Bhagwat Stories for All 22nd March 2006
Summary of Bhagwat Pravachan
Date: 22 March 2006
Original Hindi : Pt.Satyavan Mishraji
English Translation: Suresh Kumar Ranga
Today’s class was a continuation of the previous class. Incidentally this class all understood hindi, hence there was no translation online.
Raja Parikshit had asked Shukdevji two questions. The first one, what should ordinary people do before dying so that they can be liberated. In the last class we had seen that what are the signs that God gives us when death is approaching. The signs start from one year till 7 days. For those of us who can see those signs we should start preparing. Raja Pariskshit thus asked Shukdevji that when we know that death is impending, what are the preparations that we should do.
To reply to this, Shukdevji said that one should renounce the following.
a. Asakti or attachment for the house
b. Asakti or attachment for the family.
Starting with the attachment for the house. We all work hard our life so that we can have a house. Panditji says that it is better that we leave the house than the house leave us. What do we mean by the term we leave the house. In our ancient times as well as in current times, it is believed that we should not die under a roof. So even today in India, when a person is nearing his death. He/She is quickly moved from the house, to a place outside the house. Thus the when the person approaches death even the house disowns the person. So before this stage arrives, a person should leave the house. And move over to other place. What are the other places that a person can move. Various Ashrams in India have made places for people to stay. Even Geeta Ashram in Delhi as well as Geeta Dham has place for people to stay. So slowly the attachment for the house has to be left.
The attachment has to be broken gradually. It cannot happen overnight. Panditji told that we need to change our mindset. We have to change the way we think. For eg when we stay in a rest house, we are not bothered of the cracks in the wall, or the ceiling or floor, or some paint that has gone off from the walls, or the windows etc. This is because we don’t have the attachment. We know that we are going to stay for the night and then leave the next or the following day. If we can build the same type of mindset with our own homes then the attachment does not get built.
Also once man/women complete their responsibilities it is high time that they pass over the responsibilities to their children and spend their time in chanting the name of God.
The second detachment that we need to build is the detachment towards the family. We should not forgo our responsibilities towards the family. But at the same time it should be done with detachment in mind.
In olden days the life cycle would be spent in the following way.
0-25 years – in the process of getting education as well as some skill
25-50 years – getting married and raising a family.
50-75 years – this time was used to reduce the attachment towards the family, gradually.
75-100 years – leave the house and proceed to some ashram.
Shukdevji told Raja Pariskshit that once you build this detachment or Asakthi, the next stage would be to meditate. Raja Parikshit asked Shukdevji to tell him more about meditation. How is it done and what are the steps to be following? Shukdevji told the way in which meditation has to be done. He told that you can either meditate with your head or the heart. The mind is made of two types.
To simplify and explain about this, Panditji said all assembled in the ashram, are listening to Bhagwat. Their mind is listening to the class. At the same time another part of the mind (the gross part) is wandering here and there. It normally goes to the person whom we love the most. It does not want to come back. In meditation we don’t want any such distractions. We want the mind to be within ourselves and not wander here and there. We want the mind to be focused towards God. To do this Shukdevji told the Raja that there are two things that needs to be done.
a. Purity of the body
b. One pointed focus towards the Lord.
Purity of the body is a very essential part. To keep the body pure it is not only necessary to bath, but also to keep it away from all germs. In olden days (and even today some people follow this), people used to keep head covered while going to the wash room. They used to wash their hands and feet after, and gargle atleast 5 times. The new generation has very little time even to keep themselves clean. God lives in a clean body. So we should keep ourselves, as well our places of prayer and worship clean.
To have a one pointed focus we have to redirect our attention. Panditji says that attachment that we build is between to living beings and not two bodies. This is a deep concept. When we say we are attached to some one, we achieve some satisfaction from the relation ship. The attachment is not to the body. Even a wife who loves her husband so much, if is sitting next to his body, will not want to hug it any more after a few hours have passed. She would still love and remember him, but would be scared to go anywhere near the body. So the attachment is surely not to ones body. On thinking further on the same line, we realize that we are being created by God. So we when two souls of the lord get attachment it generated happiness. If two souls that are two images can generate so much happiness, then how much happiness will be there when we develop our attachment to the lord directly.
Also when we think of some one, or we love some one we become like that person. There is a story from the Ramayana that has a special mention. When Sitaji was in the Ashok Vatika, under King Ravana, she was given lot of trouble from the servants of Ravana. The head of the ladies that took care of sita was one Trijata. Though in front of Ravan she behaved as if she was scaring Sita Mata, but in reality she loved her. So she asked Sita mata, that how much does she remember her husband Lord Rama. Sitaji said that she remembered him a lot. She said when she kept thinking of Lord Rama, she forgot her own existence and she herself was becoming like him. This feeling was scaring her. Trijata asked her, why was she so scared. On this Sita Mata replied that, if she also became Ram then who will press Rama’s feet when he falls asleep in the night. At this Trijata told, mata, even Lord Rama remembers you so much. So if you become Rama then he would become Sita because he is also thinking of you always.
Thus what we think we become like them. Hence we should always direct our concentration and attention towards the Lord. Then we can become like him. The second thing is we should keep chanting the name of the lord non stop. If we do this every day then a time will come when what ever we are doing the lord’s name is always on our lips. At the time of our death this name continues to be on our lips, as it becomes natural for us. Since we remember the Lord at the time of death we are with the lord later.
Shukdevji continued telling Raja Parikshit that contolling breathing is one good way to steady the mind from wandering. There was a practical demo by Panditji on how to do this.
Thus ended today’s class.
Date: 22 March 2006
Original Hindi : Pt.Satyavan Mishraji
English Translation: Suresh Kumar Ranga
Today’s class was a continuation of the previous class. Incidentally this class all understood hindi, hence there was no translation online.
Raja Parikshit had asked Shukdevji two questions. The first one, what should ordinary people do before dying so that they can be liberated. In the last class we had seen that what are the signs that God gives us when death is approaching. The signs start from one year till 7 days. For those of us who can see those signs we should start preparing. Raja Pariskshit thus asked Shukdevji that when we know that death is impending, what are the preparations that we should do.
To reply to this, Shukdevji said that one should renounce the following.
a. Asakti or attachment for the house
b. Asakti or attachment for the family.
Starting with the attachment for the house. We all work hard our life so that we can have a house. Panditji says that it is better that we leave the house than the house leave us. What do we mean by the term we leave the house. In our ancient times as well as in current times, it is believed that we should not die under a roof. So even today in India, when a person is nearing his death. He/She is quickly moved from the house, to a place outside the house. Thus the when the person approaches death even the house disowns the person. So before this stage arrives, a person should leave the house. And move over to other place. What are the other places that a person can move. Various Ashrams in India have made places for people to stay. Even Geeta Ashram in Delhi as well as Geeta Dham has place for people to stay. So slowly the attachment for the house has to be left.
The attachment has to be broken gradually. It cannot happen overnight. Panditji told that we need to change our mindset. We have to change the way we think. For eg when we stay in a rest house, we are not bothered of the cracks in the wall, or the ceiling or floor, or some paint that has gone off from the walls, or the windows etc. This is because we don’t have the attachment. We know that we are going to stay for the night and then leave the next or the following day. If we can build the same type of mindset with our own homes then the attachment does not get built.
Also once man/women complete their responsibilities it is high time that they pass over the responsibilities to their children and spend their time in chanting the name of God.
The second detachment that we need to build is the detachment towards the family. We should not forgo our responsibilities towards the family. But at the same time it should be done with detachment in mind.
In olden days the life cycle would be spent in the following way.
0-25 years – in the process of getting education as well as some skill
25-50 years – getting married and raising a family.
50-75 years – this time was used to reduce the attachment towards the family, gradually.
75-100 years – leave the house and proceed to some ashram.
Shukdevji told Raja Pariskshit that once you build this detachment or Asakthi, the next stage would be to meditate. Raja Parikshit asked Shukdevji to tell him more about meditation. How is it done and what are the steps to be following? Shukdevji told the way in which meditation has to be done. He told that you can either meditate with your head or the heart. The mind is made of two types.
To simplify and explain about this, Panditji said all assembled in the ashram, are listening to Bhagwat. Their mind is listening to the class. At the same time another part of the mind (the gross part) is wandering here and there. It normally goes to the person whom we love the most. It does not want to come back. In meditation we don’t want any such distractions. We want the mind to be within ourselves and not wander here and there. We want the mind to be focused towards God. To do this Shukdevji told the Raja that there are two things that needs to be done.
a. Purity of the body
b. One pointed focus towards the Lord.
Purity of the body is a very essential part. To keep the body pure it is not only necessary to bath, but also to keep it away from all germs. In olden days (and even today some people follow this), people used to keep head covered while going to the wash room. They used to wash their hands and feet after, and gargle atleast 5 times. The new generation has very little time even to keep themselves clean. God lives in a clean body. So we should keep ourselves, as well our places of prayer and worship clean.
To have a one pointed focus we have to redirect our attention. Panditji says that attachment that we build is between to living beings and not two bodies. This is a deep concept. When we say we are attached to some one, we achieve some satisfaction from the relation ship. The attachment is not to the body. Even a wife who loves her husband so much, if is sitting next to his body, will not want to hug it any more after a few hours have passed. She would still love and remember him, but would be scared to go anywhere near the body. So the attachment is surely not to ones body. On thinking further on the same line, we realize that we are being created by God. So we when two souls of the lord get attachment it generated happiness. If two souls that are two images can generate so much happiness, then how much happiness will be there when we develop our attachment to the lord directly.
Also when we think of some one, or we love some one we become like that person. There is a story from the Ramayana that has a special mention. When Sitaji was in the Ashok Vatika, under King Ravana, she was given lot of trouble from the servants of Ravana. The head of the ladies that took care of sita was one Trijata. Though in front of Ravan she behaved as if she was scaring Sita Mata, but in reality she loved her. So she asked Sita mata, that how much does she remember her husband Lord Rama. Sitaji said that she remembered him a lot. She said when she kept thinking of Lord Rama, she forgot her own existence and she herself was becoming like him. This feeling was scaring her. Trijata asked her, why was she so scared. On this Sita Mata replied that, if she also became Ram then who will press Rama’s feet when he falls asleep in the night. At this Trijata told, mata, even Lord Rama remembers you so much. So if you become Rama then he would become Sita because he is also thinking of you always.
Thus what we think we become like them. Hence we should always direct our concentration and attention towards the Lord. Then we can become like him. The second thing is we should keep chanting the name of the lord non stop. If we do this every day then a time will come when what ever we are doing the lord’s name is always on our lips. At the time of our death this name continues to be on our lips, as it becomes natural for us. Since we remember the Lord at the time of death we are with the lord later.
Shukdevji continued telling Raja Parikshit that contolling breathing is one good way to steady the mind from wandering. There was a practical demo by Panditji on how to do this.
Thus ended today’s class.
posted by Suresh Ranga | 1:29 am
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