"Temptation" by Swami Chidananda
Sankara spoke of three blessings: human birth,
longing for liberation and the proximity of liberated sages, spiritual
masters and their wisdom teachings. We have a fourth blessedness which
makes the other three blessednesses worthwhile and fruitful: that is an
environment and a facility affording every favourable factor for the practice
of the living of the inner life, practice of spiritual discipline, contemplating
the Divine and engaging in sadhana, a facility affording every factor that
is necessary, helpful and favourable.
If you reflect upon it seriously, contemplate it earnestly, consider it with great sincerity, you will be amazed and you will start wondering what you have done for this unutterable, unparalleled, incomparable good fortune. This four-fold blessedness conferred upon you in this age, which they call the iron age, the godless age, the age of materialism, hedonism, atheism—in this age, if you will consider your unique position, then it will percolate into your mind, you will begin to wonder, and then you will understand what ahetuki kripa, motiveless grace is.
Turn to God with sincerity. Turn to God for help and you will receive it.
Turn to Him day after day. Meditate. Direct your mind, focus your heart
and meditate upon Him with faith, with love and with humility. What you
ask for shall never be denied.
But then, as we have to contend with God, we also have to contend with our own unregenerate, self-assertive, persistent, die-hard, lesser nature, the animal in man. As we have to connect ourselves with God, we have also to contend with ourselves, our grosser, lower, unspiritual, carnal nature—carnal passion, physical appetites, lust, greed, and anger which is inseparably linked up with carnal passion and desire. These are the dire enemies of the sadhak upon the spiritual path, hard to overcome, but not impossible. It is possible.
Jahi satrum mahabaho kamarupam durasadam (Slay thou, O Arjuna, the enemy in the form of desire which is hard to conquer). This is the fact, this is the ades (command): “O Arjuna, slay this enemy, great enemy, in the form of impure desire, carnal passion and physical lust.” It is formidable, but slay it. It is difficult to overcome, but can be overcome.
Therefore, the seeking soul should never lay down his arms before this
enemy and surrender—never, never! But more often than not, not recognising
this foe, this enemy, we think it is our well-wisher, friend. We befriend
it. Such is the beguiling, alluring nature of this dire enemy. The devil
comes as an angel; the poison comes as delicious sweetness. It is only
one who is on guard, it is one who is awake, standing ready for action,
that can contend with this enemy within one’s own self. Uttisthata jagrata
(Arise, awake).
“Kamah krodhascha lobhascha dehe tisthanti taskarah jnanaratnapaharaya tasmat jagrata jagrata—Lust anger and greed, they are dacoits to rob and plunder the pearl of wisdom, not coming from outside to assail or invade you, but residing within your own body. Therefore, be awake, be awake,” says Sankaracharya in Vairagya Dindima. But such is the folly, the ignorance, such is the extraordinary delusion, the perverse nature of deluded seekers, that seeing not the enemy about whom ample warning is given again and again by all masters, all teachers, all Gurus, all saints and sages from the most ancient times up till Gurudev himself, we go into the camp of the enemy as though it was our well-wisher, our friend.
We invite temptations; we go into that area where we are tempted. We cultivate the company of such persons who are our temptation, who are our downfall, who are the ones through whom these lower propensities assail us, by whom they are stimulated and made manifest.
Therefore, a wise seeker, a true aspirant, an authentic, genuine Yogi, a true lover of God, will and must shun those persons and places where temptation lies—not rush in where angels fear to tread. It is only if you are true to yourself, honest with your teacher, and before the eyes of God you are His child, His devotee, His lover, then alone these teachings will mean a turning point to you, these teachings can transform you once and for all.
Turn to God for help and you will receive it without fail, unfailingly.
Turn to Him every day in meditation—meditation with faith, meditation with
love, meditation with humility. And be on guard against these inner enemies
to which you are host, inner enemies dwelling within your self, meaning
you no good. This is the mystery of God and His creation, the great maya
which is duratyaya (difficult to cross). Be on guard, never lay down arms,
never give way. Always know that one day you have to overcome and you will
overcome.
Nothing is more formidable than intense aspiration, mumukshutva. Nothing is more powerful than the power of faith and determination, sattvic determination. Nothing is more powerful than the Name of God. Nothing is more powerful than sincerity. Everything can be overcome. But then, you should not multiply, you should not strengthen the enemy, you should not run into his camp and then bewail. It is futile, in vain. For our undoing will be ourselves and not anyone else.
With all the four blessednesses, nothing will avail if you are not true to yourself and if you are not determined to avoid all such places and all such persons that constitute your temptation—morning, noon and night, every hour of every day of this golden gift of God, this piece of life we call a day. If you make each day given to you through His unutterable love, immeasurable love, a day of alertness, vigilance, watchfulness, wakefulness, a day of sincerity, earnest determination, true aspiration, a day of genuine love for God, then each day you will be a step nearer to that grand, glorious goal of life. Thus, day by day, living in a perfect way, making it divine, a life sublime, bless yourself, bless yourself, bless yourself! In this task, God speed you! In this task, Gurudev bless you!
(an excerpt from "Ponder These Truths": pgs. 155-159)
If you reflect upon it seriously, contemplate it earnestly, consider it with great sincerity, you will be amazed and you will start wondering what you have done for this unutterable, unparalleled, incomparable good fortune. This four-fold blessedness conferred upon you in this age, which they call the iron age, the godless age, the age of materialism, hedonism, atheism—in this age, if you will consider your unique position, then it will percolate into your mind, you will begin to wonder, and then you will understand what ahetuki kripa, motiveless grace is.
Turn to God with sincerity. Turn to God for help and you will receive it.
Turn to Him day after day. Meditate. Direct your mind, focus your heart
and meditate upon Him with faith, with love and with humility. What you
ask for shall never be denied.
But then, as we have to contend with God, we also have to contend with our own unregenerate, self-assertive, persistent, die-hard, lesser nature, the animal in man. As we have to connect ourselves with God, we have also to contend with ourselves, our grosser, lower, unspiritual, carnal nature—carnal passion, physical appetites, lust, greed, and anger which is inseparably linked up with carnal passion and desire. These are the dire enemies of the sadhak upon the spiritual path, hard to overcome, but not impossible. It is possible.
Jahi satrum mahabaho kamarupam durasadam (Slay thou, O Arjuna, the enemy in the form of desire which is hard to conquer). This is the fact, this is the ades (command): “O Arjuna, slay this enemy, great enemy, in the form of impure desire, carnal passion and physical lust.” It is formidable, but slay it. It is difficult to overcome, but can be overcome.
Therefore, the seeking soul should never lay down his arms before this
enemy and surrender—never, never! But more often than not, not recognising
this foe, this enemy, we think it is our well-wisher, friend. We befriend
it. Such is the beguiling, alluring nature of this dire enemy. The devil
comes as an angel; the poison comes as delicious sweetness. It is only
one who is on guard, it is one who is awake, standing ready for action,
that can contend with this enemy within one’s own self. Uttisthata jagrata
(Arise, awake).
“Kamah krodhascha lobhascha dehe tisthanti taskarah jnanaratnapaharaya tasmat jagrata jagrata—Lust anger and greed, they are dacoits to rob and plunder the pearl of wisdom, not coming from outside to assail or invade you, but residing within your own body. Therefore, be awake, be awake,” says Sankaracharya in Vairagya Dindima. But such is the folly, the ignorance, such is the extraordinary delusion, the perverse nature of deluded seekers, that seeing not the enemy about whom ample warning is given again and again by all masters, all teachers, all Gurus, all saints and sages from the most ancient times up till Gurudev himself, we go into the camp of the enemy as though it was our well-wisher, our friend.
We invite temptations; we go into that area where we are tempted. We cultivate the company of such persons who are our temptation, who are our downfall, who are the ones through whom these lower propensities assail us, by whom they are stimulated and made manifest.
Therefore, a wise seeker, a true aspirant, an authentic, genuine Yogi, a true lover of God, will and must shun those persons and places where temptation lies—not rush in where angels fear to tread. It is only if you are true to yourself, honest with your teacher, and before the eyes of God you are His child, His devotee, His lover, then alone these teachings will mean a turning point to you, these teachings can transform you once and for all.
Turn to God for help and you will receive it without fail, unfailingly.
Turn to Him every day in meditation—meditation with faith, meditation with
love, meditation with humility. And be on guard against these inner enemies
to which you are host, inner enemies dwelling within your self, meaning
you no good. This is the mystery of God and His creation, the great maya
which is duratyaya (difficult to cross). Be on guard, never lay down arms,
never give way. Always know that one day you have to overcome and you will
overcome.
Nothing is more formidable than intense aspiration, mumukshutva. Nothing is more powerful than the power of faith and determination, sattvic determination. Nothing is more powerful than the Name of God. Nothing is more powerful than sincerity. Everything can be overcome. But then, you should not multiply, you should not strengthen the enemy, you should not run into his camp and then bewail. It is futile, in vain. For our undoing will be ourselves and not anyone else.
With all the four blessednesses, nothing will avail if you are not true to yourself and if you are not determined to avoid all such places and all such persons that constitute your temptation—morning, noon and night, every hour of every day of this golden gift of God, this piece of life we call a day. If you make each day given to you through His unutterable love, immeasurable love, a day of alertness, vigilance, watchfulness, wakefulness, a day of sincerity, earnest determination, true aspiration, a day of genuine love for God, then each day you will be a step nearer to that grand, glorious goal of life. Thus, day by day, living in a perfect way, making it divine, a life sublime, bless yourself, bless yourself, bless yourself! In this task, God speed you! In this task, Gurudev bless you!
(an excerpt from "Ponder These Truths": pgs. 155-159)
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