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Swami teaches... Directions for Spiritual Seeker

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Light and Love

 

Swami teaches... (23 December 2004)

 

Directions for Spiritual Seeker

 

Important guiding principles of life, like the cultivation of virtues, the

development of character, the control of hatred, etc. is being given from a

hundred platforms every day, and people listen and depart; they do not practise

what they have heard; and so things remain where they are. This is because those

who give advice do not follow what they preach. Like the blind men who described

the elephant, they describe the advantages of acquiring virtues and the benefits

of controlling hatred, more out of hearsay than out of experience. There is

deep-rooted unrest today in every individual, because there is no harmony

within. The Varnaashrama rules that have come down from ages prescribe one type

of conduct; the books that one reads recommend another type; experience gives

conflictingadvice. But peace depends on the mind and its awareness of the

secret of poise. The body is the caravanserai, the jeevi (individual) is the

pilgrim and the mind is the watchman. The mind seeks sukha (happiness); it

feels that happiness can be got in this world fromfame, riches, land and

property, from other individuals or relatives; further, it builds up pictures

of heaven where there is more intense happiness for a longer time; at last, it

discovers that eternal undiminished happiness can be got only by dwelling on

the Realityof one's own Self, which is Bliss Itself. Develop the power of

discrimination and find out which is permanent and which is not, which is

beneficial and which is not. Even in selecting a Guru, you should use your

viveka. A real teacher will be able to attract seekers from afar merely by his

personality. He need not be talked about in glowing terms; his presence will be

felt and aspirants will hurrytowards him, like bees towards a lotus in full

bloom.

Seek the light always. You must take up the path of saadhana (spiritual

practice), very enthusiastically. Half-hearted halting steps will not yield

fruit. It is like cleaning a slushy area by a stream of water. If the current

of the stream is slow, the slush cannot be cleared.

Liberation can be achieved by subtle means. Treat the others in the same way

as you would like them to treat you. Never brood over the past; when grief

over-powers you, do notrecollect similar incidents in your past experience and

add to the sum of your grief; recollect, rather, incidents when grief did not

knock at your door, but you were happy instead. Draw consolation and strength

from such memories and raise yourself above thesurging waters of sorrow.

Naamasmarana is the best antidote for this and if only men and women take up

to it, the Lord will come to their rescue. That will instil the faith that

everything is God's Will and teach that you have no right to exult or despair.

(A brief compilation by Sathya Sai Speaks. Volume 1, Chapter 12 "Tolerance,"

pp. 62 - 64).

 

Namaste - Reet

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