Pujya Ramsukhdasji Maharaj

[Guest guest]

1. Attachment or Aversion to God Lead to Salvation

 

Human beings have two contrary mental dispositions. Inclination and

disinclination. Man has to engage his inner faculties in God and has

to disengage these from the world. i.e. man has to become devoted to

God and become dispassionate towards the world. But when man applies

both these to the world, his devotion and dispassion are respectively

changed into attachment and aversion, which cause him to be entangled

in the world, thus resulting in disinclination for God.

 

Due to this attachment and aversion, for the pairs of opposites, such

as pain and pleasure etc; he cannot move towards spirituality, even

though sometimes he may attend religious discourses, study the

scriptures and contemplate on them. But due to his attachment to the

world, he is of the mindset, then he has to make effort to cause

favorable circumstances and to do away with unfavorable ones. He

thinks that is his main work; because without it, it will be

difficult to sustain or live. In this manner, he holds deeply within

himself both attachment and aversion; due to which inspite of much

spiritual discourses, his inner faculties are deeply attached and do

not leave attachment and aversion. Because of this he is unable to

move towards God.

 

Spiritual upliftment takes place when this attachment and aversion is

shifted towards God. Both attachment or aversion to God lead to

salvation. Bilvamangala was attached to a prostitute, named

Cintamani. He was reprimanded by her, that if he had worshipped the

Lord, with the devotion with which he loved her mortal body, he would

have attained salvation. As a result of this scolding, his attention

was diverted towards God, and he attained salvation. The Gopis

attachment to Lord Krishna lead to their salvation. Sisupala aversion

for Lord Krishna lead to his salvation, while Kamsa's fear of Lord

Krishna lead to his salvation. Though Sisupal and Kamsa both attained

salvation, yet they did not enjoy the bliss of devotion. In summary,

attachment or aversion to God leads to salvation, while attachment

and aversion to the world leads to degradation.

 

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2. Considering Anything of the World as Ours is Dishonesty

 

It is dishonesty to consider anything in the world as ours. There is

nothing in this World that we can consider as our very own. The

minute that we consider something as ours, there is bondage. All

bondages are a hypocracy. It is a mistake to get bonded.

 

Therefore let us give worldly things, back to the world. What else

will we give? The truth is that it is already belonging to the World.

What is the need for desiring it? It is not ours in the first place.

If it is ours then there can be a desire (kaamana) associated with

it. We think about giving up something, but what are we giving up? It

is the assumed relation with an object that makes us want to give up.

Think about what really is ours? Even we ourselves are not ours. This

hand, this body, and even this mind is not ours. By considering it as

ours, the mind gets tainted. If we consider the watch as ours, then

there is problem of losing it. But in reality, we did not bring it

with us at birth, can we take it with us when we die? Even

capabilities, abilities, knowledge etc. are not ours. When we see all

of these in our self, thinking this to be our wisdom, our knowledge,

and believing that we are something special, that in itself is a

bondage, because this applies to everything. We are holding on to

modes of Nature (gunas) due to our assumed relationship with Nature

(prakriti). But God has clearly stated in the Gita that both being

(real, sat) and non-being (unreal, asat) come from God (Supreme

Consciousness). God is the master of all, including Nature

(prakriti), and all the activities in this World.

 

We can be called an owner or master of something that we truly own,

but if we don't own anything, how can we be an owner or a master? By

considering something as ours, is dishonesty (beyimaani). By

considering the world as our own, is a big mistake. If we give up

this assumed relationship, it will be very beneficial. When we

realize this, then salvation is natural. Therefore with sincerity,

give what belongs to the world back to the world; or give to nature,

what belongs to nature or; give to God what belongs to God. By giving

everything that belongs to others, back to them, leads to freedom.

 

Everthing is God's or everything is the World's or everything belongs

to Nature. This is where it ends with our honest acceptance that

nothing is ours. Only God is ours. " Mere toh Giridhar Gopal. Dusero

ne koyi. " The main point is that the essence of God is innate, and

all can attain it. It belongs to all. It is our very own. Understand

this and become free of all worries (nischint).