|| Shri Hari ||
For Sannyasi Strivers (Devotees) and Devotional Singers
Humble Submission
(This article was first published in the 9th year of Kalyāna during the year 1934)
By the grace and permission of the Almighty Lord and His devotees, I am trying to express my feelings, which are dear to me, regarding conduct and devotional singing (loud chanting). Though I do not regard myself competent and authorized to write and deliver sermons and directions, nor am I myself able to follow the same conduct fully, yet I am trying to discuss some noble thoughts learnt from saints and scriptures which are loving to me. Therefore I am trying to pass some time on such discussion by regarding it as a matter of good fortune for me. I hope, my fellow seekers shall also express their thoughts from time to time, because by this I shall get an opportunity to read their views and those fellows shall also be able to spend some time in spiritual discussions. If some learned thinkers find some faults in the thoughts expressed by me, which I have learnt from the utterings of saints and scriptures, I hope they shall pardon me, by treating me as their own ignorant child.
The seekers should always try to keep themselves away from pleasures, sorrows, passion and anger etc. At least they should not be overpowered by these evils. Out of them, seekers like me should feel scared of the evils of attachment and aversion to wealth and women in the same way as generally people are afraid of ghosts, evil spirits, snakes and wild animals etc. It is to be fully understood that the fall of a Sannyasi devotee is inevitable, if he is attached to women and wealth.
It should never be presumed that attachment-aversion, passion and fear etc., are Dharmas (a part of nature) of the inner sense. These are not Dharmas (virtues) but evils. One who regards them as Dharmas (nature of the inner sense) continues to treat them inevitable till the end of life because the inner sense remains intact. Consequently in spite of thinking of himself to be wise, he accepts that likings-dislikings, passion and anger etc., shall continue to exist as long as the inner sense exists, and he is not at all related to them. Actually this thinking is an illusion. One who thinks so and does not try to overcome attachment-aversion (likings-disliking ), passion and anger etc., he is not even a real seeker, what to speak of being wise.
It is to be firmly understood that evils like passion and anger never stay with a truly realized person. A person may be a good orator who can describe the Supreme in beautiful words based on the citations of scriptures and also who can write logical articles on the real knowledge but it is not necessary that he is a genuine knower of the truth. All these qualities may be acquired by reading scriptures. The role of Sukadeva may be played by anyone in a drama. The wise is the one who has fully crossed the ocean of ignorance. Liking, disliking, passion and anger are parts of ignorance alone, these cannot exist with the real knowledge.
Those people who start accepting themselves Self-realized on the basis of their bookish knowledge and give up their spiritual pursuit by treating themselves free from all prescription and prohibition even before attaining the highest spiritual godly state, they generally face a downfall. Because till ignorance exists, attachment to sensory pleasures remains intact and this attachment is the root cause of all sins. And what to talk of that situation when passion and anger are accepted as inevitable nature of the inner sense. Therefore seekers like me should always be very careful in keeping themselves away from such evils as attachment-aversion, passion, anger and greed etc, Particularly after accepting total renunciation, the seekers should neither establish any contact with women and wealth nor keep company with them. The realized souls are totally free from all such evils.
It should be kept in mind that instead of being a hypocritical realized soul, it is better to remain ignorant because in that case one is at least afraid of sins. A fraudulent (hypocritical) person goes on committing sins purposely to protect his false image.
Therefore do not think of fraud even in your dreams, instead become a true Sannyasi.
यावदायुस्त्वया वन्द्यो वेदान्तो गुरुरीश्वरः ।
मनसा कर्मणा वाचा श्रुतेरेवैष निश्चयः ॥
(तत्त्वोपदेश 86 )
According to the above uttering of the teacher of ethics one should always follow the directions of the scriptures. A Sannyāsī viz., the man of the renounced order should follow some rules-such as not to keep company of the householders, not to see even the picture of a woman, not to touch money, not to establish relationship with anybody, not to be possessive about anything, not to accept any type of honour or admiration. He should always protect his dispassion very carefully and keep his senses in full control. He should not collect worldly objects, not develop any sect or not to make a house and not speak unnecessarily. He should observe celibacy, keep away from passion, anger and greed etc., and should be free from attachment and aversion. A Sannyasi should always devote himself in spiritual practice and remembrance of God.
A Sannyasi who does not follow the fundamental discipline of Sannyasa faces a downfall, therefore he should strictly follow his Sannyasi way of life. Even the great souls who have risen above prescription and prohibition always perform virtuous noble deeds so that other seekers may follow them.
If you intend to become a devotee, take God’s shelter and constantly remember Him. Do not allow cravings for wealth, respect and admiration to enter into the mind. One should not care whether he is regarded as a devotee or not by the people. He should continue to remember and sing the name and glories of God with devotion. As far as possible, one’s devotion should not be revealed to others, without giving opportunity to anyone to honour or worship him. Always protect yourself from honour and praise. Company of women or those who are indulged with women should always be avoided. Never allow your mind to develop lust for wealth and reputation.
Do devotional singing wholeheartedly but only to please God and not for entertainment of people, because then it becomes extrovert. The devotional singer should always keep a strong feeling in his mind that his God is present here and he is singing His name and glories before Him and for His pleasure. Get fully engrossed in singing God’s name while remembering Him and His virtues (glories) and meditating on Him. One should go on practising to develop such emotions. Never think whether others have been pleased and attracted by your devotional singing or not. Have reverence and love for God’s name and sing His name merged with extreme reverence and love. In such situation God’s single name uttered by you can create wonders. God’s name uttered once by Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to have overwhelming effect on the listeners because his singings were overflowed with the intensity of his love for God.
Remember one more thing. Devotional singers should follow righteous conduct and possess divine qualities. One who sings and dances in the name of God but whose conduct is not pure, cannot leave a good impression on the people. People make such persons as their ideal without knowing the reality of their actual conduct and this gives an opportunity to others to make false allegations against devotional singing, its singers and even against their object of singing, God Himself. Therefore it is our responsibility that due to our conduct, the image of divine singing and our God (Deity) is not tarnished. As a matter of fact, divine singing and God can never be tarnished but why should any suspicion creep up in their mind on account of our conduct?
If conduct is not pure, one should practise devotional singing in solitude. One should beg and cry before God for purification of one’s conduct. But be aware, never try to hide ill conduct nor give any support to ill conduct under any circumstances.
Duties related to your social order and stage of life should never be ignored on the pretext of devotional singing. It should be done while following one’s own duties. Knowledge, dispassion, righteous conduct, Varṇāśrama (social order, stage of life). Samdhya-Prayer and Gayatri-Mantra should never be criticized, while praising the loud chanting of the Lord’s holy name, rather they should be followed properly according to the ordinance of the scriptures.
In the name of spiritual singing one should not indulge in partiality or develop feeling of a high and a low standard in different names of God and encourage groupism. Divine names of God should be chanted and sung with simple, pure, genuine, selfless and exclusive feeling of love and others should also be inspired to do so. But as far as possible refrain from becoming a preacher, a leader or a teacher. Protect yourself from being honoured, admired or worshipped. One should always resist temptations for wealth and women.
At the time of devotional singing, names of God should be chanted with full force of voice. One should not remain silent out of pride of knowledge, learning, status or riches. If it is a standing Kirtana (loud chanting of the Lord’s holy name), one should not hesitate to stand up. None of our conduct should result in disrespect for the devotional singing of God’s names. However dancing should come only when one is overwhelmed with loveful emotions and not just for show. Dancing as an art is altogether different from devotional dancing in God’s name.
Always remember that devotional singing with chanting of God’s name is a highly respectable and adored way of life. It should be done with deepest of feelings and highest of conduct. Devotional chanting of God’s names and its sound shall lead beings to sudden Self-realization of all around as far as the sound reaches.
Swami Ramsukhdasji Maharaj
Narayana! Narayana ! Narayana !
From book in ‘Is Salvation Not Possible without a Guru?’ by Shradhey Swamiji Shri Ramsukhdasji Maharaj
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