Good and bad sense objects are equally bad
All worldly pleasures and worldly sorrows are the same. All sufferings on hell and all the pleasures on heaven are the same. Are they really the same? If so, how?
In the view of time, all of them are the same. Time finishes off everything. If there is something that generates pleasure, does it stay long? If there is something that generates sorrow, does it stay long?
In the view of time, everything is the same whether it is from heaven or hell.
The pleasure that Indra gets in Nandanvan-forest is the same as the pleasure that a buffalo gets in a lake of dirt. The enjoyment of both are the same.
A rich person gets pleasure in warm water. A buffalo gets pleasure in dirty water. We get pleasure in air-conditioning. A donkey gets pleasure in the rainy season. Aren’t all the same? All the sense objects are the same. The pleasures derived are same though the objects of enjoyment are different.
In heaven, Earth, and hell, sense objects might be small or big but all of them are the same with respect to the pleasure or sorrow that is generated from them.
A poisonous plant might look beautiful. But we don’t keep it in our home. All the pleasure objects are beautiful but are like poisonous plants. They shouldn’t be allowed inside us.
Maharaj says that, “It is not that valuable objects creates attachment and worthless objects creates detachment. Both of them can create attachment.”
A detached person can discard anything
Does a detached person not have any desires? He would have desires too. An attached person does have desires too. Then how is a detached person better than attached?
There was a very rich householder who started a huge shopping mall that had everything from motor-cars to remote-systems to jewelry to all valuable objects. One day, he requested his Guruji, “Maharaj, please bless our shopping mall with your lotus feet.”
Guruji visited the mall. He showed everything in the mall to Guruji and requested, “Maharaj, please take anything that you like from the mall.”
Guruji replied, “I can lead my life without any of these objects. I do not need anything. Thank you.”
That is called detachment. He considers only the pleasure of God as real pleasure. He doesn’t see pleasure in worldly pleasures but considers them sorrowful and sinful.
Nishkulanand Swami says that there is no valuable or great object in this whole universe that a really detached person can’t discard. He can discard everything.
Shreeji Maharaj says that if someone can’t discard objects or habits on the path of God but speaks a lot about detachment and blames sense objects and the world, he is actually an attached person.
The art of leaving is the art of living
Achieving something is great. Discarding that thing is even greater. The art of discarding something is richer than the art of achieving something.
Someone would get something great even by destiny. But destiny doesn’t help you to discard that thing. The one who knew the art of leaving things already won the world. The one who doesn’t know the art of leaving things is a fool.
Acquiring good qualities is not a great art. Being unattached and undisturbed from those good qualities is an art.
Acquiring pious qualities is not that difficult. Staying indifferent from them is difficult.
Learning Tabla is not difficult. You would learn it if you beat the drum a few times. Later if someone says, “You are not doing that right. Do it proper.” That is real difficult to handle.
“I am doing it right. Where am I wrong? I can never do it wrong. You might be playing it wrong. Not me.”
Who is called Sanyas? Karma Phala Tyagaha Sanyasa Uchate
The one who discards the results of works and results of qualities is called a Saint (or devotee).
Who is called Tup? Kama Tyagaha Tupah Smritaha.
The one who discards the enjoyable objects and also discards the desire for the enjoyable objects is called a renunciator.
Devotion without detachment cannot be pure
Nishkulanand Swami says that the soul rises and falls with time in enjoying sense objects. Any object enjoyed without detachment results in sufferings.
Who takes us to heaven or hell? The desire for sense objects takes us to heaven or hell. Sometimes we go to heaven, sometimes we go to hell. The person with detachment can see clearly on how a soul is moving around places because of attachment to the objects.
The pleasures of sense objects look attractive like a beautiful poisonous plant. Even if a poisonous plant is attractive, we don’t keep it inside our home. Similarly, the sense objects should not be allowed in our conscience even if they give us pleasure. The detached person doesn’t allow sense objects to enter in their conscience.
If we perform devotion without detachment, it can’t be pure. Worldly desires will come up and disturb the devotion. A real devotee would first be detached from everything and then do devotion to God.
Nishkulanand Swami says that the one who is deficient in detachment can’t become a real devotee at all. He can’t stop from asking the pleasures.
God likes the devotion of a detached person
The real devotee of God can never leave the service of God. The devotee with attachments can leave God anytime for multiple reasons: his attachments might not be fulfilled, his attachments were hurt by someone, he might be working on attachments and would reply to God, “Please wait, I will fulfill my wishes and then come to you.”
Devotees with desires eat the head of God, “God, give me that. Give me this. Give me that and this.”
Nishkulanand Swami’s sincere advice to everyone is to do service to the lotus feet of God with complete detachment. Never do devotion with worldly attachments and desires. Never ask for these deceptive sense objects in return for your devotion.
God very much likes the devotion of the detached devotee. The detached devotee does first-class service and yet doesn’t ask anything for himself. He doesn’t even desire that God gets pleased upon him and doesn’t desire that God presents him something for his service. He doesn’t desire for liberation, even though liberation is not an object of this world. He has only one intention: To serve God without any attachments.
What does it mean that he doesn’t desire for liberation? With liberation, it would be favorable to perform service to God. What if it is not favorable? Would his service to God go down? A detached person doesn’t reduce his service even if the situation is unfavorable. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, he keeps on serving God.
Doing service and not expecting anything is not easy. Doing service and offering it completely to God is not easy. Leaving everything is detachment. But serving God and not asking anything in return from God is the core of detachment.
A detached person doesn’t care if his body is favorable or not, if his mind is favorable or not, if the facilities are favorable or not. His commitment is to not stop the service to God in any situation.
Devotion with attachment makes God unhappy
When God gets some service from an attached devotee, He knows for sure that this devotee is going to ask something worldly, and his intention is to ask something rather than doing service. He doesn’t feel pleased with such devotion. He would in turn feel bad for him.
We may think why should we not ask? The house of God has everything in abundance. What is the problem if I ask for something?
God is unhappy and feels ashamed with such a devotee. “He is my devotee, yet he is so attached to all of those things. And his hunger for things are never fulfilled. He is going to ask for something worldly and it is a shame for me.”
Once, Shastriji Maharaj visited Junagadh. Doctor Haribhai visited Swamiji along with a young kid.
Haribhai said to the young kid, “Boy, touch the feet of Swamiji and take his blessings.”
The kid touched the feet of Swamiji. Swami asked someone to bring Ladoo Prasad and offered it to the kid. The kid, with folded hands, did not take the Prasad.
Swamiji said in a pleasant mood, “Kid, take it.”
He then looked at Haribhai for permission. Haribhai signaled, “Yes, take Prasadi from Swamiji.”
Then he took the Prasadi from Swamiji.
If the kid snatches the Prasad along with the box from Swamiji, would that be pleasing to see? If he does that who is to be ashamed? His father would be ashamed. Not the kid. Nobody would say the kid is not good.
It is the same with God. If the devotee wants to snatch everything and procure all the worldly things in return for his devotion, who is to be ashamed? God. Not the devotee.
God thinks that this devotee is never satisfied even after receiving so much. God doesn’t accept the devotion of such devotees.
Nishkulanand Swami says that without pure detachment, a devotee can’t discard the desire for objects other than God. God is not pleased with other ways of devotion like he is pleased with devotion with detachment.
References:
Sarsiddhi Katha Part 08