Belgaum, the second biggest district of Karnataka after Bangalore is now known as Belagavi. Retd. Justice from Bangalore High Court, Mr. Pachhapure Arvind along with an NGO ‘Hitaishi’ had organized various programs here for people from all walks of life. Lead by Swami Suryendu Puri Ji these talks were respectively addressed to, a) lawyers from Advocates Associations, b) soon-to-be doctors from JN Medical College, c) up-and-coming engineers from The Institution of Engineers and well of course, d) commoners. A glimpse from the sublime talks is presented here.
February 12, Mahant Bhawan, Mahantesh Nagar, Belagavi: There is no doubt about the fact that this life is not to die one day. Death cannot be the goal. Just the way darkness cannot be the goal of light. And so, the goal of this human birth is to realize a way out of this cycle of life and death. Why, because there is no liberation after death. To die means, death of consciousness. So whatever has to happen can happen while being alive, being conscious. How, that is what we wish to talk about today i.e. how to live in day-today’s life so as to achieve the goal of this human life – to realize Him, the eternal bliss.
We send a kid to school so as to learn and pass one class after another step by step. Similarly, we are here to move towards our goal with steady steps. And when we die it merely suggests that we have failed in the class of life. Now do we ever construct a home or a shop with a sole purpose of demolishing it by the end of it? No, right! And if yes, we’ll call such a person mad and crazy. Similarly, if God had made us just to die one day, what would that make Him?
And yet we die because we do not how to live. We know we are getting older and yet being ignorant we have accepted that it is natural. But no, it’s not. If we follow even basic health habits, a life of 100 years is no big deal. And if we could follow principles of sadhana, death won’t come by. It’s a fact. Even doctors believe that very rarely we die a natural death, i.e. death due to body being dysfunctional because of old age. People mostly die because of diseases.
We are breathing is a proof that we are alive. But in spite of breathing through out, we die. Why, because today our entire focus is grounded in worldly attractions. After a certain time, growth begins to hamper. On the other hand, if we would have ever observed a baby he breathes from navel, a complete breath. And so, more we are connected within, more the growth. We ourselves are unhappy and unhealthy and the very same we keep on passing to our kids. We want them to mold according to us and therefore keep on controlling their lives. As a consequence they become weaker and more ignorant than us.
How to break this cycle of life and death? First, have faith in him. We say, we do believe in Him. But honestly, do we? The moment some hardships come, our first inclination is to seek help from astrologers. Even there are times when we don’t mind screaming or taking our frustration out on God saying that you had been unfair to me. We, instead of being thankful for having been provided with so much, hardly trust him. So foremostly, He should be our priority.
Then the second thing, we must understand that no doubt money is important but it is nothing more than a power. Lets not be a slave to it. Let our goal be clear, that this life is to connect with that ultimate source of bliss, and that the real source of power lies within. Even those who have all sorts of money, are they happy? Are they healthy? They are in fact more miserable and are more diseased. A farmer hardly ever gets diabetes where as a doctor can be a diabetic. So the real wealth is these natural resources that are always available to you, an open door for everyone.
Third thing, as long as we consider ourselves this mortal body, problems will remain. Because as long as this body is there, so would be its endless necessities. Our approach should be, I am not this body. I am His ansha (excerpt). And if I am his ansha then so are others. He resides within one and all. So love and respect for everyone. Here, to have strong relationships, develop the habit of listening. Listen, understand and then respond. Else no matter how much we cry or recite prayers, it is not going to help. Also, we often fight or lets just say are unable to discriminate between good and bad. Putting it simply, anything that takes us away from Him is bad. By away means, any activity that disconnects us from within and makes us run towards perishable pleasures is bad. And anything that connects within is good.
Spirituality is not a hobby. It’s a lifestyle. It is fine if you don’t go to a temple but being dis-honest won’t suffice. We must take responsibility of our life. Our attitude should be, ‘I have got this life. I must work towards its betterment.’ And to top it up, regularity/consistency is required. To begin with, an important practical tip is to work on your breath. And so, helping each other and holding each other’s hand through thick and thin, let’s set our foot to the beginners point to a path of eternal peace, power and happiness. Because if you cannot love yourself, cannot keep yourself fit and cannot love your family, how can you ever love Him? We must stand true to our goal.