The final talk given by Pujya Guruji to the Yuva Veers at Kolwan. What follows is something most practical.
When one goes to medical school one becomes a doctor. When one goes through the Yuva Veer course, one must come out as a Veer Yuva!
What is the difference between the two?
When one goes through a spiritual training course it is expected that one will change. The result of the education is that transformation must happen (Transformation Technology!).
When we pray too we say that may our learning or knowledge be bright, ie, may the knowledge be available to us to use when we need it (one of the reasons for me to type up these notes - my reflection). Our life must be as per the knowledge we have learnt.
This according to me is so simple and so important. Vedantic knowledge is not something to rattle off. It has to become a part of us. It has to become me or rather I have to become That!
Now some simple questions and practical suggestions by as I said the epitome of practicality and the instrument of Transformation Technology!
- How to make our knowledge bright?
- How to bring about transformation in our lives?
- What factors affect mind and life?
A great answer follows. The beauty of this is that Guruji always most amazingly uses the scriptures to bring out simple points. How often we may have read the same point again and again but never thought from such a perspective. That is the difference between us and a great person endowed with an all-inclusive pure vision.
The answer is from the 11th Canto of Srimad Bhagvatam. Bhagwan Krishna is teaching his friend Uddhavaji.
There are 10 factors which influence our thinking and life:
- आगम Aagama - Vedas. This is the traditional meaning. An extension of this is the literature that we expose ourselves to. The literature we read, listen to has a great impact on us. As you think so you become is something we have heard often enough. Thinking is influenced by all that we are exposed to. Our opinions are often made by what the media says.
mk: Only much later in life do we realise how all that we were exposed to right from our childhood has influenced us. Thus it is all the more important that atleast now we take extreme care of what we read and see particularly on television. Only when our thinking changes, can our vision. Only when we have a clear and inspired vision can we make a difference in everything we do. Also we need to realise early on how responsible we are for what our children become later in life. Thus we must ensure that atleast they are exposed to literature which gives them the right values in life right from the beginning. Its high time that we learn to behave like responsible citizens of the world. We should not wait for others to change but let us start with ourselves. Its never too late.
- आपः Aapah - Water. This includes everything we eat and drink. Light or heavy food, the drinks we drink (very obviously hard liquor), all affect both our body and our mind.
mk: no further comments. Its a known fact.
- प्रजा Prajaa - Company. They say that man is known by the company he keeps. The mind is definitely coloured by the company we keep.
mk: That is why they say satsang is very important. Satsang is keeping company of people who have values in life, of people who are 'good'. As Pujya Guruji says, 'we should learn to value values and not valuables'. A perfect example is peer pressure. We know how we all have at some stage in life given in to peer pressure. Imagine if that peer pressure made us always act correctly! Yes I know its wild imagination! But no harm in indulging in it!
- देश Desha - Place or locality. Where we have grown up and where we live definitely has an influence on us.
mk: one can say this is not something in our control particularly if we are kids. True. But later we can choose. Also when we have children we know how important the place is in influencing our children. So keeping this in mind we should ensure that at home we impart the correct values to our children so that the external influence is minimised.
- कालः Kaalah - Time. Time is the same for all. Time is available to me. It is my choice how I choose to use it. Lovely example given by Guruji. An old man went to his friend's home. His friend was not there and so he was talking to his friend's daughter-in-law. He asked her how old she was and she replied 25 years. Then he asked how old her husband was. She replied 15 years! She said that her father-in-law was 10 years old and her mother-in-law was just born! The old man thought that may be she is angry with the family and hence she is giving such answers. Seeing his confusion, she explained. 'Actually I am 35 years old. I did nothing and just wasted my first 10 years. A Mahatma came, taught me japa etc and I learned to remember the Lord. Thus the first 10 years of my life can't be counted and so I am 25 years old.' Suddenly everthing became clear to the old man.
Similarly we all have 24 hours in a day. How do we choose to use that time? The wise person spends his time in the study of literature, scriptures, poetry, science, etc. A foolish person spends it on some addiction or sleep or unnecessary quarrels and fights with people.
mk: It is so true that we all have 24 hours. We should reflect and see how much of the 24 hours we spend qualitatively either learning something useful or doing something useful. My guess is that we would find that we probably do something like this only a few times per month. We never even spend quality time with ourselves reflecting on our actions and thoughts. Thinking of God - no ways. How can we do that? We are way too young for all that. Once we are older we shall consider that proposal but for now let us enjoy God's creations!
- कर्म Karma - Action. We have karma shakti. My hands have the power of action. With my wealth too I can act. The same with my knowledge. But what do we act for? That action which does not purify my mind, which does not serve anyone, by which no worship of God or a Mahatma is done is useless action. It is futile action. Karma which only creates agitations and desires in my mind, which disturbs others too is useless karma. Real karma is that which only serves the Lord.
mk: I just love this thought. Its actually very easy. When one is in love one does everything for one's beloved. I am sure we can all easily relate to this whether love for one's spouse, or children or parents. We never think of ourselves. There is no question of calling any action a sacrifice. It is done even if we don't like to only because we know it will please the beloved of our heart. We may want to deny this but if we really reflect on it, it is true. Imagine if we had this sort of love for the Lord... Then truly all our actions will automatically be only for Him. Our eating, dressing, sleeping, working, etc. Everything just for the Lord of our heart. So beautiful... So elevating. So joyous.
- जन्म Janma - Birth. Where I am born, my parents, my siblings etc all do influence me and my thinking. Yes we can say this is not in my hands. However, Vedanta has a beautiful definition of Janma. It is bhaavaapati, ie, identification with a particular state of mind. When I identify with anger an angry person is born. Moment to moment depending on what we identify with we are born in different ways.
mk: This is one of the reasons I simply love Vedanta. Such mind blowing explanations. So we can definitely control our identifications. The moment we start identifying with some negative emotion we should become alert and immediately correct ourselves.
- ध्यानं Dhyaanam - Meditation, single-pointed thought. The maintenance of a particular thought only is dhyaanam.
mk: This is true thought power. All sports people are taught this. If we keep our mind on our goal and all our actions are focused on that too then we will definitely reach that goal. We must eat, sleep, drink our vision, our goal. With that sort of dedication why can't we get what we have set out to achieve?
- मन्त्र Mantra - Chant, slogan. Once we have fixed a goal in life and focussed on it that is dhyaanam. We are clear that we want to achieve it. As I go through the process of working towards the goal or doing my sadhana the mind sometimes gets impatient, distracted etc. At that time there must be some thought to make the mind focus again. This is mantra. Often it is the name of the Lord. It keeps me focussed and inspired. In political language we call it a slogan.
mk: An inspiring thought can bring one's focus back. I remember asking Gurudev this question. Often in our spiritual journey we find that most of the time we keep falling rather than rising. He replied saying that it is okay to fall but we must be like rubber balls, spring back up! The Lord's name or thinking of a great person or thinking of our goal or reading some inspiring quotes or books get help bring that focus back in our lives. I am sure all of us have gone through these downs!
- संस्कारः Sanskaarah - Value Education. What kind of values do we inculcate in life? We find many with cars but how many with sans-k(c)ars! Most are without any culture.
mk: These values must be inculcated right from pre-natal days. Actually even before conception. Only if we as parents have the right values, will our children have the correct values. Children learn more from what they observe than what they are told. If we tell them not to lie and then tell them to lie on our behalf what will they learn. For eg, a parent tells the child to tell so and so person who calls on the land line that he / she is not at home though one may be at home. If they see us pray they will understand that it is important to pray, it is good to pray etc. But we can't tell them to pray and we ourselves never do it. Similarly if we want them to control their viewing of TV then we too must control our viewing! The examples are many. It is important that we understand the import of this.
In summary, real transformation is possible when all ten factors become sattvika in nature. True transformation technology from the master of TT!
Now tell me is this not most practical. Most things we can change in ourselves. The choice is ours. Its high time that We Just Do It. We can, We must as Pujya Gurudev used to say. The most important quality to bring about this change (I can almost hear Guruji say this) is alertness. If we are alert about our shortcomings we can change. So let us, because only when we will change, will our society change. It is all in our hands. We can no longer blame anyone. No politician or celebrity or industrialist or any other person is repsonsible for our society. We only are. Let us stop being passive thinkers and instead let us become dynamic workers / servants of this great land of ours - this Bharat Bhoomi. After all we all have a huge debt to pay off to this great motherland who has given so much to us.
Hari Om! That is all for now on the Exposition of Greatness as heard from a Great Master. I have no idea what is next but this itself is a lot to digest... So happy chewing!
mk
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