Down! Down! Down!
Down with the treacherous and the deceitful!
This is what Padmapadacharya says next in Bhaja Govindam!
Why is he talking of such people? Because he sees them all the time, all over the place.
….People who seem to be donning great roles, being inspirations, appearing noble-hearted, pretending spirituality, but deep within, being sickeningly sensuous, lowly and may be demoniacal!
We too see them all the while…journalists and politicians and doctors and judges and sages…everyone of them! They know there is a higher way, a nobler choice, a diviner path. They are not ignorant. They are talking and flaunting it all the time. But, deep within, they have failed…failed to live up to the image they have created of themselves, failed to meet the standards they have set for others, failed to be all that they seem to be.
In fact, the condition of such people is less condemnable and more pitiable. Each of them is like an eagle, who flies higher than most birds, but has its eyes on rotting dead matter on the ground. How miserable can such a life be! How disgustful! It destroys them and the faith of all around them.
One wonders why such people even pretend to be good. Because they "know" that the good are respected, loved, helped, supported. To fulfil their own hungers - sometimes physical, sometimes emotional, sometimes social - they gamble away the most precious part of themselves - their conscience. They know what is right and they know it so well that they can make themselves appear like epitomes of righteousness. But the real person in them is lurking with painful moral-ulcers left unattended for lifetimes.
True, we feel duped and deceived. But, my question today is: Are all of us really different from them?
Don't each of us do exactly what they do - just in different degrees? May be we do not do it publicly. May be do not do it deliberately. May be we do not do it to the extent of getting caught. But all of us are somewhere doing exactly this.
Calling ourselves noble, spiritual, good citizens of our societies, we conveniently cover up our inner demon with white-collared good-conduct and well-dressed decent-behaviour. But is that enough? Are we really living up to the ideals we appear to be believing in? THINK.
We talk of Bhaja Govindam and Shankaracharya. Great ideals. But fail to make small sacrifices in life. Shankaracharya left home at the age of 8!! Do you think that child would have never felt the need to just hug his mother? Do you really think that 16 year old would have never felt the pang for a relationship? But he made a choice. And so he rose.
We all want to rise high. But want to let go of nothing. Literally nothing. How are we less deceitful then? We are seen in Satsangs, we read great books, make profound Facebook posts, share inspiring messages, but live animalistic lives!! Then, my dear friends, the disgust of Padmapaadacharya is not necessarily for the man or woman who is caught being deceitful. It is for each of us who live ugly private lives with impressive public images. THINK!
So is this meant to make us feel miserable about ourselves? No.
It is to bring to our notice that we "know" the higher, but "do"the lower. The ignorant can be forgiven. Not the wise who act stupidly in spite of the wisdom. So what may be done now?
Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam! Choose always the higher, the better, the nobler way over what is convenient. Live uncompromisingly. Muster the courage to sacrifice and suffer for the sake of Seeking the Divine and Serving the Lord. Be the Hero that you are meant to be.
If we manage this, we need nothing more. Life's best unfolds before such courageous spiritual-soldiers who can slash their own weaknesses, temptations and attachments with ruthless swords of discrimination. Live such a life that when you walk out into the world, you have nothing to fear, nothing to hide, nothing to show. You are what you are. Not an insignificant fool in the ocean of the masses. But a man/woman who has the courage to have the highest of ideals and live up to them. Stop the Treachery! Lift your standards. Sacrifice your comforts. Live your best!
Quote:
"To give up the Higher for the lower is compromise. To give up the lower for the Higher is Sacrifice"
- Gurudev
Practice: Live What You Believe. Every Moment. Raise Your Beliefs. Every Day.
TODAY'S REFLECTION IS BASED ON BHAJA GOVINDAM VERSE 14.
Down with the treacherous and the deceitful!
This is what Padmapadacharya says next in Bhaja Govindam!
Why is he talking of such people? Because he sees them all the time, all over the place.
….People who seem to be donning great roles, being inspirations, appearing noble-hearted, pretending spirituality, but deep within, being sickeningly sensuous, lowly and may be demoniacal!
We too see them all the while…journalists and politicians and doctors and judges and sages…everyone of them! They know there is a higher way, a nobler choice, a diviner path. They are not ignorant. They are talking and flaunting it all the time. But, deep within, they have failed…failed to live up to the image they have created of themselves, failed to meet the standards they have set for others, failed to be all that they seem to be.
In fact, the condition of such people is less condemnable and more pitiable. Each of them is like an eagle, who flies higher than most birds, but has its eyes on rotting dead matter on the ground. How miserable can such a life be! How disgustful! It destroys them and the faith of all around them.
One wonders why such people even pretend to be good. Because they "know" that the good are respected, loved, helped, supported. To fulfil their own hungers - sometimes physical, sometimes emotional, sometimes social - they gamble away the most precious part of themselves - their conscience. They know what is right and they know it so well that they can make themselves appear like epitomes of righteousness. But the real person in them is lurking with painful moral-ulcers left unattended for lifetimes.
True, we feel duped and deceived. But, my question today is: Are all of us really different from them?
Don't each of us do exactly what they do - just in different degrees? May be we do not do it publicly. May be do not do it deliberately. May be we do not do it to the extent of getting caught. But all of us are somewhere doing exactly this.
Calling ourselves noble, spiritual, good citizens of our societies, we conveniently cover up our inner demon with white-collared good-conduct and well-dressed decent-behaviour. But is that enough? Are we really living up to the ideals we appear to be believing in? THINK.
We talk of Bhaja Govindam and Shankaracharya. Great ideals. But fail to make small sacrifices in life. Shankaracharya left home at the age of 8!! Do you think that child would have never felt the need to just hug his mother? Do you really think that 16 year old would have never felt the pang for a relationship? But he made a choice. And so he rose.
We all want to rise high. But want to let go of nothing. Literally nothing. How are we less deceitful then? We are seen in Satsangs, we read great books, make profound Facebook posts, share inspiring messages, but live animalistic lives!! Then, my dear friends, the disgust of Padmapaadacharya is not necessarily for the man or woman who is caught being deceitful. It is for each of us who live ugly private lives with impressive public images. THINK!
So is this meant to make us feel miserable about ourselves? No.
It is to bring to our notice that we "know" the higher, but "do"the lower. The ignorant can be forgiven. Not the wise who act stupidly in spite of the wisdom. So what may be done now?
Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam, Bhaja Govindam! Choose always the higher, the better, the nobler way over what is convenient. Live uncompromisingly. Muster the courage to sacrifice and suffer for the sake of Seeking the Divine and Serving the Lord. Be the Hero that you are meant to be.
If we manage this, we need nothing more. Life's best unfolds before such courageous spiritual-soldiers who can slash their own weaknesses, temptations and attachments with ruthless swords of discrimination. Live such a life that when you walk out into the world, you have nothing to fear, nothing to hide, nothing to show. You are what you are. Not an insignificant fool in the ocean of the masses. But a man/woman who has the courage to have the highest of ideals and live up to them. Stop the Treachery! Lift your standards. Sacrifice your comforts. Live your best!
Quote:
"To give up the Higher for the lower is compromise. To give up the lower for the Higher is Sacrifice"
- Gurudev
Practice: Live What You Believe. Every Moment. Raise Your Beliefs. Every Day.
TODAY'S REFLECTION IS BASED ON BHAJA GOVINDAM VERSE 14.
No comments:
Post a Comment