Modern civilization and terrific advancement in science and technology has really blurred the spiritual vision of man! Drowned in material pleasures and inescapably driven by desires and attachments, he has lost his clarity of mind regarding the purpose for which he has taken birth. He is least bothered about the thought of God who is the creator of the universe and all living and nonliving things! His super knowledge of material things has crossed all limit. It has made him think that there is no God ! He has become an agnostic and an atheist. Not stopping at that, he has the audacity to think that he is God himself! He feels that what he sees is real and what he doesn’t see with his physical eyes is unreal and false! He doesn’t realize that there is a force over and above all of us that reigns over our lives. Stars, visible during the night, cannot be seen during the day because of sunlight. Does it mean that there are no stars at all? Man is unable to realize and see God as he has not qualified himself for the vision of God. It is because of his ignorance or “avidya.” To say that there is no God because you have not seen him is the height of stupidity and foolishness. Human birth is rare gift of God and its purpose is to realize God during the course of one's existence on earth which is very short.
Man is born with two tendencies viz Vidya and the other Avidya! The former leads him to spirituality and liberation. The latter attracts him to worldliness and bondage! It is the choice of man that leads him to the destiny. If he chooses Avidya he is overburdened with worldly pleasures and desires and disappointments. On the other hand, choice of Vidya pulls him towards God! Man must strive to know the One by means of which he knows all. Ciphers placed after the number get the value of hundreds and thousands! They are shorn of their value if the number is removed. Therefore first the One and then the many. “ First God, and then the Jivas and the Jagat” counsels Sri RamaKrishna. Gaining God should be one's priority, not wealth. Worldly life after attaining spirituality shall be peaceful and worth living. All social reforms can be thought of after realizing The Divine. Lectures and reforms are useless without God realization. Like a newcomer securing a resting place before he goes on sight seeing, man has to secure his resting place in God before he meets the vicissitudes in life.
Divine bliss and material pleasures are placed in front of man. But unfortunately he is tempted to choose the transitory worldly pleasures and reject the everlasting Divine bliss! That is the real tragedy of human existence. Easiest means for God realization is to develop strong and pure love for God. But how to develop it? It is through Sadhana or spiritual practices. Man should weep for God with the intense longing of the heart. The mind , divested of all other objects in the world, should be fixed exclusively on Him. A few are under the illusion that God is in the Vedas, Vedanta and the scripture. It is only the sincere yearning for Him that compels God to present himself before you. It is not easy to realize God!
We are all caught in the inextricable cycle of birth and death. We don’t know how many births we have had already and how many more we have to take. But at every birth the human soul or Jiva is getting evolved. At some time, after innumerable births or janmas , after the termination of our karma, all shall realize God! This realization is called mukti or a state from which there is no more birth! Like little children engaged in playing with their dolls, man is enjoying trivial pleasures! Like the children that abandon their dolls and run after their mother the moment they see her, man will not run after wealth, honor, fame and others the moment he sees God or has God realization! First attempt at God realization may fail creating disappointment. One should not lose heart. The effort should be doubled and continued with more vigor until success results. Pearls are not on the shore. They are deep down in the sea and require Herculean effort!
It is because of our ignorance or Avidya we don’t recognize the eternal knowledge and Bliss. How to overcome this ignorance? It is through less and less attachment to sense objects. The sense organs are dangerous if they are not controlled! Like the galloping horses they run riot resulting in accidents! Attachment to God is directly proportional to the loss of attachment to worldly objects. Our body is the temple where God is seated at the altar of our heart. The temple of the body should never be kept in darkness. It should be illuminated with the lamp of knowledge. It is only then we can see the Divine face. Thus man's destiny is inextricably intertwined with the realization of God. It is the very purpose of human birth. Attractions, and temptations from various quarters lead man astray and prevent him from concentrating on God. The lesser the attachments, attractions, and temptations, the easier and quicker is his realization of God which is his goal!!
Man is born with two tendencies viz Vidya and the other Avidya! The former leads him to spirituality and liberation. The latter attracts him to worldliness and bondage! It is the choice of man that leads him to the destiny. If he chooses Avidya he is overburdened with worldly pleasures and desires and disappointments. On the other hand, choice of Vidya pulls him towards God! Man must strive to know the One by means of which he knows all. Ciphers placed after the number get the value of hundreds and thousands! They are shorn of their value if the number is removed. Therefore first the One and then the many. “ First God, and then the Jivas and the Jagat” counsels Sri RamaKrishna. Gaining God should be one's priority, not wealth. Worldly life after attaining spirituality shall be peaceful and worth living. All social reforms can be thought of after realizing The Divine. Lectures and reforms are useless without God realization. Like a newcomer securing a resting place before he goes on sight seeing, man has to secure his resting place in God before he meets the vicissitudes in life.
Divine bliss and material pleasures are placed in front of man. But unfortunately he is tempted to choose the transitory worldly pleasures and reject the everlasting Divine bliss! That is the real tragedy of human existence. Easiest means for God realization is to develop strong and pure love for God. But how to develop it? It is through Sadhana or spiritual practices. Man should weep for God with the intense longing of the heart. The mind , divested of all other objects in the world, should be fixed exclusively on Him. A few are under the illusion that God is in the Vedas, Vedanta and the scripture. It is only the sincere yearning for Him that compels God to present himself before you. It is not easy to realize God!
We are all caught in the inextricable cycle of birth and death. We don’t know how many births we have had already and how many more we have to take. But at every birth the human soul or Jiva is getting evolved. At some time, after innumerable births or janmas , after the termination of our karma, all shall realize God! This realization is called mukti or a state from which there is no more birth! Like little children engaged in playing with their dolls, man is enjoying trivial pleasures! Like the children that abandon their dolls and run after their mother the moment they see her, man will not run after wealth, honor, fame and others the moment he sees God or has God realization! First attempt at God realization may fail creating disappointment. One should not lose heart. The effort should be doubled and continued with more vigor until success results. Pearls are not on the shore. They are deep down in the sea and require Herculean effort!
It is because of our ignorance or Avidya we don’t recognize the eternal knowledge and Bliss. How to overcome this ignorance? It is through less and less attachment to sense objects. The sense organs are dangerous if they are not controlled! Like the galloping horses they run riot resulting in accidents! Attachment to God is directly proportional to the loss of attachment to worldly objects. Our body is the temple where God is seated at the altar of our heart. The temple of the body should never be kept in darkness. It should be illuminated with the lamp of knowledge. It is only then we can see the Divine face. Thus man's destiny is inextricably intertwined with the realization of God. It is the very purpose of human birth. Attractions, and temptations from various quarters lead man astray and prevent him from concentrating on God. The lesser the attachments, attractions, and temptations, the easier and quicker is his realization of God which is his goal!!
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