Asserted Topics:
Duties between a mumukshu (seeker of liberation) and a Sadguru.
Key Points:
- Senior Santo should nurture the mumukshu and maintain a conducive environment for them.
- Mumukshu should align their expectations with the ashram and the path of Bhagwan, avoiding weak desires.
Explanation:
In this Vachanamrut, Maharaj explains that if a Sant is in charge of four Sadhus and knows how to manage them with understanding and humanity, then the Sadhus will stay happily under his care. If the Sant cannot manage them properly, then the Sadhus will not stay with him. Maharaj has established assemblies of Sadhus in which there is a primary Sant who leads, and others who follow him. There are mutual responsibilities between the guru (the senior Sant) and the disciples who follow him, and only when these responsibilities are fulfilled can order be maintained.
Even though the general societal expectations are not present here, those who follow a Sant still come with certain basic expectations. Without such expectations, no one would accept the governance of another. These expectations are in line with the ashram (spiritual community) and are essential. Therefore, Maharaj says that if a senior Sant can manage his Sadhus with understanding and humanity, they will stay happily. If a guru only focuses on his own expectations and is unwilling to understand the needs of his followers, or if he feels no need to understand them, then the Sadhus will not stay with him. Mumukshu who come to a senior Sant bring with them certain basic expectations in line with their ashram life: solutions to obstacles on the path of liberation, assurance of protection from internal enemies (fearlessness), fulfillment of spiritual hunger, future growth, and the possibility of enhancing their reputation. All these are fundamental needs for a mumukshu and are not wrong.
The senior Santo must understand these needs individually and fulfill them to the best of their ability. Only then will the Sadhus stay with them. Otherwise, they will not. For the mumukshu, Maharaj has also explained what expectations they should and should not have. Maharaj says that a Sadhu who truly desires liberation will be extremely pleased when we criticize or curb his attachment to the Panch Vishay (five sensory objects). Just as Muktanand Swami, who is suffering from Tuberculosis disease, cannot eat things like yogurt, milk, or oily and sweet foods, a wise person will understand that the disease has completely eradicated his desire for such foods. Therefore, one can regard the disease as a great Sant who has come to eliminate such desires. This is because attachment to the stomach and the genital organs is not Sadhu-like behavior, and the disease of consumption eradicates both. Similarly, a true Sant who eradicates one’s attraction to the Panch Vishay should not be resented; instead, a true mumukshu should be pleased by it. Only then can their desire for liberation be considered genuine.
The pleasures and luxuries of the worldly path are different from those of the mumukshu. If a mumukshu is pleased by worldly luxuries, then their desire for liberation is not true. Enjoying good food, fine clothes, or the acquisition of desired objects are pleasures for worldly people.
‘तीन गाँठ कौपीन में समझे इन्द्र कूँ रांक,’
‘Tīn gānṭh kaupīn meṃ samjhe Indra kūṃ rānkh,’
‘फीकर के फाके करे’
‘Fīkar ke phāke kare’
‘जो आनन्द संत फ़क़ीर करे सोई आनन्द नाहीं अमीरी में’
‘Jo ānand sant faqīr kare soī ānand nāhīṃ amīrī meṃ’
These verses describe the wealth of the mumukshu. The material difficulties that purify and solidify the desire for liberation do more to enhance it than any comforts ever could. Difficulties propel a true mumukshu forward, and that is why mumukshu kings and rulers would leave behind their royal luxuries to live in the forests. If they wanted, they could have built temples in their kingdoms and lived in isolation, but they did not choose to do so.
Here, Maharaj is not asking us to endure the difficulties of living in a jungle, but He certainly instructs us not to desire comforts that are unsuitable for our ashram (spiritual community). Therefore, if mumukshu have come to senior Santo (saints) to enhance their desire for liberation, they should understand the message that Maharaj is conveying here. If they do not, then as Maharaj has said, those who stay with senior Santo for materialistic desires are addressed with harsh words by Maharaj.
Furthermore, Maharaj states that a person who becomes envious when a Sant is given something good and a person who is greedy for the Panch Vishay (five sensory objects) are both worse than someone who commits the five great sins. Why is this so? When does envy arise? It arises when something is not received by oneself, but the person doesn’t consider whether they deserve it or not. This envy, combined with greed for the Panch Vishay, leads one into demonic tendencies. Therefore, Maharaj explains that such a person is even worse than a great sinner. A wise person, therefore, should not harbor such impure intentions while in the company of Santo. This assembly is comparable to those in Badrikashram (a holy abode of sages) and Shwetdweep (a divine realm). It is meant to eliminate the impurities within one’s heart. If, after sitting in such an assembly, one’s impurities still linger, where else can they be eradicated? Nowhere else.
Maharaj also mentions that the thirst for the Panch Vishay is insatiable. He gives an analogy: if the earth were to crack all the way to the Patal and we tried to fill it with water, it would never be filled. Similarly, the cravings of the stomach and the genital organs are such that despite the soul’s endless attempts to satisfy them over countless lifetimes, they have not been fulfilled. Therefore, Maharaj says that the senses have never been satisfied and never will be. Thus, when a Sadhu forbids sensory indulgence, one should be pleased by it. Learn from the good qualities of Santo but do not dwell on their faults. One should strive to die having discarded impure desires, but never die with impure desires still lingering. Instead, one should have the desire to become one with Brahm (supreme reality), like Narad, Sanak, Shukji, and others, and serve Maharaj after leaving this body. This desire must be deeply ingrained in the heart.
Even if, despite one’s efforts, one ends up in Brahmlok (the abode of Brahma) or Indralok (the abode of Indra), there is no need to worry. Just as if one were to fall into a pit while walking through a forest, one should not stay there but instead climb out, bathe, and become clean again. Similarly, if one reaches Brahmlok or Indralok, one should think of it as having fallen into a pit of hell. With the strength of one’s auspicious desires, one should leave those realms and reach the divine abode of Bhagwan, without settling anywhere in between. One must hold firm determination and courage in this.Maharaj also says that just as householders serve us with food and clothing, we too should understand their greatness and serve them accordingly in a way that is fitting for the ashram and the setting. Through religious conversations with them, we should ensure that their spiritual path is nourished and that their devotion to Shreeji Maharaj is strengthened. In this way, we should recognize each other’s greatness and maintain mutual companionship.