Dec 20, 2013

Secrets of Spiritual Sadhana-13 [Sadhana Karu Pyare]

Sadhana Karu Pyare is a unique philosophical compilation set in 54 lines and arranged in the form of couplets (dohas). In these lines, Shree Maharajji has summarized the entire philosophy of the knowledge of God and Guru (Philosophy of Divine Love). Swamiji explained the complete set of 54 lines at the Puri Sadhana Shivir in 2008, which we will reproduce in this series. 
This is the next line of "Sadhana Karu Pyare" series.
Continuing from the last issue...
char achar meṁ lakhahuṁ apano, iṣhṭa kahaṁ nit pyāre
sarvadā sarvatra hari ko, sāth mānahuṁ pyāre
āpu ko ikalo kabahuṁ jani, mānu man mahaṁ pyāre

We must see God in every entity.  If we begin to realize that God resides in every person then, there will be an end to the two biggest obstacles in devotion - raag and dvesh, attachment and hatred.  The two biggest hurdles in bhakti can be surpassed with Divine vision.  How would we have enmity towards someone if we see God in every entity?
Bheemsen had married a demoness called Hidamba. They had a son named - Ghatotkach.  Ghatotkach had a son and named him Babrisaan.  Babrisaan was a very powerful person.  When the great Mahabharat war was about to begin, Babrisaan showed his interest to go to battle.  When Shree Krishna saw that Babrisaan was marching towards the battlefield, He realized that he had the capability to change the situation of the war. He decided to talk to him.  Shree Krishna asked him, "Where are you going?"  "To join the war", replied Babrisaan.  Shree Krishna then asked him what he can do.  
Babrisaan took his bow and arrow and aimed at a nearby tree.  With just a single shot, he cut down all the leaves of the tree and offered them at the feet of Lord Shree Krishna.  Shree Krishna was very impressed.  God then asked him that would he give Him something if asked for it.  Babrisaan replied, "Anything you ask for my Lord, whatever You want." Shree Krishna asked him to promise Him that he would give whatever He asked for.  Babrisaan promised to do so. Shree Krishna then asked Babrisaan to give Him his head.  Without a word, Babrisaan cut his head and gave it to Shree Krishna.  Shree Krishna then placed his head in the sky so that he could watch the whole Mahabharat.  After the war, Shree Krishna asked Babrisaan what he saw.  Babrisaan said that all he could see Shree Krishna everywhere.  "I could see You in both Kauravas and Pandavas." Shree Krishna was very pleased with his words.  Today, people in Rajasthan worship Babrisaan in the form of Khatu Shyam. 
Shree Kripaluji Maharaj says that we must also try to see God in every entity. 
Shree Kripaluji Maharaj further tells us how to make bhakti, devotion a part of our daily life.  We consider bhakti to be different and separate from our day to day life.  We think that we need to do devotion for half an hour and spend the rest of the day as we want.  Shree Maharajji says that this is not the right way to lead our lives.  We need to add devotion into our lives.  i.e., whatever we do in twenty-four hours should only be devotion. 
This is explained by Shree Krishna:

yatkaroṣhi yadaśhnāsi yajjuhoṣhi dadāsi yat
 yattapasyati kaunteya tatkurukha madarpaṇaṁ


He says, "Arjun!  Whatever you do, offer it to me".
There was a legendary and brave king in the history of India - Chatrapati Shivaji.  He was a spiritual person.  His Guru was Samarth Ramdas.  He used to roam around with his bowl for alms and the king was his follower.  Once, he was roaming in the capital of the kingdom of Chatrapati Shivaji with his bowl and begging for alms.  When Shivaji saw this, he got an idea.  He wrote a letter to his Guru that he would like to gift his kingdom to him, and placed that letter in his Guru's bowl.  When Samarth Ramdas read this, he smiled.
Samarth Ramdas told Chatrapati Shivaji, "What will I do with this Kingdom?  I am a saint and my duty is to remember God and remind others to think of God."  He told Shivaji that you are a king and it is your duty to rule the kingdom.  Now that you have given the kingdom to me, rule over it by thinking that it is your Guru's, and not yours. 
Similarly, we should lead our lives with the same thinking that whatever we have belongs to our Guru.  Whatever we do, it is for our Guru.  This way, our life will not be separate from bhakti.  Even if you possess a lot of wealth, think that it belongs to your Guru.  We should use only what is important and necessary for our body, and the rest we should dedicate to our Guru's seva.  This is the way that we inculcate bhaktiin our daily lives.  Shree Kripaluji Maharaj gives us a very powerful formula that is, to constantly think and remember Shree Krishna and your Guru with you always.  Whenever you begin some work, first realize the presence of God and Guru in front of you, and watching you.  Then begin your work; but after one hour, stop your work for a moment, and again realize that Hari-Guru are watching you.  Once you have practiced to do this in hourly intervals, then reduce the time to half-hour.  Then reduce the duration further to fifteen minutes.  In this way, with practice, we will reach the stage where we will always feel the presence of God and Guru with us. 
This philosophy is also mentioned by Christian saints.  Brother Lawrence was a Father in a small church.  He wrote a book - Practice of the presence of the God.  In the book, he states: "If I were a preacher, I would preach nothing but the practice of the presence of God.  Every other spiritual practice will happen automatically."  Other saints read the book after his death and said that this is a remarkable and highly admirable spiritual practice.  They recognized Brother Lawrence to be a great soul and exhumed his ashes to Westminster Abbey, London.  Shri Aurobindo had also said, "Live always as if you are under the very eye of the Supreme soul and the Divine Mother."


man jahāṁ bhī  jāya hari ko, khaṛo karu tahaṁ pyāre
manahiṁ te śhriṅgār karu sab, jaisā bhāe pyāre

Moving further, Shree Kripaluji Maharaj tells us that when we practice sadhana, devotion, we move a few steps ahead, but we also fail at times.  There are situations, when thoughts about the material world are stronger, and detachment from this world becomes weaker.  You may repeatedly contemplate about detachment from the material world, and try to concentrate on God, but it is difficult.  It does happen that when there are bad days, how much ever you try contemplating on God, it becomes very difficult to concentrate on Him.  
People get frustrated and say, "What to do?  The mind is not under my control."  Shree Kripaluji Maharaj tells us not to get scared.  If you scold your mind, it will react negatively.  You were concentrating on God and suddenly your mind started thinking about your son.  Now if you scold your mind as to why is it doing this, the mind will get more disturbed. So, first of all, be calm.  Let your mind go wherever it wants to go, and then visualize the form of God in that place.  If your mind started thinking about your son, visualize the form of God in your son.  If your mind starts thinking about ice cream, place God in the ice cream and concentrate upon Him.  If it thinks about the cricket match, imagine that God it standing in the field.  So, in one way or the other, tie your mind to God. 
This is just as a monkey is unsteady by nature.
grah gṛihit puni vātavaśh tā puni bīchhī mār puni pivāiya vāruṇī kahiya kahā upachār
At the end of the Ramayan, Tulsidasji says:
"O Lord! The mind of a monkey is very restless by nature.  If you tie a scorpion to its tail, what will be the condition of that monkey!  And if that monkey gets hysteria, then how restless will it be? Further, it is made to drink alcohol!  Just imagine the condition of that monkey.  My mind is similar to the condition of that monkey.  What can I do?" 
But you must have seen how the monkey trainer controls the monkey. On the first day, he ties a rope around the monkey which is 100 feet long. The monkey has to jump and play within 100 feet.  The rope presses its neck.  It cannot go further, else the rope will hurt his neck.  The next day he reduces the rope to 80 feet.  The monkey wants to go beyond, but the rope hurts his neck and hence he learns to jump within that limit.  Slowly, when the rope is reduced to 3 feet by the trainer, the monkey thinks, "Leave it.  Let me stay quiet and lie down right here." 
Now that energetic and restless monkey is totally under control.  Our mind is similar to this monkey.  You need to tie this mind with the rope of Shyamsundar.  Imagine God wherever your mind goes.  If your mind wishes to see the beautiful seashore of Puri (sacred place in Eastern Orissa), imagine Shree Krishna to be standing there. Shree Krishna is standing on the beach with his flute.  If your mind thinks about Taj Mahal, imagine Shree Krishna standing on the marble stone.  Just like the monkey, the mind will come under control.  It will be bound with Shree Krishna wherever it goes.  Slowly, the mind will come to rest in Shree Krishna.  This is the solution.
Note that this is not just your imagination.  It is a fact that God resides everywhere, and we have to realize that wherever our mind goes, God is present there.  Keep practising this way and it will only happen when you practice Roop dhyan, or meditation on the form, constantly for some time.  Close your eyes and imagine your personal form of God to be in front of you.  To strengthen Roop dhyan in your mind, imagine that you are dressing your God.  Imagine as if you are decorating Him with a beautiful necklace and offering Tulsi at His lotus feet.
So, by constantly meditating like this, your Roop dhyan will get stronger.  And when that stage arrives that as soon as you close your eyes, you can see your God's personal form in front of you, then you  do not have to worry.
To attach your mind in God, it is very important that a devotee practices Roop dhyan.  During devotion, wherever your mind goes in the material world, place Shree Krishna in front of you.  Moreover, decorate Shree Krishna with your mind. By doing this, Roop dhyan will become more firm and deeper.  And our love for God will progress in leaps and bounds.
Now, you will be able to progress with the steps which Shree Kripaluji Maharaj has explained in the next lines of his self composed kirtan series.

.... To be Continued
Click for Part: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14 15 | 16 | 17

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