Om Sri Sainathaya Namaha
Om Sri Sainathaya Namaha
Om Sri Sainathaya Namaha
The following thoughts should rein supreme.
1. Mumuksha : I want to Attain Sai. I want to experience the Bliss.
This should be our motivating thought, which will fuel us.
2. Virakti : This bhava or feeling is the easiest way to keep greed, desire away. Think as : 'So what', 'what is in it','is it really necessary'. 'how long can this pleasure / happiness be', 'what after this'. Just imagine those times when we were just making a living (a sort of hand to mouth existence), our focus on just a meal or two a day to keep hunger away. We did think of those comforts and luxuries. But these thoughts were temporary. We easily put such desires aside, convincing ourselves in so many ways. Why can not we do thought now ? Can we not hunger for spiritual bliss ? Can we not hunger for Sai Hood ?
3. Antarmuka : This is most useful trait taught upon us so many times that it has become a casual attitude to ignore. Look into yourself. Think of the acts you have done for the day. Think about each act you do, think about each word you utter. Think of your thought process. Is it going in the right direction ? Antarmuka helps us in keeping desires at bay. Antarmuka helps in sensory control. Taste, smell, touch shall lose hold on us.
4. Catharasis: Do away with those acts of wickedness, falsehood. Live for yourself, live for sai. Cut yourself off from the worldly affairs. Carry out your duties in a detached manner. Do what must be done with sincerity and leave the results to our lord Sai.
5.Right Conduct. Unless, a man leads a life of truth, penance and insight, a life of celibacy, he cannot get God-realization. We have come into this world and live due to our karmic past. We are governed by the society. Life of truth is self explanatory.
Penance: Even as we carry out our sansaric duties like balya, grihasta we should maintain a balance in our thought process. Ever meditate on Sai. Practice antarmuka. Judge your own actions and thoughts. At one point of life, move away from grihasta, and dedicate for the development of the society.
(6) Preferring Shreyas, (the Good) to Preyas (the Pleasant). There are two sorts of things viz., the Good and the Pleasant; the former deals with spiritual affairs, and the latter with mundane matters. Both these approach man for acceptance. He has to think and choose one of them. The wise man prefers the Good to the Pleasant; but the unwise, through greed and attachment, chooses the Pleasant.
(7) Control of the mind and the senses: Virakti and Antarmuka help us to control our thoughts and rein our senses. This control is necessary to attain self realization. Our mind is like a horse. The controls of the horse is by the reins. These reins help us direct the horse to go in the right direction. Similarly self control is most necessary to channel our thoughts in the right direction.
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Purification of the mind.: Mind should become purified and dwell upon our Lord Sai. But how could we do this with Kama, lobha reigning supreme in our mind. To a certain extent work out these worldly desires. Fullfill the same. Hence, it is said that the grihasta jeevan should be carried out before going for sanyas (for normal mortals). But to desires are an eddy. The more we pamper the more it grows. Therefore carry out these with a sense of contentment and disinterest. Lack of contentment fuels the desire for more and more.
The necessity of a Guru: What ever be our knowledge, our bhakti to god, it is the guru who is the key to self realization. If the guru is pleased, the path to self realization opens up miraculously. Bliss is bestowed in a jiffy. Therefore a guru is necessary. And complete surrender of Mind, body and soul to the guru is a must. Our Sai is our Sadguru. Surrender ourselves to him. lets think " I am not I without Sai".
Qualifications for Brahma-Jnana or Self-Realization (FROM SSC)
All persons do not see or realize the Brahman in their life-time. Certain qualifications are absolutely necessary.
(1) Mumuksha or intense desire to get free. He, who thinks that he is bound and that he should get free from bondage and works earnestly and resolutely to that end;and who does not care for any other thinks, is qualified for the spiritual life.
(2) Virakti or a feeling of disgust with the things of this world and the next. Unless a man feels disgusted with the things, emoluments and honors, which his action would bring in this world and the next, he has no right to enter into the spiritual realm.
(3) Antarmukhata (introversion). Our senses have been created by God with a tendency to move outward and so, man always looks outside himself and not inside. He who wants self-realization and immortal life, must turn his gaze inwards, and look to his inner Self.
(4) Catharsis from (Purging away of) sins. Unless a man has turned away from wickedness, and stopped from doing wrong, and has entirely composed himself and unless his mind is at rest, he cannot gain self-realization, even by means of knowledge.
(5) Right Conduct. Unless, a man leads a life of truth, penance and insight, a life of celibacy, he cannot get God-realization.
(6) Preferring Shreyas, (the Good) to Preyas (the Pleasant). There are two sorts of things viz., the Good and the Pleasant; the former deals with spiritual affairs, and the latter with mundane matters. Both these approach man for acceptance. He has to think and choose one of them. The wise man prefers the Good to the Pleasant; but the unwise, through greed and attachment, chooses the Pleasant.
(7) Control of the mind and the senses. The body is the chariot and the Self is its master; intellect is the charioteer and the mind is the reins; the senses are the horses and sense-objects their paths. He who has no understanding and whose mind is unrestrained, his senses unmanageable like the vicious horses of a charioteer, does not reach his destination (get realization), but goes through the round of births and deaths; but he who has understanding and whose mind is restrained, his senses being under control, like the good horse of a charioteer, reaches that place, i.e., the state of self-realization, when he is not born again. The man, who has understanding as his charioteer (guide) and is able to rein his mind, reaches the end of the journey, which is the supreme abode of the all-pervading, Vishnu (lord).
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Purification of the mind. Unless a man discharges satisfactorily and disinterestedly the duties of his station in life, his mind will not be purified and, unless his mind is purified, he cannot get self-realization. It is only in the purified mind that Viveka (discrimination between the Unreal and the Real), and Vairagya (Non-attachment to the unreal) crop up and lead on the self-realization. Unless egoism is dropped, avarice got rid of, and the mind made desireless (pure), self-realization is not possible. The idea that 'I am the body' is a great delusion, and attachment to this idea is the cause of bondage. Leave off this idea and attachment therefore, if you want to get to the Self-realization.
(9) The necessity of a Guru. The knowledge of the self is so subtle and mystic, that no one could, by his own individual effort ever hope to attain it. So the help of another person-Teacher, who has himself got self-realization is absolutely necessary. What others cannot give with great labour and pains, can be easily gained with the help of such a Teacher; for he has walked on the path himself and can easily take the disciple, step by step on the ladder of spiritual progress. (10) and lastly the Lord's Grace is the most essential thing. When the Lord is pleased with any body, He gives him Viveka and Vairagya; and takes him safe beyond the ocean of mundane existence, "The Self cannot be gained by the study of Vedas, nor by intellect, nor by much learning. He, whom the Self chooses, by him It is gained. To him the Self reveals Its nature", says the Katha Upanishad.
Topic: Thoughts for every day (Read 963 times)