message from Swami Chidananda Saraswati of Parmarth nikethan

[Guest guest]

(http://www.parmarth.com/updates/novdec2002/message.html)

 

There was once a disciple of a Guru who went to his

Guru and said, "Guruji, I want to live a spiritual

life. I want to live in the service of God. I want to

go beyond the binding chains of this mundane,

materialistic world. But, I feel that I am not quite

ready. My desires for a family, for wealth and

enjoyment are still too strong. Grant me some time to

fulfill these wishes and then I will come to your holy

feet."

 

So the Guru said, "No problem, my child. Go. Get

married, have a family and earn wealth. In ten years I

will come back for you. My blessings are with you."

 

With the blessings of his Guru, the man went out and

quickly found a beautiful girl to marry. They had 3

beautiful children, and the man become financially

successful.

 

After 10 years, there was a knock on the door of their

home. The man's wife opened it to see a

haggard-looking beggar standing on the doorstep. The

beggar asked to see her husband. At first she started

scolding the beggar, thinking that he was just there

to beg for money. But, the husband realized that the

beggar was his Guru so he lovingly invited him inside.

 

 

"I have come to take you away from this world of

illusions now that you have fulfilled your desire of

having a wife, family and earnings. Come with me, my

son, let me show you the way to God."

 

But, the man looked at his Guru pitifully and he said,

"Dear, Beloved, Guru. Yes, you are right. You have

given me my 10 years ever so generously and with your

blessings I have prospered. But, my children are very

young and my wife is again with child. She would not

be able to handle the burden of all of them alone.

Allow me to stay another ten years until the children

are old enough to care for themselves."

 

A true Guru will guide you to the path, show you the

light and help when help is requested, but will never

force a disciple -- against the disciple's will -- to

follow any particular path. Thus, the man's Guru

compassionately agreed, saying, "So be it, my son.

Stay another 10 years until you feel that your mission

is fulfilled."

 

Ten years later, the Guru returned to the home to find

a large bull-dog out front guarding the house.

Immediately he recognized his disciple in the dog and

saw -- with his divine vision -- that the man had

passed away several years prior but, due to his

intense protectiveness over his family and wealth, he

had reincarnated as a guard dog. The Guru put his hand

on the dog's head and said, "My child, now that you

have regressed from a human to a dog due to your

attachment to these worldly things, are you finally

ready to come with me?" The dog licked the hand of his

Guru lovingly and said, "My beloved Guruji. You are

right that it is my own attachment which has driven me

to take birth as a dog, but you see my children have

many enemies who are envious of their wealth and

power. These enemies are very dangerous to my children

and I must stay here to protect them. However, I am

sure that within a few years everything will sort

itself out and they will be fine. Give me just seven

more years to protect them, then I am yours."

 

The Guru left and returned 7 years later.

 

This time, there was no dog out front and the home was

filled with grandchildren running around. The Guru

closed his eyes and saw with his divine vision that

his disciple had taken birth in the form of a cobra,

wedged into the wall near the family safe to guard the

money. He called the grandchildren of the house: "My

children," he said. "In the wall to the right of your

safe, there is a cobra curled up in a small nook. Go

there and bring the cobra to me. Do not kill it. It

will not harm you, I promise. But, just break its back

with a stick and then bring it to me." The children

were incredulous, but went to the wall where the old

man had directed them. Incredibly they saw that --

just as the Guru had said -- a cobra was curled up in

the wall. Following his orders, they broke the cobra's

back and carried it outside to the Guru. The Guru

thanked the children, threw the cobra over his neck

and left.

 

As he walked away carrying the cobra over his neck,

the Guru spoke to the cobra, injured and aching, "My

child, I am sorry for hurting you, but there was no

other way. Twenty seven years and three births ago you

left to taste the material world of sensual pleasures.

But the ways of Maya are so alluring and so subtle

that they trap us instantly. You have wasted these

lifetimes in the futile pursuit of material success

and in attachment to people who also are only actors

in the Cosmic Drama. My child, all here is Maya -

Cosmic Illusion. It lures us into its trap, convincing

us that it is real, permanent, everlasting and

significant. But, in reality, the only thing which is

real is Him, and the only true purpose of life is to

get close to Him. These attachments merely divert our

attention and focus away from the true purpose of

life. I had no choice but to come to your rescue as I

saw you sinking deeper and deeper into the deep

clutches of Maya."

 

*********************************************************************

 

So frequently in life we think, "Just one more year"

then I will cut back on my luxuries and cut back on my

time at the office. "Just one more year" and I will

dedicate more time to meditation and spiritual

pursuits. "Just one more year" and then I will go to

India, sit at my Guru's feet and delve into the divine

depths of spirituality. "Just one more year" and then

I will cut down on my sensual pleasures."....and on

and on. But, that "one more year" never comes. Our

intentions are good. We want to be more spiritual. We

want to devote more time to spiritual pursuits. We

want to spend less, need less and serve more. We want

to be the master over our lust, anger and greed rather

than vice versa. But, the power of Maya is stronger

than the power of our will. Thus, we continue to find

excuses for why we must continue to work 50 or 60 hour

work-weeks, why we still have no time for meditation,

why we can't squeeze a visit to the holy places of

India into our year's planning, and why we must

continue to satiate our insatiable sensual urges.

 

The only way to break free from the veil of illusion

that Maya wraps around our minds is to surrender to

God and beg Him to show us the true light. The only

way to break free is to make AND STICK TO concrete

vows of how we are going to be better people next

year. Rather than saying "I will find time to

meditate" we must say "I will not leave for work

without sitting in meditation and I will not sleep at

night without doing my nightly introspection." Rather

than saying, "I will try to come to India and visit

holy places whenever I can," we must say "I will take

my vacation this year in India and nowhere else."

Rather than say, "I will try to cut back on my

expenses so that my financial needs are less," we must

say, "I will not buy another jacket or pair of shoes

[or anything] until the ones that I have are broken,

torn or no longer fit me." Rather than say, "I will

try to overcome my anger, lust and greed," we must

commit to having daily appointments with God in which

we introspect on all the times we allowed ourselves to

be overpowered by these emotions and we must pray for

strength, DAILY, to be remain calm, peaceful and

sattvic in our lives."

 

If we wait for the right time, that time will never

come. The only time is now.

 

May God bless you all with the clarity of vision to

realize that the external world is Maya and with the

strength, fortitude and dedication to remove the veil

and attain the Divine Truth.

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Dear yogaman,

 

This provides a 'perfect lead' for one of my favorite stories.

 

 

A sadhu under the instructions of his Guru,built

himself a small hut away from the townspeople. He soon

began his spiritual practices in his hut. Every

morning after his bath he would hang his loincloth on

a tree next to his hut. One day, on return from

begging food in a nearby village, he found that rats

had chewed holes in his loincloth. The next day he had

to go to the village for a new one. Several days later

upon his return from the village the rats had again

chewed his new loincloth. The sadhu was very annoyed

thinking that he couldn't spend his time begging for

new loincloths. In any case he went to the village

the next day and related to the people what had

happened. The villagers said you should do one

thing,'get a cat, it will keep away the rats'.

The sadhu thought that it was a good idea and

acquired a kitten from the village and brought it back

to his hut. From that day on the rats ceased to

trouble him. He was very happy. The sadhu now began

to care for the kitten and started to feed it milk

which he begged from the village.

After about a week a villager said to him,"Swamiji,

you require milk every day. You can get your milk by

begging, but how long will people keep supplying you

with milk? You should do one thing, keep a cow. You

can than satisfy your own needs as well as the cats".

In a few days the sadhu procured a cow and thereby

did not have to beg for milk everyday. But, within a

short time he found that he had to beg for straw for

his cow. Every day he had to visit the neighboring

villagers and beg for straw. A villager said to

him,"Do one thing, there are lots of uncultivated

lands close to your hut. Just cultivate the land and

you won't have to beg for straw anymore." The sadhu

started tilling the land. After a time he had to

engage some laborers and later found it necessary to

build a barn to store the crop. Eventually he took a

wife to help him to look after the land and they had

children and he found himself building larger and

larger houses on the land.

After twenty years his Guru came to see him.

Finding a number of buildings and goods the Guru

inquired of a servant,"An ascetic used to live here in

a hut can you tell me where he has moved to?" The

servant did not know what to say so the Guru went into

the house where he found his disciple. The Guru

said,"My son what is all this?" The disciple fell at

the Guru's feet and said,"Oh Gurudev,all for a single

loincloth !"

[Guest guest]

OM Yogaman and Frank

 

Maya is indeed a difficult illusion to come to terms with. As has

been said, the only way to transcend the pull of Maya is to

discipline the mind.

 

Here is a little story that illustrates that point:

 

The Woodcutter and the Geni

 

There once was a tired, old woodcutter. Every day he cut and

gathered wood, carried it into town and sold it. He earned just

enough to sustain himself. But as the years passed, the

woodcutter's strength began to fade and he was afraid of not

being able to carry on his work and chores and to support

himself.

 

The woodcutter had been a deeply religious man all of his life

and he finally decided to ask his God for one favour. He prayed

that his God might help him to continue his work by sending him

a helper. He prayed many times without success but never felt

abandoned and remained true to his God. One day God

answered the woodcutter and said, "My humble servant, I am

touched by your devotion to Me in the face of adversity and so

your wish shall be granted. I will send you a genie who will do

all that you ask. He is capable of doing anything. You must,

however, keep him busy all the time. If you do not, the genie will

destroy you. Do you accept this genie?"

 

The woodcutter replied eagerly, "Oh, thank you, Lord. Yes, I

accept your gift and will keep the genie busy all the time." The

woodcutter then proceeded to put the genie to work. "Clean my

house, genie", he ordered.

 

"Yes, master", the genie replied and in 15 minutes had the

woodcutter's shack spotless.

 

"Very good work", observed the woodcutter. "Now, tidy the

garden. Pull out the weeds and fix the fences".

 

Again the genie simply replied, "Yes, master" and went to work.

In half an hour the garden was beautiful and the fences were like

new.

 

"How wonderful", thought the woodcutter. "Now my life will be so

much easier". The genie was next sent to the town some ten

miles away to buy some rice. "That should keep him busy for a

while", thought the woodcutter.

 

But within one hour the genie was back with the rice and asking

for something to do. The woodcutter asked the genie to cut and

gather a day's supply of wood and take it back to the town and

sell it. Soon the genie had accomplished that task was back

asking for more instructions. But the woodcutter was slow to

reply and the genie advanced threateningly toward him. The

woodcutter finally told the genie to cut and gather more wood

and then more and more wood. The poor woodcutter was now

beginning to panic for there was less and less wood left to cut

and he was barely able to keep up to the genie's demands for

work.

 

In desperation, the woodcutter ordered the genie to accompany

him to a local sage. The woodcutter explained his predicament

to the sage and pleaded for a solution. The sage pondered for a

while and at last replied, "Ask your genie to bring the tallest tree

that he can find in the country. Within an hour the genie returned

bearing a mighty tree. "Now", instructed the sage, "Tell him to

plant that tree in your backyard and then to climb up to the top

and then to climb down to the bottom of the tree. Tell him to

continue to do that until you tell him to stop and perform another

chore for you. When he has finished the chore, simply tell him to

continue climbing up and down the tree until such time as you

need him again."

 

Upon receiving these orders, the genie obeyed them and

climbed up and down the tree endlessly, stopping only to

perform chores for the woodcutter. After some time, the genie

accepted the futility of his position and fell on his knees before

the woodcutter. "Master", he cried, "Please free me from this

endless task. I promise not to threaten or destroy you and will

continue meet your every wish." The woodcutter gladly agreed

and resumed his life as freer and wiser man.

 

The woodcutter, of course, represents Man, i.e. each member of

the Shakti Sadhana group and all others as well. The genie is

the Unsteady Mind, that constantly disturbs the tranquilty of Man.

The tree is your Mala and climbing up and down the tree is Japa

or Mantra Repetition. Through Japa, the unsteady mind is

controlled and finally gives up desire and resistance, accepts a

new reality and becomes an active ally in the meditator's quest

for spiritual reaalization. As the mind and the person become

increasingly tranquil, the objects of the senses become less

important until finally spiritual recognition occurs.

 

 

 

Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu

May the whole world attain peace and harmony

 

Omprem

[Guest guest]

Once upon a time there was a devoted woman who wished to serve the

Goddess with her life. As a young woman, in addition to her regular

studies and family needs she would study books on the Goddess and

take time out to go on retreats and meditation. Some times she was

very serious, but her love for the Goddess seemed to strengthen her

in times of need.

 

"You don't always need to be so serious," her mother said, stroking

her daughters hair as they sat together. "You're only young once,

there's a lot to see and do. Make sure that you enjoy all the

goodness that's laid out before you."

 

Taking her good mother's advice the young woman spent time with her

friends and balanced her spiritual studies and her educational

studies with time spent playfully. She was well loved by her friends

for her sharp wit and high energy.

 

Love will break a teenagers heart time and time again. Many times

she felt both the pull of the spiritual realm and the desire to

retreat from the rough and tumble of life's emotions and

disappointments.

 

"Don't give up so soon," her mother counseled. "You never know

what's around the corner. And don't make life decisions out of hurt,

it never turns out right that way."

 

Her mother's advice seemed both optimistic and courageous and so the

young woman followed this. After a time she met someone wonderful

and they fell in love, married and began a family.

 

Everyone knows that a young mother, even with a very helpful spouse,

has little time for herself. The woman found that the years melted

away like dust under a wet rag, like clothes quickly outgrown and

passed down, like sunsets she barely had time to notice. She

panicked and chaffed under the demands on her life, over the time

that she missed. "How can this happen to me?" she cried to her

mother. "My life is disappearing before me with no time to devote to

the Goddess I love!"

 

"I don't know," said her mother, thoughtfully and she looked in the

desperate eyes of the daughter she loved. "You have such strong

desires, it's true and you should have time for them, make time for

them…but don't regret your life. Look at your children, they're

lovely! I'm a grandmother now and my heart is so filled by having

had you and loving and raising you….I'm glad that you didn't miss

that experience. If you had really not wanted it, that would be

different." She paused "that something is difficult or time

consuming, doesn't make it unworthy. Maybe you can work something

out" The older woman spread out her hands in a questioning gesture

and the younger woman fell quiet to think.

 

But little changed. She loved her children with all her heart,

teaching them how to read, watching them grow, guiding them and yet

letting them each find their way. And she loved their little home,

the light shining through the windows, the flowers and herbs in the

rich earth of the garden, the delicious dishes she cooked. She loved

the holidays and decorating the house, lighting the candles and

laughing with friends. She loved her husband, in the ways that they

were completely one and in the ways in which they were bafflingly

different. She loved her friends and the time they could spend

together, shopping or catching a film, sometimes just talking on the

phone.

 

She had sadness, too, and frustration, in rightful measure. She had

moments of great doubt and of anger. There was news of the world

that troubled her and tragedy close to home that seemed terribly

unfair.

 

It seemed that barely a moment had passed when she found herself at

her own daughter's wedding, and less than a moment more attending

her own mother's death.

 

Her love for the Goddess stayed constant and in her older age there

was much more time for meditation and study, yet less than she would

have given were her life different. She had grandchildren of her

own, and a huge lovely garden. Years of cooking magic had made her a

master, friends and family gained much satisfaction from her company

and her culinary skills.

 

And finally she reached the end of her life. "What have I done?" she

wondered. "Was it enough? My life is over now and the devotion I

wanted to give is left ungiven." But she left this life with a

strange feeling of contentment as she moved to the other side to

join her own mother there.

 

And there it was, in the arms of the Goddess, looking back on the

life she had left that she learned.

 

She had loved her family, which was a part of the Goddess

 

She had loved the earth, which is the body of the Goddess

 

She had loved her children, in the manner of the Goddess

 

She had loved and appreciated her home and her food; the gifts of

the Goddess

 

She had loved her friends, who never failed to speak of her

inspiration, her devotion to the Goddess that they so easily

witnessed in her life.

 

All things had passed through her, experienced fully, fulfilling the

desire of her Goddess to experience this world consciously.

 

Is there more? There is so much more. This is just one way, but it

was done well.