Dear all,
Happy Baba's day to all.
As mentioned in the last post I am continuing the next part of Anusthan-A Discourse by Upasani Maharaj of Sakori.Readers who are new and have missed any part can follow the chapters by going the links provided below.Jai Sai Ram .
THE PROCESS OF ANUSHTHAN
In the course of Anushthan, i.e. while trying to attain the ideal we have set before us, many obstacles will be encountered. By incessantly prosecuting our Sadhana for the attainment of the characteristic attributes of the Supreme Source regardless of these obstacles, even without the slightest idea that they were such, the Anushthan is brought to perfection.
This rain is an obstacle for the perusal of your Scripture, Mudgala Puranam; but if you take it seriously and accounting it an obstacle leave your customary place and seek a more comfortable one, the purpose of Anushthan is defeated. The Original State is steady, motionless and without the least admixture of anything other than Bliss Absolute. To infuse the above qualities into ourselves, it is essential that we should under all circumstances keep to the place set apart for the Anushthan. The reading of scriptures like the Ramayan, Bhagavat or Guru Charitra, constitutes one form of Anushthan. I shall here outline for you the procedure and those of you who can make use of it are welcome.
Strict observance of silence (Mauna) essential for any Anushthan. If in the course of Anushthan your child cries and you are disturbed by it, or some one comes to pay you money, or the postman brings you an insured packet and you break your Mauna and cry out. “Wait a minute please, I am with you presently”, and you put a mark in the scripture and break your Anushthan, the Anushthan becomes null and void. If one is earnest and whole-hearted about his Anushthan, he should, in order to instill into himself the attributes of the Primeval State, allot a certain place for the purpose and keep to it under all circumstances. He should betake himself to the fixed place at the appointed hour. Discipline regarding the particular posture to sit in belongs to the sphere of Hathayoga. You are men of the world and your objective is to attain God with your kith and kin, even while actively leading a worldly life. Therefore if you have previously practiced any particular posture, it is well; or otherwise you seat yourself in any comfortable position so as to remain steady and unmoved for a considerable length of time.
The series of activities prosecuted to acquire the qualities of the Original State is termed Satkriya. It is not absolutely necessary even for men of the world to carry on their mundane activities all the twenty four hours of the day. They should therefore set apart at least one or two hours every day either in the morning or in the evening for this purpose. They should, at the appointed hour, betake themselves to the place fixed upon in a state of a purity (both of mind and body). Time and again you have persistently placed before me, in spite of my remonstrances, money and material as an offering to me. I don’t need any of them nor do I ask for any gift. If I have to ask anything of anybody, it is this, “Out of the twenty four hours of the day, please offer me an hour or atleast fifteen minutes. If you don’t like to offer this time to me, offer it to God.” Again you do not take back or utilize for your own purposes anything that you have gifted away to me. Likewise you should abstain from making use of the portion of the time of the day which you offered me or God for any of your worldly purposes.
Let us now estimate the result of your gift of your time to God. Just as we have no claims over any object we gift away to God, we have no hold whatsoever upon that portion of the day given away to God; that is to say, we should not utilise it for the discharge of any of our worldly activities. Moreover it will be well if you don’t even think of worldly things during that period. But due to force of habit it has become the very nature of our mind to go on thinking of ever so many things, good, bad or indifferent during the time dedicated to God, though physically we abstain from all worldly activities.
Those who realize that during the period of Anushthan the mind should not keep thinking of worldly affairs or that they should not be tainted by the wanderings of the mind ceaselessly press on with their Satkarma without allowing the mind to lose sight of its ideal. The mind of such strong-willed souls will speedily come to rest or leave them unaffected by their slight oscillation.
In view of this principle, a fixed time and a fixed place are absolute pre-requisites for any kind of Anushthan or mental discipline. It is usual in many households to set apart a room for the worship of God and this room goes by the name of Pooja Griha or Deva Griha. The idea underlying is that we should not only stop from all worldly activities during the period gifted away to God but we should not even sit in a place which is a ‘portion of the world’. Hence the convention of having a separate room for the worship of God.
Even here one should reserve a specific corner for oneself so that others may not intrude upon it. That fixed time and place should be maintained under all circumstances. At the appointed hour one should seat himself in that fixed place with a clean mind and body, approximating to the purity of the Source. And suitable posture in which it will be comfortable to sit motionless and steady till the end of the prescribed period may be resorted to. Movements of all kinds should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. The particular mode of Anushthan fixed upon, whether it be the reading of a Scripture, repetition of a Mantra or Abhishekha or meditation, should be carried on throughout the period allotted for the purpose. You may ask “Baba, the mind begins to wander as soon as I sit for Anushthan, what then are we to do?” Let the mind wander where it will. It has become its nature to wander and what is natural cannot be stopped at once. For your part, you do not mind the wanderings of the mind but carry on your Anushthan with a fixity of purpose. Till the mind acquires perfect strength of purpose, it will have to face and overcome obstacles at every step. But these obstacles should be regarded as so many opportunities to strengthen your purpose and your Anushthan should be pushed on with a courage and fortitude that defy all adverse circumstances. Smaller obstacles may make room for greater ones but in the long run they too will be overcome. If one leaves off his Anushthan for fear of obstacles, it is an unmistakable indication of a weak purposed. Anushthan and strength of purpose are essentially identical. If the strength of purpose is perfected, the objective is achieved. Says Tukaram, “Strength of purpose is it’s own reward.”
The final fruit of such strengthening of purpose is ambrosial. Fruit, material or spiritual, is the finished product of this strength of purpose. Anushthan is the processs of perfecting this strength of purpose. Therefore one should be watchful. He should not be deterred by obstacles but continue his Anusthan till its perfection or the perfection of strength of purpose. If the aspirant is earnest, God takes care of him. Either he will encounter no obstacles or they will be formidable indeed. If even under those trials he is persistent and bold, he will have the Grace of the Lord. He may then come out triumphant or physically succumb to circumstances. Nothing worse can happen. If there is a time limit to his Anushthan, these trials will overtake him within the limited period.
If the ego (Jeeva is destroyed and the body continues to live it is indeed a high stage of attainment, the state of Jeevan Mukti or liberation while yet in the body. If the ego and the body both perish, it is also a desirable consummation. This is the state of Videhamukti or liberation after the fall of the body. You may wonder at this kind of Anushthan but remember that the purpose of Anushthan is to attain the state of everlasting Bliss, a state devoid of all vehicles.
If this is achieved before the expiry of the period set, you will be fortunate to reach your goal earlier than your expectations warrant. If, however, these great trials of strength are treated as mere obstacles and the Anushthan left unfinished, nothing will come out of it.
It is not infrequently that we come across a type of people who put a peculiar construction of their own upon those obstacles and make it an excuse for leaving off their Anushthan. “It is not the will of Heaven that we should serve Him and therefore, He puts a number of obstacles in our way. How can we think of doing that which does not obtain His sanction?” A certain brahmin’s wife was childless. I directed her to perform Tulsipuja. She replied that Tulsipuja did not prove itself auspicious for her, for within a few days after her starting it, her only child died. How is Satkarma possible for men and women of such queer notions? There was a certain house holder. Lord Shankara came to him in the disguise of a beggar and begged for alms. The gentleman instructed his wife to gim alms which she did. That very night one of her children took ill. The next day the same beggar turned up and she gave him alms. By the time the beggar arrived the third morning, that child was no more and its corpse was about to be taken away for the burial. In spite of it, as she had been instructed by her husband not to forsake her practice of giving alms under any circumstances, she sent the beggar away satisfied. The idea never occurred to the couple that giving of alms was unlucky or inauspicious and thy continued their Anushthan. In course of time the second and the third boy passed away. From the time they started giving alms to this beggar all their children expired in quick succession. But they never thought for a moment that the giving alms was the cause of their children’s death and hence desirable. On the contrary the husband instructed his wife to continue her good practice, come what may. At length the wife too fell sick and died the next day. Preparations were being made for her funeral. A little rice was cooked for that purpose. The husband was alone in the house. The beggar came for alms as usual. The unfortunate gentleman was at a loss to know what to give to that beggar. He sadly moaned out, “There is no cooking in the house as yet. What am I to give you?” The beggar pointed to the rice cooked for the last rites of the dead and said,” Serve that rice to me.” Without a word the gentleman did so, and the beggar vanished. As this gentleman had kept on his good practice of giving alms regardless of all the mishaps that befell him, after leaving this world, he attained the highest Bliss of Kailasa along with other members of his family.
Coming Next:
- HOW THE GOD OF ONE’S CHOICE (FAVOURITE DEITY) MANIFESTS HIMSELF.
Post Already Posted:
- Introduction and Preface.
- (a)Experience of opposite states as the time of God-Realisation.
- (b)Attainment of God through wifely devotion.
- Anusthan-A Discourse By Upasani Maharaj Of Sakori -Part 1.
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