Saturday, August 28, 2010

THOUGHTS ON QUOTATIONS


By

Smt Susmita Devi


One of the important joys of reading books is the inspiration one derives in the process. Reading books gives one lots of ideas about for example about survival problems, human mind work, nature, history and great people. Since my very childhood, I have been reading a wide variety of books - from child fantasies to biographies, travelogs etc. One of the last ones I read was called Family Wisdom by Robin Sharma. While reading it I found many sayings, which would be relevant for all of us. Some of the quotes could also relate to the teaching of Sadguru Sri Sri Babathakur, propounded as the 'Science of Oneness'.


The first one I got hooked on was: 'We were put on earth for one purpose and that is to make it a better place. We should therefore be contributing members of society. And if the earth as a result of our having been on it, is a better place than it was before we came, then we have achieved our destiny'. That, I think is valid for all seekers of the Self (God) in a variety of ways. Much talk about destiny has and is always going on - but what is the purpose if it? For a spiritual seeker, the prime object is to realize the 'I' inherent in all, the Divine Self, which enables us to experience a 'destiny'. Learning from the happenings in life - both good and bad ones - is one way. Another is to cultivate Satsang.


A key words in the quote is 'contribution' - but as we strive for economic or emotional security in our daily lives, we often forget to contribute. By the word 'contribution', I'm not refering to the support of charitable organizations only. Not at all. To 'give' of one's individual self is even more important than to give money or goods to the poor. And based on my observations, many sorely lack the willingness to give of themselves - love, compassion, a helping hand, and maybe just time to listen to others' outpourings. Another reason for various ailments is that we no longer live according to the laws of Nature, which are so well organized that one must be in awe of them. Sri Sri Babathakur often reminded His followers that the 'Right use' formula (see Nectar of Wisdom and other publications in Bengali) ought to be inmbibed and considered as one of the ways to realize the Self. Common man seems to have forgotten the very reason they have got a human body, which is to develop Self-conscious Awareness.


An ancient philosopher, Democritus, wrote about happiness: 'The happiness or unhappiness of a man does not depend upon the gold he wins. Happiness or misery is in one's own soul...' On the same topic Robin Sharma wrote: 'Happiness does not arrive when you achieve certain things. It comes when you think certain thoughts. Happiness is nothing more than a state of mind that you create by the way you process and interpret the events of your life'. The pursuite of happiness is often uppermost in minds of common people, but can happiness be clearly defined? The concept of happiness varies widely from society to society - so what really constitutes happiness other than a fleeting feeling of gratifiction? Sri Sri Babathakur made his followers aware that happiness is of a quite volatile character. Self-knowledge however can be consiously developed and has a lasting effect on how we live our day-to-day life. Happiness actually lies not in the getting what we desire, but in the anticipation of getting it. As soon as one situation/thing/emotion has occurred, the next pops up in mind - duly prompted be one's ego. None can ensure that 'happiness' will be the trend of one's life: 'We need to define our priorities - the values, endeavours and dreams that guide us ... We must take responsibility for ourselves and the world we live in...'.


The next quote reflects my personal attitude: 'Rather than living day-to-day with no sense of direction, living by chance, hoping that everything will work out fine is about as smart as playing Russian roulette with your life'. Said in another way by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: 'Lives of great men all reminds us we can make our lives sublime ...'.

The spiritual personalities remembered for their sayings or doings through books, followers projecting their master's words or electronic media are capable of helping in unveiling the inheret Divine Self. That Self is free from all biazes and prejudices, all judgement and all aspects of the lower self, the mundane ego. Culled from the book: 'Every year of my life, I grow more convinced that it is wisest and best to fix the attention on the beautiful and the good and dwell as littl as possible on the evil and false. What makes us human, at the end of the day, is the power each and every one of us has to choose our response to a specific situation'. Gandhi, following the same trend, once uttered: 'I will not let anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet'. (what you let into your mind affects your life style and thought pattern).

In conclusion one needs only to be reminded that every person has much more power than she/he thinks... if the direction of the thoughts is right and draws upon the necessary support from the source(s) available. So, just go ahead with your personal evolution towards realizing the Self.

Homage to all the great souls and Sadguru Sri Sri Babathakur.


No comments:

Post a Comment