Sandeha Nivarini - Post 7

Dear All,

Continuing with the example of Moth which Swami gave in the last post, today, we will deal with only one question and answer, as it assumes great importance in today's world where we all go about with our imagination that we are all educated and we all have knowledge.

Hence, today's post is kept as one of the smallest, yet very important learning imparted by Swami to all of us.

Devotee: Swami! What You said is the truth. We can take it that ignorant people, when they behave like this, are of the brood of moths. But when people who are well educated, who are great, who know — when these devote themselves to spreading such stories, how can it be endured?

Swami: Learning means learning about the  Atma (Atma-jnana); it is not the knowledge of things related to the world, which trains for a living and is useful as basis for a living. To compare learning about the Atma with such knowledge (vidya) is a great mistake. Great men are those who don’t abuse others, who search for the reality with good intentions. 

Spiritual matters cannot be understood by those without the power of discrimination, by those who are puffed up with the authority they have, or by those who are unaware of any knowledge of the Atma. So consider those whom you described as educated and great as belonging to the brood mentioned above and, without yielding place to such ideas and worries, engage yourself in strengthening your belief.

Author's note

• In today's modern world, all of us / most of us are well educated.
• Society has taught us shrewdness, smart out look and very successful approach in our life.
• We are able to think logically, rationally and accept only things which are proven to us logically and scientifically.
• However, Swami  clarifies in today's answer - "Spiritual matters cannot be understood by those who are without the power of discrimination".
• Real knowledge, Swami says, is not the knowledge of all worldly matters but the knowledge of SELF, knowledge of what we actually are, from where we have come into this world and where we have to reach ultimately, what is our final destination.

Love.

Anandamayi Ma

Sandeha Nivarini - Post 6

Devotee: The world knows well how You are vouchsafing courage and daring and guiding men to do good spiritually, physically, and mentally. The world knows how You have rendered educational and medical help. You have never done any harm or caused harm to anyone in any form. How can we suppress the people who invent and spread all kinds of silly stories about such as You? Do they gain anything by this?

Swami: Oh. So this is the story! Well don’t you know that good and bad are of the very nature of the world? If all are engaged in selling, who will buy? With regard to God, fault finding has come down from the beginning of time; it is not new. But present-day people might manufacture some new tales. Well, why should you take such abuse to heart? Take it that they are remembering Swami by this means!

Memories of love and memories of hatred are two types. 

The latter are ignorance-based illusion (a-vidya- maya) and are related to the quality of passion (rajoguna). The former are knowledge-based illusion (vidya-maya) and are related to the quality of serenity (sathwa-guna). Ignorance-based illusion results in grief; knowledge- based illusion results in bliss (ananda). Their results are indicated there itself.

Now, why should you suppress? You asked about the gain, right? They don’t need any gain; finding fault with others has become their habit; they do it as their duty. As the saying goes, “What does the moth care or gain whether the sari costs a hundred tankas or is cheap? To gnaw and tear is its nature.” The moth tears a costly sari or a rag equally. Does it know the value of things? Its work is such. So be at peace, realising that the work of these fault-finders is the same as the work of these moths.

Author's note 

With the example of some people criticizing Swami; while answering to that, Swami has given a big lesson to all of us today.

He says:-

Feeling of hatred is caused by Avidya Maya, ignorance and related to Quality of passion- Rajo guna.

This results in grief.

Feeling of Love is caused by Vidya Maya, illusion based on Knowledge, related to quality of Serenity- Sattwa Guna.

This results in Ananda/Bliss.

So, readers, why would we, after understanding this truth, develop quality of passion, develop hatred for others and ultimately end up in grief??

Only way, only solution, only secret to be happy, to be in Ananda / Bliss is to LOVE, LOVE and LOVE one's SELF which culminates in LOVING ALL!!

Love.