UNDERSTAND LIFE
There was once a Hindu queen, who so
much desired that all her children should attain freedom in this life that she
herself took all the care of them; and as she rocked them to sleep, she sang
always the one song to them — "Tat tvam asi, Tat tvam asi"
("That thou art, That thou art").
Three of them became Sannyasins, but the
fourth was taken away to be brought up elsewhere to become a king. As he was
leaving home, the mother gave him a piece of paper which he was to read when he
grew to manhood. On that piece of paper was written, "God alone is true.
All else is false. The soul never kills or is killed. Live alone or in the
company of holy ones." When the young prince read this, he too at once
renounced the world and became a Sannyasin.
Give up, renounce the world. Now we are
like dogs strayed into a kitchen and eating a piece of meat, looking round in
fear lest at any moment some one may come and drive them out. Instead of that,
be a king and know you own the world. This never comes until you give it up and
it ceases to bind. Give up mentally, if you do not physically. Give up from the
heart of your hearts. Have Vairâgya (renunciation). This is the real sacrifice,
and without it, it is impossible to attain spirituality. Do not desire, for
what you desire you get, and with it comes terrible bondage. It is nothing but
bringing "noses on us,"*
as in the case of the man who had three boons to ask. We never get freedom
until we are self-contained. "Self is the Saviour of self, none
else."
Learn to feel yourself in other bodies,
to know that we are all one. Throw all other nonsense to the winds. Spit out
your actions, good or bad, and never think of them again. What is done is done.
Throw off superstition. Have no weakness even in the face of death. Do not
repent, do not brood over past deeds, and do not remember your good deeds; be âzâd
(free). The weak, the fearful, the ignorant will never reach Atman. You cannot
undo, the effect must come, face it, but be careful never to do the same thing
again. Give up the burden of all deeds to the Lord; give all, both good and
bad. Do not keep the good and give only the bad. God helps those who do not
help themselves.
"Drinking the cup of desire, the world
becomes mad." Day and night never come together, so desire and the Lord
can never come together. Give up desire.
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