We often hear people saying, “Oh, the suffering was so in abundance that it disappeared by itself just as a fatal disease gets cured of its own if a patient leaves worrying and caring for it.”
Further, the pains are welcome because they remind us of our sacred task of self-realization in the present birth that we have millions of other forms of life. An English woman always put some pebbles in her shoes so that she would be constantly reminded of God due to the pain. The human life is utilized by the wise for penance, ‘tapas’ and Yoga practice. Every moment, they aspire to spend in the company of ‘Sadgurudev’ reciting the ‘Guru Mantra’. Pious, sincere and true in their efforts they move ahead swiftly, not distracted by worldly charms.
Great Yogis, saints and other noble men of the past had worldly pleasures at their command (Ridhis & Sidhis). Instead, they passed a life of obstacles, devoid of heavenly comforts for a still higher goal. Then there is the path of ‘Karma Yoga’ (Nishkam Karma-executing all duties without a wish of fruit), Gyan Yoga(perception of God through attainment of true knowledge) and Bhakti Yoga(finding God after total surrender and recitation of holy names). With a wonderful blend of the three they were able to break all worldly bondages.
All of them, as mentioned above, are great tasks, a tough job often compared to walking on the blade of a sword with the danger of falling astray at every step. It is an acid test with open fierce jaws of difficulties ahead and alluring sensual pleasures pulling us backward. It is only with great determination and protection of ‘Sadgurudev’ that one can cross all this to find himself in the realm of all- pervading divinity.
Great mythical heroes of the past Raja Harish Chander, Raja Bali, Lord Ram and Lord Krishna etc. had to pass through great tests to become really great. Mira Bai, Tulsi Das, Surdas, Nanak & Kabir never looked towards worldly pleasures. They became realised souls through total surrender and devotion to their favourite gods and ‘Sadgurudev’. Great kings Alexander, Hitler, Napoleon and Porus could live in comfort and luxury but they chose the path of challenges to become immortal in history, otherwise nobody would have known them.
Sardar Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Raj Guru and Chander Shekhar could easily fail in the line of common men to enjoy sensual pleasures because they preferred to sacrifice their lives to live forever. Thus, it is evident that all great men possessed the power to win the common human weakness of going down. They chose for themselves a path full of hurdles.
Now if an individual has automatically been trapped in difficulties, it should be welcomed rather than cursed. It should be assumed that the almighty is very kind and it has come for some ultimate good though it may appear to be unpleasant and unfavorable like bitter medicine.
We have known friends who feel very happy when they are ill. The feverish state provides delusion and as the temperature grips the body they constantly recite the ‘Guru Mantra’ and enjoy the concentration. Such persons with their determination and faith not only cross this period but also rise above all sorrows joy and feeling of pain.
Thus, we have observed that intense pain give rise to intense happiness, a state of sublimity where all distress disappears. It is a state of subtle equilibrium where a steady calm prevails. All worldly disturbances get absorbed and nullified. Just a flowing flooded river enters into the realm of extreme gravity of the ocean.
Generally, common men in the world love themselves. They may possess religious thoughts and may worship God in a routine way. They might be living in a sacred peaceful place in the company of their spiritual guide or ‘Sadgurudev’ but even then at any cost they don’t want to lose their identity. They cling to themselves, their personality with great attachment. You may call it a form of ‘ego’. Their aim is just to pass a sacred, pious and charitable life. In some cases, it is probably to gain reputation or a social status or to keep away from worldly difficulties in the form of ‘escapism’. They don’t have in their mind a higher goal. They are satisfied, consoled and convinced with the little they have. Because otherwise they will have to part with themselves, their ego, and will have to prepare themselves for a total disintegration of their personality in order to get transformed into ‘Divine Personality’. They have to dissolve, fuse and melt themselves to get justified. Though the body will remain the same it will be totally changed from within. It will be perfectly cleaned and washed by the ‘Sadgurudev’ in case they are ready for it with utmost preparedness. A wise man should never miss taking a bath in the ‘Ganges’, if it is flowing at his doorsteps.
The pains might have also appeared due to one’s gradually drifting towards allurements by pulling away from divine duties under his feet due to some self-interest, misfortune or misguidance. It must be remembered that when out of deep love and reverence we intend to go to our Sadgurudev and take one step in the direction, his mercy blessings and benevolence move ahead by thousand steps and if it is the reverse only God can save you. Such is the grace of Sadgurudev.
Whatever might be the cause of difficulties, you must at once rush to his divine feet and reveal everything. Letters can be written for conveying the message. Revelation and confession or transportation of thought waves should be practiced through concentration and meditation. And to your surprise, a miracle of peace and bliss will appear in the mind and a perfect calm will spread in you indicating that a storm has passed without hurting you the least.
Thus, we have seen that pains and troubles are not so awful as they seemed to be in the beginning. Especially when they pass over, we laugh at ourselves as to why we felt so depressed and doomed. The life and its charms bear a special significance now. Sometimes the difficulties are so in continuation and bulk that they become non-existent as the person turns his back towards them. The confidence that develops purifies him as melted gold. Tolerance, forbearance, patience and utmost stability is achieved by the sufferer. And very soon he gets rid of the gloom and sorrow as if it had never come. In discompassion (vairagya) and increased will power the soul energy diminishes the mountain of pains to mole hills.
Again it should be borne in mind that pain and agony are associated with the intense feeling a person possesses. Man is something in flesh and blood and so various activities, both physical and mental, are associated with it as limitations. But through practice of Yoga a perfect control of all sorts of passions can be obtained and then only the man attains the lost divine glory and peace that ‘Adam’ lost when led astray by ‘Eve’, tasting the forbidden fruit. Only then, all pain, grief and miseries will disappear.
Non-restraint, falsity, greediness, suppression, uncleanliness of body and mind and desires are main causes for the worldly pains. Abstaining from pleasures and unshakable faith in Sadgurudev helps a lot. Ignorance creates restlessness. Jealousy, lust add fuel to the fire. Discord, disharmony in thoughts is the enemy of peace.
The mind if lost in enjoyment is the cause of bondages and if it abstains from them becomes a tool for ‘liberation’. Therefore, right thinking is key to happiness. It is sinful to give shelter to bad thoughts in the mind, when attacked by such thoughts, abstraction and shifting of mind to some other field should be practiced. Concentration, the inward turning of mind, is purely a mental process, without any muscular strain and is practiced in a comfortable relaxed pose to achieve the stillness of mind by cutting the thought waves and becoming indifferent to the whole process of thinking.
Sometimes chanting Gurumantra, Pranayam, brisk walks in open air, thinking just the reverse, helps a lot in shedding mental tension. Practicee the feeling of joy in the absoluteness of soul. Prolong it through concentration. In due course of time, everything is set right with the grace of Sadgurudev and joy becomes the permanent feature of an individual. Intelligent thinking and power of reasoning helps as a counter balance.
In short, if the disturbances mentioned above are delicately handled and properly nurtured by the grace of Sadgurudev the individual, can achieve perfection and the soul finds real Absolute Radiant Divine Brightness millions of time more dazzling and bright. It is then that pain really proves to be a blessing in disguise.
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