Unfortunate Umbrella: Part II

Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2011 12:37:06 -0000
To: am-global@earthlink.net
From:
Subject: Unfortunate Umbrella: Part II

Baba

               == UNFORTUNATE UMBRELLA: Part II ==

Namaskar,
This entire topic about the 'Umbrella of Vanity' is closely linked with
our devotional life and being able to feel His grace each and every
moment through the course of our days. All are encouraged to write in
with their own thoughts and experiences as well.


                        COMMON HUMAN LONGING

As diverse as human beings are in their various expressions from their
outward appearance to their intrinsic talents, even then there are
certain common points that are universal to all.

For example, as Baba Himself tells us, it is the innate desire of each
and every human being to develop a close, personal relation with God.

Baba says, "Human beings want a personal God who will understand their
joys and sorrows, who will have love for them, and to whom they can
express love and feel kinship.  They certainly do not want a God who
will only impart words of knowledge or punish them and not listen to
their tales of sorrow in a sympathetic manner. They want an Entity who
will sympathize with them cent per cent in their prosperity and
adversity alike." (SS-11)

So when this inherent desire of wanting a personal link with Parama
Purusa is such a universal characteristic of each and every human heart
then certainly we should understand how to best satisfy and satiate this
divine longing.


                     TWO DISTINCT OUTLOOKS

Looking at opposite ends of the spectrum there are two distinct outlooks
which have a vastly different effect upon one's ability to form that
sweet, intimate, and personal relation with God.


                      DEVOTIONAL APPROACH:

        CULTIVATING AN INNER LINK WITH HIM

On the one side there are the bhaktas who think that Parama Purusa is
always watching them and caring for them and deep inside they believe
that that He is in fact the doer of their good. By this way of thinking,
by this type of outlook, devotees naturally develop a closer link with Him.
Because closeness between any two beings develops when one party feels
that the next entity is helping them. So when bhaktas believe in the
core of their heart that Parama Purusa is there to do everything for
them, and that He is the most benevolent and gracious One, and that
indeed everything happens in this universe due to His divine grace, then
automatically those bhaktas become internally linked with Him in a most
intimate way. That is one end of the spectrum.


                              UMBRELLA OF VANITY:

              OBSTRUCTING ONE'S LINK WITH HIM

And on the other end of the spectrum there are those jinanis who are
dominated by their own unit ego and in their arrogance they think that
they achieve everything in this world by virtue of their own individual
talent-- by their own efforts.

In that case, they are not relying on Parama Purusa but rather giving
full credit to themselves. And this defective approach-- egotistically
thinking that 'I did and that it at all happened because of me'-- is
itself the 'umbrella of vanity'. In which case one cannot feel His grace.

By this defective outlook a distinct gap develops between those jinanis
and Parama Purusa. In which case, consciously or unconsciously, these
jinanis view Parama Purusa as being nothing but one theoretical God in
the far distant sky, not that personal God Who is deep inside their heart.
And this is all due to their umbrella of vanity-- thinking that 'I am
the cause and I did everything'. That very defective approach creates
the feeling that Parama Purusa is far away-- non-existent. In which case
such jinanis never get to feel His sweet grace or divine bliss.


         IDENTIFYING THIS UMBRELLA OF VANITY: 'I DID'

So in a nutshell, bhaktas think that 'Parama Purusa is doing' and
therefore move closer to Him; and jinanis think that 'I did' and thereby
increase the distance between them and their Lord.

And again if we identify the root cause behind this grand difference, it
is this very defective outlook: 'I did'.

That egoistic expression-- 'I did'-- is the unfortunate umbrella of
vanity which separates those jinanis from Parama Purusa. That is the
dark umbrella which obstructs their relation with Parama Purusa. And
that is why they do not feel His eternally flowing grace.

So the whole thing is just a matter of one's outlook.

When any small or big thing occurs in this universe there are two
different ways to view the situation. The devotional mind will think
that it is only due to His grace while the jinani oriented mentality
will immediately try to take the credit for that action.

By these divergent approaches, the bhakta goes closer to Parama Purusa
and feels His sweet grace more and more while and the jinani goes away
from Him and just gets caught up in the net of their own ego.

And this is the umbrella of vanity-- giving credit to oneself-- when
really it is due to the grace of Parama Purusa.

But, through it all, we should always remember that Parama Purusa is
equally gracious on all-- whether one understands this or not.


                    BABA'S DIVINE TEACHING

Baba says, "He has got equal love for each and every creature of this
universe, for all animate and inanimate objects. His krpa' and His
compassion is being equally showered upon each and every individual,
upon each and every object. He bestows His compassion equally on each
and every object. Equally on pa'piis [sinners] and pun'yava'nas [the
virtuous]."

"But common people do not feel it, they do not feel that they are
getting His krpa'. Why do they not feel it? That krpa', that water of
compassion, is being showered on each and every creature equally, but
ordinary people do not feel that they are being drenched by those sacred
waters. Why? Because they are holding the umbrella of vanity over their
heads, that's why they are not being drenched."

"And what is sa'dhana'? You will have to remove that umbrella from above
your head and get yourself drenched by the sacred water. You will have
to remove that umbrella of vanity...and get yourself drenched by that
water; and then you will feel that you are being graced by Him. This is
what is called krpa'. Krpa' is there, but you will have to come to feel
it by your sa'dhana'. And when you will remove that umbrella, you will
get proper direction, and then you will be guided by hla'dinii shakti,
by Ra'dhika' shakti. Here you will come in contact with His nu'pura
dhvani [Divine Sound]." (AV-33, 'Brahmacakra')

Thus by moving along the path of devotional sadhana one will easily be
able to remove that umbrella of vanity-- it will disappear naturally. In
which case one will feel His boundless grace in each and every work, all
day long.

But for those crusty jinanis who again and again gloat about the fact
that they themselves are doing everything and that it is all due to
their own smartness, then they will permanently move around with the
umbrella of vanity over their head and in their life they will never
feel His divine grace. This is their unfortunate fate.


                 SPECIALITY OF DEVOTION

Here below Baba highlights the speciality of devotion.

     "Bhaktira'nanda ru'pa'ca... Devotion is bliss incarnate." (SS-18)

Devotion means feeling His sweet grace and divine in the seed vessels of
one's mind, each and every moment.

So the degree to which one is tangibly feeling His grace and bliss in
their own mind is the degree to which they are a devotee.

And to the degree that one does not feel His grace and bliss is the
degree to which one is still holding that umbrella of vanity over their
head.

In this regard, when trying to calculate anyone's standard, best is for
everyone to judge the matter for themselves. Only a tad bit of honesty
is needed, nothing more.


                      BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's grace, may we all move along the path of devotional sadhana
and feel His ever showering grace and divine bliss each and every moment
of our lives-- and beyond.

Baba says, "By dint of sadhana, one is to arouse and exalt that sleeping
divinity. ...But for this, one requires divine help and I know further
that one is getting divine help, and I know still further, that it is
for infinite time and infinite space, one is getting this divine help,
and you are all sadhakas, you will certainly attain the Supreme Stance
and enjoy that divine blessedness. You are sure to enjoy it my sons and
daughters." (AV-23, p. 76)

Namaskar,
Mukunda


Note 1:          ALL STRENGTH COMES FROM HIM

Here below Baba guides us that all our energy comes directly from Him.

Baba says, "Human beings also move on, but to move forward sometimes
they need energy.  But where does this energy come from?  The source of
all energy is Parama Purus'a. With His energy all entities are moving.
No living being has its own energy: endowed with the energy of Parama
Purus'a, it moves forward." (SS-12, 'Adarsha & Ista')

Thus when all our strength comes from Him then naturally He is the one
behind our each and every work.

But jinanis again and again overlook this eternal truth and instead
proclaim themselves as the champion of their own deeds. And that
defective mentality is their umbrella of vanity.


Note 2:           WHAT SHOULD BE OUR APPROACH

In this next guideline Baba clearly tells us what our approach should be.

                      Yato vishvam'...

Baba says, "Out of the grace of the supreme, the universe has emerged;
due to His grace, the universe preserves its existence; and because of
His grace, everything will finally dissolve in Him."

"So the final word in the realm of spirituality is the supreme grace of
Parama Purus'a. Intelligent people will understand this supreme truth
and move accordingly. It is true not only in the physical level, nor in
the physico-psychic level, nor in the psychic, nor in the
psycho-spiritual level, but in all levels."

"Finally, whatever you say or think, everything is finally embedded in
the grace of Parama Purus'a. The sooner this fundamental truth is
realised, the better it will be for all." (SS-18, 'Cult, Inference, &
Propensity')


Note 3:                THE FIRST LETTER IN THIS SERIES

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2011/02/unfortunate-umbrella.html


                                        PRABHAT SAMGIITA

"Ceye gechi toma're, shato rupe shato ba're..." (P.S. 2503)

Purport:

Baba You are mine; my everything is depending on You. You are my Ista;
You are my Goal. Baba, I long to see You in hundreds of forms, hundreds
of times--again and again. But, You only got held in name, song, melody,
and tune. I only got You in those few ways. Baba, with my deep yearning,
I search for You very near in the depths of my heart; I do not ever want
for You to remain far away.

O' the Devata of Divine Effulgence, please come more close--silently,
please smile in my "I-feeling", in the deep core of my heart. Baba,
please fill my whole existence in Your divine effulgence, in Your
undying love, with parabhakti.

Baba, by Your grace I have a deep longing and earnest desire to have
You close, with the bond of love, in Your rhythmic expression and
resonance. Baba, I want You close, in the land of the sweet resonance of
the divine flute, in each and every blissful moment, in the world of the
divine effulgence and beyond-- eternally.    Baba, please shower Your
ahetuki krpa' and make my existence successful. O' my dearmost...