The Divine Lifestyle (2a)

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I AM NOT AFFECTED BY PRAISE OR BLAME(Chapter 2)Whenever

we go to a teacher to learn from him or her, be it any profession, and

enthusiastic teacher will first demonstrate to an appreciative student

glimpses and flashes of the breadth and scope of what is to be taught.

The coach in the gym will himself demonstrate the push ups and the

eager eyes of the student will appreciate the exercise being done

without the accompaniment of tiredness or hurried panting. The student

gains an appreciation as to the extent of how his stamina and muscles

should develop to match that of his teacher. Likewise, in the cooking

class, the demonstration of how to prepare certain dishes by the chief

chef will impress the juniors in his kitchen the finer points that goes

to making certain delicacies. The same is true for swimming or driving,

which can be physically demonstrated and visually appreciated.In

spirituality, the field of training is conferred on the subtler realms

of the personality and therefore, transformational consequence of this

many not be easily detectable. Since spirituality is a subtle science,

the student must depend upon every word of the teacher. A good student

will observe how his teacher acts and responds to the challenges thrown

to him in the world. The student will then emulate the behavior of the

teacher and hopefully gain the same experience as what the teacher is

experiencing. Hence, a snap shot of how a divine mind operates can

provide a matrix for the mind of the student to develop. Hence, it

becomes exciting to ponder what or how a divine mind operates. Swami's

statement that 'I am not affected by praise or blame' is a crucial snap shot for us to appreciate that a human mind must reach this stage in order to gain a divine status.The

nature of the mind to be in equanimity is of paramount importance to

achieve success in life. Imagine a person with a sensitive mind - with

the slightest criticism, the mind becomes agitated with unnecessary

thoughts. People are known to lose sleep, ruminating over words or

actions (intentional or unintentional) that have caused the hurt. This

slowly develops a complex that creates a barrier in his day to day

transactions. The paradox of it all is that, in most cases, the person

who criticized would have forgotten what he had said. Such vulnerable

and reactive people will not risk coming to the front of any organized

work for fear of being criticized if projects fail. Hence, his

potentials and talents remains untapped and unexplored.'We

should no be affected by praise and blame, censure and appreciation,

gain and loss. Chaitanya was abused widely by people. But Chaitanya

danced in ecstasy even then. When someone questioned him why he danced

in joy in spite of the foul abuses, he said, 'The foul abuse of the

people does not reach me at all. It melts into thin air. That is why I

dance in joy.'(Summer Showers in Brindavan 1993 - Page 17)Chaitanya's

example shown is a good one to point out that when one is immersed in

his preoccupation, the world will never bother such individuals. Those

who are passionately immersed in a piece of work will not register the

criticism hurled nor the praises showered. The artist staring in wonder

at the ripples in the lake will not hear of the criticism hurled by the

passer-by that he is wasting his valuable time and yet the fine paint

work of ripples caught in the art canvas placed in the art gallery

years later draws praises from on lookers. The artist was sucked into

the joy of work. Such people will forever be steady and focused in

their chosen goal and will be completely detached from praise or blame.The

benefits of equanimity are listed in all scriptures but the modern

youngsters will only laugh at such ideals as utopian and scorn at such

suggestions as impractical. Almost as if hearing the incredulous cries

of such sceptics, Bhagavan in another speech hints a point as to how

the quality of detachment can be developed in order to gain equanimity.'The

sense of dislike that results from recognition of the temporariness and

triviality of pleasure is best called practical detachment.'(Sathya Sai Speaks Vol IX - pg 7)Everything

in life is temporary. A quick sweeping look into our own lives will

enable us to believe this truth. The toys we cried for, the clothes we

passionately liked, the company we kept, the food we enjoyed... will

all come back like a dream now. Yet when we wanted something, the

intensity of our yearning for the things we desired would have been

great. Years later, we laugh at our own stupidity as we have come to

realize the hollowness of that particular desire. Practical detachment

can be cultivated with similar recollections and in doing so, we slowly

learn to steady our mind.Standing and watching from a distance,

the ocean will not confer anyone the thrill of getting wet and soaked.

Entering the ocean but complaining of the high and low waves the ocean

generates is an expression of immaturity. Both praise and blame is a

reaction from the world to our actions. Both can leave behind a

residual effect of the world to our actions. Both can leave behind a

residual effect of attachment with the idea that 'I' have done it.

Action that is prompted by expecting praise will leave a residue of

hope which will breed disappointment if the expectation is not met. To

always act with the fear of being ridiculed or criticized will hamper

the discharge of duty with total love.The maya or illusion trap that we fall into is that we identify with the waves. Bhagavan gives a beautiful analogy :'A

volcano throws up lave on the screen of the picture house; a dam bursts

and the flood waters it has impounded roar along towards the sea,

submerging vast states; but the screen is not burnt nor does it get wet

in the least. The screen is the truth; the film is an illusion, however

realistic it was, however genuine the feelings it aroused. Know this

and so direct your life that this knowledge is the background of all

your actions. Thus you will have great peace and great joy.'(Baba the Breath of Sai - pg 114)True

understanding of the nature of life bestows this Divine quality of

equal mindedness. In order for us to appreciate the analogy better, our

mind must learn how to contemplate on the subtle meanings. The Teacher

has clearly said that there are two parts, the screen representing the

reality and all that is happening on the screen as illusion.Let

us project that analogy on to our life. I was born, grew up, went to

school, got a college degree, got a job, married, produced children and

am now waiting to die. These are generally the milestones of our

different phases or of life. While I experienced through the various

incidences and phases of life, the sweat and tears of my endeavors, the

joy and thrills of my procurements, the one factor that was constant

throughout my life's experiences was 'I'. It was as if the screen

called 'I' witnessed all the happenings that were thrown on it. The

only difference being that the screen was never touched by the

happenings or tainted by the incidences. How can I develop my mind to

be like the screen? How can I be a mere passive witness to all that is

happening to the world? Is this not a claim or a suggestion of a dull

boring life? Will not such a philosophy push away the modern dynamic

youth who are screaming to be in every passing incident?Let us

take the movie analogy that Bhagavan has given. We are now sitting in

the theatre, watching intensely the story unfolding on the screen. It

was then that the lady suddenly poses a question to her husband. 'Did

you lock the front door of the house?' Much to the irritation of the

husband, he replies, 'I thought you did.' The wife replies, 'Well, I

thought I did, now I have a doubt.' The doubt whether the door has been

locked lends fuel to her hyper imaginative mind, that everything in the

house will be stolen by the time the movie finishes. The constant

instigation irritates the husband until at long last his own peace is

disturbed and therefore both now sitting in the theatre are unable to

appreciate the beautiful award winning movie.The real true joy

of any experience can come to be only when the mind stops its agitation

and totally get an opportunity to be absorbed in that given experience.

A crying child who wants to go home from the botanical gardens where

the family chose to spend a Saturday evening, will never provide an

opportunity for his parents to appreciate the myriad flower petals, the

dancing plants and the fragrant flowers in the garden. An anxious

husband, outside the shop, hooting his horn in anxiety will never

provide the peace of mind to his wife to make the proper choice of

buying the right saree or dress inside the shop. Examples can be

multiplied.If all these mundane simple worldly experience

requires the stillness of the mind to enjoy, then surely to climb to

higher strata of consciousness and experience the total beauty and

grandeur of Life itself, the mind must slowly lose the pangs of anxiety

and regrets and gently glide to the mode of the 'screen' become an

unaffected.The analogy is a beautiful one to contemplate upon.

The secret for a successful life is found in this analogy, the logic of

which is sound and cannot be denied even by the hardened sceptic.Bhagavan provides another analogy to help us understand the philosophy better.'We

have a candlelight here. We cover this candlelight with a pot which has

ten holes in it. On this, we also put a thick Turkish towel. In that

situation, the light that is inside the pot is not seen at all from

outside. But if slowly, we take off the towel with which we have

covered the pot, uncovering each hole one by one, then we can see one

light, another light, as the holes come out one by one. But if we

remove the towel completely and throw it away, we look at ten different

holes, and ten different candlelights. In spite of the fact that we can

see ten different lights, if at that time we break the pot and throw it

away, then we realize that all these ten lights are only from one

single candle. Earlier we did not see any light but once when the cover

on the pot has been removed, we have seen ten lights. If the pot is

broken, then we again see one light. This is the basis of your life.

There is inside, as we all can see, the individual light or the supreme

light. The individual light has been covered by the human body with ten

holes in it. If the desires of the human body should be broken, then we

will have the vision of the one light, i.e., the splendor of the Self.

That has been called the light of Oneness. The light of the Oneness is

the light of the Self. The Self is the embodiment of bliss. You can

only experience the embodiment of bliss and it is not possible to

exhibit it in any other manner'...(Baba the Breath of Sai - pg 89)Bhagavan,

through this analogy, brings us a revelation on a method on how to

identify with the screen and not the movie. The key word is to reduce

desires. When desires are multiplied, the mind screen thickens. The

white pure light gets distorted when diffracted through the mind prism.

Perceptions breed biasness and distort the true picture. The reality

seen in fragments and pieces blurs judgment and hence generates

misunderstanding, disputes, quarrels and wars. The analogy is a good

one to explain the concept of Educare. The one light in the pot but

seen from different holes gives the impression that there are ten

lights. Education confers us knowledge and records that there are ten

lights. Educare helps us to recognize that is only one reflected as ten

as seen through different holes. This intrinsic awareness that there is

unity in the diversity cannot be attained or appreciated if the mind

does not experience equanimity. Hence, the appreciation of greater

truth and higher reality can dawn only in a mind which is steady and

free from a reactive nature.'In

Vedantic parlance, this reduction of desire has been called detachment.

Detachment does not mean that you leave your family and material things

behind to retire into the forest. What it really means is to perform

your tasks and duties and uphold the duty and dignity of the family.

But at the same time, curb your desires. Certainly, you have a right to

look for materials which are necessary for what you have to do. It is

only when your desires become excessive that you have despair.'(SSN Summer 1989 - pg 23)Reduction

of desires provides inner strength to acquire this Divine state of

equanimity. We must ask ourselves when we are on a shopping spree, is

this necessary or do we really need this? People today, especially the

modern youth, over-enthusiastically run after material objects

especially branded goods that are expensive and beyond their reach. 'IS

THIS NECESSARY' if repeated like a mantra becomes the armor to curb

excessive extrovert energy to attachment in the outer world. Only when

such energy is conserved and peace experienced in the bosom, can the

intellect be developed.'Shanti

is essential for sharpness of intellect. Shanti develops all the

beneficial characteristics of man. Even far-sightedness grows through

Shanti. Through that, obstacles and dangers can be anticipated and

averted'...(Prashanti Vahini - pg 12)It

is only in peace that man starts to think and contemplate on the higher

state of reality. It is common knowledge that corporations send their

bosses to the highlands or beach resort for brainstorming sessions to

draw up the company's next five year plan. Places of tranquil offer the

mind to free itself from the demanding obligations of the routine. In

the absence of thought waves, the intellect slowly peeps out and like a

lighthouse throw out the beam so that the mind can see into the future,

thereby generating useful resolutions and recommendations to

materialize the five year vision. Having peace is a sure way of

sharpening the intellect. The intellect will come to govern the

personality and slowly evolve the reactive mind to one that responds.

Impulsive reactions are minimized and slowly the personality grows in

stature.'Even

enthusiasm must be under control; devotion must be regulated. There is

no meaning in simply running behind and before My car.'(Sathya Sai Speaks Vol 11, Chap 35 - pg 210)To

steady the mind, spiritual practices are necessary. Discipline enforced

and the mind is brought to vigilance scrutinized by the intellect.

There are some who get carried away in their devotion. Exaggerated

prayers or frequent trips to pilgrim centers do not make a person

spiritual. In this statement, Bhagavan slaps this breed of

over-enthusiastic people. Running behind His car is not indication of

devotion. Hence it is a clear statement that the scientist in Swami,

bringing forth a precautionary statement that external show of devotion

is not wanted. Swami is interested in the state of the mind. Spiritual

science is subjective and therefore no external manifestation of

devotion can indicate the status of the mind. The lifestyle we lead,

the intelligent response to the challenges we face, the decisions we

make, in the manner we speak, the charitable nature we develop are all

symbols that the mind is being slowly cultured and perfected through

the spiritual practices. This is what that is really needed.- to continue -(From : THE DIVINE LIFESTYLE by DR SURESH GOVIND,With the consent of Sathya Sai Central Council of Malaysia)Visit : Sai Divine Inspirations : http://saidivineinspirations.blogspot.com/

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