Pujya Ramsukhdasji Maharaj

[Guest guest]

In the Self there is no doership or enjoyership in the least bit -

" naivam cinchitkaroti sah, " (Gita 4:20), " naiva cinchitkaromeeti "

(Gita 5:8). Whatever actions have been performed in the 8.4 million

forms of life, none of them can reach the Self, because the department

of Self is totally different from the department of action. So long as

a spiritual aspirant performs actions for himself, his sense of

doership (egois) persists, because without a sense of doership,

performance of an action for one's own self cannot be proven.

 

Therefore those spiritual disciplines which are practices for one's

own salvation, continues to keep the ego safeguarded as-is. Whatever

actions are done with egoistic notion cannot ever lead to one's

upliftment and salvation, because egoism is the root cause of bondage

(cycle of birth and death). Therefore a spiritual aspirant should not

give importance to activity, and instead give importance to the Self.

 

The body's relationship is with the world, and the Self's relationship

is with Supreme Consciousness (God). The body is a part of Nature,

whereas the Self is a part of Supreme Consciousness. Rather, it is not

possible for the Self to be ever established in the body. But man out

of his ignorance, assumes himself to be established in the body. In

this there is a vital fact that a man inspite of assuming himself to

be established in the Self, does in fact not become a doer or enjoyer

- " sharirasthopi kaunteya ne karoti ne lipyate. " (Gita 13:31). It

proves that the realization of the Self as not being a doer or enjoyer

is not attainable through any spiritual practices, rather it is a

natural state. Therefore a spiritual aspirant is not to try to wipe

out doership and enjoyership, rather he is not to accept it at all in

the Self; because in reality, they are not in him. In Gita, God has

explained the abscence of enjoyership by giving the illustration of

ether and the abscene of doership by giving the illustration of the sun

 

" As the all pervading ether due to it's subtleness, cannot be tainted,

so the Self (Soul, Atma), being omnipresent and permeating everywhere,

is not tainted by the body. " (Gita 13:32)

 

" Yatha sarvagatam saukshmyaadaakaasham nopalipyate

sarvatraavasthito dehe tathaatmaa nopalipyate. " (Gita 13:32).

 

Divinity (existence) cannot rest in the body or in Nature (prakriti).

It is all pervading like ether - " nitya sarvagatah " (gita 2:24). It

pervades all bodies, within and without. That all pervading divinity

alone is our nature.

 

That which appears to be favorable to the mind and senses is deemed as happiness

and that which appears to be unfavorable to the mind and senses is deemed as

unhappiness. This is the definition and explanation of happiness and unhappiness

that is commonly understood among most people.

 

We think that by getting food, clothing, house, car, property, land, knowledge,

medicines and other things cheaply and in abundance we will become happy. But

think through this more deeply - those that have these aforesaid things in great

abundance, are they truly happy ? Not in the least bit, because with the

increase of material abundance, their longing for it grows, and this longing for

material things is the root cause of unhappiness.

 

In the Bhagavad Gita, when Arjun asked God about the root cause of sin leading

to sorrow and unhappiness, God responded that it is " desire " (craving, longing)

which is the main reason why one commits sins. The real reason for unhappiness

is only desire (craving, longing). Wherever you see people who are unhappy

whether it be in prison, in hell, on anywhere, if you investigate the reason

they are in their current state, you will conclude that either they had some

desire and craving for something in the past or in the present they are longing

for something that they do not have. By desiring, one does not attain things.

Even the world does not give to those who desire, rather they want to give

forcefully, willingly and gladly to those who do not want anything.

 

In this world, if a person gets everything to his liking and as his mind

desires, then too, he will not be satisfied. Rather his longing for more will

continue to increase " jimi pratilaabh lob adhikaayi " . The reason for increased

craving is that he is experiencing something lacking within himself, and as long

as there lies this feeling within of some void, something missing, till that

time how can there ever be happiness? Rather there will only be increasing

unhappiness.

 

If you think about this deeply, then you will realize that happiness is not due

to acquiring things, rather by attaining anyone or anything, the unhappiness

resulting from craving or longing for more, further increases.