Guest guest Posted August 1, 2009 Report Share Posted August 1, 2009 56. Spiritual advancement The key discipline you must cultivate is Ahimsa (Absence of Violence). It does not merely mean not injuring a living being. You should not cause hurt even by a word, a look or a gesture. Tolerance, fortitude, equanimity - these help you to be steady in Ahimsa. They will remove all chance of your causing pain to others. This is called Sahana (Forbearance) or Kshama (Forgiveness). Assess the worth of whatever others do to you or say about you, and cultivate fortitude and the understanding to appreciate their behavior and pardon their faults. This capacity is as invaluable as truth, righteousness, renunciation and compassion. This is all that one need to possess for spiritual advancement. Ponder over all the things for which you have cried so far. You will find that you have craved only for paltry things, for momentary distinctions, for fleeting fame. Instead, you should cry only for God, for your own cleansing and consummation. You should weep, for the six cobras that have sheltered themselves in your mind, poisoning it with their venom: Lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and malice. Quieten them as the snake charmer does with his swaying flute. The music that can tame them is the Name of God. Thereafter, they become playthings; you can handle them as you please. When these are laid low, you will gain equanimity and you will remain unaffected by honour or dishonour, profit or loss, joy or grief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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