Does Longevity= Success

Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:15:38 -0700 To: am-global@earthlink.net From: Matt Ornbecker Subject: Does Longevity= Success Baba PS Intro: In this song the devotee is talking with various natural expressions such as the dark clouds and the flower pollen and requesting them to 'Please convey my heart-felt feelings to my Beloved, to my Parama Purusa'. "Ta're a'mi ceyechiluma prati paler pulake..." (PS 4773) Purport: I have desired Him each and every moment of my horripilation. In my excitement and joy, and in my blissful days, I wanted that He should remain with me so we could celebrate together. This was my regular way of thinking-- my everyday desire. That is why while sitting in dhya'nasana doing sadhana I searched Him in the effulgence of divinity-- in my hiranmaya kosa. Because I wanted to get Him and bring Him close to me. It is so painful for me that my most adorable One, my dearest One, is not coming to me. I do not know where He has gone. O' black cloud, please go to the divine kingdom and tell Him that with great hope and with heartfelt longing I am waiting for His divine arrival. Tell that Divine Entity, my dearest One, that since ages and ages I have been anxiously waiting for Him-- calling Him each and every moment, with the yearning of my heart. O' floating cloud, please go and convey this message to Him. Because without Him my life is useless & meaningless. My most adorable One has gone to some far distant place. I do not know how to reach Him-- how to get Him. O' flower pollen, please float away to His divine land, where finite meets infinite: At that tangential point. Go there and make Him listen to my heartfelt tales. By that way His heart may melt and He may come here. O' Baba, O' my dearest One, please shower Your causeless grace on me by coming close... Note: When one's mind is in a lower devotional state, then that sadhaka generally feels quite satisfied and content thinking that Parama Purusa is all around them. In contrast when one's devotional longing intensifies then in that higher state that sadhaka wants Parama Purusa in a more intimate and loving way. That type of stronger devotional yearning makes the sadhaka's mind restless; and ultimately that extreme longing leads one to moksa, final salvation. This above song expresses the feeling of that higher devotional state because the devotee has a very deep longing and strong desire to have His closeness-- the sadhaka wants to attain Parama Purusa. So in the above song when the sadhaka proclaims that he does not know where Parama Purusa is, that does not mean that the sadhaka is devotionally dry-- nor does it mean that he really thinks that Parama Purusa has gone far away. The main thing is that due to his strong love for Parama Purusa, the devotee wants Him in a more intimate way than he is currently getting Him. That is why this upsurge of devotional longing comes-- because his heart is unfulfilled. The entire point can be better understood with this following example. Often times when a small infant is nearby its mother then it usually tries to go closer and closer to the mother until finally that infant is on the mother's lap-- being tightly embraced by the mother. So, comparatively speaking, even if the baby is a few feet away from the mother then the baby feels that their mother is very distant-- because the baby has a deep desire to be directly on the mother's lap. Whereas a grown man may be 30 feet away from his mother but feel quite fine and content-- because he does not have the desire to be so close to his mother. So devotional longing is not so much a factor of distance or proximity per se, rather it is related with one's inner desire and the intensity of one's love. Overall, there are two distinct scenarios when one's mind does not feel any spiritual longing at all. Firstly, that happens when people are materially oriented and quite crude. Then in that condition then they do not feel that they need Parama Purusa at all. Hence they do not have hardly an iota of devotional longing in their heart. Secondly, when any great sadhaka finally becomes one with Parama Purusa then all their longing gets totally exhausted because their devotional heart has been fully satiated-- satisfied. They have become permanently one with their Lord. In that condition all, one no longer feels any devotional yearning in their heart. Because their entire being is fully ensconced in His love-- they have experienced that complete and final union with Him.

== DOES LONGEVEITY = SUCCESS ==

Namaskar, Around the globe it is the commonly held view that a successful life is a long life. That is, people generally equate longevity of life with success. In their shallow way of thinking, often enough, that is the complete equation.

AM'S PERSPECTIVE ABOUT A SUCCESSFUL LIFE

Of course, in AM our view is quite different: Longevity in and of itself is not the main factor or criteria of a successful life. Specifically Baba guides us that human life must be filled with great works and noble deeds-- in a phrase, it must be an actional representation of a high ideal. Side by side Baba simultaneously warns us not to live a passive life-- devoid of any activity. Baba adamantly opposes such a static approach. Baba says, "Mere survival is not enough; what is important is to live a dignified life. The excellence of human life lies in action; it is through action that human beings survive. They should aspire to live long while performing noble deeds; it is futile to live just like an earthworm. Indeed, each and every human being should vow, 'I do not know how long I will survive; but as long as I exist I will live a glorious life, not an ignominious existence like that of an earthworm'..." (V-33) So according to Baba living a long life devoid of doing any good deeds is a waste of human existence-- rather that is the sunken plight of an earthworm. Thus as human beings, our duty is to lead a bustling life: One that is filled with high minded actions and guided by a benevolent intellect.

MODERNITY HAS BROUGHT LONGEVITY, NOT QUALITY

These days in this modern era with the advancement of science, many people are living much longer lives in comparison to the past-- but unfortunately with regards to the quality of their existence, that has decreased dramatically. Because although many are reaching the century mark and living lives more than 100 years, but by their existence it is blatantly obvious that they are just existing like animals: Only eating, drinking, and sleeping etc, nothing more. That is why according to Baba's dharmic stand, in this modern ere most are just living the passive & degenerated life of an earthworm. Their lives a pathetic display because they fail to utilise their human life for something great-- for something noble. So although people's longevity has increased, we cannot call their life successful.

THE FORGOTTEN EQUATION: SAMSKARA THEORY

And not only that, people often fail to realise that they will have to undergo all the reactions of their actions. In which case living a long life filled with negative deeds invites serious problems-- serious repercussions. It is a liability because people will have to suffer the reactions of their bad actions. Baba says, "If some bad actions are committed, naturally their consequences also must be undergone." (SS-11) Thus per the law of karma, individuals must undergo the negative reactions of their actions. So when human beings are living long lives but failing to do good works and instead filling their existence with crude activities, then their long life amounts to nothing but a huge pile of negative samskaras. That is the end result of their long life. In which case who can term that as a successful existence. Rather it is a disaster as they have invited so much suffering and pain for themselves in the future.

BABA'S WARNING: DON'T DO ASATKARMA

That is why Baba vehemently warns us about doing negative works-- bad actions.

Ya'vanna ks'iiyate karma

Baba says, "The bondage of asatkarma [bad actions] is iron...One has to refrain from bad actions so that the chains of iron might not be forged." (V-30) So if one does any bad action then there is no escape. Immediately they have bound themselves up in iron chains-- that is Baba's stern warning. The only answer then is to refrain from doing misdeeds-- sunk in animalistic desires and devilish tendencies. And instead one should live the life of a spiritual warrior, ever ensconced in noble works.

SUMMARY

All in all in this modern era human life has tragically became something negative because people involve themselves in degenerated activities thereby incurring a whole truck-load of negative samskaras. This we can see happening all around us in the general society. The root problem is that most people do not utilise their life for a greater cause. This happens because of a lack of a spiritual way of living. Instead they just get caught up in the negative flow of the crude society. So our duty is to form a spiritual based society so that common human beings can utilise their life from birth to death. We have to help people discover their innate human tendency: To live a life always in search of divine bliss.

2-5: Tasminnupalabdhe parama' trs'n'a'nivrttih

Baba says, "There is in the living being a thirst for limitlessness..." (Ananda Sutram, 2-5) Indeed by Baba's grace everyone has the in-born desire to achieve immortality-- to lead a spiritual existence and attain Him. So the best thing is to utilise this human life for real fulfillment, otherwise one's life is like the slothy existence of a slimy earthworm. Overall then, for positive, spiritually-minded people a longer life is a boon. But for negative people it is a curse. Hence longevity of life is only something beneficial if that life is utilised in a proper way, otherwise that longevity of life is nothing but a...

BABA'S SPECIAL SECRET FOR A LONG LIFE

Here Baba graciously gives us a special guideline for living a long, successful life-- one that is filled with peace and tranquility. Baba says, "Spiritual practice makes the mind calm and quiet, and maintains the nerves in a state of equipoise; and thus spiritual practice increases longevity." (AV-33)

BABA'S BLESSING

By Baba's infinite grace, He has showered His divine blessing on us by bringing us onto the path of spirituality-- thus making our lives successful. Baba says, "You are all sa'dhakas, you are all spiritual aspirants...I know certainly you will be successful...Kalya'n'amastu-- May you be blessed." (DKG, 'Three Vital Factors') Namaskar, Mahendra

*************************************** The Gospel of Neo-Humanism

Baba says, "Preach the theory of one spiritual inheritance-- that every living being is the child of the Supreme Entity and that all the people of the world belong to the same family. This will have to be explained to all-- that there will be a clash between different nations so long as the feeling of nationalism exists." (PNS-4, p. 45)

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