Guest guest Posted March 1, 2002 Report Share Posted March 1, 2002 ============================================================= This article is emailed to you by Ram Chandran ( rchandran ) ============================================================= Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2002/03/01/stories/2002030100250800.htm) Miscellaneous - Religion Ego prevents man from realising God CHENNAI MARCH 1 .. There are certain subtleties about spiritual life that one can learn only by the grace of saints. A spiritual aspirant's effort will bear fruit when he comes under the influence of a preceptor or a saint. In fact, there are several instances mentioned in the biographies of saints of them guiding the spiritual progress of their disciples and devotees. In the case of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa it is related that he feigned anger and asked his devotee to go away once when he was in a state of communion with God. This was an act of grace. It was to enable him to get over even the slightest trace of ego that the saint acted as he did. A parallel can be seen in the Bhagavata Purana in the case of the cowherd maidens of Gokul. Their singular devotion to Lord Krishna is legendary. On one occasion these Gopis felt egoistic about the special privileges the Lord had conferred on them during the Rasa play. Krishna instantly disappeared from their midst the moment their ego surfaced a! nd it was after they prayed and wept for His company that He obliged them. In spiritual parlance this is termed Sattvic ego, which will distance the devotee from realising God. Another insight that Sri Ramakrishna gave the same devotee was to develop the quality of patience. In worldly life it is apparent that anything takes time to accomplish. Once cannot hasten the process by acting impatiently. An example is the case of seasonal fruits which one can eat only during the right season. The same fruit if made to yield artificially will not be as tasty. This is applicable to spiritual life also. Man can sincerely pursue the goal of liberation by adopting spiritual practices but must patiently await divine grace to realise God. The examples of Sabari and Ahalya who patiently awaited Rama's visit to their abode with faith that He would surely bless them are good examples. In his discourse, Swami Gautamananda said everyone had a role in the creation of God and no one should belittle the role of others however small it might be. It is common for those who are worldly successful to disparage those who are ordinary. But such comparisons are unwarranted. The case of Jaya and Vijaya, the Lord's attendants who had to be born in the world as demons due to a curse must be kept in mind. But they were devotees of God. Just as a clown is necessary to provide relief in a circus, in the world also there will be good and bad people and it is not for man to judge. Copyright: 1995 - 2002 The Hindu Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the consent of The Hindu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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