And finally today, we move on to the next topic in Bhaja Govindam - Austerity or Tapas.
When we walk the path of serious spirituality, it becomes essential that the mind is calm, the intellect clear and the personality free from desires, anger, delusion, false-pride, jealousy, greed or any other pollutant. How does one do it? The answer is: Tapas.
Tapas is a self-inflicted discipline where a seeker forces himself to break out of one's own comfort zones and prepares the mind for independent living.
It is not a pointless attention-seeking self-torture. It is a choice to push one's own limits, raise one's own standards and lift one's own mind.
When we put ourselves through difficult situations, we choose to be strong. When we challenge our own dependencies, we choose to be free. When we decide to go against our comforts, we choose to step ahead… That is Tapas.
Tapas thus is a conscious choice to expand beyond what one is. Tapas is not necessarily to starve oneself of food, or wear a certain type of clothes, or quit non-vegetarian food, or live a particular lifestyle. One may do all this. But if one remains dependent on desires from within, no amount of these external austerities can help. They may still rank better than blind indulgence in pleasures. Yet, they won't be of much avail to the seeker's needs.
On the other hand, one cannot really give up Tapas in its entirety, because without it, it is impossible to rise on the spiritual path or even in the world. If someone has to become a super-model, she has do the tapas of eating right at all times, working out daily, training one's body. Similarly, if someone has to become a spiritually sound person, one has to do the tapas of living in sense-control, doing satsang daily, training one's mind!
So, one cannot give up Tapas. But we see many of us, who live as though amidst great Tapas, but deep within have so much of desires, weaknesses, temptations, bitterness. How is it that Tapas is failing such people? Well, tapas can't fail if done as Tapas. Tapas loses its efficacy when done without understanding.
Tapas has to be conscious and consistent. Here the word consistent is also extremely important. People who climb mountains, don't reach the peak one fine moment. No. In fact, they climb up step by step moment by moment. Every day, challenge your own comfort zone. Yes, every single day - in some way or other, make yourself do things that will raise the bar for you, break your thresholds of tolerance and discover the infinite power hidden within.
Tapas means "that which scorches like fire". Tapas can't be comfortable. Tapas MUST be painful and difficult. Only then it can be called Tapas. It must scorch us and burn down our dependencies. Such should be the fire of our tapas. And remember: fire makes pure gold.
Many people feel that life itself has enough discomforts by default, and so that is already Tapas and thus more Tapas is not needed. But that cannot count as Tapas because it is choiceless. Tapas is a choice. When I have AC at home, but decide to sleep without turning it on in spite of the summer heat, it is Tapas. But if there is no electricity, and I put up with it, it is endurance, nor austerity. If I am alone all day and do not talk, it is endurance. But when I have people around me, but choose to still stay in silence, it is Tapas. When there is salt at home, but I choose to have food without adding any salt, it is Tapas. When I hate reading, but I choose to read for 20 minutes every day, it is Tapas.
Thus, at this point, Totakacharya is hinting on us to do tapas and do it meaningfully. Tapas is an opportunity to rise. Don't do it mechanically. Do it because it matters, and it may just change your life forever. Tapas will tone up the mental muscles, build the intellectual strength and add to our spiritual stamina. Saints like Swami Tapovanji Maharaj lived all their lives in tremendous Tapas. He would sit bare-chested in the cold windy Himalayas. He would often tie up all the food cooked for him in a cloth, dip the cloth in the Ganga waters till all the salt and spices were washed out and the food had become soggy and tasteless, and then He would eat it!
Gurudev too lived in Tapas amidst everything available to Him. Every single morning, for 40 years, without a single holiday, He woke up at 4am to write letters of love, knowledge and joy. It was Tapas. With 16% heart functioning, He gave talks on Geeta every day. It was Tapas.
Those are the standards our Masters have set for us. They are the very epitomes of Tapas. Let us walk along their footsteps and reach those silent peaks of Meditation were conscious and consistent Tapas has eliminated even the trace of desires. Try!
Practice: Try Tapas. Do something totally uncomfortable. Push your own limits. Regularly choose to not access a certain comfort and watch the mind become stronger.
Quotes:
Don't let the passion of comfort kill the hunger of your soul - Rumi
Comfort comes as a guest, stays as a host and then completely enslaves us. - Swami Chinmayananda
TODAY'S REFLECTION IS BASED ON BHAJA GOVINDAM VERSE 16.
When we walk the path of serious spirituality, it becomes essential that the mind is calm, the intellect clear and the personality free from desires, anger, delusion, false-pride, jealousy, greed or any other pollutant. How does one do it? The answer is: Tapas.
Tapas is a self-inflicted discipline where a seeker forces himself to break out of one's own comfort zones and prepares the mind for independent living.
It is not a pointless attention-seeking self-torture. It is a choice to push one's own limits, raise one's own standards and lift one's own mind.
When we put ourselves through difficult situations, we choose to be strong. When we challenge our own dependencies, we choose to be free. When we decide to go against our comforts, we choose to step ahead… That is Tapas.
Tapas thus is a conscious choice to expand beyond what one is. Tapas is not necessarily to starve oneself of food, or wear a certain type of clothes, or quit non-vegetarian food, or live a particular lifestyle. One may do all this. But if one remains dependent on desires from within, no amount of these external austerities can help. They may still rank better than blind indulgence in pleasures. Yet, they won't be of much avail to the seeker's needs.
On the other hand, one cannot really give up Tapas in its entirety, because without it, it is impossible to rise on the spiritual path or even in the world. If someone has to become a super-model, she has do the tapas of eating right at all times, working out daily, training one's body. Similarly, if someone has to become a spiritually sound person, one has to do the tapas of living in sense-control, doing satsang daily, training one's mind!
So, one cannot give up Tapas. But we see many of us, who live as though amidst great Tapas, but deep within have so much of desires, weaknesses, temptations, bitterness. How is it that Tapas is failing such people? Well, tapas can't fail if done as Tapas. Tapas loses its efficacy when done without understanding.
Tapas has to be conscious and consistent. Here the word consistent is also extremely important. People who climb mountains, don't reach the peak one fine moment. No. In fact, they climb up step by step moment by moment. Every day, challenge your own comfort zone. Yes, every single day - in some way or other, make yourself do things that will raise the bar for you, break your thresholds of tolerance and discover the infinite power hidden within.
Tapas means "that which scorches like fire". Tapas can't be comfortable. Tapas MUST be painful and difficult. Only then it can be called Tapas. It must scorch us and burn down our dependencies. Such should be the fire of our tapas. And remember: fire makes pure gold.
Many people feel that life itself has enough discomforts by default, and so that is already Tapas and thus more Tapas is not needed. But that cannot count as Tapas because it is choiceless. Tapas is a choice. When I have AC at home, but decide to sleep without turning it on in spite of the summer heat, it is Tapas. But if there is no electricity, and I put up with it, it is endurance, nor austerity. If I am alone all day and do not talk, it is endurance. But when I have people around me, but choose to still stay in silence, it is Tapas. When there is salt at home, but I choose to have food without adding any salt, it is Tapas. When I hate reading, but I choose to read for 20 minutes every day, it is Tapas.
Thus, at this point, Totakacharya is hinting on us to do tapas and do it meaningfully. Tapas is an opportunity to rise. Don't do it mechanically. Do it because it matters, and it may just change your life forever. Tapas will tone up the mental muscles, build the intellectual strength and add to our spiritual stamina. Saints like Swami Tapovanji Maharaj lived all their lives in tremendous Tapas. He would sit bare-chested in the cold windy Himalayas. He would often tie up all the food cooked for him in a cloth, dip the cloth in the Ganga waters till all the salt and spices were washed out and the food had become soggy and tasteless, and then He would eat it!
Gurudev too lived in Tapas amidst everything available to Him. Every single morning, for 40 years, without a single holiday, He woke up at 4am to write letters of love, knowledge and joy. It was Tapas. With 16% heart functioning, He gave talks on Geeta every day. It was Tapas.
Those are the standards our Masters have set for us. They are the very epitomes of Tapas. Let us walk along their footsteps and reach those silent peaks of Meditation were conscious and consistent Tapas has eliminated even the trace of desires. Try!
Practice: Try Tapas. Do something totally uncomfortable. Push your own limits. Regularly choose to not access a certain comfort and watch the mind become stronger.
Quotes:
Don't let the passion of comfort kill the hunger of your soul - Rumi
Comfort comes as a guest, stays as a host and then completely enslaves us. - Swami Chinmayananda
TODAY'S REFLECTION IS BASED ON BHAJA GOVINDAM VERSE 16.
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