Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan- March.31.
Reform Yourself, the World Improves to that Extent
We consider ourselves to be the sole doer of everything, and grieve if eventually we come by misery. What is the ground for boasting 'I have done it' when I cannot be sure of the result beforehand? Even to say that 'I dedicate every action to God' nurtures pride. There are many persons of God-fearing conduct, but they too, are not free from the pride of doership. Really speaking, we cannot become spiritual merely by doing even noble deeds; to realize that one is not the true doer is the key to success in spiritualism. A man lands himself into pleasure and pain by vainly assuming doership. We should rise above both of these by ascribing doership to God, to whom it belongs in reality.
It is quite often presumed that a prisoner who feels happy in the confines of his cell must be really happy. Are we not like that prisoner if we think there is nothing beyond the body, and seek pleasure in sense-objects? But just as the prisoner will no longer feel pleasure in his cell once he breathes the free air outside, one who has tasted the supreme bliss that is God, will attach no value to sense-pleasures.! Perhaps today we cannot purge the mind of sense-pleasures, but it does not mean that we cannot turn it to God at all. We should coax the mind just as we pat a shy horse. We should tactfully bridle the mind when it tries to deviate from the correct path. Nama-smarana, to which we are today disinclined, should be forced on the mind, and thereby the mind should be weaned from the sense-pleasures which it cherishes today.
We manage to surmount difficulties in worldly life; why, then, should we be afraid of impediments we come across in spiritual life? If discerning thought cannot make us happy in the present circumstances, we can never hope to be happy.
Can one succeed in the spiritual quest merely by retiring to mountains and caves? Were it so, even monkeys could have achieved it. The lower animals are unable to restrain their passions; but man can discriminate between good and bad; this is a special gift of God to mankind.
Do not bother to reform the world; that is a task for great souls. Reform yourself, and the world is reformed to that extent.
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Monday, March 30, 2020
Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-March.30
God Resides where Harmony Reigns
Of the four 'orders' or stages of human life (ashramas), that of the householder or family man is the best. The institution of marriage aims at the preservation of social and personal morals and religious practices. God resides in the home where peace and harmony reign. A man is judged by his deeds, just as confectionery can be judged by its pleasant smell. Always behave so as not to harm anybody or his interest. Never be downhearted; courage will lead to success sooner or later. Exert yourself, try to make up the deficiencies in your family life. If illness comes, do not be frightened; spare no effort in arranging for proper treatment, but never yield to anxiety.
See that you keep your kith and kin happy and contented, but do not play into anybody's hands. Bear in your heart love for all. Do not let anything make your mind dispirited. Contentment in the home decreases as individual selfishness grows. All in the family will be happy if everyone is considerate to others.
Husband and wife should love each other and live happily, contentedly, in the contemplation of Rama. Give no cause for worry or pain to each other. If anybody in the family errs or goes astray, punishment is necessary, but it should not be of a kind and degree that would debar repentance and correction; rather, everybody should treat the errant person in such a way that he would feel induced to improve himself.
Keep your conduct pure and above reproach; be faithful to your wife. Seek not another woman, even if doing so costs you your life. Do not fall into vice of any kind; always avoid low or undesirable company. Do nothing unworthy. A weak point or deficiency of the family should not be divulged to outsiders. Do not impair your prestige. Do not betray others, nor rejoice in their suffering, nor be overmuch worried over your own. Never mention an obligation you may have done to another person.
Take proper care of your children. Never be depressed in family life. Give your love to all. Selflessness is the source of true happiness. Children should obey the parents, keep good company, attend to their studies, and keep in nama-smarana. There is no truth higher or purer than nama; it will definitely lead you to realization of Rama.
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