THE MOST PRAISEWORTHY THING IS SKILL. (Skill means discrimination, judgment, reason. Only human beings are blessed with the sixth sense called the intellect which makes one think and choose. Generally we take skill for talents, special activity which separates one from others. The greatest of all is the discrimination, which Yudishtra mentions here as skill. Katha Upanishad says that the 'Wise one differentiates the path of good from the path of the pleasant'. This skill takes man towards the ultimate Reality.
We all use this discrimination in our day to day life like 'this is black and this is white', 'I like tea but dislike coffee', 'this is mine and that is yours'. It is easy to separate two gross things because they have different characteristics and maintain separate identity even when mixed like rice and wheat. But when it comes to subtler aspects of life like dharma or duty we find it difficult. We are aware of options like good and bad, right and wrong but when the mixture appears as one, we are not even aware of their separate existence. To separate this we need the guidance of a Guru and the constant meditation on the teachings of the Guru/scriptures.
The play of the mind is 'Maya'. As long as we are behind the mind's prompting, we are in sorrow. The ability to discriminate or the skill mentioned here is praiseworthy because very few get it and when got, one gets out of sorrow and has never ending bliss. It needs awareness, single pointed buddhi, faith in the Lord/Guru and steadfastness in practice.
Other skills that are worldly, separates us whereas this skill unites all of us. The result of the skill is 'Love'.
WHAT IS THE HIGHEST DUTY IN THE WORLD?
TO ABSTAIN FROM INJURY IS THE HIGHEST OF ALL DUTIES. (Bheeshmaji says that 'self-restraint' is the highest duty in the world. Just as covetousness leads to all kinds of sins, self-restraint leads a man to highest glory. When we practice self-restraint lots of good qualities come into us. One of these qualities is abstaining from injuring others.
Vidura says that angry words or harshness in speech should be avoided under any circumstance. Lord says in Bhagavad Gita that the austerities through body (non-injury), speech (inoffensive, pleasant, beneficial) and mind (gentleness, moderation in speech, self-control) should be practiced with highest faith in the Lord without expecting any fruit of action.
Non-violence teaches the mastery of spiritual strength over brute strength. True Ahimsa implies gentleness, kindness, hospitality, humanity and love. Ahimsa is perfect selfless love towards everyone and everything. Mahatma Gandhiji says that non-violence is only for those who are brave and strong. It should not be used to cover up cowardice.
If we don't hurt others in any way, that is the greatest of all duties. All actions are Lord's if it is soaked in love.
WHAT IS IT, CONTROLLING WHICH WILL LEAD TO NO REGRET?
THE MIND, IF CONTROLLED, WILL NEVER LEAD TO REGRET. (Regret is the feeling which comes to us after performing a wrong action. When we use harsh words or hurt someone, after sometime we feel 'we should have avoided it'. There are so many regrets stored within us starting from childhood till this date. If we call back such incidents in our life, it clearly shows that the mind was uncontrolled at that instant. If we can control our anger or any negative emotion for a few seconds, we will never regret in our life. One moment of anger may lead one to kill another person and suffer ten years imprisonment along with life-long guilty feeling.
After the Bombay terrorism, one of the terrorists gave a statement that 'I was asked to kill as many people as I can. They said 'Just shoot!' But now I want to live. I don't want to be hanged'. Anybody who does the prohibited actions mentioned in the scriptures lead a life of regret alone as they run behind the mind with lack of discrimination.
We find that our mind does not want to undergo the discipline of discrimination, nor does it have the capacity of consistent logical thinking. It has been allowed its willful ways and indulgence in gross pleasures for many births. We should not yield to the tricks of the mind. We need to think and then act and not the other way. Then regret never comes into picture in our life.
Our Guruji often used to say that the people working in Gulf think that the day the go back to India they will be happy. They pack everything and go to India and within two three months we can see them back in gulf clearly showing their unsteady mind.
Lord tells in Bhagavad Gita that lust, greed and anger are three gates to hell. All the three are momentary expressions of the mind and if done without a thought will lead to the feeling of guilt not only in this life but for many births.
Diti was repeatedly advised by her husband Kashyapa that the evening time is holy time and sensual pleasures should be avoided at that time but she ignored the advice. She did regret but the result is she gave birth to two asuras (Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaaksha). Our parents also teach us not to eat and sleep in the evening times (the meeting period of any two times of the day is considered as auspicious. 4.30 in the morning, 6 in the evening are important time for our prayers).
Avoiding sinful actions, one avoids regret. Control over the mind gives us peace in life. If we are controlled by mind, regret alone remains as the result of our actions.
WHAT IS THAT, WHICH, WHEN RENOUNCED, MAKES ONE AGREEABLE?
PRIDE, WHEN RENOUNCED, MAKES ONE AGREEABLE.(Pride is the feeling of self-respect and personal worth. We have pride about our birth, body, talents, education and many things in life. The person with pride thinks that he is the centre of the world and everything revolves around him. They think that everything in their life is under their control. They have a feeling that they don't need anyone's help. They are all knowing, faultless, immortal with lot of things hidden behind. They feel they have nothing to learn in their life; they have already reached their goal in life and they are ever going to remain at that level. Pride is the state of fully bloated ego.
They have no tolerance or patience for others feelings, ideas or problems. They don't want to listen to others or even to Lord's messages. The pride of the asuras led to their destruction. The pride of the Yadavas marked their end. Duryodhana's pride led to the destruction of kauravas. Ravana was killed because of his pride. Daksha Prajapathi was destroyed because he expected Lord Shiva to stand up and pay him respect. There are many examples in our scriptures and in our day to day life how the pride keeps us away from others.
Wherever there is sign of ego we stand separate. We expect a special treatment from people around us. Nobody wants to talk to that person with pride, because none feels him a part of them. We can be good listeners if we leave the feeling that 'I know'. Thiruvalluvar says that what we know is just handful. There is so much to learn in life. And this world is surviving because of mutual help. It is ignorant to think that 'I can be without anyone's help'.
If this pride is renounced, the person will be accepted by people around him. He will have more friends. The Lord says in Gita 'aham atma Gudakesha' – I am the atma of everyone in this world. Understanding the Lord is the support of everything, one needs to develop humility and modesty about their abilities, talents and strengths. The great bhaktas, the Jnanis who have achieved the ultimate of life are loved by everyone, approachable to everyone only because they have renounced their ego. They have renounced the pride and all sprouts of the 'I'.
RENOUNCING WHAT DOES ONE BECOME WEALTHY?
DESIRE, WHEN RENOUNCED, MAKES ONE WEALTHY.(Desire makes one ever begging for something or the other in life. A beggar went to a person asking for some help. The person directed him to the king who was very generous. When the beggar went to the palace, the king was doing his prayers. When he came out of his prayers, he saw the beggar going away. He asked him what was the reason he came and why is he going now. The beggar told 'I came to ask you for some help. But after coming I knew that you yourself is poor begging to the Lord. So I am leaving'.
As long as one has desires, they never feel contented. Now they have a black-berry but eyes on the next latest model. So the feeling of completeness (wealthy) is not felt. Lord says in Bhagavad Gita that fulfilling desire is like pouring ghee to the fire. By fulfilling it will glow more. The only way to put off the fire of desire is to stop pouring the oil.
All of us have the Lord inside us. The man who realizes this truth, leaves all desires and understands he is wealthy.
CONCLUSION
The 'I' is the biggest problem of life. The feeling of 'I' dominates a person who is fully convinced that he is the body. The pride, desire, jealousy, anger all are the clear signs of our attachment to the body. Guruji was mentioning in one of the talks that human beings need the recognition from other people for all their actions. It is clear sign of ego growing inside us. He also added that we surely need relationships in life. Using the discrimination choose to be in satsangh which will elevate us in life and take us towards the Self/the Lord. When Nachiketas was offered all wealth, he asked for knowledge with the conviction that it will lead him to the highest good. That knowledge alone will make us happy, healthy, wealthy and an embodiment of love.
We need balanced mind in life. When we pour tea in a cup, we stop pouring before it overflows. Similarly in our life one should have the knowledge, self-control when our actions need to be given up be it speech, food, watering the plant or a war. The self-control is very essential practice in life because this universe is working in harmony with its limits and in an order with minutest truths hidden within. Anything we do in excess affects our happiness and also others.
No comments:
Post a Comment