Responding to my view that one need not be ambitious and at the same time, seeing me striving hard in my spiritual quest, a few years back my daughter asked : “Is not striving for the inner quest also an ambition?"
Now, a few days back, Shri Raj Supe Ji (spiritual name – Shri Kinkar Vishwashreyananda Ji), a master, rang me up to say that if on the weekend (24th and 25th July) I am otherwise coming to Bangalore, he would like me to be there with him for Guru Poornima celebrations. I asked my wife to arrange tickets for me for my journey. She said – he has asked you to be there if you are otherwise going. But since you have no such programme, you need not go only for this. I said, this is the way, masters tell – they are subtle and non intrusive. In fact what he means is that I should try to be with him on that auspicious day otherwise he would not have rang me up (he normally avoids communication on phone and prefers, SMSs and emails). She said that when it comes to invitations from some relatives or friends, you say that it is customary and they make such request as a formality and that such requests need not be taken seriously but when it comes to the masters, you interpret it differently.
Yesterday, again, in response to her view that our daughter should be in India (she is working in US) - otherwise, according to her, how does it matter whether she or someone else’s daughter is working there - I said, in any case, children are going to be away and how does it matter whether she meets us once; or twice or thrice in a year like our other daughter who is in India. She again remarked, you want to be with the masters every alternate month or so but when it comes to our relatives and friends you have a different yardstick.
These questions are not the questions of my daughter and wife alone, they bother very many amongst us particularly those who are not yet initiated onto the path of inner exploration.
The answer to these questions is very short - yardsticks in external and inner world are not only different, they are opposite. As the Shreemad Bhagawatam says, mun ki vishayo me asakti bandhan ka karan hai aur usi mun ki Paramatma me asakti moksha ka karan hai [attachment of the mind with objects of senses takes one to the state of bondage (and consequent suffering) whereas the attachment of the same mind with the Paramatma, liberates one (and one experiences state of peace, love and ananda)]. The efforts (or ambition) in the external world thus binds one and in the inner world, it liberates.
One who, through experiences in life, has found that the pursuits in the external world do not take one to happier states (and finally result in suffering) and thereby feels inclined to explore other dimension (the inner one) has, therefore, to be clear that the rules of inner quest are exactly opposite to that of quest in the external world. I am of the view that if all the principles of management are turned upside down, they will help one onto the path of inner quest.
Another truth told by the Seers (Rishis and enlightened beings) is that whereas in the external world one gets only that which one has to get according to one's prarabdha (there are any number of examples where more intelligent and hardworking persons fail in material life whereas persons without much efforts and intelligence do exceedingly well or finds themselves in very good positions in material sense), in the inner quest it is one's effort (Purusharth) that removes the ignorance (it will not happen on its own - blessings of masters, of course, help those who seek and make themselves deserving of it) and takes one to the state of self realisation (peace, love and ananda).
Now, a few days back, Shri Raj Supe Ji (spiritual name – Shri Kinkar Vishwashreyananda Ji), a master, rang me up to say that if on the weekend (24th and 25th July) I am otherwise coming to Bangalore, he would like me to be there with him for Guru Poornima celebrations. I asked my wife to arrange tickets for me for my journey. She said – he has asked you to be there if you are otherwise going. But since you have no such programme, you need not go only for this. I said, this is the way, masters tell – they are subtle and non intrusive. In fact what he means is that I should try to be with him on that auspicious day otherwise he would not have rang me up (he normally avoids communication on phone and prefers, SMSs and emails). She said that when it comes to invitations from some relatives or friends, you say that it is customary and they make such request as a formality and that such requests need not be taken seriously but when it comes to the masters, you interpret it differently.
Yesterday, again, in response to her view that our daughter should be in India (she is working in US) - otherwise, according to her, how does it matter whether she or someone else’s daughter is working there - I said, in any case, children are going to be away and how does it matter whether she meets us once; or twice or thrice in a year like our other daughter who is in India. She again remarked, you want to be with the masters every alternate month or so but when it comes to our relatives and friends you have a different yardstick.
These questions are not the questions of my daughter and wife alone, they bother very many amongst us particularly those who are not yet initiated onto the path of inner exploration.
The answer to these questions is very short - yardsticks in external and inner world are not only different, they are opposite. As the Shreemad Bhagawatam says, mun ki vishayo me asakti bandhan ka karan hai aur usi mun ki Paramatma me asakti moksha ka karan hai [attachment of the mind with objects of senses takes one to the state of bondage (and consequent suffering) whereas the attachment of the same mind with the Paramatma, liberates one (and one experiences state of peace, love and ananda)]. The efforts (or ambition) in the external world thus binds one and in the inner world, it liberates.
One who, through experiences in life, has found that the pursuits in the external world do not take one to happier states (and finally result in suffering) and thereby feels inclined to explore other dimension (the inner one) has, therefore, to be clear that the rules of inner quest are exactly opposite to that of quest in the external world. I am of the view that if all the principles of management are turned upside down, they will help one onto the path of inner quest.
Another truth told by the Seers (Rishis and enlightened beings) is that whereas in the external world one gets only that which one has to get according to one's prarabdha (there are any number of examples where more intelligent and hardworking persons fail in material life whereas persons without much efforts and intelligence do exceedingly well or finds themselves in very good positions in material sense), in the inner quest it is one's effort (Purusharth) that removes the ignorance (it will not happen on its own - blessings of masters, of course, help those who seek and make themselves deserving of it) and takes one to the state of self realisation (peace, love and ananda).
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While explaining about the attainments in the external world, the scriptures also say that when one's aspirations and efforts are aligned to what is otherwise going to happen according to one's prarabdha, one has illusion of success. And if one's aspirations and efforts are contrary to what has to happen, one has illusion of failure.
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About the inner search, they say (and we also know it well) that the mind aided by the senses has a natural tendency of perceiving the objects in the external world. For it, to turn inwards is like climbing a mountain. It requires a strong resolve (normally aided by sufferings or vacuum in life) to make it look inwards. Of course, once one has a glimpse of the real self (sometimes master makes it happen through Shaktipat), mind starts enjoying this process.
One has, therefore, to make inner quest as part of one's routine by devoting an hour on meditation every day to start with (even if one's mind resists such an attempt), living life the way one has been living till now without trying to change one's conduct, as Osho says, and rest will fall in place (grass grows by itself).
One has, therefore, to make inner quest as part of one's routine by devoting an hour on meditation every day to start with (even if one's mind resists such an attempt), living life the way one has been living till now without trying to change one's conduct, as Osho says, and rest will fall in place (grass grows by itself).
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