There is joy in listening katha of Bhagwan. There is joy in doing seva to Maharaj and His saint. Did we ever try to measure that joy?
From the time we entered satsang, how much joy did we get in each of the seva? So far, we might have heard so many kathas. How much joy did we extract from it? Did we try to quantify the amount of joy we get from each of these spiritual activities?
Why do businessmen count their money repeatedly?
At the end of each business day, after closing the business, the businessman counts their money. Again, the next morning, before opening the business, they count their money. Does the money change between the time they close the business and the time they reopen the business? No.
Does the money increase each time they count? No.
Then why do they count repeatedly? Because they gain pleasure in counting money. They get so much joy from counting their money. It is okay for them if money doesn’t increase, but they enjoy counting money each time. If they count one time, they enjoy it one time. If they count ten times, they enjoy it ten times.
How about in bhakti? Did we quantify the joy we get in listening katha or in doing puja or chanting names of Bhagwan?
- So far, I have been doing puja for these many hours, and here is the number of hours of joy I have had until now.
- So far, I listened to these many hours of katha, and this is the number of hours of joy I have had until now.
- So far, I chanted Bhagwan’s-name these many times, and this is the number of joyful times I had until now.
Did we make any such counts? Why don’t we do that?
The people who have taste for money look at their money every day. “Is my money safe? How much of my money is available as of today?”
Every day they look at money with their eyes and make sure their money is secure. And when they touch it with their hand, they get electrified and pleased to know that their money is safe.
We don’t get such enjoyment in bhakti because we don’t have taste for it and hunger for it, and so we don’t quantify it.
On a given day, katha is going to end at some point in time, but the joy we get from it will continue to stay with us. On a given day, chanting names of Bhagwan is going to end at some point in time, but the joy we get from it will continue to stay with us.
We should extract the tasty nectar of Maharaj
What do addicts extract from their addiction?
They extract pleasure.
The people who smoke a cigarette (or beedi) pull pleasure out of it and relish it. They are addicted to the pleasure they enjoy while smoking; they are in ecstasy when they extract pleasure out of it.
Are we addicted to anything related to Maharaj like those addicts? Do we extract any pleasure from katha? Do we extract any pleasure from puja? Do we extract any pleasure from seva to Maharaj or His saint? Do we extract any pleasure from anything related to Maharaj?
We should extract the pleasure of Maharaj every moment. Such tasty nectar of Bhagwan is drunk by Gopis, Arjun, Shukji, and Sanakadika Rushis. They are all addicted to drinking the tasty nectar of bhakti and they keep drinking it forever.
स्त्रिया विटानामिव साधुवार्ता
striya vitanam iva sadhu varta
[SB 10.13.2]Definition: They are passionately attached to the topics of Bhagwan, just as worldly people are passionately attached to the topics of opposite-gender.
How can we extract the tasty nectar of bhakti?
How can we drink that tasty nectar of Maharaj?
We listen katha, we do puja, we do seva, yet if we don’t get a taste for Bhagwan but get tastes for something else, what would be the reason behind it? Who is responsible for it?
Our own self-admiration is the reason behind it. Self-admiration doesn’t allow us to derive pleasure from Maharaj but asks us to derive pleasure from something else.
Nishkulanand Swami says that, when your self-admiration is completely reduced to zero, then you will enjoy the pleasure of Maharaj.
When we get a fever, everything tastes bitter. When we get the fever called self-admiration, then Maharaj and satsang tastes bitter. So, get rid of self-admiration, extract the pleasure of being a sevak of Maharaj and His saint, and become their solid sevak.
Then Maharaj will shine in our heart and everything else will get away from us by itself. Nothing can make us suffer. We will be untouched by worldly desires and worldly sufferings, and, without any doubt, we will constantly be with Maharaj.
References:
- Chosathpadi Katha Part 31 (Pad 55-57).
- striyā viṭānām iva sādhu vārtā – ŚB 10.13.2 (vedabase.io)