Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-April.5.

Effect of Association with Saints

A pedlar vending medicinal herbs and roots carries a peculiar bolus which can absorb poison or toxins when placed over the spot of a venomous sting or a festering wound. When washed, the special property of the bolus is restored. In the same way, our sins are drained away in the company of a saint, while the saint himself remains pure and holy as before. Association with a holy man can, perhaps, be secured, but it is very difficult to maintain it. Generally, we seek the company of what we like; and because we are impure at heart we seek the company of sensuous persons. Sense-objects may not be harmful in themselves, but it is the company of sensuous persons that is debasing. Company affects us for evil or for good. A saint is a person who does not help us in the gratification of worldly pleasures but, on the contrary, weans us away from them. A saint is one who kindles love for God in our hearts. We should have an earnest longing to meet such a saint. Sense-pleasures are very enticing; but when we feel that we should free ourselves from their clutches we should resort to the company of the devout. When evil thoughts beset the mind, take recourse to nama.
Those who see everything as the manifestation of God, and the universe as His pleasurable amusement, alone find true and lasting joy. That is why the saints always talk of God. Saint Tukaram used only to utter the name of the Lord, 'Vitthal', 'Vitthal', but its sweetness far surpassed that of the best of our music.
Saints feel deep and sincere compassion for us; we cannot even gauge its depth; because our mind is steeped in sense- pleasures, we take their advice lightly, though it is in our interest. When we are ill we take the prescribed medicine even if it is unpleasant to taste and smell; then why should we not attend to the benevolent advice of the saints as an antidote to miseries of worldly life? Even the apparently harsh words of a saint do not hurt, because he is constantly in communion with God.
Absolute fearlessness is the chief mark of a saint; there is no cause for fear when one feels that he himself pervades the universe.


* * * * *

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-April-5

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-April 5

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-April.4

About Saints

One who surrenders himself to a saint, putting aside his own knowledge and wisdom, is a true sadhaka. One who sees the whole universe, including his disciple, as a manifestation of Rama, is a real guru. He never behaves under the constraint of obligation, nor does he harbour the slightest fear. Saints know on what spiritual level the disciple is. The mundane-minded are subservient to sensuous considerations, while saints rule over them. We may say that we have met a saint if we get an experience of the peace and contentment which a saint possesses, or if a liking for it arises in us.
A patient may know nothing of the constituents of a medicine and still get cured if he takes it with faith; a person who knows nothing of cooking can have a discriminating palate, and can eat food to his fill; so, too, a person may not be able to express it in words and yet have had spiritual experience.
As we do not feel sorry for common salt having a salty taste, and accept it as its nature, so the saints do not worry over battles, riots, feuds, disasters, harassment of the good, and so on, realizing them to be the very nature of the world. Not that they like them; indeed, they even strive to eradicate those evils.
Frogs living in a well or a small pond have no idea of the vastness of the ocean; so, too, we have no idea of the greatness of saints. Saints were initially just like what we are today, but they elevated themselves to the present height by dint of constant awareness and contemplation of God.
We need not undertake a search for saints. If we are really intense in our desire, they will themselves come searching for us; they look only to our earnestness.
A saint is like a detective; he lives among us, like us, but unrecognized by us. He can see what goes on inside his body, but does not worry about a disease it may have. He has the power to change destiny, but never evades or alters it; it has to be faced. Whatever sadhana the saint prescribes for a sadhaka is according to the latter's capacity; so it behoves us to obey his advice implicitly.


* * * * *

Sri maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi - April 4

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada - April 4

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-April.3

How to Recognize a Saint

Foodgrains often contain stone particles which we cannot recognize and sift; for instance, there are undistinguishable white stone grains in rice, which it is extremely difficult to detect and remove. Saints, similarly, live among us, appear like us, without our being able to make them out. Books often enumerate the qualities of saints, but still we may not be able to recognize them from the common people. The one quality by which we can unmistakably recognize a saint is that he sees God in everybody and everything. That, however, is a criterion which we cannot successfully apply unless and until we ourselves become saintly.
We should never slander anyone. When we see faults in others, we should bear in mind that those faults are in us, too, in a dormant, if not active, form; we should at once pray to God and entreat Him to rid us of them. We should take care to reform ourselves first. Until our mind is thoroughly cleansed of impure thoughts and desires, we shall not be able to see God everywhere.
Simple food is easier to digest than food made up of different ingredients and condiments; so, too, a simple, innocent heart can easily mix with others, We cannot do so today because our heart is impure. A man of simple, straightforward, innocent heart generally walks gently and talks softly and sweetly. He is liked by all. Our contentment or lack of it depends on our outlook on the world. 'I live not for myself but for others; it isn't that the world is for me; rather, I am for the world;' we should cultivate this attitude towards the world.
In the heart of hearts one should be without desire of any kind, and devoid of covetousness. Never desire that another's wealth come to you. One who owns a lot of money may be called wealthy; one with erudition may be termed learned; a farmer is one who keeps a farm; yet, none of them may be called great; one may be a miser, another proud, and the third may have some vice. He alone is truly great who possesses all good qualities together.
Conceit sullies the mind; also, this conceit works in a subtle manner, so there is no knowing how and when it will attack. Remembrance of nama is the only antidote to conceit; let us therefore, chant it ceaselessly, and live happily, fearlessly.
* * * * *