Asserted Topics:
Remove the Kusang (negative influences) residing within the Satsaṅg.
Key Points:
In the name of God’s Glory, The means of pleasing God should not become insignificant.
Explanation
In this Vachanāmrut, Māharāj says that He wants to remove the kusang entrenched in the Satsaṅg. What are these negative influences in satsaṅg? Any dialogue that promotes discouraging talks are the negative influences within the Satsaṅg. What do these dialogues sound like? For example, “Who can follow the words and commandments of God? Not everything can be followed due to the present times and conditions. God is the redeemer of all souls; therefore, I should be redeemed as well and attain salvation.” These discouraging talks demonstrate that while the preachers feel they cannot hold the image of God within their hearts, they can still attain salvation. (यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्यस्तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूं स्वां । मुंडक उप. ३:२:३ – yamevaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyastasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṃ svāṃ | muṃḍaka upa. 3:2:3) Only through the grace of God can this happen. In this manner, people who speak in this manner diminish the credibility of the means to please God, such as Dharma, Gyān, Vairagya and Bhakti which is why they are regarded as negative influences.
God is the redeemer of all souls. The question is, does this Mahima (Greatness) of God is to make one effortless, or does it stand to encourage one for more tremendous efforts? Without the grace of God, holding His image in our hearts is not possible, and that’s also correct. God is not subject to one’s efforts but subdued by his compassion. He is bound by His promise. Despite this, He is not pleased by people who put no effort. Those who expend effort without any arrogance are the people that receive God’s blessings. Doctors need to remove the cataract in the eye, not the eye itself. In understanding the Mahima of God, an operation that removes the ego that comes with the excelling in performance of Dharma, Gyān, Vairagya and Bhakti needs to happen. Removing the means to please God is not what is required.
In the shāstras, the means of pleasing Him are downplayed to prevent ego from arising and to show them down when compared to God. This does not mean they are completely useless. They are the means to please Him. This will require some effort.
There are two main reasons which make one effortless; One is the suffering of an inferiority complex; therefore, he believes that he himself is unqualified for the means of pleasing god or performing service towards God. Second is the flaws within drags one towards becoming effortless.
The Devotees who are effortless and are singing the glory of God are in fact not singing the glory of God, but on contrary, their hearts are filled with ugliness and flaws raped by the beautiful cloth named as the glory of God. Intennsnally or non-intentionally they are using the glory to become effortless, i.e. covering all the flaws in the name of God.
There are different intentions behind praising/singing the greatness of God. The first is to hide once inferior complexities. The second is to fulfil their disease and to nurture their flaws, it becomes necessary to sing the glory of God. In fact, the devotees who have understood the true form of God within also can’t stay without singing the glory of God.
There are many reasons for praising God publicly. A Mumukshu who is a practitioner of spiritual life should be able to understand why one is singing the Mahima of God instead of simply being attracted to sermons.
Praising God and his Mahima should not come at the expense of negating the means through which one can please Him; instead, it should nourish the practice of these means. Therefore, Māharāj promotes Satsaṅg to nourish the means to please Him and sing His praises. In conclusion of the above discussion यावद् बुद्धि बलोद – yāvad buddhi baloda. A Mumukshu should perform maximum efforts and then take support of God’s promise and kindness. By doing this, God becomes pleased and stops the kusang from entering the mind and heart of the individual. So, be courageous and never give up on pleasing God.
-Swaminarayan Chintan