No Title

O man!
You boast about books read and scriptures mastered,
And proud you are of ephemeral knowledge acquired.
What is the meaning of all this,
When lacking humility unable you are,
To submit to the Divine with folded hands?

Do not claim to have read many books and feel proud about your scholarship. Instead, be humble and fold your hands, for humility is the first step in spirituality. Salutation offered with two hands brought together is referred to as Namaskaram. What is the inner significance of Namaskaram? When the ten fingers of the two hands are brought together to offer Namaskaram, it is a symbolic representation of the unity and harmony of the five organs of action and the five organs of cognition.

Namaskaram thus stands for seeing unity in diversity. True spirituality implies seeing the same Atma in all beings. The gesture of Namaskaram is thus not only physically important but also has profound significance in spirituality. The Sanskrit phrase ‘na-mama,’ means ‘not me.’ Namaskaram can thus also be interpreted as an action that diminishes and eventually removes ego. ‘Mama,’ means everything is mine while ‘na-mama’ means nothing is mine. It is like saying, “O Swami! Everything is yours!!” In other words, Namaskaram implies surrendering to God with the feeling that nothing belongs to us. Such a spirit of humility and total surrender to God cannot come without basic discipline, which is why it is important that discipline be integrated with and become a part of every single action that one performs from dawn to dusk.

In today’s world, discipline has lost its fundamental meaning, which is that of strict control of the senses and the mind. That is why most people are totally ignorant about the vital need for sense control and instead associate discipline with something far less significant. The eyes, for example, must be cautioned, “Oh eyes! What is it that you are looking at? Never look at anything that is bad.” That is what discipline really boils down to namely, mastery of the senses and the mind without which mastery over action is impossible.

It is all very simple really. See no evil, see what is good. Talk no evil, talk what is good. Hear no evil, hear what is good. Think no evil, think what is good. Do no evil, do what is good; that is the way to God. Be positive always and do good, see good, talk good, hear good and think good – this is the discipline you must follow. Make sure to keep your tongue under control. No matter what the provocation, you should always remain calm and restrain yourself. Perfect equanimity – that is the hall mark of total control.

Students! Even birds and animals lead regulated lives. However, humans are sorely lacking in basic discipline, despite all their education and knowledge. You might have seen near your hostel monkeys wandering around. If you watch carefully, you would notice they remain silent for at least one hour during the day. Birds too remain silent for some time every day. In sharp contrast, humans can hardly keep quiet. Indeed, it is rare to see people being silent; and if some try to be different and cultivate the habit of being silent, they are made fun of. Follow the example of those who aspire to be disciplined and, whenever you can, try to observe silence.

Who is Brahman or God? Silence is God. In fact, silence combined with absolute stillness is God – such is the exalted status associated with pure and total silence. When speech is controlled, everything else easily comes under control. Among the sense organs, the eye can only see, the ears can only hear and the nose can only smell. None of these organs has a second capability. By contrast, the tongue has two capacities, the ability to taste and the ability to speak. This additional capability also brings with it added responsibility; that is why it is the tongue that must be controlled first.

Many of you may be aware of why care is needed while car tyres are filled with air. Some are under the impression that all tyres must be filled to the same pressure. This is not correct; the fact is the front tyres must be filled to a slightly greater pressure than the rear ones. If the pressure is higher than it ought to be, it must be decreased; likewise, if it is low, it must be increased.

The great saint Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to live in an ashram in a village named Kamarpukur in Bengal, which was located on the banks of the river Ganges. Unlike their counterparts elsewhere, Brahmins in Bengal eat fresh-water fish and are thus known as Matsya Brahmins or fish-eating Brahmins. Whenever they went to the river for bathing, they would bring some fish back home.

To go from Kamarkupur to the city of Calcutta one has to cross the Ganges by boat. Often while Ramakrishna made such trips, he would gather all the children in the boat and tell them stories that promoted devotion and spiritual values. Thanks to the growing influence of the Kali Age, such good acts came to be denigrated. It was thus no surprise that many young people riding the boat as also the parents of children in the boat did not like what Ramakrishna was doing and raised questions like: “Why are these poor children being indoctrinated? Why is devotion needed at this early age? Can not the worship of God and chanting names like Rama, Krishna and Govinda wait till retirement?”

Despite this ridicule, thanks to his magnetic personality and Divine effulgence Ramakrishna not only drew many youth to him but also inspired many of them to join the monastic order and live in his ashram as sannyasis or monks. Every day Ramakrishna would assign one of them to go to Calcutta and get fish from there, and one day it was the turn of a young monk named Brahmananda to do so. The monk went to the pier to take a boat to go to Calcutta, and seeing the orange-robe clad Brahmananda get into the boat many there immediately began disparaging Ramakrishna and said, “That mad man does not do any work nor do his boys, like this one, for example.” In their view, Ramakrishna was collecting talented youth and ruining them.

Hearing such outrageous remarks Brahmananda understandably became very much upset. However, being a soft person he did not protest. Suffering in silence he returned to the ashram without making the trip. Seeing Brahmananda distraught Ramakrishna asked, “What happened? Why are you in tears?” Brahmananda replied, “Master, I just could not bear to hear the way people on the boat talked about you. I don’t care if people say bad things about me; but when they vilified you, I felt deeply hurt!”

Feigning anger, Ramakrishna chastised Brahmananda and said, “Can you call yourself a disciple after putting up with abuses hurled at your Master? How could you remain silent when your Master was being vilified? Is it not a sin to tolerate the abuses directed at one’s Master? The one who abuses a Guru commits a sin as also a disciple who puts up with it. You are not a good disciple and are unfit to be in the ashram. Leave this place at once!” Brahmananda did not respond but just went on crying.

Next day, it was the turn of young Narendra, also known as Vivekananda, to do the boat trip. Even as Vivekananda purchased a ticket and boarded the boat, the boatmen began to mock him. Infuriated Vivekananda roared, “Shut up!” which made the offenders even more aggressive. Vivekananda then resorted to force and, picking up one man, warned that if the abuse did not stop forthwith he would throw them one by one into the river. That frightened the mob and promptly everyone became silent. Vivekananda was thus able to make the trip, buy fish and complete his assignment.

When Vivekananda returned Ramakrishna asked, “What happened today?”

“Whatever happened when Brahmananda went happened again.”
“How did you respond?”
“Will I remain silent if my Guru is vilified? I thrashed the offenders and even threatened to throw them into the river!”

Hearing this Ramakrishna reprimanded Vivekananda and said, “You are wearing ochre robe and live here in the ashram; and yet, you seem to have no forbearance. When you have no control over yourself, what purpose is there in your staying in the ashram? People in the outside world are like crows; they are fickle and will talk as they please. You ought not to pay attention to what they say. People who become sannyasis must always remain calm and peaceful.”

Deeply perplexed Narendra asked, “Master, yesterday you gave Brahmananda some advice but today you are telling me exactly the opposite! Which of these two is the correct advice? The one you gave yesterday or what you are telling me now?” Ramakrishna then said, “O foolish young man, when there is excess air in the tyre, the pressure has to be reduced. Likewise, when the pressure is not enough, the tyre must be filled to the required extent!”

Teaching and preaching cannot be the same for all and must be tailored to the situation and the nature of the person receiving the teaching, as also the capacity of that person to absorb the teachings. Although there is plenty of water in the Ganges, what each person carries home depends on the size of the container he brings. Similarly, all cannot be taught the same lesson and teaching must be tailored to the recipient. Where spiritual seekers are concerned, God bestows energy each according to the individual’s capacity to absorb, which in turn is determined by how disciplined the person is. It is through discipline that you can enhance your capacity to absorb. Lack of steadiness would not do, and without discipline it is not possible to attain God.

Here is a small example. Let us say that at 6 PM every day you either sing bhajans or do meditation. Suppose on a particular day you happen to be travelling in a bus at the time you have set apart for this particular activity. Some hold the view that spiritual practices must be observed only in designated places. That is not correct. What matters is the activity itself and not the place. Thus when the time is right, you can meditate wherever you happen to be. It does not matter if you are travelling, because even in the bus you can think of God. You do not have to go to a particular place to be with God; on the contrary, your mind can dwell on God no matter where you are. As long as you are regular and diligent in your duties, all benefits would accrue to you.

Time is the master of all mortals since all must bow to time, when the moment comes. But time too has a Master. Who is that Master? It is God. People imagine that there is a Lord of Death known as Yama. In truth, Yama is just a symbolic representation of time. Unaware of this, children and young people wonder how the Sun could have a son named Yama the Lord of Death. Feelings like the Sun having an offspring arise out of misunderstanding. How then are we to understand time? Basically it should be via the phenomenon of sunrise and sunset, both of which are related to the Sun. We count time by saying that from between sunrise to sunset there are 12 hours; further, sunrise is taken to be at 6 o’clock in the morning and sunset at 6 o’clock in the evening. In other words, we relate time to the movement of the Sun in the sky; and it is on account of this connection between the Sun and time that ancients began to describe the two via a father and son relationship.

Similar reflection and analysis is needed where the ultimate nature of Truth is concerned. Such inquiry must explore the relationship of action to the Atma for that alone can reveal what Sathya or Truth really means. Where the Atma or the Ultimate Truth is concerned, there is no room or scope for any doubt. However, in modern times people often dismiss many things said in the scriptures because they view these statements purely in physical terms and from a narrow perspective. It is a mistake to do so. A proper and in-depth analysis is needed to grasp the real meaning of the scriptures. It is said, for example, that Vishnu, Lakshmi and Saraswati are born out of the Lotus. What it actually means is that everything Divine is associated with the Lotus of the Heart. That said, people do have good and bad thoughts. Such thoughts do not belong to the realm of the Heart but to the mind. Thanks to the mind, what you think you become.

Just because you are unable to appreciate the symbolism and grasp the inner meaning, you cannot dismiss the scriptures. Don’t be impatient and rush to doubt or trash the Puranas or scriptural mythology. Be patient, calm, steadfast, and take your time to understand the correct meaning. Never allow doubts to agitate your mind. The Puranas are not the works of unknown and incompetent writers. They have come to us from none other than immortal sages like Valmiki and Vyasa, who were the very embodiments of wisdom. Given that, there is absolutely no room for any untruth in the Puranas. Ignorant people may dismiss the Puranas but the fact is that the Puranas do not have an iota of untruth and can never lead one to the wrong path. On the contrary, they show the path to idealism and Truth, and are nothing short of text books of Wisdom.

It is important to lead an ideal life, and to do so one must first reduce talking. Be disciplined and obey God’s command. Under no circumstances must discipline be compromised. Tarkad’s son was just sixteen years old. Yet, unsure that his father would offer regular worship, the boy made his father promise that he would do so. In the end, it was the boy’s total faith and rigorous discipline that made his father seek an apology. No doubt there was an age gap between the father and the son. However, the same Atma was present in both of them. Truth is one and age becomes irrelevant where Truth is concerned. Truth can never be fragmented and there is no such thing as separate truths for different castes such as Brahmins and Sudras, who represent the two ends of the caste spectrum. Truth is always one, and never two.

The Vedic declaration “Ekameva adviteeyam Brahma,” means that God is only one. The ancient tradition of India is rich in scriptural declarations that proclaim Truth. The wisdom and cultural tradition of India have diffused widely into the world, and that is the culture and tradition into which you are born. Therefore, never forget or give up your heritage, which is profound, sacred and Divine. Also, do not allow your mind to wander as it pleases. Instead, restrain and regulate it to follow ancient culture so that you automatically stay on the right path. Your mind may waver and try to make you stray to the wrong path but you must remain firm and steadfast. You should be the master of your mind and not its servant. God alone must be your ultimate Master.

Saint Ramdas a great devotee of Lord Rama declared, “Lord, I want to serve Your servants, becoming thus a servant of servants and remain so at all times.” A story in the Bhagavatham offers an important variation of the aspiration of Ramdas. The story revolves around Kuchela a devotee of Krishna who went to see the Lord. Kuchela was very poor; yet he did not want to go empty handed. All he could manage was some puffed rice which he wrapped in a shabby piece of cloth since that was all he had. Krishna happily accepted the gift, opened the package and began eating what was in it, even as Kuchela watched with great agony and embarrassment. Reproaching himself Kuchela began to think, “I am poor and all I could offer was something packed in a piece of old cloth. Even so, Krishna seems to be happy with the gift and is clearly relishing the puffed rice I brought. Krishna may be happy but I have committed a serious blunder bringing such a trivial offering to the Emperor of the Universe.”

Meanwhile, Rukmini the consort of Krishna rushed towards Krishna and stopped Him from eating. Kuchela thought that Rukmini was offended because puffed rice was an inappropriate offering for an exalted one like Krishna. But Krishna knew Rukmini better, and to make Kuchela understand Rukmini’s motive He asked her why she was objecting. Rukmini replied, “Krishna, you are the servant of Kuchela while I am your servant. I should therefore get my portion of what You are eating! Please therefore, give me what is left of what you are eating.”

God’s vision is infinite and the grandeur of His Design indescribable. Unable to understand Cosmic Infinity, humans often treat matters dealing with Divine in a most casual manner. God is unimaginably large-hearted and it is impossible for a mortal to be likewise. Slowly, Kuchela began to grasp the immensity of what was happening before his eyes. His mind full of vision of the Divine he had been blessed with, Kuchela slowly trudged back home and when he reached it, he was hardly prepared for the spectacle that greeted him. Gone was his humble house and in its place stood a great mansion, while his wife and children were dressed in gorgeous clothes and wearing expensive jewellery.

Her Heart full of joy, Kuchela’s wife ran to her husband and, clinging to his feet, began pouring out her emotions. “O my dear husband,” she cried, “How merciful and bountiful God is! Tell me, what did Krishna and you speak about? What did He say to you? How kind and compassionate God is! Truly, He is incomparable!!”

Choked with emotion Kuchela slowly said, “You know, as soon as I reached palace gate I sent word to Krishna through His gatekeepers about my arrival. All I was expecting was permission to enter. Instead Krishna personally came to receive me. And the moment He saw me He rushed towards me, came close, stood for a moment, carefully looked me over from head to toe, and then folded me in a warm embrace as if I was a long-lost soul. Who can comprehend the Lord’s Infinite compassion?! I, poor Kuchela, offered a mere handful of puffed rice and He has acknowledged that humble offering by showering us with abundant wealth! Is there anyone who can describe God’s Love? All I can say is that God is Love and Love is God; and Love and God are both indescribable! God being limitless, so is His Love. Humans, on the other hand, contract whatever love they are capable of. God’s love is expansive while the love of humans tends to shrink on account of narrow-mindedness.”

Students! Swami’s Heart is infinitely large. All of you being verily the embodiments of the Atma, you too can and indeed ought to broaden your Hearts. When I say you are Mine, those words have the sweet fragrance of Divine Love. Reciprocating it, you too must cultivate the feeling that Swami is truly yours! In principle, you have the right to claim Swami as your own. However, you should earn the eligibility to make such a claim. Expand your Love and meticulously follow Swami’s instructions to achieve Ananda or Pure Bliss; until you do that, you cannot be truly happy. Real Bliss can come to you only when you obey and follow Swami’s commands in every sense of the word. I am always ready to receive you but you are not getting ready to come to Me!

Before clicking a picture, photographers always give an alert signal with the word, “Ready!”. If you are steady at that moment, then the picture would come out nicely. Before the signal is given you can be shuffling about, but once you have been alerted you must be steady and ready. Where the Divine photographer is concerned, no one knows when His signal would come. Thus, you have to be ever ready to be united with the Divine. Without any prior alert, Lord the Master Photographer may click and your picture would be recorded in His Heart! If you want the right picture to be recorded, then you must be in perpetual readiness. That is the spirit in which life must be lived, and discipline alone can prepare you for such a life.