St. Tulsidas Ji wrote in the Ramcharitmanasa, “Jar Chetan gun doshmay, vishwa kinha kartar. Sant Hans gun gahahin paya, parihari vari vikar.” He says that you will find both positive qualities and negative qualities in both the living and the non-living world but, “ Sant Hans gun gahahi paya ”, that when a man has the motivation and attitude of Hans, the swan, then he develops the ability to adopt the positive characteristics and discard the negative. The scriptures say that if you place a mixture of water and milk in front of a swan it will extract the milk from the water and drink it. Hans, the swan, swims in the ‘Mansarovar Lake' and ignores negative things and accepts only positive things. Manasrovar is a metaphor the sages used to describe the state of spiritual attainment. That ‘Manasrovar' is the thousand petals lotus, which is also known as sahasrar , where the Hans-like ‘ surati ' (attention) dwells.
St.Tulsidas also says, “ Kabahun man rang turang charhe. Kabahun man sochat hai dhan ko. ” Sometimes, suddenly a feeling of renunciation overcomes a person and sometimes feelings of attachment and attachment is like a disease. There is a beautiful example of this in Ramcharitmanasa .
Lord Rama, Sita and Laxman were living in the Dandakaranya Forest. Suddenly a golden deer came into view. Now, can a deer be made of gold? But the skin of that deer was pure gold. When Sita saw it, a feeling of attachment came into her mind and she said, “Lord, I want the skin of this deer.” What did this feeling of attachment do? It gave birth to separation. Who was that deer? He was in fact Maricha, the maternal uncle of Ravana. Ravana had ordered him to use his magic powers to become a golden deer to lure Rama away. Maricha asked, “Why don't you do it?” Then Ravana became very angry so Maricha said, “It will be better for me to die at the hands of Lord Shri Rama than be killed by you”.
Maricha then turned himself into a golden deer and went to the forest. Lord Shri Ram shot an arrow which hit him so hard, it is said that Maricha was hurled into the sea and became the island of Mauritius. People there also recite Ramcharitmanasa . So, the feeling of attachment cropped up in Sita after seeing the golden deer. Then Ravana, disguised as a saddhu, kidnapped Mother Sita and this attachment resulted in her separation from Rama. Otherwise, Ravana didn't have the capacity to kidnap Sita, who was the incarnation of Shakti (Power) herself.
Our saints tried to explain that when our mind wanders in the world, then it will result in separation. The mind of man alone is the cause of entrapment as well as of redemption. If it becomes concentrated by spiritual practice then you will be benefited spiritually, you will be transformed. Such transformation is not possible by any other means.
Once there was a rich man. A servant used to give him milk to drink every night, but that servant was dishonest. He used to mix water in the milk. The rich man was suspicious so he hired another servant to keep a watch on the first one to see whether he diluted the milk or not. Now, there were two servants. The second servant asked the first servant for his share, so the first one said, “From today, add more water in the milk”. The businessman observed that the milk had become even thinner since he'd hired the second servant, so he engaged a third servant, but he was just as dishonest and the three of them added even more water. The businessman thought he did not get any relief even after engaging the third servant. So he hired one more servant thinking that this one would set the problem right, but he simply told the others to dilute the milk even more. The three others complained that now their master would be drinking nothing but water, so the fourth servant said, “Don't do anything. We'll all drink the milk. Don't worry, I'll fix everything in the morning.”
The next morning the rich man woke up and complained to his servant, “You did not give me any milk last night”. The fourth cunning servant said respectfully, “Look at your moustache in the mirror, because it still has cream sticking to it.” After the rich man had gone to sleep, the fourth servant had put some cream on his moustache. In other words, the government goes on installing one anti-corruption department after another but the remedy is not achieved.
Corruption exists not only in India but in every country. Somewhere it is more and somewhere it is little less. Our saints say that negativity can be removed only through spiritual awakening. You know the story of the dreadful criminal, Angulimal, who used to cut off the fingers of his victims to make a necklace for himself. Once Lord Buddha asked him why he committed this sin. He brought about a transformation within Angulimal through Spiritual Knowledge and that same Angulimal abandoned his evil actions and became a disciple of Lord Buddha. He, who had waivered from the righteous path and had engaged in sinful activities, became a beacon for society. Our saints said, “ Ram kripa nasahin sab roga. ” If God's grace showers on a man, his heart gets transformed in the true sense and all his mental diseases are eradicated.
Lord Rama, Sita and Laxman were living in the Dandakaranya Forest. Suddenly a golden deer came into view. Now, can a deer be made of gold? But the skin of that deer was pure gold. When Sita saw it, a feeling of attachment came into her mind and she said, “Lord, I want the skin of this deer.” What did this feeling of attachment do? It gave birth to separation. Who was that deer? He was in fact Maricha, the maternal uncle of Ravana. Ravana had ordered him to use his magic powers to become a golden deer to lure Rama away. Maricha asked, “Why don't you do it?” Then Ravana became very angry so Maricha said, “It will be better for me to die at the hands of Lord Shri Rama than be killed by you”.
Maricha then turned himself into a golden deer and went to the forest. Lord Shri Ram shot an arrow which hit him so hard, it is said that Maricha was hurled into the sea and became the island of Mauritius. People there also recite Ramcharitmanasa . So, the feeling of attachment cropped up in Sita after seeing the golden deer. Then Ravana, disguised as a saddhu, kidnapped Mother Sita and this attachment resulted in her separation from Rama. Otherwise, Ravana didn't have the capacity to kidnap Sita, who was the incarnation of Shakti (Power) herself.
Our saints tried to explain that when our mind wanders in the world, then it will result in separation. The mind of man alone is the cause of entrapment as well as of redemption. If it becomes concentrated by spiritual practice then you will be benefited spiritually, you will be transformed. Such transformation is not possible by any other means.
Once there was a rich man. A servant used to give him milk to drink every night, but that servant was dishonest. He used to mix water in the milk. The rich man was suspicious so he hired another servant to keep a watch on the first one to see whether he diluted the milk or not. Now, there were two servants. The second servant asked the first servant for his share, so the first one said, “From today, add more water in the milk”. The businessman observed that the milk had become even thinner since he'd hired the second servant, so he engaged a third servant, but he was just as dishonest and the three of them added even more water. The businessman thought he did not get any relief even after engaging the third servant. So he hired one more servant thinking that this one would set the problem right, but he simply told the others to dilute the milk even more. The three others complained that now their master would be drinking nothing but water, so the fourth servant said, “Don't do anything. We'll all drink the milk. Don't worry, I'll fix everything in the morning.”
The next morning the rich man woke up and complained to his servant, “You did not give me any milk last night”. The fourth cunning servant said respectfully, “Look at your moustache in the mirror, because it still has cream sticking to it.” After the rich man had gone to sleep, the fourth servant had put some cream on his moustache. In other words, the government goes on installing one anti-corruption department after another but the remedy is not achieved.
Corruption exists not only in India but in every country. Somewhere it is more and somewhere it is little less. Our saints say that negativity can be removed only through spiritual awakening. You know the story of the dreadful criminal, Angulimal, who used to cut off the fingers of his victims to make a necklace for himself. Once Lord Buddha asked him why he committed this sin. He brought about a transformation within Angulimal through Spiritual Knowledge and that same Angulimal abandoned his evil actions and became a disciple of Lord Buddha. He, who had waivered from the righteous path and had engaged in sinful activities, became a beacon for society. Our saints said, “ Ram kripa nasahin sab roga. ” If God's grace showers on a man, his heart gets transformed in the true sense and all his mental diseases are eradicated.
We should have faith in the words of true Divine Personalities. Our great ones say that we don't have to change the sky, the earth, air, trees or water to transform society. They are witnesses to all the Ages - Satyuga, Treta and Dwapar. If we want society to be transformed, if we want to change the Age then we have to transform the unstable human mind. When this is transformed, only then will time change. Our Great Masters talk about inner transformation and whenever inner transformation took place, then Power manifested there. So our saints and sages prayed, “ Sarve bhavantu sukhinah .” “Let all be happy”. They wished for the well-being of the entire world. They also said, “ Siya Ram may sab jag jani. ” The Power of Sita and Rama is omnipresent. ‘ Karahun pranam jori jug pani .' Our saints saluted that Power within everyone.
Once Guru Dronacharya gave a wooden stick to each of his students, the five Pandava brothers and asked them to go and break them, but no one should see them doing so. In the morning, four of the Pandavas returned after breaking their stick. Guru Dronacharya Ji asked Arjuna, “Son, did you break your stick?” He replied, “Master, I could not break the stick because of the condition imposed by you that I should break the stick at a place where no one was seeing me. But God could see me. My eyes were also seeing. So, Master, I could not find a place where no one was seeing me.” Guru Dronacharya Ji embraced Arjuna and said, “Son, that is exactly what I wanted to teach you! ”
Our saints awakened inner consciousness through spiritual awakening. They said, “ Man ev manushyanam karanam bandh mokshayo. ” Mind alone shackles us or redeems us. If the mind of a man gets engrossed in illusory things then it becomes the cause of bondage but if the same mind gets connected to God, then it becomes instrumental in his salvation.
St. Kabir said, “Mala pherat yug gaya, paya na man ka pher. Kar ka manka dar de, man ka manka pher” . It means, “You have been counting the beads in a rosary since time immemorial but your mind could not be diverted from illusory things. So, throw away the rosary and turn the inner rosary of your mind.” But, what is the rosary of the mind which is continuously turning? No one knows this. A teacher can teach the literal meaning of this verse but what is the rosary of the mind which should be concentrated upon? To teach the true and real meaning of this, the great Master comes on this earth from time to time. It is written in the Ramcharitmanasa, “ Jab-jab hoy dharma ki hani, Barhahi asur adham abhimani. Tab tab Prabhu dhari manuj sharira, Harahin kripanidhi sajjan peera. ” Whenever religion decays, and wickedness increases, then God incarnates in human form to free the righteous from their miseries. So our motto is, “May spirituality triumph, may evil be destroyed, let there be love and goodwill among all creatures and let the whole world be redeemed.”
One saint wrote, “ Tera mera manuwa kaise ek hoi re, Mai kehta hun jagat rahiyo, tu jata hai soi re. Tera mera manuwa kaise ek hoi re, Mai kahta hun ankho dekhi tu kahta hai kagaj lekhi, Mai kahta hun jagat rahiyo tu jata hai soi re.” How can your mind and my mind be one? I say, “Stay awake, but you keep on sleeping. How can your mind and mine be one? I describe what I have experienced but you describe what is written.” The great Masters always talked about spiritual experience, while we talk about what is written on paper. This is the difference between a spiritual person and a worldly person. Spiritual people always talk with reference to personal experience. They say, “Man, know thyself! Awaken from the slumber of attachment to illusory things.” On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna, who had been spiritually asleep, was awakened. He was depressed, but when Lord Krishna imparted to him the practical knowledge of spirituality, his attachment to illusory things was wiped out. So, we should also acquire Spiritual Knowledge from the living Master and be saved from worldly illusion.
Once Guru Dronacharya gave a wooden stick to each of his students, the five Pandava brothers and asked them to go and break them, but no one should see them doing so. In the morning, four of the Pandavas returned after breaking their stick. Guru Dronacharya Ji asked Arjuna, “Son, did you break your stick?” He replied, “Master, I could not break the stick because of the condition imposed by you that I should break the stick at a place where no one was seeing me. But God could see me. My eyes were also seeing. So, Master, I could not find a place where no one was seeing me.” Guru Dronacharya Ji embraced Arjuna and said, “Son, that is exactly what I wanted to teach you! ”
Our saints awakened inner consciousness through spiritual awakening. They said, “ Man ev manushyanam karanam bandh mokshayo. ” Mind alone shackles us or redeems us. If the mind of a man gets engrossed in illusory things then it becomes the cause of bondage but if the same mind gets connected to God, then it becomes instrumental in his salvation.
St. Kabir said, “Mala pherat yug gaya, paya na man ka pher. Kar ka manka dar de, man ka manka pher” . It means, “You have been counting the beads in a rosary since time immemorial but your mind could not be diverted from illusory things. So, throw away the rosary and turn the inner rosary of your mind.” But, what is the rosary of the mind which is continuously turning? No one knows this. A teacher can teach the literal meaning of this verse but what is the rosary of the mind which should be concentrated upon? To teach the true and real meaning of this, the great Master comes on this earth from time to time. It is written in the Ramcharitmanasa, “ Jab-jab hoy dharma ki hani, Barhahi asur adham abhimani. Tab tab Prabhu dhari manuj sharira, Harahin kripanidhi sajjan peera. ” Whenever religion decays, and wickedness increases, then God incarnates in human form to free the righteous from their miseries. So our motto is, “May spirituality triumph, may evil be destroyed, let there be love and goodwill among all creatures and let the whole world be redeemed.”
One saint wrote, “ Tera mera manuwa kaise ek hoi re, Mai kehta hun jagat rahiyo, tu jata hai soi re. Tera mera manuwa kaise ek hoi re, Mai kahta hun ankho dekhi tu kahta hai kagaj lekhi, Mai kahta hun jagat rahiyo tu jata hai soi re.” How can your mind and my mind be one? I say, “Stay awake, but you keep on sleeping. How can your mind and mine be one? I describe what I have experienced but you describe what is written.” The great Masters always talked about spiritual experience, while we talk about what is written on paper. This is the difference between a spiritual person and a worldly person. Spiritual people always talk with reference to personal experience. They say, “Man, know thyself! Awaken from the slumber of attachment to illusory things.” On the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna, who had been spiritually asleep, was awakened. He was depressed, but when Lord Krishna imparted to him the practical knowledge of spirituality, his attachment to illusory things was wiped out. So, we should also acquire Spiritual Knowledge from the living Master and be saved from worldly illusion.
