definition: Sadhu lakshanam (characteristic of sadhu)

[Guest guest]

In the course of participating in seva as part of

Datta activities, one runs into a very common problem:

One has an idea, one suggests the idea, and finds

later that the idea gets shot down by someone or some

committee. This in turn leads one to some internal

turmoil as to " why " and more often than not this leads

to a certain amount of animosity towards those who

shot you down. One must understand that this is a

prime example of Swamiji's statement that

" disappointment is actually an appointment " ...it is

Datta's test.

 

Many devotees fall into the trap of seniority. They

feel they have been devotees for a long time, and so,

believe, from a common worldly perspective, that they

have more rights to have their say, or that they are

more correct than others. In some cases, they may

actually be right or more correct. What they are

missing is that such tests are happening to them

principally because they are 'senior'. You see, the

closer you get to Swamiji, the harder is your path,

the more is expected from you, than from others.

Swamiji is like Siva himself, He is like fire, the

closer you approach, the hotter the fire burns. You

can use the fire to stay warm and to do useful things

in this world, but if you misunderstand and misuse,

you will be burned by the fire. It is not the fault

of the fire, it is the fault of the one who didn't

properly respect and be careful around the fire.

 

This being the case, how does one deal with these

situations?

 

Swamiji has said " Those who do seva for Swamiji, who

organize my programs, who take part in my activities,

must be like Sadhus. "

 

What does this mean?

 

Quite simply, in the above scenario, suppose you have

an idea. It doesn't get implemented, so you get

annoyed, irritated, and somewhat thrown into doubt,

and possibly feel animosity - this is a chance for you

to self-reflect and realize how you are reacting to

the scenario. There are two mistakes that one makes

in reacting in this way: (i) you assume the idea is

yours (you take ownership and believe that you were

the cause of the idea), and (ii) you believe that

because your idea is right it must be implemented and

that those who object are necessarily objecting to

your idea because it was your idea. You get

personally affected and allow the situation to

dominate you.

 

What you fail to realize is that your ownership of the

idea itself is false. Where was the idea a moment

before you had the idea? It was not 'in your head',

so how then can it be 'yours'? If it was yours, it

should have always been yours, before it came into

your conscious awareness, as well as after you became

conscious of it within your intellect. Yet, if the

idea was always there, why do you feel any special

surprise when you have the idea? (The 'Aha!' moment)

 

This gives rise to the question: If the idea is not

mine, then whose idea was it? The statement 'Gurave

Buddhi Saakshine' gives you the clue that the witness

of your buddhi (intellect) is the SatGuru. Given that

the idea did not originate within your intellect (you

were surprised by it), it must have originated with

that which is superior to (pre-existing to) the

intellect. The only thing superior to the intellect

is the Self (from Bhagavad Gita: Senses -> Mind ->

Intellect -> Atma/Self), so the idea originated with

the Self, aka the SatGuru (the witness of the

Intellect). Then how can you claim ownership of

something that is not yours to begin with? Further,

how can you get upset that what is not yours, is not

being implemented? You are annoyed that someone

else's idea is not being put into practice. Are you

always so concerned about other people's belongings?

Do you go around telling ladies that they should keep

their purses here and not there, because 'something

might happen'. Or do you lose sleep when some lady

loses her purse? If you accept the fact that it was

SatGuru's idea, then you must also accept that the

responsibility for its implementation is also

SatGuru's alone. This being the case, you must

surrender the idea, its implementation, and its

timetable to SatGuru and say " Jai Guru Datta " to

yourself.

 

So, this is what Swamiji means when he says " you must

be like a Sadhu, if you want to work for Swamiji. "

Your ego and sense of doership and ownership should be

the first thing to go - the more 'senior' you are, the

less sound you will make. If you cannot leave these

behind, you should realize, they are coming along with

you, and regardless of how much Seva you do, you are

increasing your baggage of karma, and not doing

" nishkama karma " (selfless/desireless karma). How

annoying is a person who carries a load of pots and

pans all strung up on their back to every satsang they

go to? They would be like a walking nada mantapam or

something - clinking and clanking wherever they go.

Nishkama karma is that work that is done without

concern for the outcome. Your job ends with the

reception of the idea from the 'ether' of

consciousness, once you have suggested it, then you

have to let go of the idea, as not yours. If it gets

implemented, jai guru datta, if it does not get

implemented, jai guru datta. That is all. Your role

is over.

 

This is true sadhu lakshanam (characteristic), karma

sannyasam, aka karma yoga.

 

If you hang on to the belief in your position, status,

and your doer-ship of an activity, you will bind

yourself further. You will be the like the pot

clanking guy who shows up to the satsangs making a lot

of noise, because he carries his baggage with him

wherever he goes.

 

Many people wonder, how is it that in an organization

like DYC, such political problems can arise? What

they fail to understand is that these opportunities

are Swamiji's way of teaching you sadhu-tvam: mental

surrender. This is the first step in the process of

Yoga.

 

Sadhu-tvam is not acting impervious to insults, being

a pushover, or pretending to be nice or holy. It is

the mental-physical yagna (sacrifice of self-hood)

that is happening internally always in the heart/mind

of a true devotee/yogi, which leads one to surrender

expectation of results to His holy feet. This is true

surrender. A true sadhu is innocent to the very core

of their being. They are innocent to the point of not

being aware of their innocence. If you are aware of

your innocence, you are acting innocent, you can't

help yourself. A baby does not know that you have

insulted it, it continues to smile and laugh and

giggle. Its internal state is one of perfect

equanimity (not really, but its the closest analogy

one can draw in this case), despite whatever external

stimuli it may be receiving. The kind of sadhu-tvam

most people have mistakenly adopted is external only,

while their internally they suffer and boil like

raging volcanoes.

 

This is what Swamiji means when he says " Those who

work for me, must be like Sadhus. " Look within and

genuinely ask yourself, how am I reacting to this

situation? A true Sadhu must be ever self-reflecting

and self-correcting. It is YOUR journey, so it is

YOUR responsibility to climb the steps of the ladder;

SatGuru will give you as much support as you ask, but

YOU must still do the asking. Swamiji is there to

guide you, but you must do your part, and that is to

apply the intellect that God has given you, to look

within, and see yourself as you are. That is yoga

sadhana. It is not limited to those periods of 'deep'

meditation where you go into a room and fall asleep in

siddhasana posture. True sadhana is ongoing like your

breathing.

 

Shiva in meditation focuses his Jnana Chakshush (third

eye, of knowledge) inwardly, burning all doership and

ownership to ash (vibhuti). This is the yogic process

of burning your thoughts/desires into ash. When Shiva

turns his third eye outward, it burns everything in

its path as anger (krodha). The process of looking

inward is yoga, the process of looking outward, leads

to bondage. Siva (auspiciousness) is none other than

the Jeeva (individual self). A jeeva in whom Siva is

absent, is a sevam (lifeless corpse).

 

Jaya Guru Datta!

 

 

 

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Sarva Kartha, Sarva Dhartha, Sarva Hartha, Mangalam!

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