55.6 “If a person serves a great sant attentively, his sins will be burnt and reduced to ashes. On the other hand, if a person associated with a great sinner, then his own sins increase, and any religious deeds that he may have performed will also be destroyed. Also, a person who puts his arms around the necks of prostitutes drinking alcohol, and then blames Bhagvãn by thinking, ‘Why did Bhagvãn not keep my mind stable?’ should be known as an utter fool.”
If we think of our life, we all have committed some sins in the past, intentionally or unintentionally. But if we serve a great saint attentively, all our sins, even the gravest of the sin is burnt into ashes by the grace of the saint. It is often said that one has to face the consequence of his Karmas, but only a saint or God can negate the consequence of our karmas because they are above Karmas. Such is the glory of serving saints and God attentively with reverence.
Similarly, association with a sinner or a devilish person causes all our good deeds to be destroyed. This is because, we will rationalize committing sins in the company of the sinner, and one day we might offend God or His saints in the process causing all our good deeds to go in vain. We will become like that sinner if we keep their company for long.
Now the example of a person who puts his arms around the necks of prostitutes drinking alcohol, and then blames Bhagvãn by thinking, ‘Why did Bhagvãn not keep my mind stable?’ should be known as an utter fool, is just an indicative example, but it is true for all us spiritual aspirants. We want to conquer lust, but we also want to associate with the opposite sex. We want to lapse in our disciplines and want relaxations in following precepts, and yet we want to God to keep our mind pure and stable. We are fooling ourselves and no one else. This is true for anyone following any religion, as far as one is not following the crux of the precepts mentioned in their scriptures, one is a fool to blame God.
We watch vulgar films and TV, we watch and drool over women and then we expect that our mind should be stable.We roam in hill stations and water parks and do all kinds of activities that cause our mind to waver. That is utter nonsense. Women often say that chivalry is dead, but isn’t the modesty, integrity and dignity of women dead too? A collective effort is what is required, starting with oneself. If we check ourselves, at least our mind will be stable, let the world do whatever it wants to, we can control our eyes and ears and shut out as much nonsense as we can. It is true that it is impossible to change the world, but shouldn’t we be wise and create self-disciplinary practices. We can choose to stay away from situations places and people who take us away from our spiritual determination, who waver our mind. All for a greater purpose of attaining God.
We first need to lower our gaze and look at ourselves and live a life of integrity and then we can blame God. If we are cautious ourselves, then There is nothing that will waver our mind.
God is not cheap, we have to be worthy of God. God never lets down any of His true devotees. He is right with us, all we need to do is look for Him sincerely.
|| End of Vachanãmrut Gadhadã I || 55 || 55 ||
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