Friday, April 3, 2020
Thursday, April 2, 2020
Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-April.2
The Two Kinds of Good Company
Good company is inestimably beneficial. We can keep company with a saint in one of two ways: one is physical proximity, while the other is to be in the sadhana advocated by the saint. The former is indeed rare; firstly, we cannot easily recognise a true saint even if we chance to meet one; and, secondly, even then doubts may beset the mind about his genuineness. Besides, if you fall in with a hypocrite, he will definitely lead you to ruin. Physical proximity with a 'saint' is, therefore, fraught with potential risk.
The other kind of company, namely, the sadhana advocated by him, is free from all risk; for, what is advised by him (whether he is genuine or fake) will have to be the correct thing. Even a hypocrite will have to give correct advice, if only to maintain the similitude of genuineness; and such correct advice, if followed sincerely by a seeker, is bound to do good. If you are fortunate enough to locate a genuine saint, however, physical proximity with him is tremendously effective. Just as we travel with the same speed as the vehicle we employ, and all we have to do is not to leave it, to hold on to it, so, if we are fortunate enough to find a real saint, it would serve our purpose even if we just keep in his company. In such company, there is nothing that we need to do beyond associating with him. That removes all scope for pride in us, and also mitigates desires. That is why Saint Tukaram requests God to grant, not money, nor even moksha, but just the company of the godly.
The company of the godly induces us to take nama; and nama alone will maintain steadiness of purpose. It keeps just what is necessary and removes the rest. But it must be taken with absolute faith. It gradually gives steadiness to our thought; and it is only then that we can really avail ourselves of the physical company of the godly, which leads us to God without extraordinary labour or penance. Sadhana gets automatically done along with the things going on there; worship, prayer, listening to good thoughts, chanting nama. Therefore we should make special efforts to keep in good company; we should not cite 'destiny' as an excuse against it.
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Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan- April.1.
Associates Greatly Influence One's Life
The kind of persons we associate with, greatly influences us. Their influence affects and moulds us very greatly, and almost unknowingly. Persons going by different conveyances travel automatically at the respective speeds of the vehicles. When we travel by a railway train, we cannot control who should take the next seat. If he be a smoker or a tobacco-chewer, we must tolerate him even if we have a nausea for tobacco. Undesirable or bad company is thus troublesome, often even debasing. On the other hand, the company of the good is always profitable, elevating, promoting beneficent desires and noble thoughts.
A sannyasin may be living under the shelter of a tree, and without food. Anyone who goes to him there must partake of the same shelter, and go without food like him. Suppose one went to Saint Ramadas; he would ask the visitor, too, to accompany him with the begging bowl and go to solicit food in the neighbourhood. If, however, a person visits a saint who is a householder, he will see to it that the visitor is fed.
Food carries with it a trace of the desire of the person who provides that food; so we should even request if necessary, for food in a saint's place. It is not easy to keep in constant physical company of a saint, for we may be living away from his residence; even otherwise, busy as we are, working to make a living, how much time can we spare for his company? But one can be assured of beneficial company in the form of nama-smarana anywhere and at any time.
Desire cannot be satiated by indulging it, but only by living in God. Peace of heart will only come when we feel convinced that everything takes place at His will, and therefore, we should not expect or desire for a particular result. Only then can we attain complete surrender to God.
If we repeat the holy name while keeping in the company of the good, we certainly get free from the shackles of 'the-body-am-I' feeling. The food eaten in different countries may vary, but the water needed to digest it is the same all over the world; similarly, whatever the method of worship one follows, it does not come to fruition without nama. Therefore take to nama in all earnestness.
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