శ్రేయం -ప్రియం
Whatever we like may not be good for us. Whatever is good
for us, we may not like it. Our lives revolve around good and pleasant. This
tussle will provide us with a personality of its own. This personality may be
at times meant only for the society. There is so much conflict behind this kind
of presentation. We do things for our family, friends and society even if we
really do not like them. We suppress our feelings and sacrifice our likes in
the process. Due to this, there develops some kind of dejected feeling which in
turn produces sorrow and pain. Lot of us in this world could be in this kind of
predicament.
There is other spectrum where people do not care for society, or
others and they would like to do what is best for them. They might appear to be
enjoying everything but they will have insecure feelings inside. These feelings
will make them divert from the righteousness. They will lack discrimination to
differentiate real from unreal.
As light and darkness are
inter-related to each other, still they are separate from each other, the Good
and the Pleasant are similar to them. We have been struggling to choose between
good and pleasant and we are unable to differentiate the two entities. We
forgot the path that was shown by our saints. That’s why human life became
miserable. We are all running towards the senses and their enjoyment. One whose
mind runs after the Pleasant, he deteriorates because of selfishness. Sai’s
teachings always reiterated this kind of moral in every story.
What is “Good”? What is “Pleasant”?
Whether it is the Good or the
Pleasant, even if both are understood in the right way, it is difficult to
bring the Good into practice, even for a person who is independent in his
thinking. However, if both are available, it is difficult to select or see
which is right.
The Good deals with pure knowledge.
Pleasant is false knowledge.
Wise men are never attracted towards
the Pleasant.
But the Good is disliked by the
ignorant.
Till such time that wealth and women are
available, the senses indulge in pleasures and no thought is given to
self-denial or non-attachment. The Pleasant is welcome. The Good and the
Pleasant are inter-mixed like water and milk. But the Swans of Manas Lake drink
only the milk.
Similarly, those steadfast by nature,
wise, self-controlled and fortunate ones only hanker for the Good and shun the Pleasant.
But look at those dullards who are only keen about caring for their body,
cattle, children, wealth, status and wellbeing! They acquire the Pleasant only.
Inconceivable are the whirlpools of
the mundane existence which rotate incessantly, twenty-four hours of the day.
Man suffers the harsh miseries of the three-fold tribulations. Because of them
(whirlpools of mundane existence), extreme miseries befall and man is harassed
or tormented. Then he tries to discover easy means of pleasure to avoid them.
The whirlpool of mundane existence is unbearable. How can it be stopped? Could
there be a means to do so? He starts thinking thus.
Initially, one should definitely be
able to understand wherein lays the Good. Afterwards if there are obstacles in
the way, one would be able to avoid them entirely. Our scriptures emphasized
the right path and we have to understand what is real and what is unreal. To attain
this knowledge we need God’s (Guru’s) grace.
In a dream, if innumerable hail stones
of gold shower and are collected with effort, thinking that they will prove
useful in time of need, they disappear on awakening. Knowingly and unknowingly,
fate, destiny, passion, hope, desire or covetousness can always be the
obstacles – remember this! And uproot them at the outset. That which even
sunlight cannot penetrate, and from which the intellect returns defeated, and
where the Vedas and Shrutis cannot get a foothold, the Guru leads you to
it. Passion and anger, these are the two emotions, which come in the way of
true knowledge. They shatter the power of understanding, concentration and
samadhi very skillfully. If a flame and camphor come close together, is it
possible for them to push away from each other? No sooner than they come
together, the camphor starts burning due to the flame.
A person, who is always restless,
perturbed from within, driven crazy by being caught in the clutches of the
senses, cannot attain wisdom.
He, who is contented, calm and
constant in his search for his True Self, and above all, obedient to his Guru
is full of wisdom.
He will not be satisfied whose mind is
restless. He has no entry in the realm of the supreme state of salvation and
thus cannot avoid the cycle of birth and death.
How the precious body is wasted!
Wealth and pleasures are like the afternoon shadows, short-lived. Understand
that this is a powerful illusion created by God and surrender at the feet of
the Saints.
Sai took charge to help us with this
task and all we have to do is show faith in him and learn to be patient. Sai
Maharaj knows what is best for us and we have to let him show the path. Then we
can cross this maize of good and pleasant. This is only possible when we have
the blessings of great Gurus like Shirdi Sai.
OM SAI RAM!
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