04 September, Delhi: Addressing the devotees, Swami Ji quenched their brimming thirst for the answers to their burning questions. It was followed by some intense facts about what and how’s of Sadhana, and the sutras on how to live a complete life preparing us for our final destination. Let’s have a glimpse from his discourse!
Question 1) Why is it that today’s new generation is unable to connect with this path of spirituality? One big reason behind this is that in today’s era worldly hustle-bustle and outside attractions have increased many folds. There is one same noise all around. And in such a scenario, due to the recurrent listening of similar talks we also join everyone in the race of rats. We often hear from seers and sages that there is no peace in worldly endeavors. But since everyone is still walking, we think that so many people cannot be wrong either. Hence, we deliberately choose this worldly path and consider it to be right. This is the factor why all our senses are running outside taking us away from our true goal.
Question 2) Why is that our kids do not value spirituality anymore? Here we consider parents to be at fault. Why, since childhood the two questions we repeatedly ask them, 1) what will you be once you are all grown-up? In other words, how many riches will you bring in? We compel them to study hard to score bright academically and therefore, secure well financially in the long run. What’s more, do not forget to go and touch the feet of sages. They’ll bless and you’ll get good numbers, or offer a solution to all your worldly problems, and the second question 2) if it is a boy, what kind of bride would you like to have, or vice versa.
They are never told about the actual goal of human life. By mistake, even if a kid desires to go to satsang, we ask him to instead sit and study. Remember, kids are the mirrors of their parents. Whatever sanskaras they receive in initial 5-7 years, they form the base for the rest of their lives. With time, they can learn new, good things but the basic behavior doesn’t change. So, it is the parents who need to take responsibility.
Question 3) We attach ourselves to the Karma and when we do not get the desired result, we get upset. Why is that so? The problem is not in connecting with the karmas. We do not know about the one, the self, connecting with the Karma. We can see the karmas, but it is rather ourselves we are unable to look at. Forget our true selves; we are so much trapped in five subtle physical elements (panch-vishays): sound, touch, sight/light, taste, and smell; that we are least concerned about the well-being of our physical body. We often say we do Sadhana. What is this Sadhana? Know this, circumstances do not disturb us. Our inside emptiness is what creates whirls in our mind. For example, while attending a satsang, we tend to fall asleep. We say it’s all same, every television channel is repeating the same thing. But when it is about watching the movie sequel, that instant we are wide awake.
Whether it is a beggar surviving on alms or richer donating alms, a human is neither happy nor encounters any peace. Everyone does have problems, the only difference is one might have more problems than the others. But they do exist. Everyone has their fair share of them. And on top of that, instead of going inside to seek the solution we try to suppress them from outside. So, it’s high time. Let’s not act nice, let’s be nice. How? For this, Bhagwad Gita, Chapter 2, Verses 14-15 are recommended to memorize if we actually want to make some change and have some peace at heart. Verse 14 proclaims that this whole world is made up of five elements (panch-bhoot). It is due to these the five physical subtle elements (panch-vishays) make us feel hot & cold, and joy & sorrow. These are short-lived yet never-ending. Therefore, let’s digest (and not endure) them because this digesting is what we call as Sadhana. Then comes the question, why should we digest? Verse 15 further states, a person who understands that these circumstances are transitory and thence, does not lose his poise, upholds stability, and keeps patience; gets liberated.
Now this is ‘The procedure’. It is us who needs to decide that whether we want to take it in or not. Our entire life, we waste around wearing a mask and then just leave this world within a blink to start from ‘zero’ in a new body, yet again. Let’s ask ourselves, for how long do we plan to keep going spiral like this. We fall sick, catch cold, get headaches and are almost always unsure of the reason behind our body acting in that particular manner. We cannot control our own mind and body but we want to control kids, our family members, or the situations around.
Summarizing in three maxims (sutras), 1) Money is a power but let’s be a master of it and not servant to it. Being a householder, there is no harm in working hard to earn money. But as long as the goal is money, we can forget about happiness or making our kids sanskari. It is impossible. 2) Love your family members. We can’t see God just yet then why not love His creation? But sadly, today, nobody wants to walk together. Every now and then we witness divorces, see people getting into tiffs over money and materialistic achievements. Start seeing the divine in your family and gradually expand your vision. 3) Daily practice of Guru-mantra, at least starting with the first thing in the morning to the last thing before going to the bed.
So, memorizing the Verses 14 & 15 of Chapter 2 from Bhagwad Gita, and sticking to these aforesaid three sutras, along with regular participation in Satsangs, let us live fully and march towards our only destination.
