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by Çréla Bhakti Rakñak Çrédhar
Gosvämé Mahäräja
The
disease Ill fated are those who are very eager to find fault in others and who
have no time to find fault in themselves.
The other side of your necessity is not to find defects in others, but
to find their attributes. Why do you allow yourself to engage in finding fault?
There is ample place to find goodness in the devotees. Why are you not engaging
yourself in that association?
Why is
there the tendency to find fault in others? Could there be a more faulty person than yourself? Why do you
engage yourself only in seeing the lower rather than fixing yourself in the
higher? Upon doing so, you will find that the devotees are of a higher quality
than yourself. Why not attend that section? Why, unfortunately, do you go to
the lower section with your attention to find fault? On one side there are
beautiful flowers, on the other side there is rubbish. Why do you inspect the
rubbish instead of all the beautiful flowers?
You yourself
stand in the witness box. You are the criminal. You are the culprit. Why should
you look at the rubbish when so many beautiful flowers are there? You see
injustices but you do not see justice? Why not merge to the positive portion?
If one hand is working and the other is paralysed, shall I only attend to the
diseased part, giving no attention to the working hand? I must care for the
paralysed hand surely, but what already has full capacity, I must also utilise
that. Why are you always looking towards feeling the pain of the diseased part
and continuously preaching this, ignoring the healthy parts? (excerpts from “The Panacea”)
On one
side there is good – God is there. Why do you go to Satan and keep company with
satanic persons only while there are godly persons? Why not to God’s side? On
one side there is heaven and on the other side there is hell. God has no fault;
yet by the fault of Satan, we must suffer? That reasoning has got no logic. You
are suffering from your own misdeeds – that is the real logic. Neither God nor
Satan is responsible for that. Therefore, concentrate on your own self, pray to
the Lord and try to keep aloof from Satan.
You are
holding a marginal position. Your limited free will is your capital. You should
always utilise that towards the godly side, taking it away from the satanic
side. This limited capital that you have, you are to begin your business with
that. But you think that you will begin a business when you get a good capital.
This is imagination! Whatever little
capital I have got, I shall start my business with that. My attention, my
energy, will help me in the future.
The best
benefit of limited consciousness A man on a journey has an accident and loses consciousness.
But when he
regains a little consciousness what will he do? He will utilise that
consciousness telling,
“Take this
body to my guardians, my home is there. O my friend, carry my body to my home.”
That will
be the best benefit of the limited consciousness which returned to him; he was able
to use his
good
knowledge. Whoever will take care of this body affectionately, it will be put
under their care.
So
whatever awakening we have in consciousness, we shall utilise that by putting
ourselves in the care of godly persons; only then is there value of devotion to
God. Those who know the value of devotion to God, they are our near relations.
They will appreciate this inner awakening, and they will take care of our
devotional self – Sädhu-saìga. When medicine
or our own attempts cannot heal us, the doctor advises us to make a change.
Then the air and the water will naturally come to help improve our health. So,
also, the atmosphere around saintly persons improves our spiritual health.
Anyway, we should always remain in the company of devotees in the same
sampradäya, the same line – but superior devotees, so that we take the lower
position. Such association is most desirable for any person aspiring to
progress spiritually.
The
gist of the advice given in Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu by Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé is:
“We are to associate with those superior to us but in the same line of Kåñëa
consciousness. They carry the same
conception of the spiritual Truth, but they are superior to me. If I engage
myself even as a sweeper in that camp, it will be highly valuable for my future
spiritual life.”
If you
look and see injustice, then who is responsible? You are held responsible. What
is bad, that is your share. You are to
take the whole responsibility of misdeed in your hand. If you cannot feel this
responsibility then you are insincere;
not only you but everyone. Your free will is responsible for all misdeeds and
misguided circumstances in the environment. This is the first principle of
spiritual life. What is bad in me, I am responsible for that. You are
responsible for seeing, for coming in connection with, that vision. There are
good dealings in another sphere. Why
have you come to see this misjudgement and mistreatment of so many who are quarrelling
with each other? There are so many good dealings and you have not acquired a
position to remain in that layer? Then why?
“I am
responsible for all the undesirable things in me –that is a fact. My weak free
will has taken me down into this present undesirable environment and no one else
is responsible.” This fact you are to realise. If you ignore this, then you are
in mäyä, misconception, illusion. When you sincerely realise this position,
then your dark days will come to an end. When you feel that only you yourself
are responsible for all these miserable things, then good days will awaken for
you. This is the fact. It is not only a conception to achieve some end. It is
not an imaginary conception to take help of in order to get out of the present
condition. It is not like that; it is a fact. It is for everyone whether good
or bad – he is responsible. Neither God nor Satan is responsible.
If
suddenly I find myself in the prison house, then who is responsible? There are
so many culprits, so many deceitful persons, so many thieves in the prison
house. If I find myself in the midst of them, then who is responsible? I have
acquired that position. There is also heavenly association but instead of that
why am I put in the prison house where wherever I look I see culprits? Why am I
here? Why am I not with heavenly association? Who is responsible? Who?
In this
way, I am to try and understand that I am responsible for being here. First
there must be the diagnosis, then the treatment and nursing. Nursing and
treatment is good, but it must follow the diagnosis. The diagnosis is, “I am
the culprit!” And the medicines must be applied accordingly. A thorough cure will be advantageous, not a
patch-job.
Then
the thorough, wholesale treatment is like this:
tat te
’nukampäà su-samékñamäëo
bhuïjäna
evätma-kåtaà vipäkam
håd-väg-vapurbhir
vidadhan namas te jéveta yo mukti-pade sa däya-bhäk My dear Lord, one who
earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while
patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You
respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for
liberation, for it has become his rightful claim. (Çrémad-Bhägavatam 10.14.8)
This is the magical cure for fault-finding. Çrémad-Bhägavatam recommends the
system of a magical cure. This is the
diagnosis proper. Preaching must be on the basis of this truth. Otherwise, all
is haphazard. The Çrémad-Bhägavatam’s preaching is like this – deep penetration
to the root cause of the disease.
Dreamless
sleep induced by renunciation? That is not the conclusion accepted by the
Çrémad-Bhägavatam. The Çrémad-Bhägavatam has accepted the wholesome organic
life. It is unavoidable that we have to live with some particular
paraphernalia. Complete retirement, entering into samädhi or dreamless sleep,
is also not the conclusion of life. That is a temporary arrangement. But
permanent adjustment must be for Him – everything for Him.
“I am
for Him and not for myself. He is also holy, so accommodating and so good. I am
for Him and that is my best prospect. My best prospect is with Him – the
Absolute Good, the Organic Whole – and I cannot leave that. I cannot look after
my separate goal. My goal must be part of the Whole; such adjustment is
necessary. So if I am to live in a holy atmosphere, in an organic environment,
then I shall always by cautious and careful to detect my own fault.”
Neither
exploitation nor renunciation can give permanent solution. “Dedication” – the
basis of dedication is that the eye is not faulty.
karmaëy
evädhikäras te / mä phaleñu kadäcana
mä
karma-phala-hetur bhür /mä te saìgo ’stv akarmaëi
You
have the right to perform your prescribed work, but you have no right to the
fruits. You should not consider yourself to be the cause of the result of your
actions, nor should you become attached to neglecting your duties.
(Bhagavad-gétä 2.47)
“The whole
of your attention must be towards the discharge of your own duty without caring
for the
environment.
That is in My command. I am to look after that. You must give your whole
attention to
the
discharge of your own duty.” And if all the units are wholly connected to
discharge their own duty,
then it
will be heavenly. But we would rather find fault with the environment. “They
are thieves and I
shall also become a thief.” Should that be the conclusion?
The furnace of purification
Everything
here is undesirable. I may not even know the extent of undesirability in me.
There are
many things underground and they will gradually come to the surface. I shall
then find,
“Oh! All these undesirables are in me?” They must go out and then the real
gems will
come forth. The gold should be cast
into the fire. When the alloy portion
vanishes
[is burned off] then the real gold will be visible. Now the pure gold is mixed
with some
alloy. So “Die to Live” – throw
yourself into the fire. Your socalled ego at
present is
mixed with alloy and that alloy must be destroyed by the fire of suffering.
Fire
means
suffering, and the golden gems will then come out. Alloy is not a part of your
body or
your soul; it is acquired. The inner soul’s svarüpa will then come forth. So,
if you
want to
live a real, proper, noble and holy life, what you think you are at present,
that
must die.
And preaching
will be part of your adjustment. If this environment is not suitable, then I
shall try another environment that may be more suitable to me. That is a small
thing. A small partial adjustment may vary differently from place to place.
Anyhow, the main line must be “No complaints against the environment”. A bad
workman quarrels with his ‘stools’; the origin is he – the workman. So there is no benefit in quarrelling over
them. Before, that was food; and in his association it became stool. So shall
we preach against the injustices of the environment? Never.
What is
necessary you will feel from within – not as a pleasure, but as a duty – and
only if it comes
from above,
if you find some inspiration for the cause of the higher conception, and not
for your
personal cause.
If you criticise for your personal interest, then that fault will come back to
you. It will
enter into
you. But if for purification and not out of envy you seek help from the higher,
you will be
purified. Otherwise
the next moment you may find yourself in the same position. I am vulnerable. I
criticise
something to be so bad, but the next moment I may be left in such a deplorable position, thus
becoming
that which I just criticised. I do not know the ways of the infinite environment. I am a doll
playing in
the hands of the Infinite.
In the
next moment, I may have to go from a human birth to a dog’s birth, a cat’s
birth or an insect’s birth. They are
descending into the mental system. So don’t criticise. Don’t be hungry to find
the fault of others. But if some fault comes to you, then you may put it to the
higher: “I heard something like this. Whether or not it is real, I don’t know.
Please try to help me.” No enviousness, no spirit of competition that I am good
and he is bad. No mischievous motives underground. Otherwise I shall have The
basis of dedication is that the eye is not faulty. to suffer. So, “Physician,
cure thyself” before you attempt to cure others. This is your primary duty;
then you will really be able to cure others.
In
conclusion, my advice is that you should try to be submissive to the Vaiñëava
devotees. Submissiveness to them will promote your spiritual merit. We shall
also pray, “O Lord, my bad temperament stands in the way of my association with
the devotees; please remove it.” Association with the devotees of the Lord is a
primary necessity. It improves our position with the higher, so we shall always
remain in prayer to the Lord, “O my Lord, this bad temperament in me, this inconsiderate
thinking and this feeling concerning the outer world, is disturbing my
association with the higher Vaiñëava devotees. They are the real source of
improving our own inner wealth. So please purify me by dismissing all these
tendencies in my mind which the devotee section do not adore.
” We
shall always try to be in such a position that the servants of the Lord will
like our company and service. They will utilise me, for this is my primal
necessity. If they do not like my presence due to some contamination in me,
then it will be a loss to my spiritual life. So we shall have to repent.
mat-samo
nästi päpätmä / näparädhé ca kaçcana
parihäre
’pi lajjä me / kià bruve puruñottama
Dear Lord, let me inform You that no one is
more sinful than me, nor is there any offender like me. Even if I wanted to
mention my sinful activities, I would immediately become ashamed. What to speak
of giving them up! (Vijïäpti Païcaka 1)
bhümau
skhalita-pädänäà / bhümir evävalambanam
tvayi
jätäparädhänäà / tvam eva çaraëaà prabho
Just as
the ground is the only support for those whose feet have slipped, so also You
alone are the only shelter, even for those who have offended You. (Vijïäpti
Païcaka 3)
“If we
slip and fall on the ground, then the ground is the only help by which we can
stand erect; we cannot leave the ground.” We shall sincerely pray, “O Lord, I
am committing a mistake regarding You, I am ignoring You; but I have no other
alternative to get out of this disadvantage.
Except by Your help, I cannot correct myself. Under no condition can I
leave You, my Lord. If I commit a mistake against You, an offence against You,
still, I can only be purified by Your help. I have no other alternative. Please
forgive me and help me so that I may be saved by Your most intimate associates,
for without their grace I may not be able to enter Your domain of Divine Love.
It is only through the devotees that I may go. I have no other
alternative. There are so many agents.
If I am disappointed by one agent, then in a mild temperament I may try another
without speaking much against that previous party.
” It is
better that we consider ourselves to be faulty. To put blame on another’s
shoulders is ultimately not considered to be very happy or valuable. We should
try and Everything here is undesirable.I may not even know the extent of
undesirability in me. There are many things underground and they will gradually
come to the surface. I shall then find, “Oh! All these undesirables are in me?”
They must go out and then the real gems will come forth.learn to blame
ourselves. What is coming from outside
I
have no
concern. The Lord can see and He sees everything. He is seeing who is
responsible. But I
won’t try
to put the blame on another’s shoulders. It will not be fruitful.
“I am responsible for this
disgraceful condition”
I shall
gain if I can find fault within myself and not complain to others about the
environment. The environment should be considered to be within His
jurisdiction, and it is really so. I am concerned with seeing the defect in
myself only. If I attain success, I shall try to attribute it to others – to
the grace of the devotees. If there is any failure, then I shall try to find
the cause within myself. Through this process we can make real valuable
progress and that is the most universal process of progress – to find fault
with our own selves. I am responsible for this disgraceful condition, but if
there is any good then that is coming from Him. He is all-good. He is watching
the environment and is in full control. So this is included in Him, in God’s
party. One party, myself; another party, God’s. He controls everyone and He is
conscious of their activities.
This
position would be very advisable. If without looking at the fault of others I
can search myself and find out that the fault is with me, not with them, then
this is the key to success in spiritual life. Çrémad-Bhägavatam has advised us
to go on this way. You will thrive, but when you are finding fault with others
then you will become a loser.
This
verse from Çrémad-Bhägavatam (tat te ’nukampäà su-samékñamäëo) is very
effective, very true and safe in all respects. It is also His grace to be able
to see that the environment is always helpful to you even in punishment. When the mother is punishing the child, it
is from the guardian’s side – but it is for the good of the child.
You will be purified in this process, in time
So on
the whole the Lord and His paraphernalia are not vindictive. Yet the punishment
comes; to correct you. They are fully
aware of your defects and your real interest.
They are all-affectionate. You are responsible. In this process, in time
you will be purified to the highest degree.
So don’t go to quarrel with the environment. The environment which you
are presently facing, is a product of your own karma. So the environment is
produced by your own action. You cannot lodge any complaint against it as you
yourself are responsible. This is true. If in this life you can accept such a
truth in your sädhana, then in no time you shall prosper because divine grace
will be attracted most intensely towards you.
oà tad
viñëoù paramaà padaà sadä
paçyanti
sürayo divéva cakñur ätatam
tad viporäso vipanyavo jägåvämñaù
samindhate viñëor yat paramaà padam
The
suras (pure devotees) always behold the supreme
abode
of Bhagavän Çré Viñëu, just as the unobstructed
eye
sees the sun within the sky. (Åg Veda)
His
vigilant eye, like the sun, is seeing everything and He is omniscient. His
presiding guardian eye over our heads is always looking for us. We shall be
able to draw His sweet attention, His divine grace, towards us very soon if we
take this miraculous process of seeing the defect within us –blaming ourselves
and not the outside environment.
(Courtesy
– Çrépäda B. P. Håñékeça Mahäräja)
Rays of
the Harmonist No. 11, Karttika 2002
·
