Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-April.16

Benefit from Association with a Saint

If it is a job we seek, we approach one who can provide it; similarly if it is realization of God that we seek, we must go to a saint. The saints alone can help us realize God. The essence of their existence is not to be sought in their physical being but in their precept. Their heart is free of passion, attachment, and desires. They keep awake and alert while we are asleep, just like the night–watchman who patrols the city streets. It is then that they test and judge our mental tendencies.
A woman delivered a child, but it started having epileptic fits, and would just lie listlessly in its cradle. It would not grow normally, smiled but feebly, and was not at all playful. The mother felt very sad to see the child's condition. The guru feels precisely like that about a disciple who makes no progress in spiritual practice. On the other hand, he feels elated if the disciple shows some progress, and will fondle and indulge him to no end.
A saint is hardly ever well spoken of in his lifetime. For one person that he uplifts spiritually, there are a dozen of his relatives and worldly 'well-wishers' who blame the saint for 'misguiding' that person. Spiritual books often enumerate the characteristic qualities of a saint; but these are stated in order for us to imbibe and practise, not for putting a saint to test.
Association with a saint is fraught with three kinds of risks: (1) One learns to prattle, but only like a parrot, about spiritualism, (2) one gets undeserved respect from others, and (3) one's behaviour becomes irresponsible, in the mistaken belief that the saint will condone everything and will indulgently uphold him. If properly availed of, however, three benefits can be derived from such association: (1) The person may be respected but will himself remain above any expectation of such respect, (2) he may not be able to prattle about spiritualism but will automatically imbibe and practise the principles, and (3) association with a saint with genuine faith and devotion will automatically lead him to the spiritual goal even without practising any spiritual discipline. Therefore, one who lives with a saint should passively obey the saint, should not expect respect from others, and should suppress all urge to talk about spiritualism. Implicit obedience to a saint is an excellent means to spiritual uplift.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-April 16

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-April-16

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-April.15

Saintly Association Eliminates Lure of Money

Saints, having attained omnipotence, have tremendous power of all kinds; for instance, whatever they say will come out true. This is called wachasiddhi, and we, too, may acquire it. To make use of it, however, will be foolish, like serving God for a meagre mundane remuneration. Imagine a person owning the wish-granting cow (kamadhenu) exchanging her for a pony because he would not load the divine cow! Where is the sense in propitiating the Almighty for the sake of paltry, transitory things? Even the hard-earned heaven and its pleasures are not permanent; then why strive for them at all?
Just see how much attachment a man feels for even a lifeless thing like money! It is like the ghost in the fable which agreed to slave for a man on condition that it be kept constantly employed, but if given respite it would devour him. Similarly, money can be very usefully employed; but if not, it becomes a crushing, consuming burden. There is basically nothing wrong in saving money; but it should not be taken as our mainstay, for that would make us lose sight of God, who is our real sheetanchor. I do not suggest that we should give away all we have; but if, say, there is a theft or robbery or other loss of money, we should not shed tears over it, nor should we turn away a needy person; we should not hesitate to help him to whatever extent we can.
It is true that we must save sufficient money for a rainy day; but how much is 'sufficient'? We cannot name a definite sum in this respect. If one has a pension sufficient for the needs of the family, that could be termed 'enough'. For a non-pensioner, there should be enough to enable the family to live decently for about a score of years. One does not need very much money to be 'rich'; if we have enough money to fulfil our needs, are we not rich? Of course, we should spare no effort to earn money by moral means; but beyond that, we should let things take their own course.
Our true welfare lies in keeping company with the saintly. Association with them generates lofty thoughts and noble feelings. To live among persons of high thinking and in constant awareness of God is to be in good company.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-April 15

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-April.15

sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-April 14.

Saints Rouse us to the True Goal of Life

That the company of a sensuous person is more pernicious than that of sensuous pleasures themselves, holds in regard to the spiritual path just as well as in worldly life. Association always affects the mind; therefore we should try to live in the company of the Godly. Our conscience does guide us in picking the good from the bad, but the trouble is that we seek to reform others and not ourselves.
Many people just do not feel it possible that saints can exist in the world. We cannot make out a saint unless we ourselves believe in and have regard for God. We have forgotten the true goal of our life; the saints rouse us to it. Seeing us following the wrong path, they caution and guide us; we should then turn about, retrace our steps, and follow the correct path; we can rest assured that we shall then reach our destination.
The saints do not rest inactively after they attain blissfulness; they continue to act for the welfare of the world, while their own blissfulness remains unimpaired. Even when they appear to be inactive, their mere presence makes for the good of the world. Since they have attained beatitude it behoves us to act as they advise us. In advising people their sole object is to see that mankind may come to know the truth they have themselves seen, and thereby become happy. How can we doubt the verity of their advice when they have no ulterior selfish motive to serve?
When we realise that worldly life is full of misery, we must strive to find a remedy. That remedy we discover in the books written by saints, and we should put into practice what they have advised therein. That alone makes the reading worthwhile. Introspection on what we read is essential. Reading must be accompanied by its practice.
We shall not be able to understand properly the works of a saint without his grace. One on whom the saint bestows his grace will very easily and correctly grasp the gist of the book even though he may not be learned. A learned man will describe the Ultimate Truth, exercising his imagination; whereas the saints describe it with certainty, as a matter of first-hand experience.
When reading a book by a saint, we should bear in mind that we have to bring it into our practice.
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