॥ Shri Hari ॥
Our Own Yearning Lead Us to Welfare
(Kalyaan ki Praapti mein Apni Lagan kaaran)
Tvameva Maata
Cha Pita Tvameva
Tvameva
Bandhusha Sakhaa Tvameva
Tvameva
Vidyaa Dravinam Tvameva
Tvameva Sarvam Mama
Deva Deva
Swami Ramsukhdas
Our Own Yearning Lead Us to Welfare
(Kalyaan ki Praapti mein Apni Lagan kaaran)
Lord Krishna has specified in the Gita -
Uddharedaatmanaatmanam Naatmanamvasaadayet |
Aatmaivahyaatmano bandhraatmaiva ritpuraatmanah ||
(Gita 6/5)
"It is up to man to emancipate
himself by his own self and not degrade himself, as man is his own friend and
he is his own enemy."
It means that man himself is responsible for his elevation, as well
as, his downfall and not someone else.
Since God has bestowed man with a human body, then He has also fully given man all the resources
for his salvation. That is why there is
no need for anyone else for our salvation.
Only one’s
own inward surrender, dedication and
obedience to guru, saints and God ensure him the way to spiritual progress and fulfilment
of his aim of salvation. In absence of
that yearning in the disciple, how could
even Guru help him?
If you yourself do not become a student, then what can a teacher
do? Someone else may provide you with
best of foods, but how would you enjoy
it, if you are not hungry? Similarly, if one does not have the keen and sincere yearning, how would the discourses by Gurus and Sages
help him?
The guidance of a Guru, Saint and God is always available. There have been a number of famous
saints, teachers, Gurus, incarnation of God, but still we are not liberated. This proves that it is we who have not
accepted them and we have failed to derive benefit from them. Therefore,
he who feels that someone else is responsible
for his uplifment, as well as, his downfall, he can never attain liberation
(salvation).
Truly speaking man himself is his own Guru (master) - “Aatmano
gururaatmaiva purushsya visheshatah”
(Srimad Bhagwat 11/7/20).
So, we should guide and lecture ourselves. Instead of finding faults with others we should look
at ourselves to find out our shortcomings and make adequate efforts to free ourselves
from them. You only become your
own master, your own leader and your own ruler.
Meaning, salvation is neither by a Guru, nor by God,
rather we can transform our life by our own yearning, perseverance and
endeavor. Without one’s own yearning, even
God cannot do anything. If that was so, why are we still deprived of attaining
salvation? The problem is that we are
short of our efforts towards salvation while there is no dearth of Gurus, Saints,
Sages and the Almighty. Spiritual
enlightenments is not dependent on them but it totally depends on the seeker
himself. When in absence of our own
aspirations for our salvation, even the Supreme Lord cannot help us, then how
can any human being lead us to salvation,
if we don’t have a keen desire?
Any number of Gurus we might approach, it won’t help us, on the other and if we have a true yearning
in our heart, we would find a Guru, a
Sage, God, good spiritual books and wisdom. How it would happen, we don’t know but leave
it to God, When a fruit is ripe, the
parrot itself flies to eat it. Similarly if we are pure and real seeker, a true Guru would approach us himself. The keenness of a disciple to get his Guru is
relatively less intense than that of the Guru to have a true disciple. If we get a fraud Guru, god would free us fro his clutches. It is a
rule that when a person has the desire towards his spiritual progress, he does
not get stuck anywhere. When a seeker finds the holy company of exalted souls,
he holds on to it and sticks with it.
If you are determined to rise to attain salvation, then there is nobody
who can stop you. And if you are not
keen for it, then even a good Guru or a sage cannot help you in the attainment
of salvation, If you are ready to attain
self realization, then not only the saints would encourage you but even the
thieves, frauds, violent creatures like lions, snakes etc., and the whole world would help you to
intensify your pursuit. I have
experienced that if the person who is whole-heartedly devoted to God but is
engulfed with hardships, these hardships also prove to be helpful in his
spiritual progress, Not only this, even
if a person who doesn’t accept the existence of God, attains true wisdom if he
develops true aspiration for salvation.
A rich man keeps a servant for doing his chores. He hires a Brahmana to perform religious
rituals, but if the rich man is hungry or unwell, he himself has to do the
required task of eating food and taking medicines for his good health and
speedy recovery - no one else can help
him in that. If this is the case, then
how would you uplift yourself towards spiritual transformation, if you don’t have the yearning to make true
efforts yourself for your chosen ideal
If you truly dedicate yourself to God, then the sages and Gurus
would help you, but you have to intensify your pursuit towards spiritual
enrichment yourself. Therefore, it is
a deceiving belief that a mere guidance from a Guru would lead us to
salvation.
A mother can be very caring and loving but if the child is not
hungry, how can she help him eat
food? Similarly, if you do not have the longing for
salvation, how can God, in spite of
being compassionate and forgiving help you in your endeavor? There is a case like this in the epic Mahabharata,
when Draupadi remembered Lord Krishna during distress of being disrobed
by the Kauravas. Lord Krishna
appeared for her help in the form of clothes.
Yudhisthira on the other hand, didn’t call out the Lord for help
while losing in gambling, then how could God reach him as his savior? Yudhisthira faced afflictions and was
tormented in the jungle for thirteen years.
Kunti asked Krishna,
“don’t you have mercy on the Pandavas? The Lord replied, “What can I do?” Yudhisthira lost his kingdom, wealth
etc., in gambling but never remembered
Me even once and never asked for My help.
Narayana ! Narayana !!
Narayana !!!
From “Is Salvation Not Possible without a
Guru?” in Hindi by Swami
Ramsukhdasji
Books by Swami Ramsukhdasji, can be purchased from the online store at: http://www.swamiramsukhdasji.net/market.html
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