The moment this knowledge dawns upon us, that moment is attainment of ‘Nirvana’.
Bhakti: Unconditional surrender unto the lotus feet of the Lord and a firm conviction that you belong to God and God belongs to you and both are one entity, is Bhaktiyoga. Inculcating more and more of ‘Satoguna’ and relinquishing ‘Rajoguna’ and ‘Tamoguna; i.e. realization about the existence of God, detachment from the material world, and overcoming ego-centric desires (I, me, and mine) are importance milestones towards that end.
Light the flame of His pious name in the temple of your heart. Let the bells toll and the harmonious sound of His ‘Japa’ reverberate in your heart. Get completely absorbed and meditate on the ‘Jyotirlinga’ of your innerself. Then look at your enlightened self and recognize your original, pure and pious reflection. In the cosmic whispers of music (anhad naad), your ‘Antaratma’ will hear a resounding sound - ‘Hari Aum Tat Sat, Hari Aum Tat Sat, Aham Brahmasmi’. Then you may not even feel your outer existence. You will experience enlightenment, happiness, and tranquility around you.
Writer is one of the prime disciples of Guruji of Himgiri-Neelkanth.
On every ‘Bara Guruwar’ he renders selfless service with spiritual powers to
thousands of persons at his Guruji’s Samadhi (Neelkanth Dham, Najafgarh, New Delhi.)
No comments:
Post a Comment