== DO YOU WANT SOMETHING VALUABLE OR WORTHLESS ==
Namaskar,
Baba wants what we should be successful and do something great in this
human life. In so many discourses He reminds us about what is the aim of
life as well as how we can achieve it.
Of course every human being wishes to find greatness - lasting peace and
happiness in life.
Baba says, "There is in the living being a thirst for limitlessness."
(A'nanda Sutram, 2-5, Purport)
Everyone wants to do something great and create one permanent footprint
on this earth. All want to do something lasting and be remembered forever.
But, in this material world, it is very easy to get side-tracked and
caught up in mundane, fleeting allurements like a big house, money,
prestige, etc. We become blinded and think that crude objects can
satisfy our longing of greatness.
That is why Baba repeatedly warns us about the impermanence of mundane
gains and vigilantly reminds us that we should be focused on the
permanence of spiritual attainment. That is how we are to utilise our
human life.
In one Hindi discourse, the last chapter of AV-26 (H), Baba gives us a
graphic example of the extreme temporary nature of worldly things. By
this way we may again orient our focus to the Supreme and do something
of eternal importance while on this earth.
"LIKE WRITING ON THE WATER'S SURFACE"
The bulk of people on this earth chase after mundane fancies thinking
this will be their heart's delight. Money, tasty treats, sexual
escapades, fancy vacations, new cars - all these things dominate
people's quest in this world. We see evidence of this every day on every
street corner.
But Baba categorically states that such things will not last .
In His discourse, Baba says that getting mundane treats is like writing
on the surface of water. Before one even finishes that task, the
satisfaction or effect of that endeavor is gone.
For instance, when former President Bush first came into office and
attacked Afghanistan, then his approval rating was 90% and he was
sitting on top of the world. Yet a short while later in that same
presidency, he had the lowest approval ratings in history.
Likewise, the so-called great financier Bernard Madoff held the accounts
of the world's most famous people, and now he is living in infamy in
prison.
Similarly, Mrs Indhira Gandhi was thinking that she was unbeatable and
that no worldly power could knock her from her perch, only to be later
assassinated by her own body guard.
And it is not just with famous people, everyone experience such things.
People do everything for their physical beauty only to have that one day
wither away. People find new mates thinking it to be heaven on earth.
They think it will be long lasting and that they will never separate or
quarrel. Yet then they suffer when they and their mate fight or kill
each other, or their mate betrays them.
If someone thinks that their relationship is good and will be a lasting
force in their life, then all they need to do is wait for tomorrow.
Because nothing mundane is permanent in this world.
And there are so many examples that crop up.
Baba says, "Today a hungry person may get relief from hunger with the
help of money, but tomorrow the hunger will again return and the person
will require more food. Liberation with the help of money can never be
permanent." (AV-4)
Baba says, "People run after money for the only reason that they believe
they can maintain their lives under the shelter of money; that is to
say, money alone can save them. But they do not know that money can
provide them neither permanent stability nor a securely-founded shelter.
Even during the span of their lives, money will come and go several
times. At times its glamour will dazzle their eyes, and sometimes it
will make them cry, hunger-stricken. Not to speak of money alone, all
finite objects have this characteristic." (SS-1)
Although money is needed, but it is not the goal of life - one should
not dedicate themselves solely to earning money.
That is why Baba says that although we have to live in this material
sphere we should not take that as the summum bonum of life. Because
those achievements will not last long - they are like writing in water,
the epitome of impermanence, vanishing before our very eyes.
It you want to have something permanent, spiritual sadhana is needed.
"WRITING IN SAND"
The next level up is in the intellectual plane or psychic pursuits. In
this sphere of life, people learn new things, get university degrees,
study other languages, gain mastery in physics or chemistry, become
scholars etc. All these stand as psychic achievement. And they think
that this is of permanent nature. This is their delusion. Because this
type of learning and respect will not last forever.
According to Baba these things also do not last long - here today gone
tomorrow. Although they may not be as temporary as physical pleasure or
comforts, intellectual learning will not stand the test of time.
Baba says, "For example, after reading 200 pages of a book you will
surely forget 199 of them. You cannot remember even one complete page,
not even one full sentence. You are likely to confuse this word with
that." (AFPS-7)
Thus we can hardly retain anything that we learn. And not just that, we
may engage our entire life in a particular profession only to one day
become ignorant of that very topic.
For instance, a Supreme Court justice may learn all there is to know
about the law, only to then suffer from dementia later in life such that
they cannot even remember their own name or who their sons and daughters
are, let alone understand the first thing about the constitution.
And what to speak of dementia, most adults in good health cannot even
remember the nuances or fundamentals about they studied in university.
So here again we see that intellectual achievement is also fleeting.
"WRITING IN STONE"
Rather than writing one's greatness on the surface of water as in the
case of physical pursuits, or writing one's glory on the surface of sand
as in intellectual pursuits, our approach should be writing in stone as
in cultivating more and more devotion and reaching toward Him.
As we know, that is the central approach for human beings because only
devotion is permanent.
Devotion, of course, means decreasing the radius or distance between
oneself and Parama Purusa. And that progress is the only lasting
progress in this universe. It stays with us not just throughout this
life, but from one life to the next.
For instance, most who come onto the path of Ananda Marga have good
samskaras. They did some puja or spiritual practices in their previous
life and that is why in this life they got Brahma as the Guru.
Baba says, "Vaedikii diiks'a' is to request God, request the Lord, to
show one the right path. And after a long time, when the Lord is
satisfied, He arranges for Ta'ntrikii diiks'a'. Ananda Marga diiks'a' is
Ta'ntrikii diiks'a'." (AV-3)
Thus our spiritual endeavor and resultant devotion is lasting and stays
with us up to our merger with Him, by His grace. Without our prior
sadhana from past lives, in this life we would just be involved in
dogmatic forms of prayer like idol worship, namaj, going to confession
in the Catholic Church, doing deity puja, or visiting tiirtha sites and
fake holy lands etc.
While in this human body then we should engage the maximum amount of
time in spiritual sadhana as that will have a permanent effect on our
growth and development. That will lead us unto Him and the attainment of
lasting peace and greatness on this earth.
That is why in comparison to mundane and intellectual engagements,
spiritual practice is like writing in stone. Devotion is lasting and
will never leave us and with this quality all kinds of great things can
be done - such sadhakas are remembered for ages and ages.
Baba says, "This blended devotion enables spiritual aspirants to attain
the pinnacled goal of their lives. It is this devotion that human beings
have been seeking since time immemorial. When they finally attain the
guru and get initiation, then they begin to walk on this path of
devotion. And those who have started on this path realize that they are
sure to reach their destination, that to reach their goal is the sole
reason for their birth. You should remember why you have been born.
Following the path of devotion, you will have to ultimately reach Parama
Purus'a. This is the pinnacled point, the supreme point of human glory.
You should always remember this, during your lifetime and even after
your death." (YP)
BABA'S WARNING
So no one should waste their time on this earth chasing after material
and mundane things, lest their life pass in vain. In the end, in the
face of death, one will merely cry thinking that I have done nothing
lasting on this earth.
Baba says, "The worship of Brahma should be done scrupulously, or else
you will later regret and bemoan the futility of your life with the last
drop of your tears at your last hour. You should make your life
worthwhile through your sa'dhana'. How much can your worldly friends and
relations do for you? After your death your relatives may perhaps ask,
“How much money has he left behind?” Your friends may go to the
crematorium and indulge in flattering reminiscences about you. Your
husband or wife may cry for you for about ten or twelve days and then
regain their normal composure. Your lot will be only a profound sigh – a
record of the futility and frustration of your life. So do not waste
your time lest you later have to repent." (SS-3)
None should face this predicament and the only escape is to engage
wholeheartedly in spiritual life.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace He has given the path and the way to achieve lasting
greatness on this earth and beyond.
Baba says, "The goal of dharma is the attainment of Brahma; its base and
its movement are Brahma-centered. Brahma is the Absolute Entity
independent of time, space and person; He is permanent. Brahma
sa'dhana', therefore, is the sa'dhana' for the attainment of the
permanent entity." (SS-6)
Namaskar,
Punya'tman
Note 1: QUELLING THEIR FEAR
Baba says, "People may ask, “We are ordinary people. If we always keep
ourselves absorbed in the thought of Brahma, can we properly attend to
our worldly duties?” To this my reply is, of course you can, and you
will do them still more beautifully. In the worship of Brahma there is a
method by which easily and perfectly every worldly duty can be
performed." (SS-3)
