|| Shree Hari ||Sense Enjoyment and Unionभोग और योगcontinued.......Just as, when the body is free of disease, one feels hungry, and when one is hungry, then even a dry piece of bread tastes good and gives nourishment. But when one is not hungry, then even the best of meals, do not taste good, and it does not get digested and converted to energy and strength. In the same way, on undergoing difficulties, sins are destroyed, and one feels hungry for God. When one is hungry for God, then spiritual talks, talks of “satsang” (association with Truth), appear pleasing and they are imbibed in one’s life.Man progresses in pain and sorrow. You will find very few brave men, that have progressed in pleasure, enjoyment and comfort. Mostly you will find aspirants who have progressed in times of distress and suffering, because it is easy to progress during grief. In pleasure, one cannot progress; rather one lays wasted; because in this the previously accumulated virtues are exhausted and due to getting embroiled in enjoying sense pleasures, further ahead there is no progress. He who continues to do his spiritual practice (saadhan) even when unfavorable situations come his way, he will be able to do his “saadhan” easily during favorable times. However, he who does “saadhan” only in favorable times, then when faced with unfavorable situations, he will be unable to do “saadhan”. Therefore, a householder will very quickly attain salvation, but a “saadhu” (ascetic) will not attain salvation as quickly. The reason being that a “saadhu” cannot tolerate even the slightest bit of adverse situation, and when such adverse situation arises, he takes his eating bowl and leaves (starts walking), but where will a householder go, when faced with adversity? How can a householder leave the mother-father, wife-son etc ? Therefore he will “stay put” bound where he is, forbearing those adversities. By enduring those adversities, his capacity for forbearance increases. He who cannot bear even the slightest adversity, how can he progress? He remains a coward, he cannot be brave. God has said in the Gita ‒मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुःखदाः ।आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ॥ (२ । १४) maatraa-sparshaas tu kaunteya, sitosna-sukha-duhkha-daahaagamapayino 'nityaas, tams titikshasva bhaarataO son of Kunti, the contacts of the senses with their objects, gives rise to the feeling of cold (likes) & heat (dislikes) and pleasure & pain, etc., these feelings come and go and are impermanent; therefore, forbear them patiently i.e., remain unaffected by them, O Bharata (Arjuna).What will happen, by forbearing patiently ? To this the Lord says ‒यं हि न व्यथयन्त्येते पुरुषं पुरुषर्षभ ।समदुःखसुखं धीरं सोऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते ॥(गीता २ । १५) yam hi na vyathayanti ete, purusham purusharsabhasama-duhkha-sukham dheeram, so 'mrtatvaaya kalpateO the best of men (Arjuna)! the wise man to whom pain and pleasure are alike, and who is not tormented (becomes happy and unhappy) by the sense objects, becomes fit for immortality. Rather he attains immortality.To become happy in pleasure, comfort, rest-relaxation etc. and to be unhappy in distress, sorrow, dejection etc. ‒ both these are nothing but pain and agony. Therefore in happiness not be become pleased and in sorro and distress, not to grieve, in other words, remain in equanimity in both pleasure and pain, is itself forbearing patiently in pleasure and pain. He who becomes happy and sad, cannot forbear either pleasure or pain.सुख हरषहिं जड़दुख बिलखाहीं ।दोउ सम धीर धरहि मन माहीं ॥(मानस २ । १५० । ४) (to be continued)
From book ‘Jin Khoja Tin Paayiyaa’ by Swami Ramsukhdasji