Surrender & Realise

The skies of limitless freedom are inviting us from within our own bosoms, the path has been indicated clearly with elaborate instructions, and the opportunity to soar up and reach the Heights of Infinitude is being repeatedly offered to us at least once in every breath. Is it not strange that you and I are still living as the same limited individuals that we always lived as? What is holding us back still? What is the problem? Why can't I just get up and embrace myself? 

Why am I hesitating? This final hedge that keeps us away from the Highest is lack of surrender to the Guru. The Goal is indescribable, the path is undefinable and the journey indomitable. The Gurus can keep explaining to the extent of exasperation, but it is impossible to capture the extent and existence of that Infinite Goal of Life in words or expressions of any kind. There will always be a limitation to every explanation about the Truth. There is just no perfect way to say it. And thus, going by merely intellectual understanding of the verbal descriptions of the Divine Reality, one will never grasp it. 

Whatever words express, is not the Truth. Whatever is the Truth, is beyond words. Then how can anyone understand the Truth through the words of the Guru? 

However, the secret to know is that the Guru doesn't even want us to listen only to His words. Words are only the entrance gateway to the Absolute relationship of the spiritual preceptor and His disciple. Words are not the language in the Guru-Sishya relationship. Through words and inspirations, the student can reach a stage of 100% surrender to the Guru, because only then can the unspeakable Nature of the Self be understood through the unspoken silence of the Guru. The student needs to learn to listen to the Silence of the Guru. Silence is the language in a spiritual relationship.

Thus, having meted out such detailed spiritual instructions spread over 30 melodious verses, now Shankara most compassionately leaves the seekers with the ultimate masterkey to spiritual success: SURRENDER TO THE GURU. 

"Gurucharanambuja Nirbhara Bhakti" - Absolute surrender and devotion to the feet of the Guru. 

The Guru is the link between the individual and the infinite. The Guru's grace is the armor which protects the seeker from assaults of desires within and attacks of temptations outside. The Guru-Sishya relationship is an absolute relationship which lasts forever and forever - through lifetimes together. We may forget the Guru, but the Guru stays by us till we reach the Goal of Liberation. 

The Guru is not an individual. The Guru is the Truth itself. The Guru is beyond name and form. In fact the Guru alone is the Lord. He may manifest in my life in a specific form, and that form remains ever reverential and worshipful in the life of a spiritual seeker. But the Guru is not limited to any form. The Guru is the nameless, formless Reality. 

When the Reality expresses itself in our life in the form of the Guru, there is no greater blessing than that. It is a direct access to the Truth. It is Reality in person. For a Vedantic seeker, the Guru is the Goal, the Path, the Guide and the Companion in this pilgrimage towards the Truth within. 

Thus Shankaracharya closes the text with an assurance that if we surrender to the feet of the Guru, then we will surely know the Lord of our Hearts, we shall surely be permanently liberated from sorrow, and we will surely live a life of Absolute Bliss & Peace. And Shankaracharya sweetly adds a very encouraging word "Achiraad" - meaning QUICKLY. 

You don't need to wait lifetimes together. You don't need to wait for the mystic miracle to dawn on you. You don't need to wait for the right time. Your time is NOW. Your place is HERE. You are That. Surrender to the Guru, obey Him explicitly, be committed to Guru Bhakti Yoga, and when He says "Tat Tvam Asi" - Realization will be instantaneous. 

Don't waste more life. Don't delay your own liberation. Don't wait another moment. Surrender & Realise. NOW! 

May all of us remain surrendered to Pujya Gurudev and by His Grace, know the Truth...and that too, QUICKLY. 

TODAY's REFLECTION IS BASED ON VERSE 31 OF BHAJA GOVINDAM. AND THAT COMPLETES THE REFLECTIONS ON THIS TEXT BHAJA GOVINDAM. 

By the Grace of Pujya Gurudev and Blessings of Pujya Guruji, we have completed the text. I have not been perfect. But whatever has been delivered on your screen, is ONLY HIS GRACE and nothing else. As a token of gratitude, I urge all seekers to please chant the 108 names of Pujya Gurudev any time today. It will take just 10 minutes. 

I also thank of each of you for bearing with me, in and through my irregular posts, strict rules, and limited capacity. I feel extremely fulfilled to have received the opportunity to reflect on the 31 verses of Bhaja Govindam. Thankyou for giving this opportunity. Hari Om. 

10 things to do in Daily Life

Philosophy, Philosophy, Philosophy. Empty philosophy! Be One with the Universe, Stay Calm, Practice Detachment...Haah! Big talk as usual!! 

Spirituality is really useless if it is just armchair philosophy. If this is what Bhaja Govindam is all about, well, let's not waste more time. Everyone please exit the forum NOW. 

This is how it feels when unreachably ideal goals continue to be the kernel of the discussion in the text. Any scripture earns value only if it can be lived in the daily life of the stress-ridden common man of the era. Thus, Bhaja Govindam, now gives a clear manual for a divine life. 

There is only one single way to attain any goal - spiritual or material. And that is, HARD WORK. Every single day needs to be designed as a step forward. Every single day. 

Occasional bouts won't do. They just won't. If you are ready to transform your daily life into an extra-ordinary life, then here is the manual....

10 things to do in Daily Life: 

1) Study the Geeta and/or any other spiritual texts systematically, thoroughly and regularly under the guidance of a competent teacher. Try to genuinely study, reflect, understand, remember and apply the teachings of the scriptures. At this point, it may just be a great idea to go back and read all our insights from the Introduction to Bhaja Govindam till so far. You can find them all at www.seek-the-eternal.blogspot.in

2) Pray. Yes, pray. Invest your love, your faith, your longing into the Higher. Spend time with the Lord. May be chant a prayer daily. Or do a small pooja. Or perform a Havan. Or simply do Japa of His name. Or sing some Bhajans. Or just sit and talk to the Lord. Anything will do. But allot at least 15 minutes daily for a Date with HIM. 

3) Do Satsang. At least once a week, have some committed Satsang - ideally through a class conducted by a Spiritual Teacher, or through a particular book, a video, an audio. Anything. But this needs to be regular. Fix a day and time. And do it like you will choke to death if you don't. 

4) Share what you earn. Give charity. This implies that work hard to earn enough so that you can nurture yourself and your family, as well as share with the society. Remember charity cannot be born from deficit. In short, create selfless abundance. Don't be happy with mediocrity. Empower yourself enough to be able to practice charity and then do it - as much as you can. Not because the world needs resources from you. But because you need to experience the fulfillment of giving abundantly. 

5) Practice Pranayama. It has a mysterious power to soothe and revitalize a tired body, a flagging spirit, or a wild mind. The ancient sages taught that prana, the vital force circulating through us, can be cultivated and channeled through a panoply of breathing exercises called Pranayama. In the process, the mind is calmed, rejuvenated, and uplifted. Try. Just try.  

6) Live in Self-Control. If one wants to get anywhere in life, the importance and necessity of self-control can never be overstated. And thus it is repeated again and again. Lack of self-control is the greatest practical obstacle in our journey. Whether you are trying to lose weight, earn money or attain liberation, living in self-control is inevitable. It does not imply that you must not enjoy. It only means that enjoy as a Master, not as a victim of what you enjoy. THINK.  

7) Practice clear thinking based on scriptural knowledge. It is useless to know all about Bhaja Govindam and yet live our same old lives. It has been more than 25 verses now - each word rich in transformation insights. But what use is it if it remains just insights. Insights must change our vision. Every moment of life, try and apply the learnings. Discriminate voraciously between the right and the wrong, the real and the unreal, the Self and the not-Self. 

8) Do JAPA. This is a MUST. Whether you like it or not, do your Japa. Every day. If possible, twice a day - in the morning and at night. If not possible, at least once a day. But do it. Japa purifies, unifies and transforms the mind like magic. The Mantra or name of the Lord has tremendous positive impact on the body and the circumstances also. Like you eat every day, do your Japa DAILY. Don't ever compromise with your Japa. 

9) Meditate, meditate, meditate. Meditation is the most crucial instrument to harness the power of thought, cultivate more peace, clarity and happiness. Meditation has healing power for the body as well as the mind. Meditation is scientifically proven to enable us to move from higher frequency brain waves to lower frequency, which activates different centers in the brain.

Slower wavelengths = more time between thoughts = more opportunity to skillfully choose which thoughts you invest in and what actions you take.

Meditation is the only final leap into the Higher. True, we may not all be ready for Meditation right now. But every day, attempt to sit quietly and meditate at least for 5 minutes. 5 minutes can't be too much to ask, isn't it? 

10) BE ALERT. VERY VERY VERY ALERT. Pujya Gurudev always said: "Alertness is the price we pay for freedom." 

This is not an easy path. You want comfort? Choose another goal. This is the inconvenient truth about Sadhana. If you want to get anywhere, and you really start walking the path, you will realize how slippery it is. We already have minds which are filled with desires, temptations and unknown vasanas. If that is not enough, the world is sufficiently tempting and discouraging for a spiritual person. Its like trekking up a steep mountain without any support. In such circumstances, if one becomes inalert even for a single breath, one may slip to abominable lows. Even people like Vishwamitra and Naarad slipped. How careful each of us have to be. Just imagine. Therefore, be alert every moment. Don't ever allow the mind to compromise. NEVER. 

This is the manual of an ideal life given in Bhaja Govindam. But what use is a manual if you do not actually do what is written in it? Knowing is not doing. Doing is doing. 

Yes, trying to do all of this at once can be pretty difficult. Never mind. Try 2-3 of them. Follow the 40-day Discipline. Then add the next one for the next 40-days. Then add another 1-2. Within a year or so, you will realize that your whole life has changed. Then, and only then, studying Bhaja Govindam can be of any use at all. START NOW. Right now. 

TODAY'S REFLECTION IS BASED ON VERSE 27 & VERSE 30 OF BHAJA GOVINDAM. 

The Calamity of Lust & Wealth

As we proceed towards the close of the text, Shankaracharya takes us back to the 2 greatest causes of our downfall: 

1) Kaanchan (Wealth - Representing the Tendency of Acquisition)

2) Kamini (Lust - Representing the Tendency of Indulgence)

 

We spend our whole life running away from sorrow and running after pleasure. To run away from sorrow (incompleteness), we acquire more and more and more. And to catch up with pleasure, we indulge more and more and more. 

These are 2 most difficult-to-overcome weaknesses of the human mind. We constantly want to possess and enjoy. And this is easy also!! We are all experts in this because for lifetimes we have lived in such animalistic ways. Thus it is very easy for us to allow the mind to indulge uncontrollably in the cravings of the body. Going down is always quick and easy. Climbing up is however difficult. 

Hence, invariably, no matter how much we hear about self-control and other such spiritual principles, we slip. One more object, one more relationship, one more....This is never-ending as though. It keeps us trapped. 

This is the Last Temptation. So Shankaracharya impatiently reminds us about how calamitous such a life devoted to the lusty impulses of the body is. 

To live in the flesh, implicitly obeying its wretched biddings, is to allow the dissipation of the personality-strength at all levels. Regulated enjoyment with maturity, balance and understanding is allowed. But excessive indulgence without any control leads to suffering only. Thus, Shankaracharya indirectly asks us to follow discipline. 

Discipline ensures that enjoyment doesn't violate the balance of the mind. However the difficulty is we all hate discipline! Our minds rebel! Enjoyment, it is said, is like nectar in the beginning, but like poison in the end. And discipline is like poison in the beginning, but like nectar in the end. 

Naturally short-sighted people keep away from discipline, not being able to have any control even in spite of knowing that death lies around the corner - awaiting for an opportunity to pounce, not realizing that blind indulgence ultimately leads to suffering at all levels, not realizing that indiscriminate indulgence will even sap us of our capacity to enjoy! This helpless indisciplined foolish indulgence pulls us away from our attempts to live nobler and the divine virtues of spiritual living and leads us to a rotten death. 

It is this addiction to enjoyment which leads us to an uncontrollable infatuation to wealth. We want more and more and more all the time, so that we can enjoy more and better. But this whole money-psychology is rather deceitful. Money, no doubt, has value. It is important and required. But, to give an over-exaggerated importance to money as such is thoughtlessness, and it will breed lovelessness, hatred, and a thousand subhuman impulses in the money-mad people. 

Shankaracharya is not asking us to give up our wealth or to stop earning. But this is an indication towards Dharma. Money earned with Dharma and spent for Dharma, is never calamitous. Use money for the right purpose, but don't make money your purpose - this is the simple but difficult-to-practice message of the Acharya in Bhaja Govindam. 

You see, in the whole of the world, maximum crimes happen because of either wealth or pleasure. This is a proven fact. All fights and wars happen because of wealth or pleasure. So much so, that one's own children end up even killing the parent for the sake of wealth or pleasure. 

Shankaracharya is reminding us one last time to refrain from such blind acquisition and enjoyment, by practicing Discipline and living by Dharma. Without living a disciplined life and without practicing Dharma, it is impossible to control theses impulses of the human body and mind. Hence, before anything else is done by the seeker, a strong grip on Dharma is inevitable. 

Often people ask, "But why should i follow Dharma when nobody else does?" 

The answer is simple: "Because you want infinite happiness." THINK! 

TODAY's REFLECTION IS BASED ON VERSE 28 & VERSE 29 OF BHAJA GOVINDAM.

Just BE

I wake up this morning and can't see a thing. It is pitch dark. I wonder what happened and why it is so dark. I want to see the time. I somehow stretch to the switch for the light, feeling the wall with my fingers and hoping I don't end up dashing or breaking something else on the way of my hand. I turn on the light. But it is still dark. The light didn't turn on. I don't know what to do. It feels desperate. I have a touch phone. If I don't see, I don't know anything. I try turning on the torch on my phone. No!! Even that is not working!! I can't even understand why it is so dark. I now start wishing I had a torch, a music player or things that could help me feel less helpless. Fear and anxiety grip. Slowly I start thinking of the things I want more than the light I want, because I feel there is no hope of light now. I don't know why this happened, and how it has happened. There is sorrow and suffering. I start walking towards the cupboard to find myself some candles. But on the way I hit the table and fall. I am in pain and suffering. Tears roll down my eyes. And just then, a kind friend enters and I hear the sound of the door. I don't fully trust it is a friend because I have not seen who has entered. But I blurt out "This feels awful. I want a music player here. And a torch. And a candle too. Why not light a lamp? It will be good. At least it won't be so dark!" And he says, "But, dear friend, it is not dark. It is bright. It is a beautiful morning. The summer sunlight is playing around with the bright bulbs of your room and flooding the room with streaks of golden white light...What darkness are you talking about?"
Huh??? Then why am I seeing darkness? I want a torch, a stick, a bell, a music player....
"You need nothing!! Give up these silly attachments and just take your hand off your eyes!! You have shut your eyes with your hand!!"
WHAT?????
Yes, this is how it is. I am infinite. But I have shut my mind with my own ignorance and vasanas. And now, to remove this sense of limitation and incompleteness, I entertain attachments, pursue anger, nurture greed, fuel jealousy...hoping it will heal us of the darkness of the ignorance which is not!!!

Stop stop stop!! Renounce the desire, give up the anger, drop the greed, forego the jealousy...
Why should I?

Well, because everything has a maintenance cost. And the maintenance cost of desire, anger, greed, jealousy is "sense-of-finitude".
What's the problem with that?

The moment you start living as a finite being, you start having fears, anxieties and insecurities. And that makes life miserable. And a miserable life is too much of a maintenance cost to pay for the sake of these negativities.

So Bhaja Govindam urges us to give up these negativities. Just drop them all. But it seems very difficult to fight fear, anger, jealousy, pride, etc all at once. We are not Bollywood actors with the bran to fight a heavily-armed mafia-gang single-handedly. We can't!!

That's right. We can't fight all of them. So let's fight one. Which one? The one that causes all the rest: ATTACHMENT. If you don't have any ATTACHMENT, you will never be angry or jealous or greedy. These are just symptoms. Attachment is the disease. Fight that.

But what to do then? Wouldn't life be drab and dry without any attachment? Yes, it will be.
....So give it the juicy slushy ripe Self-knowledge! A mouthful of Infinity is all that we need and we will soon start realizing how bitterly poisonous our attachments are!

Like the fish swimming exhaustingly in circles trying to catch its own tail, we are trying to gain Infinite Happiness through all our attachments. It will be a never-ending, exhausting, draining, straining cycle of pointless effort. Don't waste time. What to do? The fish has to do nothing to get its own tail!!! Just BE.
Yes, Infinity is not an object outside, not an experience, not an achievement. Infinity is Me. I AM HAPPINESS. We have to do nothing to experience Infinity. We just have to Be.

Not Be "happy" or Be "sad" or Be "spiritual" or Be "smart" or Be "slim" or Be "something". No. Just BE. Full Stop. This Being is seeing. Rest is illusion. See the Truth. See the Self. See Infinity. BE Infinity.

Like the air without oxygen, like water without liquidity, like dance without feet, like music without notes, like fire without heat, like love without identification, life without Self-Knowledge, is meaningless, worthless, pointless. Caught up in all sorts of mundane non-essentials, an opportunity called life gets wasted in earning, achieving, aspiring and enjoying. The limitedness of our own false identities is the greatest tragedy that can be. We do not even realize how we have gotten so used to this painful existence in the rotten darkness of ignorance, that even when light of infinity is thrown at us, we shut both eyes and weep. This self-created horror of a life confined to worldliness is called hell. This is our 'self-created' hell - tormenting us continuously for lifetimes.

Gurudev writes:
In the non-apprehension of Reality, misapprehensions of ego, its desires, greed and anger, likes an dislikes, and such other misapprehensions, arise and they create a self-made hell for man to live in and suffer continuously. Tortured by them, torn limb by limn by the buffeting waves of passions in his own bosom, man cries as a sorrowful creature, eternally suffering in a self-condemned existence, in a hell created by himself, for himself.

Stop living thus in hell. Walk out into the open skies of Self-Knowledge and fly!! Yes Realization of the Infinite is a flight unto unconditional freedom. Don't waste more time in the charming golden cage of your own attachments. Drop it all, and Discover the Self.

Practices for Today:
1. Observe life and become aware how each and every facet of life is riddled with sorrow. Know that we live in hell.
2. Consciously drop attachments. Attachments are dropped when we accept whatever life brings us without complaining or worrying. Acceptance is the highest Detachment.
3. Spend at least 7-10 mins daily contemplating on these questions: What am I if I am not all that which I think I am? What is it to not be "anything" but just be? WHO AM I?

TODAY'S REFLECTION IS BASED ON VERSE 26 OF BHAJA GOVINDAM