Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-April.13

Saints and Their Books

The knowledge which the saints possess is so subtle, penetrating and comprehensive, that they easily grasp the essence or the purport of the vedas and their philosophy. They may perhaps not be able to say who wrote a certain treatise, or when, or where, or what appears on such and such a page, but the gist of all books is certainly in their ken. Common people like us often just read the words in a saint's writing; but the real gist can only be understood by the saint's grace; by ourselves, we can understand it no better than the comprehension of the father's message which a child may convey to the mother in its own lisping words.
The saints write books to enable 'intelligent' readers to convince themselves and progress on the spiritual path. We should not try to interpret their words in a strained or far-fetched manner, but just accept them straightforwardly. We should read without prejudice or preconceptions, for a clear understanding; just as overwriting makes the original illegible, preconceptions muddle understanding; so our reading should be with a clear, unprejudiced mind.
Books like the Jnyaneshwari and Dasabodh should be read with close attention, just as a letter from a person near and dear to us is read most attentively down to the last little syllable, as addressed to us in a personal capacity. Many people go to listen to discourses just because it is a social vogue, or as an entertainment, or as something to kill time with. Few, indeed, are those who read saints' books really to find out what they ought to do, and act accordingly. More read them out of blind reverence because they were written by saints; while the majority do not care to read them at all.
People in general usually disregard God and spiritual values; we go to a saint to learn how to go counter to this common trend. Saints have an awareness of the body only to the extent necessary in practical life; otherwise they treat the body as no better, no truer, than a mere shadow. It is not sense to grieve for 'pain' to a shadow, and therefore the saints are unaffected by the body's pains and pleasures.
Many persons unrelated to a saint or unremunerated by him, voluntarily labour for him or for those who visit him; this they do because of his divine love for them.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-April 13

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-April 13

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-April.12

The Company of Saints is a Means to Attain God
A sensuous person behaves like a drunkard; he knows fully well what is good and what is bad, but cannot bring himself to do the right thing. He acknowledges, on the one hand, that he is in essence the same as the Supreme Being, but, on the other, succumbs to the lure of evanescent sensuous pleasures.
In truth, devotion for God is the only thing that matters; all else is futile. One should associate with a saint and learn to be thoroughly devout. When we cease to feel that there is yet something to be done, we may presume that we are progressing in sadhana. Serving the sadguru is the best means to generate genuine devotion. A sadguru has got to meet a disciple who obeys him passively. Truly, a sadguru is superior even to the kamadhenu, for he purges the mind of all desire, extinguishes desire itself.
There is no possibility of realising God without an intense inner urge. With great luck one may come across a saint; but true benefit of his company can only be derived if there is consonance of thought and conduct with him. Unfortunately, our thoughts do not harmonise with the saints', and so even their company does not benefit us. We don't have even an idea of the anguish their heart is filled with on seeing us roll and roll in the mire of sense pleasures. We have found ourselves unable to see the way to real contentment, so we go to a saint for help; does it not, then, behove us to follow his advice? The saints have asked us to follow the pathway to the knowledge of God. We basically lack the urge to seek God, so we have to create it. To attain to God, the Ultimate Reality, association with a saint is the simplest and surest means.
There are two ways of rescue for a person caught in a whirlpool. One way is for an expert swimmer to jump into it and, dragging the drowning man, to break through the whirlpool to safety. Of course this calls for great skill and strength. The other way is for the drowning man himself to dive to the bottom of the whirlpool, and then escape through the calm water there. Erudition is like a whirlpool. Superficial knowledge leads to futile disputation; it is only deep knowledge that can lead to the truth.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-April 12

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-April12

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-April.11

Importance of Association with a Saint
It is true that saints have not made conquests of territorial kingdoms, but they have obtained sovereignty over their own minds. Saints do not 'perform' miracles, nor can miracles be considered an identity mark of a saint. Miracles may, however, 'occur' at the hands of a saint. It is improper to slander or disrespect or test a saint. Wish ill to none; always wish well, do well, to others. There is no greater 'good' than nama; constant repetition of nama is as good as the company of saints; so,..too, good thoughts are equivalent to association with saints. Meditation, nama-smarana, contemplation, and good reading, these will, in due course, bring about association with saints.
To remain in association with a saint with the object of gaining a worldly objective is highly reprehensible. If a child presses the mother for a large dose of opium, will she indulge it ? No true mother ever will. Similarly, no true saint will ever encourage mundane desires. Not only does a saint not have love for worldly pleasures, he is immeasurably grieved if he finds such desires in the heart of a person who is his follower.
It is only the saints who have really comprehended the Ultimate Reality. A saint considers his mission in life really fulfilled if he meets a disciple who has a genuine desire to understand that Ultimate Truth. Through association with a saint we can achieve what other sadhana may fail to give. The saying of a person is comprehensive in influence, to the degree of his selflessness. Our talk is heeded with scant attention even by our own family members, but what a saint says is listened to with respect all over the world, because it is extremely sincere and selfless. The shruties are of eternal appeal because they are the words of the rishis uttered with the sole desire to do good to mankind.
To be contented with what God has thought fit to give us; to hate none, to envy nobody; to see everything as a manifestation of God; to be devoid of conceit; to be continuously in the remembrance of the Lord's name; and to feel sincerely respectful towards the saints, the sadguru and the God-fearing; these things comprise the highest spiritual practice.

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