|| Shri Hari ||
Meaning of the word "Upaasana"and Its Characteristics
उपासना शब्दका अर्थ और उसका स्वरूप
Now a doubt arises that one cannot get rid of the thought waves and propensities of the mind (sphurna) . For getting rid of the ‘sphurna’, instead of getting rid of the cause, one wants to get rid of the effect. The reason being, that you have accepted the mind with it’s ‘sphurnas’, to be yours. Do not accept it as yours, it belongs to “Nature” (Prakriti), and due to it’s existence, there is ‘Sphurna’, and it is constantly changing. This is called the ‘Upasana’ of ‘Saankhya yog’.
It is only Bhagwaan who pervades the Real-Unreal and beyond the two. मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतम् ।’(गीता ७ । ७) ‘Mayi sarvamidam protam sootre maniganaa iva || (Gita 7/7)’ ‘As yarn beads are strung on the thread, so, all the worlds are permeated by Me.’ (Gita 7/7). Just as a pot of clay, was clay at first, is clay on becoming a pot, and when it perishes, then too it will be clay only. This very same point can also be said for the world. When the world is present, then too there is Paramatma, before the world too Paramatma was there, and when the world perishes, then too Paramatma will remain. Just as the lid of a pot, due to its shape, color, and everything is also useful, in the same way this world, with its names and forms is also useful. It has been created by God only. It is only God, where did something else come from? Arisen from Him, merged into Him, this world is Paramatma’s only. This is the upaasana of a ‘Bhakti yogi’.
When the sentiments are on of Selfless service. This selflessness is natural and axiomatic. Desires are created. Now think about this. Desire for wealth, desire for honor and respect. First these desires did not exist. In childhood, one played with pebbles and stones. At that time there was very limited knowledge. There was no particular desire. But now these desires are continuing to grow. Sometimes you desire one thing, sometimes another. Sometimes you desire affluence, sometimes you desire, honor and respect. Therefore you must accept that desires are born and they perish, they do not stay incessantly. People say, that ‘desires do not die’, but I say that ‘It is God’s utmost grace, that desires whether they are of the body, or of wealth, they will not last.’ In childhood the desire was to play, now this desire has gone away. Thereafter, many other desires cropped up, but they too are gone ! This very same thing is of ‘sense of mine’ (mamta), attachment’. In that too, there is connecting and disconnecting. When connecting with someone, there is sense of mine ‘mamta’, When this connection is broken, there is detachment. Girls are born in one family, there is so much attachment to her birth family; but on getting married, a relationship is established with the husband’s family. Now she is not as much attached or feels ‘sense of mine’ with the previous family. When a sibling brother is adopted by another family, there is not too much attachment with him, as was previously. What more to see, see towards your own body.
In childhood, when you were young, mother used to keep you in her lap, feed you milk. She was so very attached (my very own). Now that you have become a youth, is mother as attached now as she was then ? And when youl become old, then will the attachment not decrease even more ? From this it is proven, that whatever worldly things we will develop attachment (mamta) towards, it will not stay. But on having attachment, the greed, sins etc that you will incur, those will surely remain.
In trading, things are bought and sold, but only gains and losses remain with us, in the same way, on having ‘mamta’ (attachment), the payback is only sins and burning anguish. What is left behind is grief and worries. A young adult son dies, he was not there at first, and is not there anymore, now why are you worrying ? Whoever worries, grieves etc., this itself is the pay back of attachment (sense of mine).