The best and most difficult achievement of the soul
What is the highest and most difficult achievement of the soul? Vishnu Purana states that there are 8,400,000 different forms of life. (900,000 species living in the water, 2,000,000 non-moving living entities such as trees and plants, 1,100,000 species of insects and reptiles, 1,000,000 species of birds, 3,000,000 varieties of four feet animals, and 400,000 human species.) Among all these forms of life, receiving a human body is indeed a great attainment. Isn’t that the best? NO!
There are many of us in this world with friends and relatives helping us develop regretful habits like smoking, boozing, speed-racing, bad company of opposite gender, etc.
Without the right set of friends and guidance and without association of an Ekantik Saint, the human birth is useless. Being in the best circle of Saints and devotees is for sure a great achievement. After attaining a human body, attaining Satsang is a difficult task. Is that the most challenging attainment? Sorry. NO! After attaining Satsang, what is the most difficult achievement?
There are many kinds of devotees in Satsang. Among all those devotees, the one who performs Seva and Bhakti along with Dharma, Gnan, and Vairagya is the best. Is it not? Yes. But, is that the best for sure? NOT YET!
Dharma, Gnan, Vairagya with Bhakti does not mean it altogether pleases Maharaj and Ekantik Saints. Dharma, Gnan, Vairagya, and Bhakti are futuristic goals and we may not be in that stage right now.
Then what is the best essence a devotee can attain?
To please Maharaj and His Ekantik Saints, i.e., to be useful to them is the single best essence of the soul.
Gunatitanand Swami states that performing Bhakti and Seva is not the final fruit of Satsang. Finding your own way of pleasing Maharaj and His Ekantik Saints is the ultimate essence. It is the essence of living this short life.
How do we please Maharaj and His Ekantik Saints? It is the lowest hanging fruit. The whole life we have been pleasing everyone. We please our managers and colleagues by completing their tasks. We please our family, spouse, and children by providing them their needs. We please workers and servants by caring for them and providing them bonuses. We even go as far as to please our pets. We please everyone with whatever we possess from resources to skills. Applying the same skills, objects, resources we possess for the use of Maharaj and His Ekantik Saints and for their pleasure is the easiest and most effective way of pleasing them.
We are already using the skills and qualities we possess for many purposes other than pleasing God. We use all our skills and qualities in the best possible ways to win our bread-and-butter, to gain name-and-fame, and to enjoy comfort-and-richness. Using them for the sake of God and His Saints is the essence of the human life. If you use them in all possible ways except for God and His Saints, then you haven’t achieved the essence of your life.
Are you really pleasing God and His Saints?
There are countless devotees in the Satsang. All of them are pleasing God and His Saints, right? No. If you are in Satsang to please God and His Saints, are you really pleasing God and His Saints?
It is the same with Saints. A person has to become a Saint to please God. Are they really using 100% of their skill and energy towards God?
If all the Saints and devotees in Satsang use their skills and energy for God and an Ekantik Saint, then what would be the force generated by such a group? There would be unimaginable achievements that would immensely please God and His Saints.
That is the reason, God has said in the Gita, Manushyanam sahasreshu. – “in the millions of humans, one of them will get the right path. Out of them, one will actually reach me.”
Rest of them don’t even look at God even if they call themselves a devotees of God.
Attaining the right path doesn’t mean that you have reached the destination. After achieving the right path, if you sit at the beginning of the road and say, “I have achieved the right path,” will it take you to the destination? No.
Sadguru Gunatitanand Swami said that, “In Satsang, there are all kinds of people: some devotees are like mothers and fathers to Saints and God, always thinking of them and taking care of them. Some devotees are like children who need care. Some devotees are like relatives who visit Saints and God and then go way. Some devotees are like strangers. They don’t care about Saints and God.”
Finding your way of pleasing Maharaj and an Ekantik Saint, executing and using all your energy to please them, and actually satisfying them is the essence of being in Satsang.
Attachment to an Ekantik Saint/devotee
Sadguru Gunatitanand Swami says that, “Doing devotion (Mala, Dandavats, Puja, Pradakshiba etc.) is not the symbol of being in Satsang. Doing Seva is also not the symbol of being in Satsang. Being attached to an Ekantik Saint and Ekantik devotee is the real symbol of being in Satsang.”
So, what is the essence of being in Satsang? To tie yourself with an Ekantik Saint and an Ekantik devotee of God.
Do something to please Maharaj and His Saints
We never did something for Maharaj and asked Maharaj to be happy about that.
We do not have the time to please God and Saints. In reality, we do not have the intention to please God and Saints.
There are many stars in the sky, yet they cannot get rid of the darkness. Darkness can only be gone when the sun rises from the east. Similarly, pleasing everyone like family, friends, colleagues, pets etc., doesn’t actually bring you peace and satisfaction unless you please God.
If you don’t please God and if you don’t work for God, darkness will stay deep in you in the form of enchantments (moh) and attachments. Unless we work for God, there won’t be any brightness in our life.
If the Sun God comes out, we see things clearly as they are. If you please God, intelligence and detachment would automatically follow you. Gopis were not educated and had only one intention: “How will Krishna be pleased?” Intelligence and detachment automatically followed them.
If a king is pleased, all his subjects are also pleased. If Maharaj is pleased with you, all the Gods, Demigods, Sun God, Moon God, Lord Ananta, Indra, Shivji, Brahmaji, and everyone else are automatically pleased with you.
At the end of life, if you look back and see, “Whom did I really please? Was Maharaj pleased? Was an Ekantik Saint pleased?” The answer to these questions decide if you really have achieved the essence of this life.
References:
Sarsiddhi Katha Part 01