|| Shri Hari ||
Prison - A School
(A discourse given in the Nagpur Prison)
continued.....
While living here, learn how to conduct yourself properly. Learn to obey other’s instructions - this is a way to develop and improve. you pay attention. Subjected to the influences of evil men, one suffers; but he who is influenced by good men, becomes independent and gains happiness. Those that have become highly learned, were living under the guidance of highly scholarly men, from a very young age. All those that have become saints-great souls, they were serving their Gurus, and remaining subservient, they became great souls. At a very young age, great men of a very high caliber, accepted staying away from their family. Brothers, subordination under gentlemen and well-wishers, is the kind to give self-sufficiency. But those who come under the sway of the mind and senses, they remain ever dependent. Time and again they have to go to hell and suffer many hardships. Therefore, keeping the mind and senses under control, one should become engaged in good work. Coming under the sway of the pleasures of the senses and mind, appears as freedom right now, but further down the road, it will lead to dependence and subordination - this is also dependence in independence. Gentlemen are independent even in dependence.
Learn good conduct, good qualities, good sentiments and feelings. Make your life ever pure. This is a divine opportunity, for becoming pure; because this place is not for becoming sinful, rather it is for becoming pure.
There is much glories of the Divine Name. Eknathji, Tukaramji etc and all those who have become great saints-great men, they have sung many glories of ‘Naam Japa’ (repeating the Divine Name of the Lord). You all do that ‘Naam Japa’ and in doing so, you are not dependent on anyone. While doing work-business too you continue to repeat the Divine Name of the Lord. Whether you say - Ram, Krishna, Govind, Vasudeva etc. or Vithala-Vithala. Whatever name of God appears dear to you, repeat that Divine Name.
The Names of God may be different, but there is no difference in the outcome. The Name that you are most inclined towards and interested in, do japa of that Name. There will be much gains in doing so. Do Naam Japa attentively engaging your mind. If the mind does not engage, then too, get into such a habit, that while doing work-business, Naam Japa continues to take place.
Saints have said ‒
हाथ काम मुख राम है, हिरदै साँची प्रीत ।
दरिया गिरस्ती साध की, याही उत्तम रीत ॥
In this manner, while living here, repeat the Divine Name of the Lord, then you too will become a saint. Many great men had also suffered imprisonment for the independence of the country; but they had done so for ‘dharma’ (righteousness), nor for sinful acts. The editor of ‘Kalyaan’, Shri Hanumanprasad Poddar too had stayed in jail, as a prisoner for civil rights. While staying there, he dispensed medicines and continued to do ‘bhajan-smaran’ (worship and remembrance of God). He read approximately 2,000 books in the prison, and practiced ‘naam japa’ (repeating the Divine Name of the Lord). He used to do ‘Naam Japa’ using his fingers, and for keeping a count, he would make a line with a stick on the prison wall. In this manner, he did a lot of ‘Naam Japa’. Therefore there is an excellent opportunity over here for ‘Naam Japa’.
‒From the book in Hindi ‘Vaastavik Sukh ’ by Swami Ramsukhdasji