Sri Rama Samartha
Various devotees of Maharaj had reccorded Poojya Tatya Saheb Ketkar Maharaj's Pethi Sessions.
A few recordings were given to me by Poojya Madhushudan Kashikarji.
Jai Jai Raghuveera Samartha
Saturday, May 16, 2020
Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-May.16
Treat the Body as an Instrument to attain God
The proper mission of a saint is to extricate you from the bondage of body-consciousness and of worldly-mindedness, not to satisfy desires like curing you of illness, etc. The more you strive for spiritualism, the greater the pull of body-consciousness and worldliness. Even the so called 'thirst for knowledge' stems from body-consciousness; it should be sublimated. There is no better means for this than nama-smarana. A dog watches and guards the house at night; and yet, however dear and useful, he is not permitted to share your plate at the table. We should treat the body similarly. Just as the coconut shell is to protect the kernel, the body should be treated as an instrument for the attainment of God. However, man goes about in life treating the body as his 'self', while he also shows in unconscious flashes that he is in reality, the in-dwelling spirit. For instance, he uses expressions like 'my' hand, 'my' leg, 'my' eye, 'my' mind, and even 'my' life. In life, on the other hand,he behaves as if he were the body. What we ask from God is mostly what concerns the body. This is highly incorrect, undesirable.
The way to diminish this love for the body is to begin loving others. We more easily love those who have a human body, like ourselves. We do not feel much concerned at the wailing of a pup, as we do when we hear the wail of a child. Therefore, in order to be able to love Him better, We visualize God in the human from like ourselves. In order that our love for our own body may diminish, that the body-conciousness become attenuated, we have to conceive God and the sadguru in the human form. Advancing in this direction, we shall be increasingly unaware of our own body; when, finally, we transcend all body-awareness, we realise that the sadguru, like God Himself, is not merely the body but co-existent, identical, with the Supreme or Cosmic Spirit. The more oblivious we become of our body, the closer shall we be to the proper realization of the sadguru's reality.
One who has overcome pride and awareness of his body is to be envied even by the jnyani, for there is no deeper ignorance than to think 'I am the body.'
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Friday, May 15, 2020
Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-May 15
Give Love to all, Hurt Nobody's Heart
Whoever wants to save money should begin by never incurring a debt. After that, he should try to curtail his spending, and thus start saving. The same process works for love. Begin by 'burying the hatchet'; next, ensure that you hurt nobody; you can never be too careful in this regard. A physical injury may be healed in course of time, and if we beg his pardon, the injured person may forgive us. But if we hurt the feelings, restoration is next to impossible. It is hurting God Himself, because in recounting His various manifestations in the Bhagavadgeeta, the Lord says, "Of the organs and faculties, I am the mind."
The vow to tell "the truth and nothing but the truth" is highly laudable, but it must be tempered by discriminating thought. If a man says, "I will tell the absolute truth even disregarding the mother, the father, God, and the guru," he may land himself and others into an impasse. If observance of this vow involves offences against venerable persons how can we justify such a vow? Should we tell the truth to a person who has come for the purpose of thieving? In short, everything needs circumspective consideration.
Suppose a man has four sons: one has a sweet tooth, the second likes sour things, the third relishes fried dishes, whereas the last likes sharp-tasting articles. Now if they start quarrels on the score of difference of taste, they can never come to terms, and the house will become an arena of conflict. They can only avoid the situation by overlooking and tolerating the difference in taste. Secondly, they should build up mutual love by the thought that they are sons of the same father, who deserves their allegiance and affectionate regard. If each one in the family decides to live together amicably, the home will enjoy peace and contentmnent. The house of a spiritual aspirant should overflow with love. A guest or visitor should be so charmed with it that when departing he should long to return to that atmosphere.
There is nothing to equal the misconception that I am the body, whereas I am really part of the Cosmic Soul. Although beset with difficulties of one kind and another, one does not think of renouncing worldly life: what greater, more poignant instance of the sway of maya do we need?
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