This is the next line of "Sadhana Karu Pyare" series.
Continuing from the last issue...
jag meṁ katahuṁ rāg jani karu, dveṣh jani karu pyāre |
hari meṁ guru meṁ hī rahe nit, rakt tav man pyāre ||
One of the most important requirements for spiritual
progress is single minded devotion to God, i.e. ananyata. If an
individual's mind is attached to anyone or anything other than God, then he
will not be called as an 'ananya' follower. Loving God alone is what ananyata
means. We have only one mind and that should be focused on the Divine,
and subjects related to the Divine only.
You should attach your mind towards God. It can be any
Form of God. It can be Shree Krishna, Lord Jagannath ji, Goddess Durga -
All these are various Forms of the Supreme God. One should not go below
this level, else ananyata (single-minded devotion) will be destroyed.
That is why Shree Kripaluji Maharaj instructs us that our mind should only be
attached to God and Guru. One should have no attachment in this material
world. The attachment of our mind should revolve around God's Names,
Pastimes, Qualities, and His associates.
However, one should not have a feeling of hatred towards the
world either. Neither be hostile to the world nor get attached to
it. Not only is it harmful to have attachment towards the world, but it
is also harmful to have enmity towards it.
When a person encounters miseries in this world, then the
person is devastated. He says, "This world is very bad." He
goes to a saint and tells, "Make me a renunciant too."
"Why did you get the desire to become a renunciant?"
"Because, I suffered a loss in my business; I had a fight with my wife; I
did not get a job." This is not the real detachment. That
person is getting detached from the world because he is facing sorrows, and if
that pain gets over, then again there be attachment in the world.
Or if he comes across miseries in the spiritual realm, he might
become detached from God as well.
Detachment means one should have a firm decision that there
is neither happiness nor sorrow in the world. The absorption of the mind
can either be through love or even through hate. When there is neither
attachment through love, nor attachment through hate, that state is referred to
as detachment. Therefore, we neither have to attach our mind nor have
enmity towards the world.
One thing is certain: If the intellect makes a firm decision
that the objects of the material world cannot fulfill our goal of Supreme
Bliss, the desires will automatically come to an end. So, it is important
to make a firm decision, through constant contemplation that there is not a
trace of true happiness in the material world. We should have a perception
that everything is fine. What do we have to do with this world? We
just have to live here and progress speedily towards our goal.
Suppose you go to a market to buy sweets. You pass a
number of shops selling various things. There are many shops in the market
selling clothes, jewelry, appliances, etc. You see all of them but, you
keep on moving and watching all the shops. You do not stop at any store
and compromise on your decision, "Why not have some clothes instead of
sweets." Nor do you quarrel with any of the shopkeepers saying, "Why
are you selling vegetables when I want sweets?" You walk
unconcernedly passing every shop and heads straight towards your goal, the
sweet shop. You are neutral towards all other shops. There is
neither hatred nor attachment. This is detachment.
In the same manner, this world is similar to a market.
We will find all kinds of things but we do not have to get attached or become
hostile to them. We must neither love nor hate, but must make our way
straight to the shop of God, which alone is the ultimate Divine Bliss.
kabīrā khaṛā bāzār meṁ sabakī māṅge khair
na kāhu soṁ dostī na kāhu so bair
The Saint Kabir says: "I am standing in the market, wishing everyone
well. Nobody is my companion, nor is anyone my adversary." One
should neither have friendship nor enmity towards anyone.
Shree Kripaluji Maharaj tells us about one instance in
Mangarh ashram (It is our mission's main ashram, near Allahabad and is also
Shree Maharajji's birth place). The annual sadhana program takes place at
the Mangarh ashram. Dogs from nearby villages come to this ashram.
Once upon a time a dog from Ayodhya said to the dog from Mangarh, "What is
there in Mangarh? It is very rare that any devotee throws food and you
get a chance to eat that food. You have to be hungry. Come, let us
go to Ayodhya. The heads of ashrams there eat delectable dishes. We will
relish tasty and rich food there." So, they decided to go to
Ayodhya.
Ayodhya was very far, about 100 miles away. They
decided that everyday they will cover twenty miles so that they will reach
their destination in five days. The next day they started their journey at six
in the morning. When they covered twenty miles, they decided to take rest
there. But, when they entered the gate of that village, the dogs of that
village started to bark and chased them away. It is the nature of dogs
that they have an enmity towards other dogs who enter their territory.
Every dog thinks himself as the king of his area.
So, those two dogs thought that the dogs of the village are
very bad, and decided to go further on their way and reach 40 miles halt.
There they entered the village, but the dogs from that village again fought
with them and chased them away. The dogs continued on their journey and
reached their destination within two days, without any break. And if,
they had fought with everyone, then what would have happened? They would
have been wounded badly and fallen unconscious under a tree.
Similarly, if we quarrel, argue with others in the world, it
will be our loss. Hence, we have to follow this principle that this world
cannot be changed, so there is no point opposing it. Everybody is under
the influence of Maya. We should not develop any hatred or love towards
anyone, and focus on continuing our path of spiritual progress, and speedily
reach our goal.
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