There is one such thing whose glory I cannot encase in words. If you pay attention to it, you will be blessed and fortunate forever. That is – there is not a single spiritual discipline or practice about which we can say that this we cannot follow; and there is no such worldly work which all can do and accomplish. Reason being that the ability and power to realize God is inherent in all men; but the ability and power to gain worldly object is not in all men. For example, there are two things: fulfilling desires and renouncing desires. No one can ever accomplish the fulfillment of all desires. We may become an Indra, an emperor, a great king, a rich man, or we may amass any amount of wealth, then too the fulfilment of desire can never be a reality. But one can certainly renounce desires. None can ever satiate worldliness; whereas all can have God realization. No one is ineligible, as the human birth is meant only for realizing God (Truth). What work will he be able to do if he cannot fulfill the work of God-realization for which this human life has been bestowed? This human body has not been received for satisfying worldly desires, then how can he succeed in doing this work? He simply cannot succeed.
All are free to realize God and renounce worldly desires; but all are not free in the fulfilment of worldly desires. If there is any one in this assembly, that can say that he is capable enough to satisfy all his worldly desires, then please identify yourself! No one has been able to do so till now. But
all are capable in God Realization and renunciation of desire, none is incapable; all are eligible, none is ineligible; all are able, none in not able.
No two persons have the same sort of achievement in worldly life, but God realization is the same with one and all. The nature of the realization of God, the Real which was envisioned or experienced by the sages, like Narada, Vyasa, Sukhadeva etc., in ancient times, can be attained by any man, even today, if he so chooses. All are rightfully eligible to God Realization – whether he is Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya, or Sudra, whether Brahmachari, Grahastha, Vanaprastha or Sannyaasi. Whether he is sick or healthy, whether uneducated or educated, whether poor or rich, he is eligible to realize God. You may immensely doubt its truthfulness, but doubt will not hold true. None is free in gaining worldly objects or goods; because their realization is under the control of others. Without acknowledging the dependency of others, without seeking the support or aid of others, not a single one can enjoy the objects of worldly enjoyments. But any individual can have the realization of God, because in God Realization there is no need for help from anyone. All are independent and free in God Realization.
Those who show you the spiritual path are all independent and free. Dattatreya Maharaj had twenty-four Gurus; they were all spiritual masters otherwise why should he accept them as his Gurus! Guru is omnipresent. There is no dearth of Gurus!
In childhood, there was a desire for toys, but do you have that desire now? Obviously it is a clear proof that desires wither and wane. This is a thing you yourself have experienced. No worldly desire endures. When one desire goes away, you catch hold of another desire. In this way you keep some desire or the other all the time. If you give up entertaining new desires, you will be exceedingly happy and fortunate. The desire to realize God never dies, it only becomes dormant. We grab hold of desires which do not last, and pay no attention to the desire which never dies – such is our real state! You are all capable enough to realize God, you are not weak; but you are incapable in fulfilling all your worldly desires, no one is fully capable!
Listener: Desire for world and desire for God – Do both these desires, even though they contradict each other, dwell in the same place?
Swamiji: Both the desires grow at the same place. Where there is the desire for “Bhoga” or sense enjoyments there is the desire for “Moksha” or spiritual liberation. When desire for “bhoga” will diminish and the desire for God will be awakened. If you do away with worldly desire, your desire for God Realization will be automatically fulfilled. Worldly desire will never be fully satisfied. Million, billion and trillion births may come and go and yet the worldly desire will not be fulfilled, they will be ever newly born – “jimi pratilaabha lobha adhikaari” i.e. with every gain the greed grows more and more.
Listener: How do both the contradictory desires live in one single place?
Swamiji: You have caught hold of one desire and the other one is inherent in your nature. You have caught hold of the worldly desire and the desire for God is essentially in you. I should always live, there should be no trace of ignorance in me, I should always be happy – this is your own desire, the desire of the “self”. The desire for “bhogas” or sense-enjoyments is not essentially yours!
You are yourself the motivating force of your desires. I you yourself give up the worldly desire, it will not stay anymore! That whose fulfilment is impossible deserves to be given up. Worldly desire cannot be fulfilled for the reason that “World” – “is not: while the desire for God is fulfilled because “God” “is”. Worldly goods are ephemeral, i.e. they live not for ever but God is always present, Eternal.
Listener: How can we be away from worldly desire while living in the world?
Swamiji: Can there be desire of all kinds while living in the world? It cannot be. How can there be all sorts of artificial desires? Even in the matter of food, two persons do not have the same desire. Someone may like sweets while the other one might like salty foods. Some may like bland foods whereas others may like spicy foods. Thus everyone does not desire the same things in the world. Deadly are these worldly desires. Therefore, just as you have stayed away from certain desires in the world, similarly, you can do away with those desires also which you have entertained.
In reality, you do not live in the world; “you” live in God; “Mamaivannso jivaloke” (Gita 15/7). In the world only the body, senses, mind and intellect live; “manah sasthaanindriyaani prakrtitishthaani” (Gita 15/7). The things which are not yours such as body etc., you regard them as yours and that one, the Paramatma, God, you do not regard as yours – this is the fundamental mistake.
Narayan ! Narayan ! Narayan !
From book in ‘Be Good’ in English by Swami Ramsukhdasji
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