Sai message for the day

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Some want us to do puja, some suggest dhyana, meditation, a few

prescribe parayana, reading of the scripture and some others assure

us of good results from japa, repetition of God's name. I am confused

about what to do and which one to follow. Kindly tell me the best

among these ways to be followed in my sadhana ?

 

You can follow any of them with total prema, love, nissvardha,

selflessness, chittas'uddhi, purity of your heart, ekagrata, one

pointedness, and saranagati, surrender to realise and experience God.

 

You follow the path that suits your convenience. Any procedure that

appeals to you and gives you shanti, and ananda can be followed. But

never imitate. Never go by other people's words and paths. You follow

your chosen path. Otherwise, you lose your own way also. Imitation is

human. But creation is divine.

 

A small example to illustrate that one becomes a loser by following

others. There was a fruit market and it was the season when mangoes

were available in plenty. A shopkeeper got a board specially painted

with the words " Good mango fruits are sold here " and displayed it in

front of his shop to promote sales. One stranger came and said, " Sir!

What is it that is written there on the board? This is a fruit

market. Why should you have the word on the board `here'? It looks

silly and superfluous. I suggest you erase this word `here " '. Then

the shopkeeper sent word to the painter and erased that word on the

board `here'.

 

Now on the board, the words " Good mango fruits are sold " were left.

Another man came to the shop and said " What, Sir? You don't look

smart and intelligent. Have you yourself cared to read what is

written on the board? This is the mango season. All the shops are

selling mangoes only. Why should you write `mangoes' especially, as

if they are here only? Better you remove the word `mango' from the

board! " .

 

The shopkeeper got it erased with the help of the painter. Now on the

board the words " Good Fruits are sold " were left. Another customer

came and said, " What nonsense is this? Do you find any one selling

`bad fruits'? How funny it looks when you say `good fruits', very

silly! Remove those words `good fruits' from the board.

 

The shopkeeper was convinced and got them erased with the result that

only the word `Are sold' were left on the board. A well wisher of the

owner who happened to pass by looked at the board and was shocked. He

said. " What? Are you mad? Did you read the board? What do you mean by

`Are sold'? Are you going to sell the board or what? " The shopkeeper

called for the painter and got the words `Are sold' removed. Now he

was left with a blank board. Finally, the painter gave the bill with

two entries, one for initially painting the letters and the other for

erasing each word at intervals. What happened to the owner of the

shop who paid heed to the words of everyone? He lost both the board

and that money. This will happen to you too, if you adopt other

people's ways.

 

Your Guru also prescribes a method that suits you. He never wants all

and sundry to follow the same pattern. The methods of sadhana are

suggested depending on your capacity, skill, understanding and the

level of your spiritual awareness.

 

I give you here a simple illustration from the life of Sri

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Once it so happened, that one disciple by

name Brahmananda was crossing the river in a boat to buy and fetch

the requirements for the residents of the asram. He overheard the

conversation going on among others that boarded the same boat. One

said that Ramakrishna was spoiling many youngsters who were wasting

their time by being lazy in the name of devotion and that it was

surprising to see them with shaven heads and wearing ochre robes.

Brahmananda felt very sad and shed tears. He returned to the asram

that evening. Ramakrishna asked him what had happened in the boat

while crossing the river. Brahmananda recounted the whole episode

feeling very bad about the remarks made against Ramakrishna and his

disciples. Then Ramakrishna was furious and said, " What Brahmananda!

How could you hear all these remarks! Can you bear when your Guru is

criticised like that? How do you react when your parents are

attacked? How could you hear all this? "

 

Next day, it was the turn of Vivekananda to go to the market. He

boarded the boat and was on his way. Vivekananda had to hear once

again the boatman speaking ill of Ramakrishna for making youngsters

lazy and useless. He could not control his anger. He got up

immediately, held the neck of the boatman and was even ready to push

him into the Ganges. Somehow, others calmed him down.

 

In the evening, as usual in the course of the conversation,

Ramakrishna, surrounded by his young disciples, asked Vivekananda

what had happened in the boat. He proudly reported his reaction to

the words of the boatman. Then Ramakrishna said, " What Naren! Are you

not ashamed of your behaviour? Couldn't you control your anger? What

is the use of your sadhana? Is this the way a brahmacari should

behave? "

 

Vivekananda then asked, " Swami! It is very strange to hear you speak

like this. The other day you were angry with Brahmananda for keeping

quiet when we were criticised. Today when I reacted to the same

words, you are blaming me. Why this difference, Swami? " Ramakrishna

smiling said, " A bicycle has two tyres. There is too much air in the

front wheel. A little of it should be let out. The air is less than

necessary in the back wheel. Some more air must be pumped into it. So

also, Brahmananda should have more spirit, while your temper must be

reduced. " That's how the individual level is important in the

spiritual path. You shouldn't imitate and follow others blindly.