Success of Human Life
Question: What does it mean by 'To know Oneself'?
Answer: To know oneself means - Just as you have worn clothes, then are you the clothes? No. Are you the skin? No. Are you the flesh? No. Are you blood? No. Are you blood vessels? No. Stomach is filled with mucus, excertion and all other impurities. Are you that? No. Are you intestines? No. This, I am not. After accepting it as 'I am not this', then never consider it as 'I am', then you will know yourself. It is such an easy point! After spitting, do no lick. To know one's self, to not do anything for one's self, or to attain Paramatma - these three paths are very easy. Whatever path you want to take, it is your wish.
Look, I will say one thing. This thing being said is a bit egoistical, but I am not saying it with an egoistical attitude. I have discovered and I am still discovering. Now what is that thing? That one attains liberation/salvation easily and immediately. According to the path prescribed by scriptures, after hearing (Shravan), Reflecting (Manan), Uninterrupted Contemplation (Nidhidhyasan), Meditation (Dhyan), State of Absolute Nothingness (Savikalp and Nirvikalp samadhi) and Consciously dropping the Mind (Sabeej Samadhi) and rooting out all forms of duality (Nirbeej Samadhi) then one attains realization / liberation / redemption. I have learned this scriptural prescription. I have given considerable thought to it as well. And have also done considerable amount of - Shravan, Manan, Nidhidhyasan, Dhyan. But the point is only this much - 'I am not this'. For such a simple thing, why to dig a mountain?
I am saying a very simple and clear thing. But brothers and sisters don't trust me. Oh Brother! I am not cheating you, I am not deceiving you, I am not being treacherous. I am only telling you that thing by which you realize the truth as immediately as possible. If you place barriers that how will it happen so quickly, it did not happen to XYZ that quickly, then how can it happen to me? I am telling you that try and see for yourself. If you are in no hurry, then take the longer route. I am not saying 'No' or objecting to it. Do as I say. If it happens immediately, then you are in benefited. Else the longer route is always open for you. What is the roadblock for you? If you do according to what I say you will also get assistance for the longer path or you will not need it. If you ask me there would be no need to walk on the longer path. Look, this thing doesn't come easily. People are not aware of this. Even I myself didn't knew about it. Without any ability, knowledge, meditation, samadhi etc. attaining that state where nothing is to be done, known and achieved. I was not aware of it. When I didn't know, I practiced various control disciplines, stayed in solitude, stopped meeting people. You will be surprised to know that I ate rotis (indian bread) by weighing them. Vegetable and roti both were also weighed and eaten, to place limits on self, that I should not eat more than that. To sleep only these many hours, not to sleep more than that. To keep very few things with myself. Never to say to anyone that 'I don't have this thing' - not to say this to anyone. I had lived in this manner for a number of years. I underwent many hardships, if I tell you these, you will be surprised. I knew that if a Sadhu (ascetic) does not ask for anything, then respect for him will increase, he will be at peace with himself. If he asks someone for anything, he will definitely become a slave of that person. To say all this to anyone is not a good thing, but to make you believe I am saying that I have tried all those things. That is also one way, but a long way. Whatever spiritual practices (saadhan) you have done, it won't go waste, but it will take lot of time. I have this ardent desire (dhun) that 'How to experience the truth as quickly as possible?' Still I am in that discovery.
Wanting something for our selves, that itself is "death". We want medicine, we want clothes, we want a house, we want transportation, than all this is very lowly. When we have become a slave to things, then we have become super inferior, base. How could we have become elevated? I feel very bad for one who asks. It feels as if, some one has thrown a shoe at me. The ascetics who stay with me, when they ask me that they want a particular thing, then this is a great insult; it is not the quality of an ascetic to ask. Rather it is not even humanity! Man is for others. Even if daily roti (bread) is not available, so be it. You say that if we don't eat, we will die, then what are we not going to die even after eating rotis? Whether you die eating, or you die without eating, you have to definitely die. Then why die being a slave? Being contemptible, being oppressed why should we die? Die then die with dignity! By not asking for anything, results in immense peace. There is great Joy! Life is a success! There is so much gain that there is no end to it. There is such immense benefit, that one would not have experienced in any birth.
I heard the story of a sadhu (ascetic). Some sadhus had gone to Badrinarayan. There, one of the sadhus had pain in one of his fingures. Someone told him that since you are in pain, there is a hospital nearby, where all are treated for free. You go there and get the dressing for this wound. The sadhu said, that this pain I will bare, but the pain of asking someone to dress the wound, will not be bareable. This is the example that came to my mind of true sacrifice. This point appeared so great and appealing to me, that this is true ascetism, true humanity. Just like a dog that goes wandering around from place to place for morsel of food, similarly one who goes from place to place does not have true humanity, ascetism (state of a sadhu) is out of the question. Sethji (Shri Jayadayalji Goenka) was a householder, he too used to say that if you want to engage in worship of God, first ask your mind, is there anything you want? Then say - no I don't want anything. After saying so, then engage in worship and devotion of God. If a householder says these things, then what is there for a sadhu to want?
Questioner: Maharajji, how will our work/life go on?
Swamiji: Why do we want work to go on, we want to stop it.
Questioner: If this body becomes diseased, then without medicines how will our work/life continue?
Swamiji: If it doesn't work, then what happens? It will die! Then those who take medicines don't die or what?
Questioner: They will die suffering
Swamiji: Do those that take medicine, don't suffer or what? Taking medicines, in the end feeling defeated, feeling tired they die then they too die after going through suffering. The point is the same only! From within having no want / desire, then you will not experience the pain of being dependent. It will be joyful! It will be blissful!
There is one man who has renounced everything and one who is poor. Both don't have any money. No shoes, no umbrella, no money! Both are in the same state, but are they the same from within? One who has renounced is very blissful from within. That which is not possible in one who is dependent, is possible by one who has renounced. He who needs something, some medicines etc. is highly dependent!
Questioner: But disease causes pain!
Swamiji: During the hot months, when the Sun is directly overhead, a person having lit fire on all four sides, is sitting in the center, the austere one, does he not experience pain? The pain from austerities is out of his choice, whereas the pain resulting from disease is an austerity that God has showered upon us. Tell me, which austerity is better? Therefore when faced with an illness, a disease, if one believes that it is by God's will that this austerity is happening, then there is joy even in pain and suffering. A person maintains a fast and does not eat any food, and another being poor, does not get any food and therefore does not eat. Both remain hungry, but the one who had maintained a fast, he does not feel unhappy on not eating rather he is joyful in not eating.