29. What Do You Invite Into Your Life?

People think that becoming enlightened or living in the enlightened state is difficult and requires severe practices. THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM says No!

Understand this single line from a sutra, an aphorism, of Hindu scriptures. The secret, the master key of one's own enlightenment is clearly stated in that. When we decide consciously, we simply express our enlightenment. When we decide consciously, we can simply walk over our saṃskāra (or emotion filled memories) because neither our saṃskāra nor the ghosts have any value as they are. It is only we who give power to them.

A small story:

An alcoholic man came home after one o'clock, every night, totally drunk. The wife of the drunk was frustrated with the situation. She asked her friend for some ideas, some suggestions to stop him.

The friend said, 'Everyday he passes through our city graveyard. Today, you hide yourself in the graveyard. When he passes by, you create weird noises, howl, and frighten him. Then maybe you will do it so well that he will be scared. Now that fear will keep him from coming back home late. Once he stops coming late, then naturally he will not go to the bar and naturally the habit can be stopped. Try this technique.'

It sounded like a good proposition to the wife. She donned ghoulish makeup, black clothing and had a small pot with fire, to create a smoke effect. Prepared thus, she hid herself behind a stone. When this fellow walked by she jumped in front of him and shouted, with all her music arrangements, with all her paraphernalia. The man, even for a minute was not duped or fooled.

He walked up to her, shook her hand and said, 'Oh! Don't you recognize me? I am living with your sister.'

Understand! Our being respects the ghost and the saṃskāra. These are essentially one and the same. That is why it is said that the ego is like a ghost. If we give value and

importance to ego, it will be present in our life.

There is a beautiful word in Sanskrit, Maya. Maya means *ya ma iti maya…*that which is not there is maya. That which is not there but continuously appears to be there. We invite ghosts and saṃskāras into our lives. When we live unconsciously, ghosts and saṃskāra become our life.

Decide to live consciously. That will take us towards enlightenment.