Asserted Topics:
Serenity cannot be experienced by performing devotion along with Swadharma (one’s own duty as per command of God).
Key Points:
- Without Ātmanishthā (faith in ones-self), spiritual weaknesses are not removed.
- Without comprehending the magnificence of God, one cannot attain true fulfillment.
Explanation
In this Vachanāmrut, Māharāj says that, “Though a devotee may perform their own duties perfectly, they do not experience serenity in their heart. Serenity is achieved by faith in one’s own self and perfect knowledge of the greatness of God. If a person has any one of these two qualities, they will not experience serenity. Hence a devotee should try to achieve these two qualities with firm conviction. If they lack these two qualities, they will experience failure in their attainment of the state of Samādhi.”
Māharāj has discussed spiritual purnakām-ness (serenity) in this Vachanāmrut. There is little difference between satisfaction and purnakāam-ness. Just by being satisfied, one cannot achieve the state of purnakām-ness. If one achieves satisfaction, it helps a lot in following Dharma. Therefore, Māharāj says that a devotee having swadharma, cannot feel full purnakām-ness in their heart. Satisfaction can surely help a little in fulfilment of serenity, but it cannot be replaced instead of serenity. Satisfaction is a result of materialistic achievements; it depends upon comfort and facilities. Though satisfaction comes from feelings within the heart, it does not lead to happiness. Those who have the grace of God only become happy in materialistic facilities and comfort, otherwise despite having all the comforts of the world people continue to wander and feel a lack of content.
Spiritual fulfillment is the subsequent objective. It is the consequence of understanding the fundamental essence. By understanding, it means to become acquainted with its uniqueness, to become aware of its magnificence, and to attain spiritual fulfillment through it. Therefore, Maharaj states that true fulfillment is achieved through Aatmanistha (self-awareness) and knowledge of the greatness of God. Spiritual fulfillment is the accomplished through true understanding.
Satisfaction means to be satisfied in whatever materialistic comfort is given by God and does not desire for more. This kind of thinking is the root of satisfaction and this is a very good virtue for a person but it is dependent on materialistic means. Therefore, it does not have enough capacity to bear troubles facing on the transcendental path. On this path, Serenity is required. Therefore, Māharāj says that, Maharaj emphasizes that those who lack spiritual fulfillment will also lack the experience of true samadhi (trans). In samadhi, one may encounter exceptional brilliance, hear celestial sounds, and witness radiant gatherings surpassing the splendor of the ocean. Yet, one should not get engrossed in these experiences. Maharaj beautifully illustrates his point through a metaphor. Whatever Maharaj explains is easily comprehended by everyone.
Maharaj explains, “Recently, I induced samadhi in a devotee. During samadhi, he was surrounded by an intense light that led him to scream, ‘I am burning.’ If we contemplate deeply, we realize that there was no physical body present with him in samadhi. Even if the mind is present, it is subtle and cannot be burned in any way. So, what is the reason behind his screaming? The reason is the attachment to the physical body, even though it is not physically present. Due to this attachment, one experiences pain. We must break this attachment to the physical body, despite being the soul.”
Māharāj says that Arjun was brave as well as great warrior, “अर्जुनस्य प्रतिज्ञे द्वे न दैन्यं न पलायनम्” – arjunasya pratijñe dve na dainyaṃ na palāyanam. A common man will experience fear, but will Arjun feel fear? While seeing the Universal form of Supreme God, Arjun lost all fortitude (Dhiraj). Therefore, there is a difference between social courage and spiritual courage. Spiritual courage removes all defects from within as well as removes bodily attachment. Feelings of fear in this world in Samādhi (divine trance) or in awakened position, is the fruit of bodily attachment. Bodily attachment cannot be removed by social bravery. If one person is very brave in the battlefield, we cannot say that their attachment is gone because there are innumerable brave soldiers who have been sacrificed in war. Even though one neither becomes free from bodily attachment nor gets sense of Aatmabhav by sacrificing their physical body.
How can one get rid of the sense of ātmā? The answer for this question is that, if one, being dependent on the power of God, and by practice means shown by God, and by contemplating the difference between ātmā and materialistic body, one can realise their ātmā-anātmā.
Fulfilment can be achieved by practising the means shown by Maharaj further states, Even if one reads and understands the scriptures or listens to them from the mouths of great saints, it does not happen. True realization can only be achieved through unwavering faith in the God and the same level of devotion that exists in true devotees of the God. Without understanding the greatness of Supreme God Shreeji Māharāj, Ātmanishthā is not possible, hence Ātmanishthā and understanding the greatness of God are Inter-fulfilling. Māharāj says that He had sent one devotee in a Samādhi (divine trance) and said to him that, “Go to the lotus having four petals which is the seat of Ganapati and see his real Self there.” Maharaj has demonstrated a small aspect of the Hatha Yoga process. The scriptures explain that by entering into samadhi at the level of the six chakras, one can have a direct realization of their true self. The process of Hatha Yoga is said to be the practice of controlling prana (life force) to facilitate the process of samadhi, where one can have a direct vision of their true self.
-Swaminarayan Chintan