Saturday, August 07, 2010

Prayer

Mother Divine, whom I see in the quickly darkening grey of the clouds; Mother, whom I find in the faint brightness that peeps from in-between the clouds; Mother, whom I see in the shimmering city lights, in the steady glow of the bright palace lights, in the flash of lightning that illuminates the dark waters of the lake; I see your many colors in the golden dawns, in the blue of the sparkling waters, in the many-hued lights afar, in the purple reds of the sunsets, in the slate greys of the evenings, in the dark of the nights, in the white of the lightning bolts, in the greens all around, in the pearly smiles and laughter of people, in the kohl smeared tears.

I see you in the isolation of the island, in the crowds of the city streets; I hear you in the peals of the temple bells, in the Maghrib sung from the distant mosque; I sense you in the life urge of men and women as they return to their homes tired from a day’s work, in the death urge of the moths that are attracted to the flame; I feel you in the pain that wrings my soul and in the breeze that teases my senses.

Grant me, Mother, that I may never lose my Faith in you.

Written on August 2010. (the patio of the Noor-Us-Sabah palace, Bhopal. Heaven)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Merci d'avoir un blog interessant

bala said...

Question: Why do we not earn real 'happiness' from these?

Sri.Sri.Muralidhara Swamiji:

I wish to make you understand this -- mental happiness is only the highest of all 'Bliss' [and not physical 'Bliss']. You may be sitting on a silken bed or live in a big palace. Your room may be air-conditioned. You may possess all physical comforts. But, now, let us say that someone has abused you and you come to hear of it. The mind immediately fumes. Does it not? You are sitting on a silken bed, in an air-conditioned room but your mind is fuming. The physical atmosphere is not giving you peace of mind. Your mind is fuming. Is this not the situation (experienced)?

Thoughts gush up in you, 'How dare he speak about me in this manner?' Thus, you lose your temper. So you rage with anger. You become furious. Your mind fumes. Have you not lost your peace of mind due to this? When someone abuses you it does affect you.

Does it not? It does! You do not remain unaffected. If your mind is affected then your whole state is affected. Your state changes. If 'Happiness/Joy' is received from external objects this state should not change on hearing such news, for, you are occupying a silken bed in an air-conditioned room. You have all comforts around you. But, it is the mind that has been affected.

Likewise, are there not people who, in spite of possessing all comforts drink alcohol and lie in an unconscious state? Why? So many pleasures await them outside. But ignoring all these they drink something that intoxicate them and lie forgetful of them. From this - taking intoxicating drinks and lying unconscious - we know that 'happiness' got from within is greater than that obtained from external objects. But the 'ananda' (Bliss) got from intoxicating drinks is 'tamasa (Inactive) happiness'; it is akin to that got from sleep or it can be said to be a much lower state than that.

But, 'Brahmananda' cannot be described at all. It contains such great Bliss . And this 'Bliss' is permanent.

We go to the shop. We buy something. Even as we buy we ask the shopkeeper, 'will it last long?' Does not man desire only things that would last long? Similarly, if 'happiness' is earned it should be permanent. There is no use of that 'happiness' that comes and goes. Only spiritual Bliss is eternal.

Worshipping God is only for attaining that state. That is the truth. If we pray to God for worldly things [that are of low status] we will certainly obtain these. But, for eternal Bliss we should have deep one-pointed devotion and know the right way.

God is like a good judge. He does not see any differences as a devotee or a non-devotee. Just as a good judge would offer punishment to his own child if he has committed wrong, so too does God, since He has ordained that such and such result is enjoyed / suffered for such and such 'virtuous' and 'sinful' actions, respectively on everyone. This is the reason that God's devotees also suffer.

And those who are not devotees also enjoy happiness. The appropriate answer for this is that these are all due to 'virtuous' and 'sinful' deeds that one has done in his / her past lives.