Words that throw light on the meaning of human life
Based on actual conversations with Swami Tejomayananda, head of the Chinmaya Mission, The Ah! Wisdom Book is a collection of ideas that enlighten and inspire in equal measure. A few excerpts.
A very thick parcel arrived by post for Guruji. He cut it open and pulled out pages of perfectly typed jokes.
“You have to read five hundred and you get four nice ones!” said an amused Guruji. He started to read them out aloud.
“A swami, a priest and a rabbi are asked the question: When does life begin?
Swami: The moment of conception. Priest: The moment of birth. Rabbi: The moment the children are married and all the loans and mortgages have been paid off.”
“Ha! Ha!” laughed some people who were sitting there.
“This one is okayish, Guruji,” said one person. “It’s an interesting question!”
“Guruji, if I were to ask you,” the person continued, “what would your answer be? When does life begin?”
“At the moment of Self-Realization,” replied Guruji. “Oooooh! That’s a lovely answer.” “That is my answer in the absolute sense,” continued Guruji. “In the relative sense, life begins the moment you have the desire for Self- Realization. Because, then it’s only a matter of time.”
“That’s why I keep saying, don’t worry so much about your day to day experiences. They are meaningless. Only when you have understood that they are meaningless, then does the meaningless become meaningful.” ****** The desire for Self-Realization is the turning point in the spiritual life of man. The moment he starts to question the validity of the pursuits he has been following, he becomes a seeker. Once the desire comes, it is then a natural progression to the final destination. This awakening, this urge for Self-Realization, is the movement of God within us. As long as we (the ego) persist, we continue to hamper this movement. It is in the dying of the little self that we attain everlasting life. And it is only then, that each moment in life becomes all that it ought to be, an ascending step, a manifestation of a brighter light from within. Just as rainwater flows through the river and merges into the sea, from where it originated; in the same way the jéva (individual ego), that has sprung from the supreme Self, rests only when it reaches its source. A newcomer wanted to establish if Guruji was a genuinely holy man.
“Have you got any siddhis,” he asked him point blank.
“What do you mean by siddhis?” replied Guruji.
“Like floating in the air or walking on water and all that,” enlightened the man.
“Oh! That! Yes! Yes! Of course I can walk on water!”
“Really? Can you demonstrate?” continued the man. “Of course!” And Guruji went to the bathroom, poured a bucket of water on the floor and walked up and down on it. ****** Many genuine spiritual seekers are waylaid on the path to the Truth by the lure of mystical powers. To approach a Man of Wisdom for any reason other than to gain the knowledge of the Absolute Truth is a sheer waste of opportunity.
In Kaöhopaniñad,Naciketas tells the Lord of Death: All these pleasures pass away, O End of all! They weaken the power of life. And indeed how short is all life! Keep thy horses and dancing and singing. Grant me the gift that unveils the mystery of the Self. This is the only gift that Naciketas can ask. Mantra 1.1.26 “Which is it, Guruji?” asked one person. “Should decisions be based on emotions or the intellect?”
“The question is strange,” remarked Guruji. “Decisions should be based on neither! They should only be based on dharma.”
“When Lord Räma was to leave for the forest, he was told by his mother: Obedience to the mother comes before obedience to the father. I order you not to go. Lord Räma agreed that the mother comes before the father, but in this case, her decision was wrong because her argument was based on her love for Lord Räma and not on dharma.”
“King Daçaratha ordered the chariot that was leaving with Lord Räma to stop: As a king, I command you to stop. But Lord Räma instructed the charioteer to ignore the command saying: On your return, if questioned, you tell the king that you did not hear.”
“It is not that Lord Räma wanted to promote a lie. But since King Daçaratha was using his position as a king to appease his heart, the decision was wrong.”
“Even King Daçaratha, much as he wished for Lord Räma not to leave for the forest, carried out the promise given to Kaikeyé because it was his dharma to fulfil a promise once given. In fact, he hoped that Lord Räma would be disobedient for once, and refuse to go! But Lord Räma is the epitome of dharma.”
“Decisions should be based on dharma, always.” ****** Dharma can be understood in three ways.
Dharma means the nature or characteristic of a thing, without which the thing ceases to be that thing. For example: the sweetness of sugar, the heat of fire, the coolness of water, and ExistenceConsciousness-Bliss in the human being. To abide in one’s true nature is dharma.
Dharma also means one’s own inherent aptitude or svadharma. For example, if a young boy is gifted in music and gets fulfilment by being a musician, then it is his dharma to choose the path that truly helps his self-unfoldment. He then ought to become a musician, and not choose to become, say, a businessman, which might give him more money but also more agitation, as his inherent nature is not in sync with business life.
And, dharma means the performance of one’s duties. Each one of us has duties which come to us unasked, depending on the status, position, place or situation we are in. For example, a student’s duty is to study; an army man’s duty is to defend the country. To do one’s duty is dharma.
Thus, dharma is righteous action. It is to do what is right, based on the scriptural teaching, the wisdom of the wise and one’s own inner voice. All these three are compasses that help in determining the right course of action.
The individual should decide his dharma in any given situation in life with a calm and serene mind, without prejudice or favour. The observance of dharma fulfils two objectives: happiness in life and liberation from bondage.