Bhakti

[Guest guest]

Dear members,

 

Excerpts from the informal talk of Sri Swamiji –

 

Source: www.madhuramurai.org

 

“The ‘tãtparya’ (purpose) of Bhakti or Vedanta

‘pravachana’ (discourse) is to bring into practice,

atleast to a small degree, whatever is being listened

to. This is the real ‘phala’ (fruit) of attending such

‘pravachanas’. Let us say that one attends a musical

concert. At the end of it he exclaims, “Oh! That was

excellent!” There is nothing to be imbibed from this

musical concert and one did not attend it with such a

notion. But, attending a discourse on Vedanta, Bhakti

or ‘itihãsa purãna’ (Epics) is entirely different.

Here, ‘vidwat’ (scholastic knowledge) is only

secondary. Bhakti and Jnãna are the only (prime)

factors here. One should try to bring into practice

(‘abhyãsa’) atleast a little of what has been imbibed.

 

Likewise, the ‘upanyãs’ of Mahatmas always caution

people against fake association - ‘The World is very

wicked. Today we find that there are ever so many who

crown themselves as ‘Swamijis’, ‘Mahans’ and lead the

people on wrong paths.’ It is a warning. One should

understand that Mahans exercise no ahankãra’ (egotism)

or ‘self-interest’ when they warn you against visiting

such impious places. Why do they say this? What

happens when you move about with ‘swatantara’

(freely)? It goes beyond limitations. One may then get

caught in wrong places and it will become absolutely

impossible for him to free himself from it. Do you

understand? Thus, discourses are not matters for sheer

enjoyment. Whatever has been heard has to be brought

into practice. Atleast a little of it should be

brought into practice in your day-to-day life, even if

you are unable to bring everything into practice. One

should atleast possess the ‘thãpa’ (yearning) that he

is unable to bring them all into practice. Only then

the requisite ‘phala’ is obtained. Innumerable people

attend ‘Gita’ or ‘Upanishad’ lectures as a matter of

pride. This is of no use at all. We always point out

the good and the bad - the ‘lakshanas’ (signs) of the

good and the bad. One should, therefore, be very

careful. When we advise, in ‘upanyãs’, to do japa,

dhyana, vichãra, exercise dispassion, etc. they should

be brought into practice little by little. Otherwise,

it all goes in vain.

 

All these years of our lives we have interacted with

innumerable people - on the street, at home, in

office, etc. for long periods. Question yourself, ‘How

old am I now? Have all such talks, all these years

been of any use; any worth?’ You should, now and then,

question yourself on these lines, just as Mahatma

Gandhi used to say, “Ãtma sodhanai, Sathya sodhanai’ -

test of the ‘ãtama’/of Truth. You should keep setting

yourself right. The Gita, Epics, lives of Mahans are

all Sutras. Through these one should correct himself.

 

The principal aim is only to bring these into

practice. Is that not so? ‘We have taken ‘manushya

janma’ (human birth) now. But, what were we before

this?’ We should thus question ourselves. Doctors say

that the body is like a machine. The several machines

used for various purposes work for a time, are

repaired when there is some problem and finally go out

of use. In the worldly angle the body consisting of

several parts viz. heart, kidney, limbs, is also

deemed to be so. It works for a time, set right

whenever there is some trouble in its functioning and

finally goes out of use. But what do we say? Well!

Even if you deem it to be like the machine, does the

machine possess any feeling? Does it exhibit any

feeling of affection towards a smaller or another

machine? Does it feel angry with or fear another

machine? Does it fight with another machine? Even if

the body is like the machine, it has ‘conscious’

(‘unnarvu’) within. This ‘Conscious’ is Bhagavan. This

‘Conscious’ is ‘Chaitanya’. Science may succeed in

producing hearts, kidneys, etc. but can it produce

this ‘Conscious’? It has not succeeded in discovering

this ‘Conscious’ because ‘Chaitanya’ is the base (for

the ‘Conscious’). Even the scientists work only due to

this ‘Chaitanya’ within! ‘What is ‘ãtmãnanda’? It can

never be explained and has to be experienced. A person

takes to drinking liquor. He consumes illicit liquor.

It has a pungent smell and the taste is said to be

repulsive. But, he pushes it down his throat. Why?

Because some joy is being derived from it. He gets

some ‘kick’ from it. Take the case of another man who

is wealthy with a beautiful spouse, palatial house,

good children and all other comforts. Why does he take

to drinking alcohol? He drinks alcohol and lies down

unconscious of the world and his own body. He could

enjoy his life with his beautiful wife or good

children or the other comforts in his home. But,

shirking all these, he takes to drinking alcohol and

lies down unconscious. He is not even aware of his

body. It cannot be said that it is consumed for the

joy it offers to the palate, for, it is not so. This

is example enough to show that the happiness derived

from within is greater than one found without! Even

such a person seeks happiness from within!

 

Mere ‘tamasic’ joy is so; then what to speak of

‘Brahmãnanda’? Only when a person turns inward in his

search for joy will he find true joy!”

 

 

" HARE RÃMA HARE RÃMA RÃMA RÃMA HARE HARE

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE "

 

Visit www.namadwaar.org

 

 

 

 

 

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