Taking Bath Without Touching Water

From: “Virendra Deva”
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Taking Bath Without Touching Water
Date: 07 March 2012 22:34:10


Baba

== TAKING BATH WITHOUT TOUCHING WATER ==

Namaskar,
One time at DMC Baba was giving a discourse about dhruvasmrti, or fixed memory on Brahma.

Baba was explaining that dhruvamsmrti means remembering Parama Purusa always and that when not doing sadhana then one must use Guru mantra in order to keep the mind ensconced in the thought of the Supreme. Then one will be established in dhruvasmrti.

Baba then looked at everyone in attendance – there were a a few hundred present that day – and Baba lovingly said, “When coming into the hall today, not one person repeated Guru mantra.”

Everyone fell silent – awed by Baba’s statement.

Then Baba explained further, “When taking food or eating rice, if one is thinking that this is rice etc, then one’s mind is not fixed on Brahma. In that case the person is not established in dhruvasmrti. One should instead think that this rice is Brahma. Then one will be properly practicing 2nd lesson and become established in dhruvasmrti.”

In that same DMC discourse, Baba also told that if you love your son or daughter as a son or daughter, then that is not consistent with the practice of 2nd lesson. Rather one must think that that the person before me is Brahma in the form of my son / daughter. One must view all as expressions of Parama Purusa. Then that is second lesson, otherwise not.

Baba says, “Do you love your son? No, no you don’t love your son. You love Brahma in the form of your son. By loving your son as a son, you cannot love the Lord. Where there is the feeling of son, there is no Lord and where there is the Lord, there is no son. Where you exist He does not and where He exists you are no more.” (Subhasita Samgraha – 1)

Baba’s guideline and discourse that day was all about how we should see Brahma in each and every object. That is the right practice of second lesson and leads to dhruvasmrti. Merely repeating the mantra itself is not enough. Side by side one must ideate on the idea that all is Brahma. Then one’s practice of second lesson is proper.

That was the very meaningful teaching Baba was emphasizing that day.

VALUE OF SECOND LESSON

 

We all know that all thoughts and actions in this world are binding. For that reason people take birth on this earth again and again, from one life to the next. That is the way of karma and samskara theory.

He has blessed us with the process of second lesson whereby we can live in this world yet not incur further samskaras. In that case we can live a reaction-free existence and attain liberation, by His grace.

Such is the great value of second lesson.

At the same time we must remember that second lesson must be practiced properly, otherwise it will not have any effect.

BABA’S DIVINE EXPLANATION: Part 1

As Baba has explained, merely repeating Guru mantra is not enough. Second lesson must not be repeated mechanically like one parrot. It must be accompanied by the feeling and idea that everything and everyone is a manifestation of the Divine.

If one hastily recites second lesson and feeds a poor person thinking that the person before me is one helpless beggar, then that second lesson is not proper and that action will be binding.

Likewise if before eating a sweet one mechanically recites second lesson, but the whole time one’s mind is engrossed in the thought of that sweet delicacy and thinking “this sweet is so tasty”, then that also is not the right practice of second lesson. In that case one is incurring sam’skara. One must think that this is Parama Purusa in the form of that sweet.

Here Baba explains how we should interact with the world and perform our service.

Baba says, “Action performed for the sake of action is bondage…As explained earlier the ideation that whatever I do, I do only to please Parama’tma’ is called devotion – Bhaktirbhagavato Seva’. Devotion is service to God. When devotees serve the universe they do it with the feeling that they are serving the manifestation of Na’ra’yan’a only to please Him.”  (Subhasita Samgraha-19)

Thus whether we are eating or helping the poor or doing anything on this earth, one’s mind must be suffused with the idea that everything is Parama Purusa – the person doing the action is Parama Purusa, the item offered is Parama Purusa, and the person being served is Parama Purusa.

Then one’s action comes within the domain of second lesson. Then one will not incur new samsakra.

So again the key point is that mechanically repeating Guru mantra is not enough. In addition, the mind must be suffused with the sweet feeling that everything is Parama Purusa. That is Baba’s divine teaching.

It should be noted that even though there are various Guru mantras, the meaning behind them all is the same: Everything is Brahma. That is the singular meaning of second lesson.

BABA’S DIVINE EXPLANATION: Part 2

 

Here Baba explains further how we are to interact in the world. This is how we should do second lesson and view the world.

Baba says, “Thus the mind of one, who has established himself in real vaera’gya (the renunciation of all sensual pleasures) can never become attached to finite objects. Even in their midst he remains beyond the reach of their attraction and gains eternal peace after death.”

“No truck with water while I bathe
With hairs flowing free
Nor woes nor griefs shall ever scathe
Unwet I dip in sea.
Dedicated to God, night and day
Awake, asleep or dreaming be
No lures of world or desires gay
Dare ever come between He and me.”

“Do your work, but do not be caught up with it. A great man said, –”

“Grind spices or be a cook
Touch not the pan you ever
Dance a frog ’fore serpent’s hook
But let it not devour,
In the sea of nectar shall you bathe
Unwet shall remain your hair
Tie the elephant to a spider’s web
Love awaits you there.”

“Here the spider represents the little unit, the sa’dhaka. A sa’dhaka will realize what divine love is like only when he prepares the cobweb of devotion and ties the elephant, the Supreme Entity to it.” (Subhasita Samgraha – 2)

Thus in both of the above poems, Baba is beautifully explaining to us how with the help of second lesson we can remain permanently linked with Him, never getting attached to any mundane allurement on this earth. In that case we will view all as His divine expression and our second lesson will be perfect. We will live in this world, serving one and all, totally free of any samskara.

Baba says, “Life is intimately bound up with work. If people do their work ascribing divinity to each object they are involved with, then, because of their non-attachment to material pleasure, they cannot be bound by the reactions of their actions. Life also cannot be the cause of such bondage, nor for that matter can the reactions of one’s actions be the cause of future lives. Otherwise a person who lives a long life will perform many actions, thus creating many reactions of greater sorrow to be experienced, and one will be a victim of the actional cycle life after life. (Subhasita Samgraha – 2)

By His grace, the proper application of second lesson allows us to feel and view one and all as divine expressions. That is the right application of second lesson. Then there is no question of any worldly bondage.

In contrast, if one merely repeats Guru mantra like a parrot and fails to ideate properly, then one will be forever bound in the cycle of karma, living and dying on this earth again and again and again.

LIFE IS SWEET

One final point to remember in this discussion is that by doing second lesson properly, then one will be forever floating in His bliss. The sadhaka will think that everything is Brahma and that all day long he is interacting with and seeing Baba. Then life is so blissful and sweet.

That is why another name for second lesson is madhuvidya, that practice or knowledge which brings the sweetness of the Lord’s love into each and every interaction.

BABA’S BLESSING

By Baba’s grace we should make second lesson perfect. We should see Him in each and every thing. When eating sweets, we should not think that, "Right now I am eating one sweet", rather we should take the special ideation that Parama Purusa is in the form of this sweet. Indeed, each and everything in this universe is but the expression of Him in different forms. In that case, our life will pass blissfully on this earth and we will not be bound by any action. We will feel each and every moment that everything is Brahma. Each cell will be vibrated by this divine idea. Then life really is blissful.

Baba says “Whatever you speak or do,
Forget Him never;
Keeping His name in your heart,
Work, remembering it is for Him,
And, endlessly active, drift in bliss.”
(CC-2, ‘Sadhana’, pt#10)

Namaskar,
Virendra Deva

Note 1: MORE POSTINGS ABOUT SECOND LESSON

Here are two posting that are intimately related with this topic of second lesson.

A) This is one special Baba story how second lesson protects sadhakas from danger and disaster.

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/01/baba-story-power-of-guru-mantra.html

B) This below shows how closely related bath mantra is to second lesson.

http://am-global-01.blogspot.com/2009/08/not-just-ritual.html

Intro to PS: This song is to be used in concerts organized for the general public because Baba has written this song for non-margiis. Everyone knows that Baba is for all. Ananda Margiis only sing for Baba yet at the same time He given these types of songs for non-margiis. Our duty is to learn such songs as well so we can teach them to others.

“Shivashankarah he shubhankar vishvabiijah prabhuh karun’a'-a’karah…” (P.S. 3653)

Purport:

O’ Lord Shiva, Shiva Shankar, O’ welfare and grace Personified, You are the Controller of everything. You are origin of the universe. O’ Prabhu, You are the Ocean of grace.

With the beauty of divine effulgence, Your body is shining like the mountain of silver. The moon [1] is beautifying above Your head. Your whole existence is like the most precious jewel and it is shining in its own glory. O’ Kalyan Sundaram, Lord Shiva, You bless everyone.

Please grace me with both Your hands in varabhaya mudra. I surrender at Your alter. Please grace me always.

You are always established in sama-samaj-tattva. No scripture has the capacity to express Your glory. You have infinite attributions. Please grace me with a wee-bit of the dust of Your lotus feet. I surrender at Your alter….



NOTES FOR PS #3653


[1] Moon: Here the idea is that Lord Shiva is always ensconced in the divine nectar (soma dha’ra’ / rasa ) of the pineal gland. That is why the moon is symbolic. Because of this reason in mythology Lord Shiva’s picture is made keeping the moon above His head. General people do not know the reason behind this.

Baba says, “The hormone secretion of the pineal gland (pineal plexus or sahasra’ra cakra ) is partly controlled by the moon, hence its nectar is called somarasa or somadha’ra’ (soma means moon). This pineal secretion invigorates the lower glands of the human body and intoxicates the spiritual aspirant with divine joy.” (SS-8)

PS Note 1: Most songs of Prabhat Samgiita are based on Sanskrit vocabulary and word meaning, but in this song the case endings & verb endings are in Sanskrit also.

PS Note 2: About one-pointedness in Ista see the ‘Shriinathe…’ shloka from AMIWL-11, p. 801

PS Note 3: This song has great value for understanding the philosophy & greatness of Mahasambhuti. Baba has written the books – Namah Shivaya Shantaya and Nama’mi Krsna Sundaram – to put forth His philosophical teachings and also to indirectly tell about Himself. Of course in the realm of personal spiritual practices we Ananda Margiis only refer to Baba.