Saints-Part-3&4

[Guest guest]

"O Garuda! You have no doubts or delusion. You

pretended to be deluded in order to come and grace me."

The same is true with all the other episodes.

 

 

 

Just as a number of actors and actresses playing different

roles make a movie, God is an expert actor who descends

on this earth along with His associates and they perform

different pastimes for the welfare of material beings. These

pastimes can only be understood by those who are deserving

of His grace.

 

 

 

This truth can be understood in another way. Actions

performed without attachment are not binding at all. They

are non-productive of karmic reactions. Arjuna killed thousands

in the battle but was not punished for his actions because

he was detached from them. Thus the detached actions of

a karmayogi (one who works in the world in a detached

spirit, with his mind attached to God), are not taken into

account for dispensing of rewards, because they are not

considered as actions at all. A karmayogi is actually a non­-

doer. How then can a Saint, who is eternally gratified and

governed by God Himself, be considered as the doer of his

actions? If a soldier is ordered to kill the enemy, he is never

punished for killing. On the contrary, he receives

commendation, because his aim is to work according to the

directives of the government.

 

 

 

If a Saint were to remain engrossed in his Divine state, and were not to perform

any actions, righteous or unrighteous,

He would not come to you at all, nor would He guide you.

How then would you benefit from him? Therefore, although

Saints are eternally blissful, and in constant union with God,

they engage in various activities in the external world for

the welfare of others. Some write scriptures, some give discourses, some like

Prahlada even rule over the world.

 

 

 

However, their perfection is in no way affected by any of

these actions, as they are Divine.

 

 

 

There may be some who object to God and the Saints

performing unrighteous deeds, because the Gita declares that

the lesser men imitate the greater ones.

 

 

 

Yadyadacaratisresthas tattadevetaro janah

sa yatpramanam kurute lokastadanuvartate

 

 

 

Now, if material beings are to imitate those apparently

unrighteous actions, the result will definitely be total downfall.

This was the very question King Pariksit asked Sukadeva

Paramahamsa, in context with Lord Krsna’s amorous pastimes

with the gopis who were other men's wives. He referred to

these pastimes as improper. Sukadeva gave the following

reply -­

 

 

 

dharmavyatikramo drsta isvaranam ca sahasam.

 

tejiyasam na dosaya vahnesh sarvabhujo yatha

(Bhagavatam)

 

 

 

"Saints have often been seen to behave in an unrighteous

manner, but because they are perfect, and their actions are

Divine, their acts are not transgressions. Just as fire consumes

everything, both pure and impure, and yet remains unaffected

by any kind of impurity, the Saints too are unaffected by

good or bad because they are beyond the realm of material

bondage."

 

 

 

naitat samacarejjatu manasapi hyanisvarah

 

vinasyatyacaran maudhyad

 

yatha rudro’bdhijam visam

(Bhagavatam)

 

 

 

"If anyone were to imitate the so-called irreligious actions of Saints even in

thought, he would bring destruction upon himself. " Lord Siva drank poison and

was honoured with the title of 'Nilakantha'; but if anyone were to imitate this

action of his, by drinking even a little bit of poison, his name will appear in

the obituary column of the newspaper.

 

 

 

isvaranam vacah satyam tathaivacaritam kvacit

tesam yat svavacoyuktam buddhimams tat samacaret

 

(Bhagavatam)

 

 

 

"The words of Saints are worthy of acceptance. But

as far as their actions are concerned, only those actions are

t6 be followed which belong to our own spiritual level. If

we imitate actions that are of a higher spiritual level, we

will only bring about our own downfall."

 

 

 

Kusalacaritenaisamiha svartho na vidyate

 

Viparyayena vanartho nirahamkarinam prabho

 

(Bhagavatam)

 

 

 

"The Saints have no selfish motive behind their good

actions because they have attained eternal gratification. On

the other hand, they will not be harmed by their improper

acts, because they have no desires at all. Whatever actions

they perform are exclusively for the welfare of others. "

 

 

 

 

 

yat padapankajaparaganisevatrpta ­-

yogaprabhavavidhutakhilakarmabandhah

 

svairam caranti munayo’pi na nahyamanas

 

tasyecchaya”tta vapusah kuta eva bandhah.

 

(Bhagavatam)

 

 

 

"The Saints, or those who harbour, Supreme Love for

Lotus Feet of the Lord in their heart, cut asunder all

of action by Supreme devotion to God. They possess a free will and perform

actions accordingly." There is no good

or bad, virtue or vice, right or wrong, as far as they are

concerned, because their every action is solely for the benefit

of others.

 

 

 

Thus, it is obvious that it is wrong to imitate the actions

of Saints. Both God and the Saints perform actions for all

classes of spiritual aspirants. We are expected to imitate only

those that belong to our class. There are separate ideals for

those who are seekers, and for those who have attained

perfection. Even within the category of seekers, there are

various levels or spiritual classes. Hence imitation of Saints

should be in accordance with one's own spiritual level­

 

 

 

Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah

 

 

 

It is clearly stated that we are to follow the path taken

by great men. We are not to directly imitate the level which

they have reached. Suppose a student tries imitating his

teacher by sitting in his chair. He scolds his own teacher

upon his late arrival in the classroom. The teacher goes along

with his act. So far, the student has managed to imitate

his teacher. But if the teacher were to ask him a difficult

question, the student would obviously have to give up his

act, because he does not possess the knowledge of his teacher.

 

 

 

A circus acrobat walks on a rope tied a hundred feet

above the ground. A strong wrestler, seeing this thin, wiry

man upon the rope, thinks that he being stronger, can perform

the same act better. So he ties a rope two hundred feet

above the ground, and climbs a ladder to reach it. But the

moment he takes his first step on the rope; what will the

disastrous result be? 1he circus acrobat only revealed his skill,

he did not ask anyone to imitate him. If anyone desires

to perform the act of this acrobat, he will have to first find out from him how

to practise it, where to begin, and

how long to continue the training. This is the right way of

imitating anyone.

 

 

 

>From this it is obvious that imitation of a higher class

in the material world itself is not possible. If someone does

try to do so, he will have to suffer the dreadful consequences. When imitation

in the material world is dangerous, you can

well imagine what the consequences of imitating God and

the Saints would be, taking into consideration the fact that

they possess unlimited transcendental powers.

 

 

 

Now let us come to the crucial subject of recognizing

a Saint. Firstly, we should remember that we must not accept

anyone as a Saint on the strength of someone else's words.

It is best to observe Him and rely on our own experience.

The danger in accepting anyone as a Saint on the basis

of someone else's words is that our faith in that Saint will

Waver as and when the other person's faith wavers. This

result in us being deprived of the association of a true if we are told that

such and such a man is actually fraud, and we believe it.

 

 

 

Today, ninety percent of the people (Hindus) consider

Saint as one who possesses the power to fulfill selfish

material desires for wealth, children, name, fame etc. For

example, suppose a Saint visits someone's house, and that

person coincidentally attains some material gain. Thinking this

to be the Saint's blessing, he sings his praises saying, "This

Saint is surely a descension of the Supreme Personality

himself." And you believe him! The next time that Saint

visits the same person's house, he happens to suffer a loss

according to his destiny. His earlier faith is immediately

shattered. This person, who praised him as a descension of

God is not even ready to accept him as an ordinary human being now. People

defame Saints on the basis of selfish

material gains and losses, and thus transgress. Instead of gaining

spiritually, they lose whatever they have gained with this

constantly wavering faith. Those that base their faith upon

the accepted experiences of others, suffer the same fate. It

may take you a whole life time to recognize a Saint, but

it is best to do it yourself, instead of believing others.

 

 

 

points to be kept in mind for recognizing a Saint

 

 

 

A Saint has a simple and innocent heart like that of

a child. He is pleased with straightforward talk and behaviour.

He remains unaffected by both praise and abuse. A man abused

Lord Buddha all day. Instead of being annoyed or hurt, Buddha

said, "This man must be really tired. Give him something

to eat and drink, so that he can regain energy to continue

abusing me." The man was shocked to hear

this. Lord Buddha then said to him, "0 friend! just answer

my question. If you give a gift to someone, and he does

not accept it, with whom will the gift remain?" The man

replied, "Obviously, it will be with the giver." Lord Buddha

smiled and said, "You showered abuses upon me, and I did

not accept them. Now with whom will those abuses remain?

And who is it that will be harmed by them 7" The man

understood the message and begged for forgiveness. Abuse

is a kind of seed which germinates very quickly. But a Saint

is like a barren land where this seed is fruitless. Tulasidasa

says ­-

 

 

 

nindaka niyare rakhiye angina kuti chavaya

 

nita sabuna pani bina ujjvala kare subhaya

 

(Tulasidasa)

 

 

 

The one who hurls abuse should be given a place in the courtyard of the house,

because his constant abuse will

be the best test of our vanity.

 

 

 

tulyanindastutirrnauni santusto yena kenacit

(Gita)

 

 

 

ninda stuti ubhaya sama

(Ramayana)

 

 

 

"A Saint is one to whom both praise and abuse are alike”. Next a Saint should

never be judged from his external

appearance, such as dress, style of living, etc. A person

wearing the garb of a sadhu need not be a genuine Saint.

We have historical evidence that ninety percent of the Saints

were householders. Observe, the Saint Prahlada ruled as a

monarch for thousands of years. Even Dhruva, Vibhisana,

Sugriva, Janaka, Ambari_a and others ruled as kings. The

gopis, who are supreme among the Saints, were householders.

Kabira, Tukarama and others also belonged to the same

category. Again, those Saints who were ascetics, wore'

different types of clothes. Some wore orange, some yellow,

some white, etc. Therefore, it would be misleading to judge

a Saint from his external appearance.

 

 

 

A very important point to be kept in mind is that a

Saint never gives material things. Today, most impostors have

adopted this technique to befool people. They are aware that

householders desire worldly objects, and they know that they

are attained according to past samskaras. Hence, they involve

themselves in this game of chance to fulfill their own selfish

needs, and attain fame. Just think, a Saint is one who, realizing

the transitory nature of worldly objects, renounces them to

attain God. What sort of a saint is this, who is giving material things? He

should actually be classified as a demon. It is

unfortunate enough that we have forgotten God in the

intoxication of material things. To make things worse, these

impostors in the garb of saints, pretending to be capable of

giving material boons, mislead us even more.

 

 

No Saint will give any worldly possessions contrary to

what is due to each individual according to the law of karma.

Besides the Saints, even God does not break these laws.

If the law is broken for one, the same benefit will have

to be given to all. We have the well-known example of

Abhimanyu, nephew of the Supreme Lord Krsna, and son

of the Saint Arjuna, dying at a very young age in the battle

of Mahabharata. He left behind his wife Uttara, a widow at

the tender age of sixteen. Even Veda Vyasa, the incarnation

of God, who conducted their marriage ceremony, did not

foresee this unfortunate event. When three great personalities

together could not save Abhimanyu, how can we, who sin

day and night, who are forgetful of God, and who are attached

to material relations and objects, hope that a Saint will change

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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our destiny? It is our misfortune that we do not bother to

read the scriptures and keep making such grave mistakes.

Every year we hear stories of some so-called saints having

the ability to make the impossible possible, and millions of

people following them, only to be deceived. No one bothers

to reflect that if anyone were to possess such an ability,

then why would there still be misery in the material world

in spite of so many descensions of God and the Saints.

Moreover, when the Saints are prepared to accept abuse,

torture, and even death from. material people, what would

they lose in just saying, "O souls of the universe, be liberated!"

and we would have been freed. No one bothers to think

about this. That is why we have frauds fearlessly going around

the world deceiving gullible people. We must remember what

the Mahabharata says -­

 

 

 

nabhuktam ksiyate karma kalpakotisatairapi

(Mahabharata)

 

 

 

The great self-realized souls have to suffer their

question of material beings escaping it just does

not arise. If we keep this truth in mind, then we will not

go around hoping to find a Saint who will reduce, or save

us from our misfortunes.

 

 

 

Neither God nor the Saints have the authority to change

the destiny of any person. If they do occasionally make

exceptions, as has happened in history, it is only for those

who are completely detached from the world and totally

surrendered to God. Secondly, when God or the Saints grant

anyone material possessions, they do so with a certain aim,

and they also give that person the power by which he does

not become attached to those possessions. It is only then

that the Saints can be proved to be well-wishers. If material

possessions are granted in any other circumstances, it will

definitely be dangerous. Thus wherever we have specific

instances in history of God or the Saints breaking the rule,

we can be sure it is only in exceptional cases where the

above conditions are fulfilled.

 

 

 

The next important point or danger signal to be cautious

about, is that a genuine Saint never indulges in the performance

of miracles or revelation of supernatural powers. Most people

fall into the trap of so-called saints who perform miracles

of a material nature. Even though these miracles lead to hell

or some lower place, they are readily accepted by ignorant

material beings.

 

 

 

Five kinds of siddhis, viz. miraculous powers, or supernatural powers have been

referred to in the scriptures.

he lowest of all is tamasika siddhi. A person who possesses this siddhi invokes

ghosts and spirits to perform miracles. They

are referred to as demoniac powers. The result of indulging

in such base miracles is hell.

 

 

 

The second kind of siddhi referred to, is rajasika siddhi. This siddhi is

superior to tamasika siddhi, and involves actions

that protect human beings. But nevertheless, these powers

too are to be renounced because they lead one toward the

material realm.

 

 

 

The third siddhi is sattvika. Eight different kinds of

supernatural powers have been referred to within this category,

anima, laghima, garima etc. A person endowed with sattvika

siddhis can make himself smaller than the smallest thing, or

lighter than cotton or wool. He can become invisible, read

other people's thoughts, assume a subtle body and fly in the

air, or walk on water, fire etc. When people happen to meet

a person possessing sattvika siddhis, they are so wonderstruck

by his powers that they consider that individual to be no

less than God Himself. But this siddhi too belongs to the

realm of Maya, and the result of it is extremely harmful.

These siddhis last only for a limited period depending upon

usage, and can be utilized to gain popularity and deceive

people. These supernatural powers are bound to be misutilized

because the person himself is under the grip of material

bondage. One should stay miles away from such siddhis because

they can be very dangerous.

 

 

 

The fourth siddhi or perfection is mukti or liberation.

People who acquire this siddhi are liberated from material

bondage and attain union with Brahman, but they do not

experience the bliss of Divine Love. Just as a river which

flows into the sea loses its existence, those who attain liberation

merge into Brahman. We are to beware of this siddhi also.

It has even been referred to as a witch­

 

 

 

bhuktimuktisprha yavat pisaci hrdi vartate

tavad bhaktisukhasyatra kathamabhyudayo bhavet

(Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu)

 

 

 

"So long as mukti or salvation has a place in the heart, devotion will not

come."

 

 

 

The fifth siddhi is the supreme one, that is, attainment

of the nectar of Divine Love. This includes both mukti or

liberation from material bondage, as well as experience of

the Supreme bliss of Divine duality.

 

 

 

Now, of these five kinds of siddhis, we must avoid the

first four. We should especially keep a distance from miracle­-

mongers, or we will miss our goal.

 

 

 

The next point to bear in mind is that a genuine Saint

does. not give pretentious blessing, nor does he curse anyone.

Many people associate a Saint with cursing, and fear him.

But this is a totally mistaken notion. When a Saint treats

both abuse and praise alike, why would he curse anyone?

Then again, he knows that material beings are veiled by

ignorance and are bound to make mistakes­

 

 

 

'na kascinnaparadhyati'

 

 

 

No materially bound person is faultless. Being aware of

this fact, how can a Saint possibly become angry with anyone?

The Saint Haridasa was beaten so brutally by ruffians that

he was soaked in blood from his wounds. Thinking him to

be dead, they threw him into a river. Yet, this great Saint

prayed to God, "O Lord, forgive them, for they are ignorant,

it is not their fault at all. If you love me, then fulfill my

prayer by purifying their hearts." Observe the feeling of

kindness a Saint has even towards his adversaries. How then can they possibly

curse anyone? If you claim that there is

evidence in history of Saints cursing people, then you can

be sure there was definitely a secret behind it. Those curses

were not common. And wherever we hear of them, the aim

behind it has always been beneficial. There was absolutely

no harmful intention involved.

 

 

 

A Saint does not pretend to give blessings in order to

please people. By blessing, I mean placing his hand on your

head and reciting long phrases of blessing that eventually

result in nothing. The Saint is a well-wisher of the entire

universe because he has attained eternal gratification. He does

not bless indiscriminately to please people.

 

 

 

Having dealt with the negative points to be cautious

of in recognizing a Saint, let us come to the positive ones.

The first practical point for recognition, is that the vision

of, and association with a Saint, naturally inclines the mind

towards God. However, the degree of inclination or attraction

varies from person to person. Just as a magnet definitely

attracts iron, but if there is a mixture of other elements,

the attraction will be weak. As the mixture of elements

increases, the degree of attraction decreases. In the same

way, the purer the mind, the greater the degree of attraction.

This is the reason why everyone is affected differently

whenever Saints descend on earth. Some are immediately

influenced, some after a length of time, some are more or

less indifferent, and some end up abusing the Saint.

 

 

 

The second practical benefit that a seeker experiences,

is that a Saint dispels all the doubts and confusion that are

bound to arise during the practise of spiritual discipline. A

scholar possessing mere dry knowledge with no experience,

cannot give you true wisdom in practical spirituality. In fact

mere scholastic skill only entangles the mind, increases doubts;

and brings the seeker to a state of total confusion. Once

doubts riddle the mind, spiritual discipline comes to an end ­

 

 

 

ajnascasraddadhanas ca samsayatma vinasyati

 

nayam loko'sti na paro na sukham samsayatmanah

(Gita)

 

 

 

 

 

Only a Saint is capable of dispelling all doubts and guiding the seeker on the

right path. We read a lot, hear a lot,

but without our doubts being dispelled, we cannot practise

actual spiritual discipline. We only waste our precious time.

 

 

 

The third practical evidence is that the association of

a genuine Saint, engenders in a seeker a natural enthusiasm

and inclination to progress forward in devotion with firm faith.

This happens because the Saint subtly reveals his spiritual

powers in his day-to-day activities. When the spiritual aspirant

actually perceives these actions, he gains faith that he too

can attain the same state one day.

 

 

 

The highest attainment of a Saint is Divine Love. It is

with the power of this Love, that devotees bind the Supreme

Lord Himself. We can gain a glimpse of this infinite Divine

Love as it is sometimes manifested externally. Although it

is the nature of Saints to conceal this Love, they often fail

to do so when there is an appropriate atmosphere. How

long can that unlimited ocean of Love in their hearts be

suppressed? Veda Vyasa describes this state in the

Bhagavatam ­

 

 

 

evamvrata svapriyanamakirtya

jatanurago drutacitta uccaih

hasatyatho roditi rauti gaya -

tyunmadavan nrtyati lokabahyah

 

(Bhagavatam)

 

 

 

 

That Love overflows in the remembrance of the name,

attributes, and pastimes of their beloved Lord and is revealed

in the form of sattvika bhavas or states of ecstasy. These

sattvika bhavas are eight in number­

 

 

 

Stambah svedo’tha romancah svarabhedo’tha vepathuh

 

Vaivarnyamasrupralaya ityastau satvikah smrtah

 

(Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu)

 

 

 

"Becoming as motionless as a tree, sweating, horripilation, trembling, paleness,

choked voice, tears and unconscious trance are the eight symptoms of Divine

ecstasy." Perceiving these eight symptoms of ecstasy, we can imagine the

unfathomable Love that a Saint possesses. This is the best way to recognize a

true Saint. We can infer the presence of fire wherever

there is smoke­

 

yatra yatra dhumas tatra tatragnih

 

 

 

"Wherever there is smoke, there must be fire." In the

same way, wherever the external manifestation of sattvika

bhavas are perceived, one can infer the presence of the

unlimited Love within. The best possible way to catch a glimpse

of this ecstatic state in a Saint is by creating an environment

of loving remembrance of the Lord. In such a situation it

is difficult for a Saint to conceal that ecstasy.

 

 

 

This fact can easily be understood even through an

example of ordinary worldly love. Just talk to a faithful wife

who has lost her husband recently, about him. Immediately

you will find tears flowing down her cheeks. When selfish

worldly love, which is a mere show, cannot be concealed

for long, how then, and for how long, can the Saint conceal

that surging unfathomable Love which permeates every fibre of his being?

Associate with him for sometime and you are

bound to catch a glimpse of it. This is the best possible

way to recognise a Saint, because it is extremely easy to

identify Love. It is something which everyone has experienced

in the limited love of the material world. All you have to

do is to multiply it innumerable times to be able to ascertain

the intensity of a Saint's Divine Love. However, there is

one important point to bear in mind, and that is, a Saint

cannot be recognized on the spur of the moment. It requires

some time. The decision can only be made after close

association. An attempt to judge a Saint in an hour or two

could really be deceptive. Sometimes a Saint deliberately puts

on an act to test people who come to test him.

 

 

 

Although it is possible to recognize a Saint through

association, no one can challenge that he can recognize a

Saint. The scriptures declare that he can only be recognized

through faith. It is totally impossible to recognize him on

the strength of one's intellectual ego, because the Saint has

the ability to befool people and make them run away from

him. But how does this faith come? It comes only to one

who is detached from the world. That is why Tulasidasa

declared ­

 

 

 

Murakha hrdaya na ceta yadi, guru milahim viranci sama

 

(Ramayan)

 

Even if one meets a Guru as great as Brahma, but fails

recognize him, he will not benefit, as lack of faith leads

doubts and confusion. A patient will accept a doctor as

his doctor only when he accepts the fact that he is diseased.

Some people outwardly accept the fact that they are suffering

from the diseases of lust, desire, anger, greed and so on,

but in their heart of hearts, they do not realize this.

 

haim saba ke lakhi biralanhi paye

(Ramayana)

 

 

 

Although lust, greed and various other diseases are

constantly present in everyone's mind, yet there are very

few who are aware of them. Only those that are aware of

being diseased, will think of getting themselves cured. They

will have faith in the doctor, and will take the medicine

specified by him. However, there are some, who although

they accept a Saint as a doctor, are careless in taking the

medicine, that is, practising the spiritual discipline specified

by him. Therefore, they are deprived of real benefit. Thus

it is obvious that both conditions have to be fulfilled. You

should have true faith, and the person you have met should

also be a true Saint; only then will the problem be solved.

Tulasidasa declares­

 

 

 

satha sudharahim satsangati pal

(Ramayan)

 

 

 

Even a rogue can be reformed if he follows the advice

of a Saint with faith. Just as a piece of iron becomes gold

in contact with a touch-stone (parasa), the company of a

Saint converts a person of faith, not into mere gold, but

into a touch-stone. However, if there is no proper contact

between the touch-stone and iron, or if the iron is impure,

or the touch-stone not genuine, it is obviously impossible to

attain the ultimate goal. It is of utmost importance that both

the Saint and the spiritual aspirant are genuine. Once we

meet a genuine Saint and accept him, the next point to

understand is, what are the various paths for attaining our

goal of God realization, and which one we should follow.

 

 

 

 

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