PART 12 - YAKSHA PRASHNAM SATSANGH

By Chitra Devraj

PART 12 – YAKSHA PRASHNAM SATSANGH

WHAT IS TRANQUILITY?

TRUE TRANQUILITY IS THAT OF THE HEART. (Tranquility is utter calm, the absence of agitation (of the past) or anxiety (of the future). In the sixth chapter of Bhagavad Gita the Lord compares the mind of the yogi as the 'lamp at the breezeless spot'. Breeze is all our worldly things around us. When our senses come in contact with the sense objects it pulls the mind in the direction of attraction or repulsion and thus the mind gets disturbed. The Lord explains this as 'vigatajvarah' or 'feverish'. Till one attains that object or leaves the object he is like a person with fever, restless.

If we can keep the lamp at a safe place where the wind doesn't touch the flame, then the lamp burns without oscillation. Similarly our mind can remain without oscillation if it is established in equanimity or yoga. All pairs of opposites like pleasure and pain, heat and cold, maanaa and apamaanaa takes us away from our inner divinity. If the mind takes shelter in that divinity that state is called as tranquility. It is not touched by anything happening around him as the mind is now turned inward and the light (peace of mind) is protected by the inner divinity and not exposed to worldly blows.

Equanimity gets disturbed when we have opinions, when we have desires, when we have complaints or in short any expression of ego spoils our balance in life. If we understand that everything happening around us is the will of the Lord and we have got nothing to do about it other than bearing with it (Lord Krishna tells Arjuna to develop the quality of 'titiksha', the quality to bear any experience), tranquility sets in us. Surrendering our ego and understanding the nature of things around us will make us remain balanced and will make us stay in the heart.

Every expression which comes out of a tranquil person will be soaked in love, humility, devotion and selfless. Only a person who is tranquil can meditate. This is the precondition required to experience the Lord within us. Even though the ocean has rough waves and wind around it, the inner depth of ocean is always calm and quiet. The worldly experiences are always there for every one of us but it is our Sadhana not to be affected by such experiences. Lord says to Arjuna and to all of us:

'Be established in Yoga at all times'.

WHAT IS MERCY?

MERCY MEANS WISHING HAPPINESS FOR ALL. (Mercy means compassion. Compassion is an expression of love inside us. We will feel compassionate to a person whom we relate as ours. When compassion arises, we try to help that person with what is needed at that time and place.

What Yudishtira says here is a higher view of compassion. Mercy means being selfless. Mercy means identifying ourselves with everyone and every creature. You feel compassionate when they are in sorrow and you share their happiness when they are happy.

Our problem is when there was Bombay blast we identified with it being a part of our country and prayed for the victims. When it came to Palestine or any other place, we didn't pay much attention to it because we feel we are not part of them. Mercy means irrespective of place, caste, creed (all body identification) one needs to pray, work for others' happiness like he works for his own happiness. Our mother satsangh in Bahrain performs Sathya Narayana Puja on every National Day of Bahrain for the welfare of the king and the people in Bahrain. This action is wishing happiness for all, an act of mercy shown by our Guru.

As long as we have differences in our mind, the tranquility does not set in. One who does not have the equanimity of mind cannot wish for the happiness of all. The whole life is running under the mercy of the Lord who works on strict vigilance, 24 hours, and 365 days for the good of the world. Anyone who prays to Him he answers in no time. If we write a mail to our Guru, within two or three hours He replies back. Swami Chinmayananda was writing replies to the letters with his own hand late in the night. That is mercy, wishing happiness (they speak the truth which make us happy) for all.

The prayer 'LOKA SAMASTHAA SUKINO BHAVANTHU' is the expression of mercy. One who works for the 'loka samgraha' – 'for the good of the world', without any selfish motive is merciful and he brings happiness to everyone around him. A Guru is always addressed as 'Dayaasindu' – because He is merciful to pick up the ignorant worms (like all of us) from the muck of samsara and put them under a shady place of devotion (Satsangh, Scriptures, talks, Bhajans, Japa, Dhyaana, Yoga) and show them the way to knowledge.



WHAT IS SIMPLICITY?

SIMPLICITY IS EQUANIMITY OF THE HEART. (Being simple means one who has given up the ego. As long one has the ego, he can't be simple in life. When ego is there, there are expectations (of respect, to be loved more, to be special than others in some way or the other) and complaints (if expectations are unfulfilled). Whenever the mind sees differences, it is a clear sign of ego and also the loss of the equanimity of mind.

We can be simple in our attitude when we become selfless and when we give up the fruit of actions in complete surrender to the Lord. Whenever there is an argument, a simple person will bow down and can say to the other 'you are right'. When we cannot accept our mistakes or cannot bow down to others we are only complicating the things around us. Surrender is the way to simplicity.

We have seen in many stories in Puranas, the simplicity and humility of the bhaktas. The faith they have in their Lord, make them live like a grass in the river Ganges. It can bend and live happily. If the mind is given to the Lord, to the Guru, what is there to bother about? The bhaktas take everything as the Prasad of the Lord, and remain unperturbed in all situations of life. Their happiness is not disturbed by any external objects. They are happy within themselves. Their eyes always face the Lord inside. Like a marine compass which always shows the North, the devotee's mind always faces the Lord at all times wherever they are kept in life.

Arjuna got into confusion whether to fight or not, because he lost the equanimity of mind. Our Guruji summarises the first chapter of Gita like this:

A – Attachment to the

B – Body leads to

C – confusion

D – which is my Duty? This or that? fight or not to fight?

E – one loses the equanimity of mind

F – Focus of life is lost and we say we are bored of life. we don't want to live any more or we say we don't want to fight the situation.

When the equanimity of heart is lost, mind takes over the issues, senses dominate and it produces lot of arguments which shows (not in reality) things complicated in life.

Yudishtira says, simplicity is as long as one keeps up the equanimity of heart. Mahatma Gandhi lived a life of simplicity not because he lived in a hut, wearing minimum clothes but because he lived with a balanced heart. He lived a life of simple living and high thinking (high thinking was there because he was selfless, merciful, tranquil).

SUMMARY:

Every situation in a day is the opportunity to practice these values given by Yudishtira here and we can see all these qualities are inter-related. It underlines the Gita's words 'samatvam yoga uchyate' – 'equanimity of mind/heart is yoga'.

Guruji has written beautifully in his summary for the 8th chapter of Gita as 'Easy this very day; Difficult for 100 lives too'.

Tranquility will make us live in the present. Living in the present is living with simplicity. If we don't bring the past and future, everybody around us is lovable, adorable. If we are balanced, we can be compassionate to everyone around us. The presence of a Guru makes the people happy only because of the presence of all these qualities. A lotus makes the difference in the appearance of a slushy pond. We can surely be a lotus in this world of samsara by developing these qualities of tranquility of the mind, simplicity in living and mercy in action.

SURRENDERING OUR EGO IS ONE SOLUTION TO ALL OUR PROBLEMS OF LIFE.

HARI OM!!!!