89. The pain of achievement.🔗

A devotee once asked me, 'Master, why do they inscribe only birth date and death date on the tomb stones?'

I said, 'Man does not achieve any thing worth mentioning in between birth and death. That is why they write only birth and death dates.'

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❖ What for is achievement?

Is it for redeeming from tests of life?

Or is it for name and fame?

Or is it just to spend life!

❖ The title given by the society for the social status that one acquires by duly inflicting self-sufferings is only called 'Achievement'.

❖ While practising these self-imposed sufferings, whatever drops of sweat have been shed, and for the expectations that arise in the mind, if suitable conscious level response does not come forth, the negative feeling that arises only is 'distress or pain'.

While achieving one sheds his sweat that is self-imposed in order to achieve. During this period the mind has some expectations of recognition from the outer world. If this recognition does not come duly then the negative feelings that arise in the mind as a result of this is called 'distress or pain'.

❖ In order to overcome the pains, after overcoming the trials, if a person excavates the achievements, and if pains themselves become the prize, Lo! That only is pain of achievement.

Driven by pain when man decides to achieve, after overcoming all the trails that come his way, when he looks back if pain is the only prize of achievement then that is only the pain of achievement.

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As told in a discourse in a meditation programme, 'Your body is a battle-field World war is going on in it daily. Daily many crores of bacteria and cells are being killed. They are also born. Are you a battle-field where such a big war is happening? - Oh! Living man! While you make one wonder like this, how can you be afraid of the pains given by the small ground of life?

Get down into the pain-reducing achievement. It is a fruitful achievement.

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Mr. Nitti, here is a phone call for you. Mr.Moorg Mukund is on line.

Nitti: 'Hello Mukund... What is the matter?'

Mukund: 'Sorry. I am unable to come for your birthday party today. I have some very unavoidable circumstances at work. Don't be angry with me. Nitti, please don't feel bad that I cannot come. I will come another time. Don't worry.'

Nitti: 'Mukund, don't worry, my principle is different. If you come for the birthday party, surely I will be happy. If you don't come, I will feel very happy for it will be less trouble for me, less expense. So you see if you come, good for me. If you don't come there is no harm for me. So you don't worry about me. Bye.'

There are people like Moorg, who suffer continuously. There are people like Mr. Nitti, who look at any thing playfully, and feel happy going with the flow of events!

In this way only those in the path of achieving look at achievement.

For the people of the first category: Achievement begins with pain and ends in pain. These are simpletons.

For the people of the second category: Achievement begins with play and ends with play. These people are enjoyers.

There are some who are beyond these two.

Achievement? What is it? Why this wasteful job? Those who think like this are super fools.

Other than the enjoyers and the super-fools, those who suffer very much are only these simpletons.

On account of the present day pains, thinking that at least in the future, we might live happily without pains, we try to achieve and progress at least in some of the fields of knowledge, money, fame and power.

Where does achievement lead?

❖ What Einstein got was an achievement.

What Alexander got was also an achievement.

What Buddha got was also an achievement.

All the three achieved what was possible by them in their chosen fields.

❖ Einstein achieved in the field of knowledge.

Alexander achieved in the field of power.

Buddha achieved in the field of life.

❖ Einstein, Alexander and the Buddha – all the three touched the zenith of fame. They were praised by society.

❖ All these three wandered in search of some thing.

All the three achieved various things.

❖ Did all the three get what they actually searched for?

❖ Did they get the satisfaction?

What a man has truly achieved can be clearly seen by him only in his last days, that is, when the period of time comes, when it can be said, that there is nothing more left to be achieved, or there is no more time or energy left to achieve.

How all the three of them felt about their own achievements and after the achievement, how they looked at it, can be known through their last words.

Last words of all the three...

❖ Einstein – During his last days his friend asked him, ‘If you are given another chance to live in this world, what would you like to do?’ Everyone was eagerly awaiting Einstein’s reply thinking that it may be another achievement in science. But to everyone’s surprise Einstein said, ‘I would like to become a plumber.’

His friend exclaimed, ‘What are you saying? A plumber?’

Einstein said, ‘Yes, I wanted to become a plumber in this lifetime. Unexpectedly I became a scientist. I worked hard to the maximum possible extent. I have touched the zenith of knowledge and fame. But I don’t have the full satisfaction of having lived my life. Therefore, if I get another chance to live in this world, I will live the life of a plumber only.’

❖ Alexander – during his dying moments, calls his commander and said, ‘After my death, in the coffin box in which you will carry my corpse, make two holes on either sides and let my hands out through those two holes, so my empty hands can be seen outside.’

The commander could not understand as to why Alexander said so.

The commander was confused.

Then Alexander continued, ‘Let the people of the world know, after seeing my bare and empty hands that Alexander, who captured a major portion of the world, did not bring anything when he came into this world and did not take anything with him when he left the world. However much I achieved what remained with me are only empty hands. I am leaving the world with empty hands. Let humanity understand this and correct itself.’

❖ The Buddha had announced earlier itself that he was going away leaving the body. He prepared to leave his body in a very ordinary manner, and without any sort of agitation, sorrow or craving, with a smile on his face, devoid of any mental agitation and with a peaceful mind which had clear understanding. He was about to leave his body with satisfaction and contentment and without any sort of worry or desire.

Buddha had begun to separate himself from the body.

At that moment, a devotee called out, ‘Oh! Buddha, Buddha.’

The devotee asked, 'Oh Buddha, so far you have remained and replied to all our problems. Now you are going to leave us. Hereafter who is going to guide and lead us? Who is going to give solutions to all our problems...?' He asked this sorrowfully.

Buddha once again came to the conscious state and very calmly taught a meditation technique.

That only is 'Vipassana meditation' which consists of watching one's own breath. Saying, 'This will be of great help to you', Buddha left his body slowly.

Knowledge – Science, Shastra.

Authority – Money, name.

Self-satisfaction – Happiness, peace.

We can classify the field in which we desire to achieve under any one of the above three fields.

Einstein, Alexander and the Buddha are the three gem-like examples for the three fields – knowledge, authority and self-satisfaction.

There is no use at all, if, even after touching the zenith of the two fields of knowledge and authority, one does not attain joy even if there is fame.

As we have taken a step in the path of achievement, with the thought that peace of mind and joy should be born within us, and our pains should disappear, and satisfaction should blossom in our life and in case, it does not blossom, what will happen to the human mind?

That is why many people in their last days reach the limit of sorrow. The reason for this is that, for them, achievement begins in pain and also ends in pain itself.

Life itself appears as Maya, an illusion, only when the dream that after achievement, heavens can be reached, gets belied. Hatred descends upon every thing.

Knowledge.

Authority.

Satisfaction.

-- Select what you want among these 3 fields. Begin to achieve. You can get joy. You can obtain satisfaction.

To reach the zenith of knowledge and to touch the peak of authority due labor and hard work is required.

To merge with experiential bliss, the toil of meditation and understanding which are specific to that must be performed.

If you succeed in meditation and wisdom, wherever you are and whatever you achieve, you will be happy.

If you possess the joy and the sense of understanding like Mr. Nitti, 'Happy if achieved; if unable to achieve, then also no problem; very, very happy.' - In this manner you can understand life fully, enjoy the game of life and live. Only these people who belong to the second category are enjoyers of life.

Instead of being a big fool, thinking of become super-intelligent, and venturing into achieving some thing without having the requisite experience, and suffering as simpletons, take up meditation and wisdom, and become enjoyers, life itself will begin to become blissful.

Of all the achievements, only bliss, which is achievement of the self (soul), is the best achievement.

It is an ultimate achievement.

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A meaningful incident.

Prasanjeeth was a friend of Buddha's father. When he met Buddha, he compelled Buddha saying, 'Go to the palace, leaving the life of a vagrant beggar.'

Buddha asked him, 'Tell the truth. Did that royal life give you bliss at least for a single day?' Prasanjeeth simply bowed his head. No talk at all ensued for a few minutes.

❖ Suffering knowingly that you are suffering; covering it up nicely;

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Meditation chisels. Chisel No. 44.

Before your time expires, come away running.

Next meal you are going to eat is in a five star hotel.

You are going to eat very tasty food!

They serve you the best dishes of the world.

You are enormously satisfied.

But, at the very end of your meal, you happen to bite a hot green chilly.

The irritation and burning sensation given by that single chilly would wipe away in a second, the joyous feeling you had had, as well as the dream of satisfaction which you felt from your mouth to your brain, saying, 'Oh! What taste! What taste!'

From the state of mind you had prior to your having the royal feast, you would now be pushed to a very bad state. Do you understand?

Man has seen all the possibilities of world's happiness.

That life is a royal feast for him.

If pain catches hold of him when the feast of life is about to end...

If pain and dis-satisfaction catch you at the time when life is going to leave the body, what is the use of having lived?

The few moments when our end is near should be pleasant moments.

When the feast ends, it should be a tasteful ending. Death is an art.

To say it more correctly, the very living itself is to meet that auspicious incident only. Is it not?

Should we not prepare for that!

The deep secrets about this 'art of dying', I will explain in NSP (Nithya Spurana Programme) meditation programme. Pages are not sufficient to express that here.

To say it briefly, it is possible to prepare man to die comfortably. For that it is enough if certain specific meditations are done. Both body and mind will become prepared for that.

Before your life ends, come running towards the path of meditation.

You will learn the art of remaining blissful while living as well as while dying.

90. Duty, compassion, control.

In France, the cost of education of the children is borne by the government. There Kuljith's wife told Kuljith, who was living lazily, 'I feel ashamed.'

Kuljith said, 'I too feel ashamed!' When the wife asked, 'How do you say that you too feel ashamed, even without knowing which subject I am referring to?' Unable to reply, Kuljith was just looking here and there. Then he said emphatically, 'All right, first tell me what you wanted to say.'

His wife said, 'The government looks after the children. You are not going for any work and your company gives you mercy pension. My dad looks after house-hold expenses. Your brother buys us clothes every year. My brother takes care of the car expenses. Don't you feel ashamed because of these things?'

Kuljith said, 'Yes! I also feel ashamed. Even though so many have done so much, your younger brother alone has not spent money for us. This is a great insult to us.'

❖ It is the duty of others to do anything for me. To accept it is my mercy. This is the manner in which every one's sub-conscious mind functions. There is no other folly other than getting caught in the net of duty and mercy. To do your duty, you have to go past this folly.

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❖ Duty! Duty! Having run like this, the lives of many have changed for duty. They have begun to live for duty. This is cruelty.

❖ Mercy (Compassion) is a zealous energy. Only when duty remains as an expression of mercy, life will be interesting. One can live with enthusiasm.

❖ If you help your relatives out of compulsion instead of helping them out of enthusiasm due to compassion, then the service may well be completed. But your individual need which is bliss will not be fulfilled. Bliss only is your true individual need.

❖ It is duty only if service is done out of compassion. If done due to compulsion, it is not duty. It is folly. Is your service a duty or a folly?

For a lady who was doing service as her duty for 30 years towards a religious preacher in Bengal, suddenly a doubt arose in her mind, 'Is he truly a spiritual person?'

Immediately in order to test him, she made an agreement with a prostitute. As per the agreement, that night the prostitute should trouble the preacher. Make him lose his mental balance.

As decided, that night, the young girl arrived there. 'Whom are you testing, foolish girl. I am fire. Immediately vacate this place', the preacher shouted angrily. And without giving it due thought not taking into account that it was night time, he sent away that trembling girl.

The lady came to know what had happened from the prostitute. The lady said, 'Being 50 years old, he should have some maturity. He should practice what he has preached so far. By sending you away he has prevented both of you from committing a sin. But what a greater sin he has made by sending you away in the middle of the night without any thought for your safety. He has behaved like an ordinary average man by shouting angrily without having any self control.'

The lady thought to herself, 'Have I served a person who does not have even the basic spiritual quality of compassion, all these days? How does it matter if such a person is alive or dead?' Having said this with dejection, the lady vacated that place that night itself and went away.

❖ Mere duty is imitation. Doing your duty without compassion, will act with some aim of the sub-conscious mind as its centre. It will give disgust sooner or later.

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Moorg Mukundan had gone to attend a wedding. He was talking to everybody at the wedding. Opposite house Rajan, on seeing Mukundan, asked, 'Then, are you fine?'

Mukundan said, 'Oh yes. By God's grace, I am fine'. Saying this as he dragged on, Rajan said, 'Oh, no. Mukund! I just asked you that because it is my duty to ask you if you are fine. Living opposite your house, do I not know your troubles? Don't trouble yourself to tell me very big lies.' So saying he winked with meaning and made fun.

Mukundan laughed with embarrassment.

After talking about some common topics, when he was taking leave, Rajan said, 'Tell everyone in your house that I asked after them.' Mukundan said, 'Surely I will tell them. But ...' as he was dragging, Rajan eagerly asked, 'What is it Mukundan?'

Mukundan said, 'In my house if I tell them that you asked after them they will ask me if I found out whether you needed anything. They would say that you are a shy person so you would not say what you wanted and that I should have asked you if you wanted anything. What can I do?" When Mukundan replied this way, Rajan managed, 'Hee, hee, I said that just for the sake of formality.'

In this manner only, in the name of duty, customs and formalities many matters continue to go on without any meaning.

Duty should not be done with the attitude, 'Oh! It is just a duty!' Duty should not become life's compulsion, and should not also bind or control man.

Duty should be done with great enthusiasm and joy. It should be done enthusiastically and it should be done independently.

Duty and compassion are inter-related very closely. If duty happens to be an expression of compassion, it will keep the person doing the duty in enormous joy.

If the duty happens to be an outcome of compulsion, it will make the person performing the duty, fall in misery.

Duty can create problems for man depending upon the motivating power or reason behind doing the duty.

Is the power or reason one of compulsion that it sucks away one's energy or is it the happy energy of compassion? Depending upon which it is, we can decide whether duty is a pain or a pleasure.

On account of boundless grace and compassion, Lord Krishna says, 'Do your duty, don't expect the result' this is Krishna's Ananda Tatva (Bliss principle). It is Karmanandam.

This statement of Lord Krishna can be easily misunderstood by Krishnaswamy or Govindaswamy.

The bliss which Krishna had will not be there with any average person.

Without bliss, compassion can never blossom.

Without possessing the causal energy called bliss, when our Krishnaswamy or Govindaswami go in for doing a duty out of compulsion, there is more possibility for the duty to give more pain than pleasure. It is very essential that compassion should blossom within us.

Mystics are the epitome of such grace and compassion. Here is the story of Zen Master on his last day which clearly explains this compassion that Masters feel all the time towards everybody.

Enlightened Masters (Mystics) can foretell their death. Moreover, the death of a Zen Master would be conducted as a celebration.

A Zen Master told his disciples, 'I have completed my duties. Today at 6 in the evening, I will leave my body.'

Right from noon, many were waiting to hear the last words of their 102 year old Master.

Time was ticking away. It was 5.30pm... 5.40pm... Till then, the Master was only sitting silently.

He blessed the disciples one by one. But he did not speak even a single word.

When it was 5.50 in the evening, the Master got up, and put on his shoes, and started along with his walking stick.

Disciples asked him, 'Where are you going? You said you were going to leave the body in ten minutes.'

The Master said, 'To my tomb'.

The disciples asked in shock, 'What? What do you say? Why should you go to the tomb now?'

'I don't want to trouble any one. After I leave the body, you have to carry the body on your shoulder. Then everyone has to be ready for the procession. Why this unnecessary trouble? That's why I am walking to my tomb.' As he was talking, the Master reached his tomb.

The time was 5.59pm. The Zen Master went into the tomb and lay by himself.

The time was 6.00pm. After a smile, he closed his eyes, and separated himself from the body.

Thinking about the manner in which their Master conducted himself even in his last moments, his actions speaking louder than his words, the Zen disciples celebrated their Master's death throughout that night.

Their Master rendered help to his students even in his last moments. He did not wish to trouble them even at the time of his death. The causal energy responsible for such behavior is the compassion of the Master.

❖ The rules and regulations of the society will drive one to do his duty.

❖ Because of having done the duty, mind will expect the result.

❖ The controls will condemn the expectation of the results.

The peace of mind of the man, who is caught up in the society, mind and controls will be attacked from all the above three aspects. His independence will be controlled.

The happy matter of, 'Do the duty with joy. Do not expect the results.'

Do the duty as told by the society!

Be happy as told by the mind!

Do not expect the results as told by the morals.

-- With these contradictions, when duty becomes compulsion, then only duty becomes difficult.

When duty becomes a compulsion, it controls.

A very easy way to remain peaceful and joyful and still do your duty is to make the compassion blossom within you.

If compassion blossoms, even work is joy only. While doing it with excessive joy, we can even do our duty with independence, with comfort and with our own volition.

Make compassion blossom within you.

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A meaningful incident.

Taegu, who delivered a discourse under the heading, 'Who is a fool?' said again...

'You are born for your sake. You have grown up for your sake. But if you have lived for somebody or some thing, then what does that mean? Who is the fool? Should there not be justice...'

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Meditation chisels. Chisel No.45.

Do not pronounce the word 'impossible' immediately.

It is only this word that peeps out of the mind during such times when you are afraid to apply and use your full energy.

If you give importance to this word, life's rare opportunities will be slipping away from your hands. The mental discontentments will remain as it is.

Importance must be given only to the opportunities. Not for the words like 'impossible', which have the quality of making you lame.

Whether it is practice in the outer world, or practice in the inner world, let it be duty, or let it be compassion...

In order to succeed in whatever you take up, To be victorious in whatever job you commence,

Ignore the word, 'impossible' and continue trying...You will complete it.

Such a condition or state will arise when you will not be able to pronounce 'impossible'.

Even what is impossible, will be possible for you!

91. Gratitude.

Johnny prayed very sincerely to God to give him a hundred dollars for going on a picnic with his friends. Further he said his address loudly to God and with liberty, requested him to send the money to his house.

As he came to the church next day, he got angry with God saying, 'Why you have not sent yet?'

The preacher, who was appreciating Johnny's action, sent fifty dollars by money order from his own money to Johnny's house, duly writing, 'From God' in the money order coupon.

Next day evening, Johnny, who came to the church with signs of anger, told God, 'Next time when you send the money, don't send it through money order. They have taken 50 dollars as bribe in that post office and sent me only 50 dollars.'

❖ Man does not value what he has got.

Not stopping with that, finding fault with what has been given and also taking up the man who gave it saying, 'Give me some more,' disrespecting what is already received, are all the qualities of persons who don't possess a sense of gratitude.

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❖ Pineal gland is called the queen of glands. This is the one which creates in us the sense of well being and the sense of peace obtained by resting.

❖ There is direct relationship between pineal gland and Sahasrara Chakra (the crown chakra on the head which is an energy center in the body related to gratitude)

❖ The state of conscious feeling of 'Remaining with a sense of gratitude' makes the Sahasrara Chakra blossom. It will make pineal gland active.

❖ The expressions of the bad qualities of:

Ungratefulness, being disrespectful, showing scant regard to others, indulging in mockery - all these combine together and create emptiness in a person. They actually conceal his greatness. They also hide the greatness of others from him.

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One small story.

In a church, they decided to build a new building.

A big businessman, who used to come to that church, made a decision 'I should be the first to give the donation for constructing the new building; the donation given by me should be the highest.' He wrote a cheque for two million dollars and gave it to the father in the presence of all.

The father, after reading the amount as two million dollars in the cheque, said very casually, 'Right, I accept it.'

For the merchant, who expected praise and applause from those assembled there, the action of the father incited anger in him.

With great distress in his mind the merchant thought, 'It is all right even if he did not praise me, at least he could have expressed his gratitude. He has not even given this any importance.' The merchant said, with an obstinate voice, 'That cheque is for two million dollars.'

The father calmly said, 'Mmm. I saw that.'

The merchant began saying, 'Of course, I am a wealthy merchant. Still, I think donating two million dollars is a very big thing.'

Laughing, the father said, 'You expect that I should express my gratitude for that right?'

The merchant said, 'Yes, yes. Should you not have done that?'

The father became grim and asked, 'In case, in the presence of all those people, I had thrown it away saying, 'You and your gift!'....

As the merchant did not expect such a reply, he became perplexed internally.

The father said, 'Firstly you should thank me actually, for my accepting your donation without insulting you in the presence of those people. Why did you not thank me? Think... At least let your ego get destroyed that way.' So saying harshly, the father moved away from there.

As he thought about it the whole day, the merchant came to understand every thing one by one.

He recollected about each and every one of those great minutes in which he had lived badly, without any sense of gratitude.

Tears welled up in his eyes.

He understood the truth that only for him to realize his mistake, the father had behaved with him in such a manner.

From that day onwards, he learnt to live respecting others fully in each and every thing he did. He accepted the philosophy of life.

A true lover would be happier that his lover has accepted his gift than buying the gift and presenting it to her, itself.

A true wife will be happy as long as her husband accepted and ate what she cooked with great relish and would not feel proud of her culinary skills.

A person who gives a gift truly, would feel happier only saying, 'Oh! They have accepted my gift.' Rather than talking proudly, thinking about the gift he has given.

Have you found out the common feeling that all the above three persons possess?

Yes! It is only the feeling of gratitude.

The feeling of the sense of gratitude is such a nice feeling that the man does not feel proud of his achievements and at the same time enjoys and experiences his achievements with happiness.

'Remaining with a feeling of gratitude' - This is a great meditation technique. Right from an ordinary pin up to the food we eat how many people would have spent their energy and time and toiled for these things to reach us.

Understand well one thing.

Whatever money you pay at the stores to buy various things, it can never compensate for the labour people have put in for making those things. For some people, it may be rather difficult to accept this idea.

But you cannot deny what is going to be stated hereafter.

Think about the grace and mercy of the mid-wives who clinically assisted your mother, when you were born.

Instead of being compassionate if they had acted just out of a sense of duty or for the sake of money, you might have become lame by the hand or the leg.

For the mercy they showed on you, as a tender new-born child then, what can you give today in return?

You don't know even their faces.

For the humaneness and professional honesty of the mid-wives who have looked after an unknown you, whose face even they did not know before the delivery, who delivered you with no deficiencies, what can we give in return?

Even if we get an opportunity to see them, we can't give them any thing at all. At the most, we can give our sense of gratitude as an offering to them.

In the same manner, for those persons who have been responsible for you to get right from a pin up to the wheat flour, money is no compensation at all. Only the sense of gratitude can be a compensation for them.

The question may arise in your mind, 'What all you say is all right. What is the use of adopting this sense of gratitude?'

I will mention about the benefits obtained by adopting this sense of gratitude in life.

In case you like it, begin to adopt the sense of gratitude.

Benefits:

❖ Ego will not raise its ugly head.

❖ Psychologically harming others and also causing self-suffering due to pride and arrogance. This cruelty will not be staged.

❖ Your very face will blossom due to the gratitude you feel. ❖ When the sense of gratitude expresses itself, even without your knowledge, stiffness will loosen and immense joy will begin to be born.

❖ You will be a favorite of all your relations.

❖ What almost all persons expect from others is only the sense of gratitude.

If that particular thing which satisfies the expectation of others is available with you, then, satisfying others around you would become very easy.

The sense of gratitude is a comfortable feeling.

If we consciously remember to practice feeling grateful for every single thing in our life then we will lead a happy and comfortable life.

If the feeling of gratitude is implemented in practice, it will begin to be consciously understood that all that is stated above is true.

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A meaningful incident.

In a Chinese University, a seminar was conducted on the subject, 'Which is our greatest wealth?' When a Tao speaker, who had come and attended the seminar, was requested to deliver the concluding judgment, he said:

'There is no wealth greater in this world than the maturity to be contented with what one has. Such a person will be many times more contented than a very wealthy person.'

❖ This is possible only for a person who possesses the sense of gratitude. Become a person filled with the sense of gratitude.

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Meditation Chisels. Chisel No. 46.

Have you seen an ugly child so far...?

Even at places where people below poverty line live a child is always beautiful. It is simple.

But can you see a beautiful, single grown up person?

True beauty is not simply looking beautiful. What comes from facial make-up is not true beauty.

The beauty that is seen on the face a child and on the face of an enlightened Master, who has attained a 'beyond mind' state, are all blooming in appearance. It is natural. It is not just beauty. It is grace. It is an expression of energy.

True beauty is grace. And grace will not be boring. It will not vex the mind and consciousness. It is capable of making the mind peaceful.

Artificial beauty is a false one. A vexatious one.

When the child becomes an adult, its beauty is wiped away. Face becomes tight.

What is the reason?

Have you thought about it?

Pineal gland which makes the man happy like a flower in full bloom, functions in the most correct manner in the children. Its expression is beauty.

At all times when people talk to others with a sense of gratitude and respect, have you observed their faces becoming a little more beautiful?

Without stopping the feeling of gratitude with mere words, expressing it with your facial expressions and body language... is a meditation technique which will penetrate deep into life and work very deeply.

When you express your gratitude through body language, pineal glands will function actively and your tightness will break. It will make your face blossom. It will add melody to your voice. In short, it will change you as a pleasant personality. You will become a favorite of many.

From today, may the times people help you become times for gratitude meditation.

As far as possible, express your gratitude through body language, facial expressions and words.

Life will become successful.

92. Don't pronounce the judgment.

Mother asked the son very angrily, 'Did you steal and eat the plum cake?' The son said without any hesitation, 'Yes, I ate it.'

She said, 'Did you know that even when you stole the cake, God was there?' She tried to point out the fault the son had committed.

'Mm... Yes, I know' said the son very casually. For the mother, the son's replies gave her more and more irritation.

'Do you know that whatever you do, God is watching you?'

'Mmm... I know mother.'

The mother asked, 'When you were stealing, do you know what God was saying, seeing your act?'

The son said, 'God said in a mumble slowly, 'only we two are there in the kitchen. So, don't be afraid. Take two plum cakes one for you and one for me.'

Because she spoke a lie, she stood dumb-founded. Can we pass a judgment here as to which is the truth and which is a lie...?

❖ Whomsoever, whatsoever, at all times,

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❖ How will it be, if a man without hands tries to garland a person who has no neck? One person telling opinions and passing judgments about the other person is also like that.

❖ It is difficult for us to understand ourselves. On many occasions, it will be difficult for us to come to a clear conclusion about our own selves. Have you observed this?

❖ When we cannot clearly understand about our own selves, if we begin to assess the world and relations, how will that assessment or judgment be?

It will be like, wearing a 'yellow colour' glass, examining the violet colour and writing the conclusion saying, 'what I found out is 'green'. If this single example is understood fully, we can put a full stop for all the problems.

❖ Keeping our mental eye blind, when we begin to criticize other's quality and his conduct, then only trouble starts.

A blind man had come to his friend Mullah Nasruddin's house for a feast. After the feast was over, when the blind man started to return to his house, Mullah Nasruddin gave him a lamp.

The blind man asked, 'What is this?'

Mullah Nasruddin said, 'This is a lamp. This will help you to go home without any trouble as it will show you the way.'

The blind man asked rather angrily, 'What Mullah? Are you joking? What for did you give me this lamp?'

Mullah Nasruddin explained, 'No this is not for you. This is for those who come opposite you. If there is a lamp, at least they will know who is coming opposite them. They will know who is coming opposite them. You can reach home without any trouble. Is it not? Only for that reason I gave you this lamp.'

After listening to the explanation, feeling proud about the wisdom and the love of his friend towards him, he started walking towards his house.

As he was walking towards his home, some one suddenly knocked against him.

The blind man asked him, 'Who are you? Don't you see! Am I not holding a lamp in my hand?' said he with anger and vexation.

The man who knocked against the blind man said, 'I have not collided with you on purpose. I am blind.'

"...." Unable to reply, the blind man again started walking towards his home. Once again as some one knocked against the blind man suddenly, 'What sir, am I not coming, holding the lamp? Why don't you come carefully?' said he with anger and vexation.

The man who knocked the blind man said, 'Sir, it is true that you are holding the lamp in your hand. But the thing is the lamp is not burning at all!'

If full clarity about ourselves is not born within us, each one of us is blind in some way. That is we are mentally blind persons.

While the blind darkness of 'I know every thing' is seizing with its mouth the mind's eye keeping some books available in shops and some ideas (which are mixed with commercial aspects) told by some people, as a lamp, if we attempt to walk in the road of life, like the above-said blind man, we will have to suffer getting knocked again and again only.

Even if a person with a full vision such as an enlightened Master comes before a mentally blind person, the man will not be able to distinguish and recognize him.

There cannot be an act lower than that of pronouncing or delivering a judgment based on only a few things that we know, and saying this person is like this and that man is like that.

Two mistakes which happen because of the fact that about whomsoever or whatever we speak, we do speak only with approximation and also that we fully believe that we speak the truth.

First, you will come to the conclusion about yourself that you are either good or bad; man or an animal.

Second, you will come to the conclusion about others that they are either good or bad; man or animal. But in reality, both are imaginations; both are lies.

Totally honest person is rare; totally dishonest person is also rare.

Our certifying a person as good is only until we come to know of his dishonesty, and our saying a person as bad is only till we know about his inner qualities at his soul level.

In order to pleasantly conduct this drama of 'tied-up attachments', which walks with our opinions as its (walking) stick, judgments as its legs, and clarity of mind as the light, renounce and throw away the legs of judgment and the stick of opinions.

Your mental eve will begin to get the light and full vision. Truth will appear as truth.

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A meaningful incident.

Buddha's very strong and firm explanation for all judgments of the world:

'All of man's limits, explanations and policies are false commentaries of the truth.'

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Meditation chisels. Chisel No.47.

Having decided the judgment already, if arguments are started how would the hearing of that case be?

Can the opposite part win it at all? Will his justice and equity stand at all...? Think...

It is very easily possible for us to do the assessment of a person.

For a wife, who has come to a conclusion that her husband is an 'impatient person', even his affectionate talk would appear as tentative and as acting only.

For a husband who has concluded that his wife is an 'avaricious' person, even her affectionate talk would appear as a rehearsal to achieve her next material object.

We stamp every one like this as belonging to some type or the other, and make them seated in some corner of our minds.

mocked at.

Have you not felt heart-broken that, in spite of your having acted many times truthfully those were just ignored and discarded? It is only this type of judging which are responsible for those moments to arise.

If our conversations are observed keenly we would be going on stacking evidence just to prove that what we had stated in the first instance is correct.

In case we had expressed a different idea, then our talk also would be going on around that idea only.

Not only while talking, even while thinking, you are only creating judgments continuously. In your life you run after these judgments and follow them.

Life begins to be a struggle. The direction in which you run your life is not decided by you. What decides it is nothing but judgments!

Judgments are fences of thorns. It will prick others too. It will also imprison you.

Until the thorny fences leave, you cannot even think about either your own independence or the closeness of others.

If you want happy times to approach, the quality of judging must be rooted out and thrown away. The quality of judging is one such thing which should be burnt out as it gets formed itself.

Leave away the nature of judging and begin to live and see. The truth that you are living only in the midst of paradise will become an experience.

93. Bestowing happiness or ruining it is in your hands.

❖ The human mind is affected very much on account of media which wastes away time. This is a sad truth.

❖ As a result our thinking is affected. We think of imagination as real and reality as imagination. The mind has become devoid of clarity. It is only because the decisions are made by such a mind that there is a lot of confusion in life.

❖ Imagination cannot be real. One cannot imagine the reality. This is the practical truth.

❖ It will be a great thing if out of 100 imaginations, one or two become real. This does not require a big explanation. In the book of your mind, turn to the page containing, 'personal experiences'. You will understand.

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A man was running very fast in order to escape from a tiger. As he continued running, he came to the edge of a mountain. Due to his haste and agitation he fell down.

As he was falling downwards from the mountain, he caught hold of a bush containing red coloured fruits. Having caught hold of it, he was hanging, dangling in the middle.

A tiger on the top, a valley at the bottom as he was holding on to the bush, it was getting uprooted from the soil.

In those dangling moments, the red fruits hanging in that bush struck his eyes. He plucked a fruit by one hand and put it in his mouth. He began tasting it. 'What taste! What sweetness!' he said to himself. Till then a red fruit had not been so sweet in his life.

In that moment, the imagination as to, 'Oh! What will happen to me if I fall down?' was not there in him. Therefore even at a situation when he would have had to die out of fear, it was possible for him to taste the sweetness of a fruit in a sweet manner.

Your fear, irritation, grief - all these are formed due to your imagination around some one or some thing only.

Our state of peace or the lack of it is decided depending upon the angle in which we imagine about something which has already been done or something that is going to be done.

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In the man's life, out of 100 real experiences, 99 of them would have occurred either suddenly, naturally or normally.

Whether we are prepared or not, we are under compulsion to face strange experiences.

If we are prepared, unexpected life experiences will give joy for us. Otherwise, they only ruin our joy.

The couple, who were destroying their own happiness, went to meet Sakkiya Muni, who was giving happiness to one and all.

As the couple entered the hut of Sakkiya Muni, the Muni welcomed them, saying, 'Welcome, welcome, welcome', as though he was welcoming actually a big crowd.

Fear and confusion caught the couple, because there was no other person other than those three persons in that room.

The couple sat before the Muni thinking of what was going to happen.

Sakkiya Muni once again looked at the room and said, 'Why don't you listen? If all of you sit around me in a crowd, to whom can I talk? I cannot satisfy even one person.'

Because there was nobody else other than them, fear gripped the couple totally. Both of them started sweating.

Sakkiya Muni said, 'All right. First of all both of you tell your problem. Later on I will talk with the others.'

First, with a little bit of courage, the husband said, 'Only this woman, who has come to me as my wife, is responsible for all my problems.'

Sakkiya Muni said, 'Don't tell a lie. I will be very angry. You have two wives.' As the Muni said this, the husband was shocked. As he was thinking within himself, ‘Even my wife came to know about it only a few days back that I live with another woman. How does this man know all these things?’

The wife said, ‘This man, who happens to be my husband is not all right, having lived a life of chastity, what remains is my irritation only.’

Sakkiya Muni said, ‘Kali Yuga! In spite of being a woman, how is it that you speak a lie without feeling ashamed about it. Truly you have two husbands.’ As the wife heard this, she felt as though a scorpion had stung her.

The husband was horribly shocked really. He reached the peak of anger as he went on thinking, ‘Have I lived all along being afraid of such a deceitful woman?’

The wife said, ‘Master, it is true that he is having another wife. But I am a chaste woman. Burn the camphor on my palm. It will not burn my hand. This will prove that I am a chaste woman.’

Sakkiya Muni said, ‘Oh foolish girl. Then you do not know the full truth. Really your husband has four wives and you have two husbands.’

The husband went to the peak of confusion. ‘Who are those two wives, whom I myself do not know?’ he thought.

The wife was an intelligent lady. She had already known about enlightened Masters. So she understood deeply that there will be truth in what a Master says.

The wife asked, ‘Master, who is my other husband?’

Sakkiya Muni said, ‘The man who is sitting here is your first husband. A collection of all the judgments you have about him is your second husband. The husband who is here is different. The husband who is painted with your opinions is the other.

You live with your husband only at the bodily or physical level. At the mental level, you don't live with your real husband. You live only with the imaginary husband painted in colour with your opinion.

The husband who is in your mind is different. One who is here in reality is different.’ - He made them understand this very great life truth. That lady was able to understand easily as to why the Muni had said that her husband had four wives.

The wife asked, 'Master, Why did you say that there are many people sitting around us?'

Sakkiya Muni said, 'If the good as well as the bad relations living continuously in your mind and those relations living in your husband's mind are added together, then one entire village lives within you.

When you talk to each other, not just the two of you are doing the talking, two villages talk.

Same way, when you quarrel too, two villages fight with each other.'

He finished saying, 'Unless you drive away those people (imaginations) in your mind, created by your own opinions, happiness and bliss are impossible.'

The couple understood the reason why in the couple's life instead of having more and more joy in the relationship even their existing happiness was torn apart. Throwing away the imaginations, they started to live as a real husband and a real wife.

Any one who has read through this essay can commence a real and true life from today.

For the psychological quarrels that happen between you and the imaginary forms of yourself and also for the mental sorrows, you find fault with the real relations and make them suffer. Let us put a full stop for this dullness of intellect.

From today, let us live in reality and let us give more and more joy to others. Let us destroy the imaginations which destroy the joy.

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A meaningful incident.

In a T.V. programme, Mukund and his wife, when asked, 'How many children do you have?'

Mukund said, 'Both of my sons are in good jobs.' The journalist asked, 'How old are your sons?'

'The doctor is 6 years old and the engineer is 3 years old.' he said undisturbed in his imagination!

❖ The mind is just a fire-fly caught in the net of imagination. It must be freed.

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Meditation chisels. Chisel No.49.

The joy which one experiences without any reason is bliss.

The spinning earth does not stop. There is no one to spin it too. Still it does not stop. It does not stop at all. How? Why?

That only is nature. What is your nature...?

To feel sad without any reason is human nature. To feel joyful only when there is reason, is also human nature.

I ask one thing... Think!

When it is possible for you to feel sad without any reason at all, is it not possible for you to feel happy without any reason at all?

Both are natural. Therefore, it is possible to be joyful when you are just keeping quiet. If all your joys are analyzed and examined, there will be a root cause for that. It will be your desire only.

The key of joy has got entangled in the hands of desire.

Result - You will accept those happenings which are related to your desire only as 'joyful happenings'.

Even if happy incidents occur around you, because it does not agree with your desire, by affixing stamps like, 'Such a big laugh, is it just for this? Oh they are very childish', we will make a mockery of it mentally. We will destroy happiness.

As long as there is this cause and effect which drives our life, happiness will remain as a flower, which blossoms very rarely.

Go beyond the limit of desires.

Feeling sad without any reason will change as bubbling bliss the very minute one comes out of the circle of desires.