Pointers for Blissful Living – Part 4(1-7 April 2014)

As part of it’s Ramayan Week celebrations, the Chinmaya Mission of South Africa held a series of spiritual discourses from the 1st to the 7th April 2014. The discourses were held from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.  Puyja Swami Abhedanandaji has been discussing the  Shri Ramcharitmanas  in great depth and bringing out the inner essence of our scriptures

It was explained by Swamiji that one gets a Guru in life as a result of his previous good actions. The Guru gives 1) knowledge 2) faith and love of the Lord, 3) takes us away from the worldly objects and 4) loves us. Swamiji highlighted how everyone wants blissful attention, appreciation, guidance, security and someone to identify with our joys and sorrows but, it is only God who can fulfil these requirements in infinite measure.

Swamiji discussed in great detail the negativities that we need to remove so that Lord can reside in our hearts. The 1st negativity was that of desire(kaam). Desire has both the power of creativity and power of delusion. Swamiji explained that desire is the illusion that we will be happy once we attain certain object or get a conducive situation that we want . Desire has been much censored in our scriptures because when a person has a worldly desire, he becomes pathetic, uncontrolled and almost helpless resulting in him losing his grace and independence in his joy. The effects of desire were discussed. They are 1) absence of total intellect 2) power of constructive creativity gets destroyed by delusion 3) it is a strong cause of transmigration. However, if we invest the same energy of desire in something higher, then it can be beneficial in spiritual life. Desire within the limits of dharm can also be used to create a child that is contributory to the family and society.

Swamiji described the 2nd negativity which is anger – that which stops the flow of joy. Swamiji re-iterated that anger has broken more hearts and homes, it has burnt us, deprived us and takes away peace of mind. Anger is a terrible emotion because it wants to hurt the other person either by words or physically. It was emphasized that the 1st cause of anger is that a person is over-aware of his imagined right. The 2nd cause of anger is that person has a title eg husband, wife, etc. We should be aware that all titles are to remind us of performing our duties and not to claim rights.

The 3rd cause of anger is that if someone tries to obstruct something that a person is passionately attached to, a person can go totally out of control. In attachment, we want our own personal joy but in love, we want to give joy. It was mentioned by Swamiji that the people around us give us an opportunity to serve them, purify ourselves and to see how big sacrifices we can make for the higher. Anger builds by thinking of the other person’s negativity and repeating it in the mind. We should be angry on our own negativities instead of looking at others faults.

The next negativity discussed was that of madh or when a person gets intoxicated with status, power, some talent and he generally feels egotistic. Madh is when a person gets something that catches the attention of people, he puts himself at a higher pedestal. He forgets the Lord and thinks of himself as separate and unique. Ahankar is the sense of over-estimation of oneself and wanting importance from others. Swamiji explained how an ahankari person thinks that his desires, actions, notions and status are big and important. All sadhanas are meant to kill ahankar because it eats our good merits.

Another negativity explained by Swamiji was delusion (moh)- that aspect which stops a person from thinking. An example of delusion personified is Ravan because in delusion , a person doesn’t understand or listen to anybody . Delusions can be removed by attending satsang which takes out the wrong aspects of our personality. Delusion is that conviction in our mind that makes us forget the Lord and remember something which is totally false.

Swamiji described that greed(lobh) is the tendency in the mind for a person to feel dissatisfied with what he has. Many things are fixed according to our fate,eg what car, house , money, luxury and comfort a person will have. Greed (Lobh) is trying to attain something without working for it. As a result, a person crosses all limits and goes against righteousness(dharm). Swamiji highlighted that the only greed we should have, is the greed to become better people and the greed to have Lord in our lives.

The 7-day discourse culminated on the 8th April 2014 with a special program to celebrate Ram Naumi. More than 120 people attended the program and participated in Ram Sahasranaam and listened attentively to Swamiji’s talk. Fresh rose petals were sprinkled on the devotees as they performed a special arathi at 12:00 pm. Devotees departed from the ashram, with their hearts fill of devotion as they remembered the day Lord took avatar on earth.

Categories: Gyan Yagnas