== NOOSE ==
Namaskar,
Inside-- and even outside the Marga-- people want to know the secret for
gaining success on the spiritual path. How is it that one can escape
from the serpentine noose of maya and reach to that Supreme Desideratum.
Verily, there are so many tantalizing allurements in this world, then
how is it that one can free oneself from these attractions and reach to
life divine.
By Baba's grace He has given us the answer. And perhaps it is best
expressed by this following story.
THE KING ASKED ONE SAINT
Once one king asked a great yogi saint, 'How can I gain success on the
path of divinity?'.
In reply the saint told the king to do sadhana.
The king said, 'Yes, I of course do sadhana, but invariably I fall
asleep while meditating. So then what should I do?'.
The saint answered, 'In your kingdom you have a prison, and inside that
prison there are so many inmates, and some of them are going to be hung
for their crimes. On the night before they are to be executed, do you
think that they are going to sleep that night?'
'Of course not, most likely they will not sleep at all-- not even one
wink', said the king.
The saint responded, 'Exactly. They think their time on this earth is
short and soon they will die-- hence they cannot rest. Likewise, to
succeed on the spiritual path, you must adopt this very same notion: You
are not going to remain on this earth permanently. And in fact, you
might die anytime-- even very soon. If you think like this and remember
this, then you will certainly do what is most important right away, and
focus fully on your goal. Then you will be extremely alert and sincere
in sadhana and it is sure that you will proceed along the path of
divinity and get success.'
That was the very fruitful answer which the saint told to that king.
JUST LIKE BABA'S TEACHING ABOUT THE GOD OF DEATH
The above account is one famous story and sure enough it is wholly
consistent with Baba's teaching: One must think that anytime the god of
death can knock on your door and snatch away your life. That is the
mindset one must have when doing sadhana.
Baba says, "The scriptures say, Grhiitvaeva keshes'u mrtyurn'a'
Dharma'caret: that is, during spiritual practice one should think that
the god of death has already started pulling one’s hair – that one’s
death is imminent. And accordingly one should work sincerely and
vigorously; one will have to do a great many noble deeds within a short
period." (SS-11)
Thus only when one realises the extreme temporal nature of this world,
can one truly progress on the path of sadhana.
WHY THIS IS NEEDED
The reason why it is so important to develop this strict mindset in
sadhana is because this world is full of allurements and attractions.
And so long is one is enamoured with these pleasures-- like money fancy
jewelry, the opposite sex, big houses, prestige, etc-- then it is not
possible to march quickly on the path of spirituality. Because one's
mind will be full of those worldly desires & allurements.
As Baba says, every human being has come from animal life and those
baser propensities are still-- to some or more degree-- active in each
and every person. So people are easily attracted to the mundane
allurements of this quinquelemental world. That is 'Part A'.
And the 'Part B' is that people think that they have come to live in
this world forever. Even when faced with death, they think that death
will never befall me.
Along these lines, one time a devayoni yaksa asked Yudhisthira, 'What is
the most surprising thing about human beings?'.
And the wise Yudhisthira correctly replied, 'People think that they have
come to live in this world forever. Even when carrying the corpse of
their dead friend to the cremation ground, they cannot believe then
death will one day come to them as well.' (Ref: AV-29 (H))
Thus everyone is attracted to the allurements of this world, and
everyone thinks that they are going to live on this earth for ages and
ages and ages. No one can believe that one day they too will perish. So
they pass their days pursuing so many worldly pleasures and comforts--
like wealth, name, fame, beauty, etc-- and they think they will enjoy
those things up to eternity. That is the way their life unfolds.
And this is how the noose of maya keeps people stuck in the endless
cycle of birth and death.
According to Baba, it is only possible to extricate oneself from this
never-ending affair, by taking a strong resolve. If one thinks that,
'Death can come anytime to my door and I must reach my goal before this
happens', then and only then will one not be swayed by the short-lived
attractions of this world. Rather one will be vigilant in sadhana and
get success.
A SEED WITHOUT WATER WILL NOT SPROUT
Just as a seed without water will not sprout, similarly a sadhaka who
thinks that this world is their permanent abode cannot progress on the
path of spirituality. One must think that this life is fleeting and that
at any moment one can die. One must adopt the basic feeling that, 'I
have a short time to reach my goal'. This is the food or fuel that will
enable one to gain success.
Without that, one will drift from one worldly allurement to another.
That is the common problem that binds most every human being on this
earth. They may or may not have some passive or theoretical
understanding that one day they are going to die, but, practically
speaking, they live their life on this earth as if they are going to
remain here forever. All their plans and programs are geared along this
idea. I will buy a house, I will get lots of money, I will have a fancy
car, everyone will honor me, I will become a person of respect, and this
will continue forever and ever. People's plans are like that. In this
way maya bounds them and they cannot get success in spirituality.
ONE MUST ASK PARAMA PURUSA FOR HIS GRACE
Thus one must remember the ephemeral nature of their life on this earth
and always remember their goal. And the one more thing is needed to
succeed in order to escape the noose of maya.
One must ask Parama Purusa-- one must ask Baba in dhyana-- to please
grace them in sadhana. One must think, 'O Parama Purusa, You are my only
respite from this mundane world, only You can pull me from the grip of
Maha Maya. So please shower me in Your infinite compassion so I can feel
You in my sadhana, please allow me to tread the path of spirituality and
reach unto You. O' Baba please be gracious.'
With this final ingredient, one is sure to get success.
Baba says, "O Parama Purus'a, grant me devotion – that devotion which
will enable me to love you every moment in newer and still newer ways.
For you are endless and your expressions are also endless. If I learn
how to love You, I will be able to love You in endless ways. My life
will become effervescent with the sweet rhythms of the infinite. My life
will attain its highest fulfilment." (NKS, Disc: 26)
Namaskar,
Priyanath
Note 1: SADHANA MEANS PRACTICE, NOT SAMADHI
Some do sadhana and just wonder why they are not feeling bliss or why
they are not getting samadhi. However, this is not the right way to
think about the situation. Sadhana itself is act of taking the proper
effort or engaging in the practice of meditating. We are trying to
ensconce the mind in a certain ideal. The mind may or may not cooperate,
but we are to go on trying, growing and developing and with that sincere
effort, by His grace, one day-- step by step-- we are sure to get
success. So no one should give up or be frustrated that they are not
getting samadhi. Sadhana is the practice and that is what we are to do
twice daily, at minimum.
