Asserted Topics:
Characteristics of a person who behaves as the atmasatta (believing one self as soul and not body).
Key Points:
- One who lives according to the limits set by Bhagwan and the satpurush (a great sant) is considered to be living as the atmasatta.
- One who behaves less or more than these limits will suffer.
Explanation:
In this Vachanamrut, Maharaj asks the question: “At times, one may experience bliss in sushupti (dreamless sleep) and the agitation is removed, while at other times, the agitation remains. What is the reason for this?” Maharaj Himself answers that the reason is rajogun (one of the three attributes of Maya, responsible for attachment and desire). Even in sushupti, the force of rajogun increases, causing disturbances. Therefore, as long as the connection with the gunas (attributes) remains, no living being can experience happiness. Only when one lives as the atmasatta can they be truly happy.
Then Muktanand Swami asked: “Maharaj, what are the characteristics of a person who behaves as the atmasatta?” Maharaj begins His answer by stating that one who lives according to their dharma and stays within the boundaries set by the great purushas (spiritual guides) is the only one who experiences happiness. Acting less than the prescribed limits does not bring happiness, and even acting beyond these limits will not bring happiness. Therefore, one who behaves according to the commands of the satpurush is considered to be living as the ātmasattā, and only that person remains happy. They are not disturbed whether awake or in sushupti.
A doubt arises here: It is true that acting below the limits set by the satpurush does not lead to happiness because underperformance is a sign of deficiency. Deficiency inevitably leads to sorrow and restlessness. However, why does acting beyond the limits also not result in happiness, as mentioned in this Vachanamrut? Shouldn’t going beyond the limits bring more happiness? How can someone who acts in excess feel distress or disturbance? Just as someone with less wealth than required will face challenges, a person with sufficient wealth should face no difficulty. So how can a person with more than necessary wealth experience any hardship? Is accumulating more than necessary a fault? Why would this be considered wrong?
The resolution is that suffering comes even when one exceeds the prescribed limits. This suffering is not a punishment for going beyond the limits, but a penalty for shifting one’s focus. The person who performs below the limit is weak in their aim, and so their suffering is justified. The one who acts precisely within the limits has their focus on Maharaj or the satpurush, and as a result, they attain the intended outcome.
For someone who acts beyond the limits set by the satpurush or the scriptures, we need to examine closely why they are exceeding those limits. Acting in accordance with the limits yields the association and blessings of Maharaj and the great saints, and this brings happiness. So, what is the purpose of exceeding these limits? On reflection, it becomes clear that such a person is driven either by a desire for fame in society or to feed their ego by being the best. Their intention in exceeding the effort is not to please Bhagwan or the satpurush. When something is done in excess, it brings fame or feeds the ego, which is not achieved through moderate action. Thus, the purpose behind exceeding the limits has changed, and therefore, the result changes. This is why Maharaj says that such a person suffers. Only the one who remains within the prescribed limits is happy.Moreover, one who stays within the limits is able to remain steady even in adverse conditions of place and time. On the other hand, one who does not stay within the limits, even if they are performing excessively, will not remain steady during adverse times. Additionally, in this Vachanamrut, it is not just about adhering to the limits set by the scriptures. The use of the words “limits set by Bhagwan, satpurush, and the scriptures” indicates that all three need to be considered properly.