Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Dhyana Vahini - Post 11

Chapter IV

 


Be unaffected by illusion

 

The intellect (buddhi) in us is the witness of all things in this objective world. These worldly things limit and colour the intellect; they affect it and mould it into consciousness (chaithanya). Illusion (maya) is only the intellect as affected by everything, as warped and twisted by the impressions of everything. Therefore, the spiritual consciousness that is unaffected by illusion —i.e. upon which the world has failed to produce any impression— is the Lord (Iswara).

Therefore, the person who is striving to reach the stage of the Lord must be unaffected by illusion, unimpressed by the world! How can one remain so unaffected? Through analysis, ratiocination, fearless inquiry, and pure reason. To acquire this analytical reason (viveka), sharing in the task of promoting the welfare of every being in nature is essential.

Introspection by a devotee

The very essence of the above has been covered elaborately in the last 2 satsanghs on Moksha Gita, while the subjects Maya and Avidya were dealt with. They are available in the youtube channel.

Even when a Jiva is gripped by Illusion or avidya, he continues to be divine in essence. So, this contradiction of  being divine and existing as totally non-divine is the struggle which a human being carries with him for several births till the time he takes to spiritual path seriously, as Swami mentions as “ person who is striving to reach the stage of the lord…..”


First, good qualities; later, the absence of qualities

The passing show, this world (jagath), is based on illusions (maya). That is why it is branded “false”. But do not conclude that mere recognition of the falsity of the world or an awareness that one has certain shortcoming will lead one on the higher path and take one to the highest truth. 

Without a good character full of sterling qualities, one can never achieve progress in the spiritual field. Progress depends on the worth and quality of the individual, just as the harvest depends on the fertility of the field. Upon such a worthy piece of land, sow the seeds of sterling qualities and irrigate with the waters of reason and analysis; the plentiful harvest will be ready in due time! 

On lands where the seedlings of good qualities are not planted and tended, useless weeds multiply; and where orderly gardens could have been formed, thorny bushes create a jungle of impenetrable confusion.

Even if a person, through perversity or blind conceit, has thus far not cultivated good qualities, the person can at least make a try or make efforts to secure them! If this is not done, the excellence of life cannot be tasted and life is a waste; its worth is nil. The mind, by sheer force of these opposing forces, gets lost in false values and is unable to develop along the right lines. Such a mind, turned away from good, might cause indescribable evil. All progress won by the spiritual aspirant might be destroyed by such a mind in an unguarded moment, like a spark falling on a keg of gun powder because of a moment’s negligence!

 

Introspection by a devotee

Every human being, born on this earth, dying and getting reborn, at some stage or the other, in some birth, must realize the need for turning Godward or turning inward, bury his past non-divine or demonic life and get seriously into the spiritual path, develop good qualities (Sadhana chatushtaya) and evolve from Animal man to Man man first, before aspiring to be a God man or God’s Man.

Bringing in Swami’s lines here is most appropriate.

“If this is not done, the excellence of life cannot be tasted and life is a waste; its worth is nil.”

Swami Krishnananda writes,

“..Sadhana, the spiritual approach to things, is not the practice of anything in the etymological or the grammatical sense of the term in the sense of doing something physically or acting in a particular manner temporarily, but being something quite different from what we are today. 

It is the rise of the lower being to the higher being. It is the efflorescence of the higher being in us from the seed of the lower that we are. It is the internal growth of our total personality to the universal perfection of the Absolute from the little seed which is implanted in us. The seed contains the vast banyan tree, as we know. Likewise, the eternity of the Absolute is present in the little cell of our body, which looks like almost nothing. Who can imagine that a huge banyan is contained in an insignificant seed which is not even properly visible to the naked eye?

“Repent ye, for the hour has come,” said Christ. The hour has come for us to repent for what we have done – not merely outwardly, but inwardly in our conduct and character. It is the time for us to repent wholeheartedly and weep that we have committed blunders sometimes knowingly, sometimes unknowingly. 

 

Love.




PS - There may be a temporary delay of few weeks in Dhyana vahini posts due to some personal reasons. Efforts would be to keep posting some important quotes of Swami or other realized masters during these days. 

 

Love.

 


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