Part III
CULTIVATION OF VIRTUES
24.- Discrimination (Viveka)
Discrimination is the only supreme weapon to fight the vices. Nothing should be done without discrimination. One should become vigilant by seeing others stumble and fall. One should act with foresight in doing everything and should vanquish all enemies (vices) with the help of contentment and meditation on the SELF(Atman).
25.- Prudence
Our Buddhi (Reason) may save or kill us. Right reason saves us and the wrong one kills. It is the rightly directed reason which leads to ceaseless meditation on the SELF (Atman). It is otherwise if it makes on turn away from the Self and leads one to worry about one’s affairs. Possession of wealth etc. will be of no avail when crisis comes, but it is the rightly-directed reason which would save us. Therefore, one should constantly pray to GOD (Atman) to five rightly directed Buddhi(Reason).
26.- Restraint of Senses
There are ten senses, five sensory or cognitive and five motor or active. One should exercise strict control over one’s senses, should not yield to their demands, but successfully resist and subjugate them. They would come fully under our control only when they are all wholly employed in the service of the Self (Atman).
It is only he who has thus conquered and sublimated the senses that is a real hero, a real saint and a God Realiser. He has achieved fulfilment of the mission of human life. The only purpose of human life is to achieve this supreme fulfilment.
27.- Destroy Desires First
Man is swayed by six innate passions (Vikaras), Desirer, Anger, Arrogance, Jealousy, Hypocrisy and Pride. These are responsible for the ceaselessly recurring cycle of Births and Death.
They should not be permitted to run a riot. Hence, Desire itself should be eliminated first. One should always supress desire by advising one’s mind:“Why should I want anything? I do not want anything”. There would be thus no scope for anger to rise. Desire when frustrated, leads to anger. In the absence ofdesire, the very foundation of anger would be absent. Where there is neither desire, no anger, the rest, having no foothold, do not arise at all.
Even if desire springs up in the mind, the body ought to be restrained, and should not be allowed to follow the dictates of the mind. [Marathi symbols] “Though the mind goes astray, let not the body follow”, Says a Hindi saint.
The mind has got to be regulated and controlled by constant meditation (Sadhana). If it refuses to give up passions it should be advised by Reason; and with the help of regular meditation, constant watch should be kept on the passions (Vikaras). The best man should be without any (Vikaras) passions because any desire at the moment of death would entail another Birth.
28.- Do not be a Burden
One should not be burdensome to anyone. Any burden so imposed on others, would undoubtedly recoil in the same way e.g. if for maintenance, maintenance would be burdensome to oneself, if for bodily services, one’s body itself would become unbearable.
29.- Do not hold down your hand (like a beggar)
One should never lower one’s hand for one’s needs. If one takes thus from others, one’s wants would ever remain unsatisfied. The begging hand would be cursed and polluted. Therefore, one should always have one’s hand raised up (for giving).
Priests and Jangams get their hands cursed by their greed for other’s property and by lowering their hands for that purpose. They will therefore never succeed in their undertakings; their poverty will not cease and their wants would remain unsatisfied. Therefore, one should not accept from others anything gratis or in charity. One should be giving to others within one’s means.
30.- Tolerance
One’s action should always be above reproach from any one. If one is unjustly reproached or even beaten, one should not retaliate and one’s love for them should not be diminished. Those who do wrong, verily consume poison. They will suffer and die of the poison. Since they have acted wrongly, God will surely punish them in some way.
One should bear rebukes from superiors or those in authority and should quietly tolerate rebuke-unjustified-even from inferiors. Generally, others will rebuke if one commits mistakes and one should feel that rebuke is for his good and should be grateful to them. Those, who sincerely advise with rebuke, are his benefactors: those who advise with an apparent smile are his ill-wishers. “The more the tolerance, the greater the success in life [Symbols]. This is so, because tolerance gives immediate results, viz. peace and happiness. One cannot be happy without inner peace. One endowed with tolerance will prosper in life. Penance is the art of facing the buffets of life with due tolerance. One must quietly bear all suffering. Inner contentment should never be allowed to be ruffled. One should be a veritable ocean of contentment. A real Saint is he who is ever contented. A real Saint is he who is ever contented. It is beneficial to oneself to bear with patience the burdens of another. A little tolerance would avert many impending disasters. Hence, it is better to do such a profitable business. Making a little sacrifice in price, one obtains infinitely more in spiritual measurer from Atman. Tolerance is the price and what is bought is the bliss of the Atman.
31.- Do not give offence
No offence should be given to another in any way, nor should anybody be annoyed, nor displeased, nor harassed, nor should be made to feel humiliated. The expectations (hopes) of others should not be frustrated.
One should not cause distress to any one in any way. One should not therefore persist in a bargain and seek to enforce it, if it causes loss to another.It should be abandoned with a view to render him happy. If one engages coolies for work they should not be deceived by short payment. If one wants to build a house, no wrong should be done to anyone. There should be no encroachment nor unlawful grabbing of timber etc. All things should be willingly bought. If injury and loss are caused to others in its construction, one would suffer the same fate so long as he resides in it. If others are made happy, one would have happiness in return.
32.- Truth-un-truth
One should always speak the truth and should never utter a falsehood, so that one’s speech would never be futile. If one goes on speaking the truth, whatever he utters would prove true. If one speaks untruth whatever one utters would probe false.
One should never stoop to falsehood, even if being truthful would lead to trouble. It is self-deception to think that by falsehood one could escape trouble. On the other hand, one would have to face greater trouble thereby. Risk or no risk to oneself, one should never utter falsehood.
Even if adherence to truth were to result in loss of money and property etc., let them go. Our Gracious God is omnipotent and not a pauper. Only what he gives would satisfy and endure. How much could man give? One’s motto should be “death is far better than untruth”. One’s creed ought to be ‘no falsehood even at the cost of one’s own life’. God will, indeed, help such a man in his work.
This inexorable rule is subject to only one exception, viz one may utter a falsehood even at one’s own risk, for securing benefit to others e.g. to save some one’s life.
There is an old story in this connection.
Kabir Maharaj had seen a Brahmin beating his wife to death. Therefore, he was called as a witness to prove the beating. Kabir Maharaj realised that the Brahmin would lose his life if he spoke the truth, and if he did not, it would cast a blot on his character as a saint. He went to court meditating on the SELF (Atman) and began to turn his face wherever he saw the Self (Atman). He was
asked to stand properly and to depose to what he saw. Kabir Maharaj said: “The seer (eye) cannot speak and the speaker (tongue) cannot see [Marathi symbols]. The Judge thought that Kabir Maharaj was an insane man and for want of evidence, let off the Brahmin. In this manner the life of the Brahmin was saved. Hence it is permissible, if one, with judicious discrimination, were to utter a falsehood for the good of another. But for one’s own selfish ends, one should never utter falsehood.
33.- Service of Elders
Parents nurse and bring up their children, naturally expecting that they would look after them in their old age. They rear them unmindful of any sacrifice, by themselves even foregoing their own morsel of food. It therefore behoves the children to serve them devotedly, to respect their wishes, not to wound their feelings and thus to keep them pleased.
The affection and blessings of parents, when they are well pleases, would bring happiness to the children. The children who are obedient and render personal service to them will surely obtain progeny and wealth, fame, power and longevity, etc.
Those who desire that others should behave affectionately towards them ought to do some service for them. “No affection without service”. [Symbols]. They should diligently do their bidding. They should eve finish the work, in anticipation, even without being asked. They should volunteer and offer to work for them and wherever possible, should do their work without being called upon to do it most efficiently, sincerely, in the best manner possible, even better than the (parent’s) could have done, and as if it is verily their own job. Doing of menial and so-called mean and trivial service which others may not condescend to do begets affection very speedily e.g. drawing of water, washing of clothes, etc. Such services are essential for begetting love and affection. Such services should be rendered, to the best of one’s ability, with one’s heart and mind, by manual labour, or by giving momentary help. Thus, undoubtedly, the parent’s affection will grow and it shall sprout where it did not exist before.
34.- Treat Others as Yourself
One should treat others as oneself and should feel that the sorrows of others are one’s own. One should realise that others would feel the same agony and sorrow if their crops are ruined as he himself would feel if his own crops were to be ruined.
Other’s children should be treated as if they are one’s own children. There is no harm if they are treated better. Then God would shower his love and affection on one’s own children. Human affection even at its highest, is but petty and powerless, as compared to God’s love, which is more potent and real.
One should never be artful or artificial in anything. An artful man would ultimately lose in the matter in which he resorts to artificiality. Hence, no distinction should be made between one’s own kith and kin and others. All should be treated equally.
35.- Benevolence
One should do good to others within one’s means. One should give, for religion and charity, out of what God has given him. If a guest come at the time of your dinner he should be respected by giving him half of what is available. But none should incur debts or defraud others for doing charity out of a false sense of prestige or generosity. One should not court disaster for doing good to others; but one should, without fail, give what one can without any loss to oneself. Having done so none should be told about it. Thus one should always strive to do good to others, by honest labour, so that one’s name might survive him.
36.- The Nature of Compassion
One should be compassionate towards all creatures and should be never callous and unkind to anyone. The same Atman resides in all bodies. The Atman that resides in one, resides in all. Therefore, callous and unkind treatment to anyone would mean such treatment to the Atman. In that event the Atman will be unkind and harsh to oneself.
All are kind hearted towards themselves and to their own, but unkind to others. Being kind to their own cattle they graze them in others’ lands but cause
loss to others, being unkind to the others’ lands. They kill birds and offer them as food to their pet dogs, and thus become kind to their own dogs but cruel to the birds. At a common meal, they serve more to their own people, being kind and partial to them; but serve less to others, being unkind to them. Such conduct would not leave them and their people unpunished.
On account of famine, at present, many people are starving to death for want of food. But there is no doubt that such a calamity is the result of people having become unkind.
37.- Contentment in what God has given
God has given us belly and God will somehow give us enough bread for our belly without fail. However, one should live happily with what God has given and should not covet and cast greedy eyes on what belongs to others. If one covets what is not his, and neglects what belongs to him, he would lose both, as the proverb says [Symbols] “neither Oil nor Ghee” (illustrating the case of a man, losing both oil and ghee in an effort to get them both in one and the same pot).
38.- God-Given Vocation
The vocation that God has given to everyone should be efficiently pursued. The best is agriculture, the next is trade and last comes service. God may give us anyone one of these three.
If one covets another’s vocation, and scornfully repudiates his own, and is negligent in his work, the Atman within would be displeased and would mollify his pride. Therefore, the vocation that God has given ought to be pursued sincerely by everyone, so that the Atman would be pleases and propitiated.
39.- The method of work
All should work very hard with their hands and then take their meals. One should not eat like an idler, only by incurring debts. One must eat with self- respect and not shamelessly.
One must like doing service as if it is one’s own personal work, single mindedly, and without deceit and laziness. If the employer who pays, is pleased by that labour, the work will be successful and profit will come increasingly.
There will be greater joy in doing lowly work than in doing dignified labour. Every work should be done in the allotted time, so that there would be no reproach from anyone.
The body must be used to constant work and it must become habituated also to hard work. No indulgence should be given to the body [Symbols] “work hard like a servant and eat like a king”, and thus even though the body may get worn out still one must go on doing all the duties punctually without wasting any time. Thus one must be free from any kind of dependence and obligation and live without worrying as to how one could manage within one’s means.
The hand that accepts pay without honest and faithful work gets accursed. The highest of all honest and faithful works is to regulate one’s life according to the commands of the Sadguru, and employ all the senses and the mind in the service of the Adman.
40.- Balance in life (Sense of Proportion)
In life, one must be ever vigilant. Thus one ought to constantly check-up what one daily earns and spends, the credit and debit items. One must take each step after due deliberation. Alms and charity should be given with due discrimination. One should not be too miserly. All things should be done with a due sense of balance and proportion.
41.- Spirituality in the midst of worldly life
One must carry on his worldly life and also cultivate spirituality. One should not confine oneself to the mundane affairs alone. One ought to try and develop spirituality day and night by adhering to Sattwa Guna. While leading a worldly life, one should manage to get through un-tarnished by its contamination. Indeed, our only mission is to achieve Paramartha. We must regulate and carry out our activities so as to foster Paramartha and only to the extent to which they might be conducive to Paramartha. We should not however worry about anything in the firm conviction that everything will turn out according to the WILL of the Atman. We should therefore dedicate ourselves to constant and ceaseless meditation on the Atman.
42.- Be Steeped in Paramartha (Spirituality)
Having lived a worldly life quite diligently in all respects one should pass on the responsibility to one’s children on their becoming fit to shoulder the same. Thereafter one should be completely absorbed in Paramartha. One should never look to worldly affairs again, but should carry on meditation on the Atman till the end, and achieve unison with HIM.
43.- Misery the result of external battle
Those who win in the war against a king will rule for a time but will experience happiness and sorrow in equal measure. One can never have only happiness without sorrow. They may have wealth but no issue, or issue but no wealth, either of them without the other. Thus happiness and sorrow being in equal measure those who meet death on the battlefield would go to perdition and those who win, may rule for a time and then go to the perdition. In either case, perdition will be their lot.
44.- Bliss the Result of Internal battle
Therefore, such external battle should be avoided and a better and different variety of battle should be fought out. The three Gunas, the six Vikaras and the ten senses are impediments in the way of realisation of the Atman. Hence, battle should be waged against them day and night, and one after the other, all these enemies should be destroyed.
Thus, vices should be fought out, virtues should be cultivated, and The Atman should be propitiated. One should thus live happily and attain salvation. In external battle perdition is the result in either case. In this internal fight, there is salvation both ways.
While one progresses victoriously in the internal battle all happiness would be his and there will be no limit to his bliss. In this battle, worldly happiness is guaranteed in the event of victory and bliss of salvation in case of death. When it is said that “one dying in battle attains salvation”, the internal battle is the battle referred to. If one is victorious he would achieve Swarjya i.e. the perennial Bliss in the Atman. While ruling over this kingdom, there is nothing like want, and there will be ever-increasing bliss, without any tinge of sorrow. Therefore it behoves all of us to achieve this Swarajya and attain Salvation.