Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Monday, July 8, 2019
Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-July 8
Anusandhana, and how to Maintain it
Whatever stands highest in our affection and closest to the heart's attachment, naturally becomes part and parcel of our very being. It is so deeply ingrained that it occupies not only our subconscious self but lies in the unconscious, and we are not even aware that it is there. We are literally one with it, it so thoroughly pervades our existence. Imagine that we are going in great hurry with mind preoccupied, and somebody hails us by name; we invariably turn the head to look; so completely are we one with the body and the name. We do not have to be tutored for it; we love the body with the highest intensity, as a matter of course. This is a result of our ego, which makes us ignorant of the fact that we are basically identical, not with this mortal body, but with the elemental, eternal Cosmic Soul. It requires supreme effort to re-kindle this true knowledge. Indeed, the true goal of human life is to realize this identity; this can be achieved only by keeping God in the foreground ceaselessly, in every act and thought, filling our entire being with an indelible awareness of God.
At a circus show, we watch animals do their various acts. We marvel at their skilful performance, express our admiration by clapping. But the performing animals themselves pay scant attention to our applause. Their attention is wholly focussed on the signals the trainer makes with his whip. And what do we humans do? We consider with the utmost concern the reaction of other people, completely ignoring God, the real Manager of the entire universe. If we reverse our concern, we shall easily understand what He would like or approve. If we keep Him ever uppermost in mind, we shall automatically be doing what He desires. All that is needed is never to lose sight or awareness of Him, and physically act as duty demands. This can be achieved, solely, easily, naturally, by extreme, unswerving, single-pointed love for Him. Such love alone gives true anusandhana or super-awareness, unconscious awareness.
A mother having bathed and fed the child, lulls it to sleep, puts it into the cradle, and then proceeds with the usual household chores. Apparently engrossed in work, she is still alive to the puniest little wail of her baby. We should love God with similar intensity, and similarly maintain constant, dominant awareness of Him; that is anusandhana.
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Sunday, July 7, 2019
Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan- July.7.
Approach God with a Childlike Heart
Who lives in this world without doing some action, even if it were nothing more than breathing? And yet, none of these actions is thoroughly complete, because it lacks the correct basis. We perform many actions mechanically, perfunctorily, without knowing why. Both knowledge and devotion are necessary for correctly and fully understanding who or what 'I' am. One may discuss threadbare the philosophical statement 'it is brahman alone which is the true Reality; all else, all creation, is but a shadow'; and yet, experiencing that Reality involves some action.
Religious service only becomes effective if we recognize the true nature of God. This calls for an undoubting faith in the sadguru or a saint, faith just like that of a child feeding at the mother's breast. What can be achieved by such simple, unadulterated, 'blind' faith cannot be attained through the eyes of 'knowledge'. So approach God with the trust of an infant in its mother. What hinders such an approach is my 'knowledge', my 'wisdom'. God enfolds devotees freely because they approach Him with a childlike mind.
Many are the ways to attain God. The saints advocate the simple way of constant awareness of God; that is, we may go through worldly life so far as the body is concerned, provided we give our heart and soul entirely to God. Nothing will be of real avail unless the mind becomes steadfast, and that can happen only when it has an objective which is itself steady and everlasting, and the faith in it is unshakable. Faith is necessary for achieving anything in paramartha, just as love is necessary if prapancha is at all to be worthwhile.
A man is what his faith is, irrespective of his station in life. We should trust in God and follow our worldly duties fearlessly, without fighting shy of them.
If the queen bee of a hive is removed, the thousands of workers and drones that inhabit the hive automatically leave it; so, too, if the 'body-am-I' feeling is got rid of, the host of thoughts, fancies, doubts, that throng the mind will automatically vanish. The knowledge that comes when one is free of the 'body-am-I' feeling, is alone true and all-pervading; and it is this knowledge that brings perpetual, self-sustaining contentment; and this pure contentment is the true vision of God.
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