In the last post, we saw that the Lord gives the devotees four alternatives that we can practice. Firstly the lord said, that we should try and keep the mind and intellect on the Lord. But if this is difficult for us, then the Lord said, “Don’t worry, it will be possible if you practice”. We should think, if it is possible for someone else to keep their mind and intellect on the lord, it must also be possible for us. We should get this determination. If this is also not possible, then the Lord said, we could still worship Him, by offering all actions to the Lord. When we offer all actions to the Lord, then automatically we will not do anything that is wrong or harmful to others. Finally the Lord said that even if offering all actions to Him is difficult, then we should accept whatever he gives to us as the fruits of our action, with joy and love. We should be able to accept every event in our life as the prasad of the lord, with respect, love and without complaints.
After listening to these four methods given by the lord, we might think, “The most superior Sadhana is to be able to offer the mind and intellect to the lord. If that is not possible, then the next best thing to do is to practice. If that is also not possible, the next Sadhana of doing all actions for the lord should be tried and the least Sadhana is that of offering the fruits of action to the lord”. In order that we do not get this wrong impression, the lord explains in the next sloka,
श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते ।
ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ॥१२- १२॥
ShreyO hi Gyaanamabhyaasaat.h, GyaanaatdhyaanaM visishhyate
Dhyaanaat.h karmaphalatyaagaM, tyaagaat.h shaantiranataraM
GyaanaM – knowledge : Abhyaasaat.h – to mechanical practice :ShreyaH – is superior : Gyaanaat.h – to intellectual knowledge: DhyaanaM – meditation : Visishyate – excels : Dhyaanaat.h – to mediatation : Karma phala tyaagaM – abandoning the fruits of action : Tyaagat.h – from sacrifice :
Anantaram – afterwards : ShaantiH – peace
Knowledge of what we do is better than mere mechanical practice. Meditation and adapting that knowledge is superior to mere scriptural knowledge. Even more superior to meditation is sacrifice of the fruits of action or performing action without expectation. When this is practiced, there will be eternal peace.
“ShreyO hi Gyaanamabhyaasaat.h” If we keep learning, but we do not understand anything, then repeatedly practicing this ignorance cannot give us peace of mind. Some times people ask “When will we reach God”. They say, “I have completed at least 50 malas, chanting the name of the Lord. Not only the beads but also even my fingers are now worn out. Even though I have done so much the Lord is not coming!!”. “Shreyohi GyaanaM abhyaasaat.h” means that understanding is better than ignorance. However, many times, we do things mechanically!
Once I had visited a friend’s house. On the wall there was a calendar and it had English dates, Sanskrit dates and important thithis like ashtami, sapthami etc. Next to the dates, there were numbers written in pencil which had no sequence. One had 5, the next date had 3, another had 2 etc. So I asked my friend, What is this new type of calendar ? She said, “ This is the number of times I have done japa on that day. If we tell the Lord’s name keeping such account then there is no use. Effect of Japa would be felt only if we understand and do. What is done in ignorance cannot bear results.
What is the meaning of Japa? Sometimes when people come to talk meaningless things, taking out the beads and chanting the Lord’s name will automatically stop them. So Japa can help to protect us from uninvited interruptions.
When we chant the Lord’s name as we push each bead towards us, we chant the Lord’s name Hari Om Hari Om etc. If we do this sincerely and intensely then the moment we take the mala in our hands, the Lord’s name comes in our mind automatically. Hence Japa helps to condition the mind.
Once a man went to a Swamiji and said, I chant and complete 25 to 30 malas a day. What other Sadhana should I do? Swamiji replied, till date, I have never heard of this. Tell me how. Is it because you use a small mantra and so do Om Om Om. He said, “No I use a long mantra.” Hare Raam Hare raam Raam Raam Hare Hare, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare. Swamiji said, Hare Raam- Such a long mantra and you do 25 to 30 malas. So do you sit all day? The man replied, No it finishes in 5 minutes. Do you use the Internet that you do so fast? Tell me how. The man said, I throw the mala in the air and catch it while I chant the mantra.
The mala is not for playing. People have the habit of unconsciously and mechanically playing with whatever object is in front of them. Unknowingly we do so many things. If we should understand and do japa, the reasoning behind this must be understood. Our chanting the Lord’s name represents our Jnana Sakthi or mind power. Moving the bead with our hands represents our Kriya sakhti or our power of action. When we do japa, then both of these are united in the thought of the Lord. Therefore if something is done mechanically, it is of no use.
When people say I chanted the Lord’s name so many times but there is no use, it means that they have not done their prayer with involvement. That’s why the Lord says shreyo hi Gyaanam abhyasaat. “Gyaanat.h dhyaanaM vishhyate” means if we have understanding but it is only for the sake of telling others or showing off, it is of no use.
In the mundakoupanishad, it is said
avidhyayaaM antare vartamaanaaH, svayaM dhiiraaH paNditaM manyamaanaaH
DhanramyamaanaaH pariyanti muuDaaH, andhenaiva niiyamaanaaH yathaandhaaH
“avidhyayaaM antare vartamaanaaH” means we are sunk in our ignorance. There is nothing wrong in that, but, “svayaM dhiiraaH paNditaM manyamaanaaH” – we think of ourselves as very knowledgeable. Even this thought is not dangerous, but “DhanramyamaanaaH pariyanti muuDaaH” – our life is not only spent in fooling ourselves, we also start guiding others and then “andhenaiva niiyamaanaaH yathaandhaaH” – it becomes a situation of a blind leading a blind – both will go and fall in a ditch.
Therefore it is said Gyaanat.h dhyaanaM vishhyate. Whatever knowledge we get from the scriptures can become meaningful only when we adapt this knowledge into our lives. This practice of knowledge is called Dhyanam. For e.g.: If we have the knowledge that we are different from our body, if we truly understand, then we will not distinguish others because of their form or appearance. If we understand that we are different from our body, all that affects our body such as birth, old age or death will not affect us. And so we will have no fear of death. When we accept that we are not the body, then we start thinking who we are? So we become inquisitive about the self and get self-knowledge. Therefore adopting knowledge in our lives means learning the scriptures then thinking about it, practicing it and meditating on it. We should set aside at least one-hour everyday of our lives for thinking about the Lord. As long as we do not think of Him as being within ourselves, then we are ourselves distancing Him from us and sending Him to Dwaraka. If Draupadi had thought of Him in this fashion, he might have said, it will take me a lot of time to come. There are no flights from Dwaraka. But she called Him Govinda and He came immediately.
Kathopanishad says” Think of the Lord in our heart at all times. What happens then? When Lord is there within us, to that extent, we become fearless, happy and light hearted. Therefore Gyaanat.h dhyaanaM vishhyate.
But even more superior is sacrificing fruits of action. Who is the Lord telling this to? We people who are stuck in action and constantly perform actions only to get fruits. As long as our business mind is functional, we keep thinking – what do I get by doing this? Is it possible for us to remove expectation in our lives? If we can give up expectations in our action, then the Lord becomes manifest in our lives.
Dhyaanat.h karmaphala tyaagaH. I am getting pleasure in blogging about the glories of the Lord and my happiness is in this action itself. Whether someone improves or not is not the objective, therefore tyaagaat.H shaantiranatharaM – we get peace immediately. When mind is free of expectation it is at peace. Then such a peaceful mind automatically goes to the Lord. If in our minds there is expectation, we cannot be happy. So long as we are in this earth, we should be happy and not worry about things.
Once a man told a Sardarji, “Milka Singhji, look there is fire”. Milkaji said, “Why should I worry?”. The man said, “It is your house which is on fire!!”. Milkaji replied, “Then, why should you worry!!”. There is hence no need to worry in this earth.
Therefore, to sum up the ultimate Sadhana is to practice tyaaga, is we should not react to anything in this world. What happens when we react? Either the image or the impact of it stays on our mind or it does not stay on our mind. For e.g., if we stand in front of a camera, when the picture is taken, our image comes on the film and it can then be printed. However, when we stand in front of a mirror, our image is reflected. If we move away and a different person comes and stands in front of the same mirror, the mirror reflects that person as well. It does not retain any image and simply reflects what is in front of it. If our mind can also be made to behave in this fashion, we will have nothing but peace.
Tyaaga is something natural to us. Our eyes see all shapes and sizes and is not changed by any particular image that it sees. You can see the picture of the lord, then see this table and see this book, moving from one to another very easily. When we see the lord and then the table, the eyes are able to easily give up the image of the lord that was so lovingly held only a moment ago. Similarly, the eye can give up the image of the table and move on to the book very easily. Thus, tyaaga or giving up is spontaneous in us. If we go against what is our nature, then it is called “roga” or disease.
When we see a bright light, then our eyes cannot immediately see anything else. It has to wait for a while until the lens gets adjusted. Similarly if knowledge causes an impact then it is a state of “RogaH” and if it does not affect then it is a state of “YogaH”.
Though we do so many things everyday, we are eager to get to the state of “sushupti” – or deep sleep, when we let go of everything. This is because we are troubled by this world and all its attachments and only that state of sacrifice is natural to us. If we leave that and run behind the objects of the world, we cannot have mental peace. In this world, if we try to hold on to childhood, we cannot experience youth. If we don’t let go of youth, we cannot experience middle age. If we keep holding on to middle age, we cannot experience old age and unless we let go of old age, we will not know the beauty of rebirth. If we understand sacrifice, then there is nothing but happiness in this world.
If a devotee has totally adopted this in life, what are the attributes that he will have. It is mentioned in three places in the Bhagavad Gita. The second chapter gives a description of “stitapraGYa” in 18 slokas. In the twelfth, the lord has explained the traits of a bhakta in 8 slokas, starting from the next. In the 14th chapter, the Lord talks about the guNaatiitha – one who is above the three qualities of sattva, rajas and tamas.
i always thought that there is some sort of built in mind power in everyone of us.:-,
somehow there is mind power in everyone of us, we just need to develop it ,”`