Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-June.10

Trust in God, the Sole Doer

It is not proper to feel or say, 'better had it been if a thing had happened in such and such a manner;' because whatever has happened has been willed by Rama and brought about by Him. The mind will certainly pick up courage in the faith that no one can go counter to His will. My very being is a matter of His will; what, then, of other things? Everyone's fortunes, good, bad, and indifferent, are controlled and directed by Him. Do not be puffed up by pride of doership; know that every happening is due to His will. Whatever takes place in the mundane or spiritual field is because He has willed it so. Let us, then, go down before Him in utter submission.
Understand that he becomes a favourite with God, whose heart is permeated by contentment; and contentment comes to him who places complete faith in Rama. Place yourself unreservedly at His disposal. Forget 'me and mine,' seek contentment in Him. Treat with scant attention the shortages and shortcomings of life and the circumstances and their changeability; preserve contentment through attacks of anxiety, ego, affection, undeserved trouble, deceit, disrespect, sharp talk, and such other things. Contentment is not like an article which somebody can hand over to you; it is a gift of God, unobtainable except through unreserved faith and surrender to Rama.
How can contentment be derived by feeding and nourishing sensualities and mundane desires? It just cannot be had so long as there is upadhi and an interest in and awareness of the tangible. It is not related or perceptible to the body, and can come only by completely belonging to God. Think of the Pandavas; they had to live in banishment in the forest, deprived of the amenities of civilized life, but happy in the company of Lord Krishna. We, too, can live contentedly if we commit ourselves completely to His care.
One should never say, 'I have done this,' 'I will do that,' especially with an emphasis on 'I'. One who says, 'I will strive by myself and attain God,' has no chance of success; it is just not possible. What is wanted is an ardent craving to meet God. Give up insisting on what you want or do not want. Learn to accept, cheerfully and with equanimity, what comes by God's will; that is the easiest way to conquer desire.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-June 10

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-June 10

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-June.9

Annihilate Desire, and Get Liberated

Most of us are unaware of the true meaning and significance of devotion and the pursuit of spirituality. Devotion may not spring from mere disgust of prapancha; what is required is disgust for sen-sate pleasures; indeed, one who is careless about duty in prapancha has slender chance of success in spirituality.
To achieve happiness is the ultimate goal for which every living being strives. Liberation is the attainment of transcendental happiness while still living in the body.
Truly, there is nothing that God, the Creator, can lack or need or be wanting. All that we need to do is to lay down our mind and heart at His feet, and be devoted to Him with unreserved faith. To worry is to expose faltering faith. To consign our body to Him unreservedly is real renunciation. It is a pity that no act of ours is free from desire or expectation. Our error lies in looking here and there for the peace and contentment which, actually, are there in ourselves. The contentment must remain suppressed, inexperienced, so long as there persists a desire for this and that. We cannot rid ourselves of avidity till the last; this is the basic trouble; and therefore, only he can be called liberated who has become devoid of desire.
No one can become a true servant of God until he gives up all desire and expectation. Whenever hope arises in the mind it should be dedicated to God. Prapancha is like a drama. Whether one acts as the prince or the pauper is of no consequence, so far as the actor's personal life is concerned. Indeed, a well-acted pauper may be more applauded than a luke-warmly-played prince. Similarly, in this drama of life, what does it matter if one is wealthy and another poor? It isn't life that matters but the awareness of God which one maintains. Provided only fair, moral means are used, amassing money is not at all objectionable; only, money must never be considered as a support to be rated above or even equally with dependence on God. It must never become either a substitute or an impediment to treating God as a support.
The supreme happiness to be found in devotion to God cannot be realized or appreciated so long as sensual pleasures continue to please. God is attained only when there is no desire whatsoever but Him.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-June 9

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-June 9

sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-June.8

Divert Craving for Sense-objects towards God

What 'trust' is in worldly dealings corresponds to 'faith' in spiritual practice. Worldly life, being by its very nature imperfect and incomplete, can never yield satisfaction, which is basically, a natural quality of perfection and completeness. Acts done without expectation of any kind will lead to purification and ultimate liberation. 'Sacrifice', truly speaking is utter surrender of self, and unbroken awareness of God. In the sadhaka stage body may be subjected to suffering but, once liberation is achieved, the body becomes brimful with the bliss that is God. It is, of course, far from necessary for an aspirant to live indigently. He may live in luxury if he can afford it; but if, some day, he is beset by poverty, he should not even remember the past times of affluence.
The shastras have extolled the householder's life as blessed, and particularly congenial for spirituality. If, however, we get engrossed in the sensual pleasures which it affords and allows and ignore the duties and responsibilities, what is the gain? It be-hoves a person to engage himself in service or a business for his living, but if he forgets God to serve the employer or the business, it is certainly all to no purpose. Even, service should be performed in the remembrance of God.
Do not believe it if someone tells you that domestic life precludes attainment of God. You certainly can attain that goal; only you must take these precautions: Commit yourself and everything else to the care of God. Relate alike your pleasure and pain to Him. Be contented in whatever condition He pleases to place you in. Everything that you do should be dedicated to Him. Do nothing for which conscience may prick you.
A man is nowhere near spirituality so long as he feels prapancha to be the be-all and end-all. Even evildoers sometimes appear to be happy, but they are not so in reality. Repentance does strike such a person at some time or other and does make him unhappy.
We treat spirituality in a step-motherly fashion. What we need to do is to apply our genuine attachment to God instead of to prapancha. Learn to derive happy contentment in nama-smarana.


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