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Friday, November 5, 2010

Pleasantness in Speech, dealing and Action


Meaning: According to Athervaved 1/34/3 — "All people love him whose speech, dealings and actions re pleasant. Only they do good deeds and oblige others in the world whose nature is pleasant."
Message: Pleasantness, gentleness and humility are the characteristics of excellent men. As against that, people of mean activities are always hard and of harsh speech. Generous people, with a tendency to help others, are also very polite. Just as the fruit-laden branches of a tree hang downwards, clouds filled with water come downwards, similarly those who are excellent and obliging they are not proud of their wealth or luxuries and are always polite. One in whose heart there is the feeling of divine spirituality for every life; his dealings are also polite and pleasant. He always makes an effort not to cause pain or unhappiness to anyone.
Many people have that false belief that harsh behavior or harsh is more impressive and gives an impression about their greatness. But if we give it a little thought, and experiment a little, then we find out that instead of harsh words, sweet and pleasant words influence more. There is very great capacity in pleasantness. Only because of the lack of capacity and self-confidence, people use harsh words and try to cover up their defects by falsely accusing others. People who are untruthful and who possess false beliefs get joy and fulfillment in obscene and harsh speech. Unfortunately today harshness and obscenity are getting into literature also. Harsh words influence somewhat temporarily, people may obey such words out of fear, but behind their back, speak ill of them. Although people get their work done with harsh words and egoistically move around in a vulgar manner, they are not able to understand that their respect has been undermined. No doubt, harsh words are occasionally necessary. Sometimes we have to resort to harshness to bring children, those working under us or bad men, on the good path, but the use of harsh words should be with discretion.
Gentleness does not mean weakness. To say 'yes' to whatever the other person says, sycophancy and cleverness cannot be termed pleasantness. It is worth observing the pleasantness and humility when people come to request for vote or for donations, but anyone can understand how much truth lies in it! A thug and hypocrite also use very sweet language, but can we really call it pleasantness?
Real pleasantness lies in conduct, not only in speech. We find the ideal of pleasantness in the character of Shri Krishna, the incarnation of God. Whether it is play as a child, or raasleela (dancing), recalling childhood lovingly with Sudama or battlefield, political negotiations or the use of 'sudarshan chakra' (the ultimate weapon), we find everywhere a harmonious blend of pleasantness and harshness. He is pleasant In all respects hence the Sanskrit couplet from Madhurashtaka:

Vachanam madhuram, charitam madhurum, vasanam madhuram, lalitam madhuram, chalitam madhuram, bhramitam madhuram, madhuradhipate rakhilam madhuram.

Faithful Deeds


Meaning: The line of Rigved 10/151/1 states that — "Only the deeds performed with faith have the capability of achieving the goal. Therefore a man should be full of faith".
Message: Faith is the basis of human life. There is great inspiring power hidden in it. Nothing is possible without solid support. If someone wants to take a jump, the ground from where he wants to jump, must be firm. If it is hollow, granular or muddy, the jumper will fall down, and cannot reach the goal. The support must be strong. The support for water, i.e. its container must not be cracked. The stand for the pot must not be wobbly, and the ground must not be slopping or slanting. Similarly if we want to hang something on the wall, the peg must be strong, otherwise the peg will break and the material will fall down. In the same way, faith also must be traditionally strong and by observing, identifying and testing it, its due (important) place must be fixed.
A person, who wants to learn swimming, is at first afraid of entering the water. The teacher gives him an assurance that he will not allow him to drown and asks him to jump, but the learner does not develop faith. He has more faith in the rope kept for practicing, so he gets done into the water while holding the rope. Gradually he gives up holding the rope and becomes bold to move his hands and legs. The teacher helps him and takes care to see that he does not drown. So after a few days his faith is transferred from the rope to the teacher. Then he becomes free from worry and jumps into the water with full faith in his teacher. Let any one call it blind-faith, but nobody can shake his faith in the teacher. Similarly those who have faith in the existence of God, they have this faith every moment that He will help their passage from this world and will not allow them to sink.
Faith, trust and love are the three steps of progress. Everything is possible with faith. Trust makes difficult things easy, and love makes them the easiest. Those who practice these three qualities, their path become free from difficulties and hardships. A person with faith finds that his every task gets performed with ease. When the faith becomes firm, it protects us like our own benevolent mother in every situation.
We too must keep the flame of faith burning. We cannot take even one step forward. Let our life be fully soaked in faith. Our prayers should be with faith, meals with faith, charity with faith and attending religious discourses should also be with faith. Whatever work we do we do with full faith. When there is faith in the work, there is concentration also. That develops a liking for the work. The possibility of smoothness in carrying out the work increases in whatever work is done with mental involvement. Just as the rays of the sun can be converged on a point with a lens and fire can be lights, similarly through the medium of faith, all the powers of the mind can be concentrated. The power obtained with faith makes every task easy
Make faith the basis of your character.

Shraddhayaagnihi samidhyate
shraddhaaya huyate havihi
shraddhaam bhagasya moordhani
vachasaa vedayaamasi (Rigved 10/151/1)

Excellent Moral character from Religion


Meaning: The line of Athervaved 17/1/29 has described about our deeds, that can be expressed as — "Human life will be safe only with good deeds and religious conduct. Therefore let us be sinless and praise worthy and always go on acquiring higher knowledge".
Message: Religiousness means religious conduct. To respect religion in every field of life to follow the injunctions of religions, is itself called 'dharma-achaaran' (or religious conduct).'Dharma' not only means religion (as regards spiritual science and worship), but it has several other meaning including 'moral duty', but unfortunately politicians and the so-called intellectuals are twisting the interpretation of the word 'dharma' to suit their selfish ends.
In reality religion is beneficial to man in every field. The question of narrowness does not at all arise in religion. In fact religion contributes to a wide and vast viewpoint. Real religion does not talk of putting blindfolds on the eyes, but enjoins us to remove them. No religion produces jealousy, malice and such perversities. Religion in the real moral sense creates an atmosphere of good thinking and love. Religion and humanity are mutually complementary. Man can never remain without religion and religion cannot remain any where except in man.
Religion means a rule for carrying out one's responsibility, in other words, 'self-accepted imposition for achieving excellence'. Every field of activity has its own 'dharma' such as teacher's dharma, student's dharma, people's dharma, leader's dharma, soldier's dharma, servant's dharma, father's dharma, women's dharma etc. Religion does not mean mere worship or rituals. Dharma is a symbol of the entire life, because it pervades every aspect of life.
Dharma is good activities, good deeds and truthful conduct. A dharmik man is a man of good conduct, is satisfied, quiet (at peace), disciplined and restrained. Never does he get angry, has no malice, does not ridicule others, nor disrespect others. His main qualities are mental purity, truthfulness in conduct and excellent sentiments for public-welfare. A religious man does not show off his religion. He is busy in his duties with a quiet and unselfish attitude. He relies upon excellence in thinking and simplicity in life. He always utilizes his total capacity and insight for deeds of public-welfare and removes the obstacles in the path with patience and firmness. A life of simplicity propounded the ideal of high thinking. Prosperity lays in simplicity only and in that only lies one's reputation.
To disrespect religion is like discarding humanness and acknowledging animal-ness. For animals there is no religion except fulfilling the needs of their bodies. If an animal coming in the path creates an obstacle, then to drive it away with its horns, to frighten it or to kill it (i.e. selfish survival) is the only 'dharma' of animals. Animals do not have a sense of respect, sentiments, discretion, tradition, society and culture. These exist for man only and therefore at every step in life he has to conduct himself according to the rules laid down in religion. The essence of religion lies only in obliging or helping others, mutual cooperation, compassion, and living together.
Conduct according to the rules laid down in the religion is the only basis for excellent character.

Duty of the Learned Man


Meaning: According to the Rigved 6/10/7 — "It is the duty of learned men that they should carry out excellent deeds and make others do the same. By such deeds, bad tendencies get eradicated and there is an increase in strength, intelligence, learning and longevity."
Message: Whom can we call a learned person? Those who have the knowledge of physical matter and creation, those who keep themselves in formed about the human society, those who understand the principles of life and are familiar with spiritual knowledge, they are called the learned ones. Knowledge means to know and understand anything in its proper form.
The learned person knows the difference between knowledge and ignorance. 'Avidya' or ignorance means to understand that the world and body and similar temporary matter as permanent, to understand meaningless, worthless talk, stealing etc as refinement, to understand the sorrowful activity such as indulging the desires as bringing joy and to understand the physical body and similar physical matter as live. The opposite of it i.e. the knowledge of reality and proper knowledge of the fundamentals means proper learning or 'vidya'.
Learning and knowledge is commonly expressed as social and scientific subjects and languages. Especially, it refers to spiritual knowledge, which includes the knowledge of God as well as the soul and regarding the physical matter (or jad) and chetan (which means the vitality or spark of life). Knowledge is also expressed in the axioms which salvage a fallen person or which awaken an ignorant soul. Only the wealth of learning is the best among all the wealth. Only a man completes with such learning and knowledge is called a learned person. Austerity destroys our sins and with learning we achieve nectarine bliss.
With the contact of such knowledgeable and learned persons, there is constant increase in the willingness to donate for charity and good causes, in the sentiment of non-violence, and in acquiring the knowledge. With 'satsang' (keeping the company of truth, i.e. truthful saintly persons and God) there is always salvation. With 'satsang' terribly depraved men also have realized themselves from the mire of a depraved life and attained heavenly bliss. The change of the lives of the killer-dacoit Angulimaal and the dancer Amrapali after meeting Lord Buddha are already a part of religious lore in Nepal. Maharshi Balmiki, who was the terrible dacoit was changed by a chance meeting with the sage Narad and became a Maharshi so much so that when Ram wanted a safe place for his wife Sita to stay in the jungle, he chose the hermitage of Maharshi Balmiki.
It is the duty of excellent and knowledgeable men that they should not use their acquired knowledge only for self, but give its benefit to everyone coming in their contact. By imparting knowledge, it never diminishes but increases. With the destruction of bad tendencies and increase in good qualities, people's discretionary powers are awakened, and men, doing 'satkarma' (good deeds) achieves longevity.
Those men, who are miserly in giving the benefit of their knowledge and experience to others, are like beasts. Their accumulated knowledge is not useful even to them and gradually their profundity is lost. It is man's duty to give the benefit of his knowledge to the entire society. They only are 'vidwan' (learned) in the true sense.
This is the only duty of knowledgeable men with character.

Divine Sentiment is the Part of our Character


Meaning: According to the line of Yajurved 38/21 has given us instruction about the formation of character, that can be explain as — "O men, just as Good protects and nurtures everyone by being everywhere, similarly you protect and nourish all the living beings by achieving excellence."
Message: The desire for progress and the fulfillment of one's material desires are two entirely different matters. The common forms of both appear similar, but on minute observation, the vast difference as between the sky and the earth, can be seen. Progress is the name for that need in life which illuminates the individuality, unfolds the personality and increases the worthiness. It means the development of those capabilities which can make the body, mind, nature and the deeds clean and will developed. This itself is realistic progress. Only such an evolved individuality is capable of taking courageous steps and achieving miraculous powers.
The condition of a man involved in satisfying material desires is like an intoxicated man's. Mostly, the man keeps uncontrollable desires of achieving heaven and earth without having any assessment of his own situation, worth and means. These desires are never fulfilled; on the contrary they make him restless and unhappy. If someone does achieve something, then such undeserving person, because of his unsuitability, causes harm to himself and others by the suddenly gained wealth.
The real meaning of progress is to achieve progress in the creation of a well developed personality based on a clean body and pure mind. Only with progress do brightness and excellence arise in man and he shines like deities, complete with divine qualities.
The scriptures mention three classes, viz, devata, manav and danav. Danavs (or demons) are inferior or lowly, manav or man is in the middle category and devata or deity or divine man is in the superior category. Today man is heading towards 'danavta' (or demonism). He is badly trapped in the sole desire for more and more money, for the welfare of his progeny (children), and achieving fame at any cost. He is ready to do anything for his selfish ends, and does not care at all for what is proper or improper. Every type of bad tendency and wicked action is becoming an inseparable part of his character and despite knowing it; he does not want to give up any of them. Such a man, trapped in demoniac activity, goes on destroying himself.
On the other hand, deities are complete with all the qualities. They have extraordinary capacity and brightness of intelligence. They are full of supremacy, enthusiasm, and wealth (of various types such as knowledge, wisdom, discretion and so on). A man replete with such divine qualities is called 'nara-ratna' (or gems among men). Just like the deities, such a man, wishes always to protect and nourish all, seeing in them al the same soul as is in him. All the great men in the world have seen the peaceful light of God, the Supreme Father in all the living beings and opened up the path of uplift and progress for all.
If this divine sentiment becomes a part of our character, we too can go unto the highest step of progress.