What I want is that all of you rise as sun of spirituality!
But how is it possible?
When you let the shadow of earth eclipse the sun.
And when is that possible?
When you orbit in such a way as your movement be direct.
How to find this orbit? How to move direct?
By keeping the destination in full view.
How to remember the destination?
By becoming one with it.
And when can a person be one with that?
When you lose yourself.
And how to lose oneself?
By bearing no other thought in the heart than that.
And how is that possible?
By practice.
How practice is possible?
Through love and interest.
How love and interest can be engendered?
By remembering constantly.
And how constant remembrance be cultivated?
Through determination.
How determination is possible?
When we gird our loins to sacrifice our pleasures and to shake off idleness.
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I have explained everything in detail yet, my brother, people think that the spiritual condition of any individual is a miracle done by me. Just imagine, had I had the power to show miracles, all the seekers—abhyasis—would have attained to high spiritual conditions. As a matter of fact miracles are wrought by attachment, deep interest and love in an abhyasi. Similarly, water rains everywhere but somewhere grow the weeds, somewhere the flowers and somewhere mere lime and sand is found. As the soil, so the results. The sensitivity to feel does not develop in people generally as they do not apply themselves to it. They are very sensitive to worldly matters and their mind is very alert in money making activities. The reason is that they have deep interest in it and, therefore, they understand it minutely. But where is their attachment to the spiritual side? They only join group meditations and then keep aloof. Neither they care to adopt those qualities in life that may be conducive to spirituality—Brahmvidya, nor do they want to give up those that may be putting up hindrances in the way. All systems like Buddhism and Jainism insist upon the point that we try to be as we should be. They stress the principles and rules and regulations and their observance is taken as a mark of spiritual advancement. If we look to ourselves we will see that we do not want to give up any shortcoming. The reason is that people do not crave for the goal otherwise they would leave everything to pursue it. When our tendencies lean towards something, we start sensing many things of that and concentration grows. Then our energies get balanced and a kind of equipoise is achieved. As soon as this develops, the sensitivity to feel dawns. But, my brother, who is to bother for all this! Such persons are rare who are ready to do or die and truly speaking, unto them Reality unmasks itself. This deep interest, craving and love takes us to wonders. All the seekers—abhyasis—pass through various spiritual conditions without fail but due to lack of interest they do not feel it and then they complain of it to me. But when I ask someone to have the capacity to feel and observe, he replies that he tries all right but does not feel it. I fail to understand what type of effort is that which does not lead to desired result. When we think of our domestic problems, all of the aspects come to our view. What is the reason? It is because we are totally engrossed into it. So much so that we feel no rest till we arrive at a solution because it pricks the heart. If conditions are watched, there is no reason that a seeker of normal understanding may not mark them. If a person is wholeheartedly attentive and follows the practice, it is sure that the observation would make him feel the Real. But my brother, all these depend upon interest and interest itself is clever as fish. (Reprinted from Constant Remembrance, April 1999) |
