Sutra 77. Sukhaduhkhechchalaabhaadityakte kaale prateekshyamaane kshanaardham- api vyartham na neyam.
[One should not waste even half a second, as all the time
one has for meditation is the little that remains after what is spent in
experience of pleasure and pain, desire, gain etc.]
Sukha-duhkha-ichchaa- laabhadi Tyakte: freed from
pleasure, pain, desire, gain etc.
Kaale: in time
Prateekshyamaane: when expectantly waited
upon;
Kshanaardham: half a moment
Api: even
Vyartham: in vain
Na: not
Neyam: should be spent.
When one has given up pleasure and pain, desire, gain
etc., and is in a state of high expectancy, not even half a moment should be
allowed to go in vain.
Sukha is the quality of Sattva ; Duhkha is the quality of
Tamas. Ichcha is the quality of Rajas. When one has given up pleasure, pain, desire, etc., when
one has given up the three Gunas.
When he is waiting for the appearance of the
Lord in the form in which He is requested by the devotee to appear, even half a
second should not be wasted.
Within half a second, when your mind wanders, God may have come and gone without your noticing Him. Maya is very
clever to take advantage of your carelessness even for half a second. You must
be intensely watchful and vigilant. Be ever looking forward for God’s appearance.
This is high expectancy.
If the devotee is not vigilant and alert Rajas and Tamas
will pull him down from the height he has attained. Satan will easily find a
loophole to enter and work in him mischief. The mind will become impure like
the brass vessel if it is not cleansed every day by vigorous meditation.
In youth you are enveloped in darkness. In adolescence
you are carried away by lust and are given up to sexual pleasure.
In old age you groan under
the burden of Samsara. Much time goes away in sleeping, vain talk and idle
gossiping. A portion is spent in disease and suffering. Where then is the time for
doing virtuous actions and divine contemplation?
Life is uncertain. You will be carried away by death without
a moment’s notice. Therefore, a wise man should be very careful in spending his
time profitably in meditation. Time is most precious. Every second must be
utilised in the service of God. service of bhaktas and in meditation.
In this context, Author is reminded of a beautiful expression of Bro. Hari when he has visited Oman and spoke on few topics.
About Bhajan singing, he said, "Every week you start for attending your weekly bhajan in your centre and you enter your centre, you should enter with a thought, for all my communication with Swami, for showering all your feelings for Swami, for all the purification you have to undergo, for the merger with Swami if you are destined for the same, ALL THE TIME YOU ARE LEFT WITH IS THAT ONE HOUR OF BHAJAN SESSION".
Imagine, Sai devotees, if we ever enter the Bhajan session with this thought one week, next week and every week in our life, then how each such week would turn out to be, for us?!!!!!
To teach us this, Swami calls us and says, "Given moment is now", in one of His very famous quotes!!!
When we are able to live MOMENT TO MOMENT in our spiritual journey immersed in God's thoughts / in God's love, then each moment paves way for the next moment and thus, the entire life's entire moments we are able to be in the company of our LOVING GOD!!!
This way, we are able to get out of the clutches of Time's game and actually exist beyond the limitation of Time and space.
These lines require contemplation!!!!
Love.
