Swami ji said…
All of us have grown up hearing the proverb – ‘ Ignorance is bliss’. These are words, sometimes, used unkindly, for those who are unaware of , or , do not possess adequate knowledge to understand what their circumstances truly are, or, where they are headed to in life. Their ‘ignorance’ is what keeps them sheltered from the despair and anxiety that they would have experienced if they had truly been knowledgeable.
But , can even the most ‘educated’ among us – those of us who have degrees from premier institutions, who hold high positions in corporations and government, who have learnt to create wealth for themselves, claim not to be ‘ignorant’?
The majority of us are busy living superficial lives. We are trying to fill in time – by chasing material dreams, relationships, recognition, and validation from society at large. And, when we find success in these areas, we become content and are then, only focused on getting either more, or , preserving the same. In fact, so stuck are we in this illusionary world, that we even pray to God for only these things, and thank Him when we receive them – as we feel our cup is replete with happiness. After all , all we need is wealth ! Isn’t it ? This is what we tell ourselves.
But, then the question arises, despite all these worldly joys, and material success – are we truly ‘rich’? Are we truly ‘wealthy’? Is the satiation of material hunger the end all in life ? Should these alone be our true desires? Is the soul satisfied ? Is this all we need from God ?
Who then is truly ignorant ?Is it not us? On being satisfied with these false and mortal treasures of wealth, relationships and fame ; we do not even try to have any access to Him or to gain an understanding of Him. Why do we not feel ourselves ‘lacking’ – spiritually ? Why does it not agitate us and worry us that we have not made progress on the spiritual path? We treat our spiritual practice as if it were an indulgence – bereft of discipline and fervour. We do not even attempt to chart out a plan for our spiritual progress. Most of us follow a strict schedule to go to the gym ; to go for walks and dinners; but , rarely do we have a scheduled plan to delve into our ‘soul’. We track our calories and bank accounts, but, rarely do we track the hours we spend on meditation and praying.
The illusionary world of ‘maya’ – lulls our mind to sleep in the comfort of materialism ; keeps it away from seeking ‘true happiness’ – from reflecting on the ‘true purpose’ of our birth. When God fulfills our material needs, He does it in the hope that we ‘sense’ Him ; that we internalize and accept His existence in our lives ; understand that there is a power who ‘gives’ us most of the time. But, ‘He’ too waits in the hope that a day will arrive , when we might ask Him for that which truly matters – ‘gyaan’ – spiritual knowledge. But, we in our ignorance, do not ask him for this. We remain fixated on acquiring more and more in the material world – more than we need and require – as external wealth can be displayed to the world. Spiritual growth, on the other hand, we tell ourselves, can only be experienced internally – and not exhibited to others.
Instead of ‘asking’ God to give us joy, wouldn’t it be better, if , we sought to remain indifferent to – both joy and sadness. Instead of asking Him to satiate our hunger for material prosperity constantly, let us rather ask Him to destroy the hunger for material objects itself. Instead of asking Him to make us receivers of love of others ; let us seek guidance from Him – to be a beacon of love and light for others. Let us ask Him not to ‘give’ us, but , rather teach us how to ‘give’ to others – the way He gives us.
Remember – We are the wealthiest – when rather than feeling embattled in the face of an ordeal – we feel strong , sure and confident of facing and overcoming the crisis – as the ‘awareness’ within us – that has been kindled by a ‘satguru’s’ divine touch and ‘kripa’ – in an unfathomable way – warns us and prepares us for the impending difficult times.
The world’s greatest riches come to us during those special moments – while living in a world of vibrations , visions and voices – we are able to hear His voice – telling us the ‘Truth’ – during the silence that descends between our thoughts. A voice that tells us clearly when and where we erred ; how we can go about doing the right thing ; to correct ourselves for our betterment … ” इस से ज्यादा धन किसी के पास हो सकता है क्या ? “
Dedicated to Swamiji Ajay Jain ji 