Now let us throw some light on the question: How should we
recognize a true Saint? Though, one who dares to judge a Mahapurush is as
silly as a child studying in kindergarten and trying to judge the capabilities
of a professor, however, since infinite lifetimes many individual souls have
recognized a Mahapurush and have achieved their goal by surrendering.
Therefore, on the basis of perception, interaction, and scriptural evidence, we
will have to surrender to a Mahapurush. By following this rule, infinite
souls attained God and therefore, we also have to follow this rule for
attaining our goal of life. We do not have to get disappointed because if
someone can do a job, then everybody can do it. It is proved.
In earlier lectures we have learnt that, in general, there
are two types of Mahapurush and two types of cheaters. A true Saint is
one who is saintly from inside and acts worldly from outside. Our history
is filled of such Mahapurushas. Prahalad, Vibhishan, Dhruv, Pundrik
Vidyanidhi are some of the examples of such Mahapurushas. The second kind
of Saint is one who behaves saintly from inside as well as outside. Their
external behavior is also saintly and they live like Saints. Soordas,
Meera, Kabir, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and all Jagadgurus come under this
category.
On the other hand, the first type of cheaters is one who is
worldly from inside, but acts like a Mahapurush from outside. It is
extremely difficult to identify such cheaters. And the other type of
cheater is like an ordinary worldly person, who is visibly worldly from inside
as well as outside.
To recognize a true Saint we should always keep one thing in
mind. We should not accept anyone as a Saint on the basis of someone
else's words. But only after carefully understanding, one should accept a
Saint to be a true Saint.
guru kare jāni ke govind rādhe |
pānī piye chhani ke jñānī batā de ||
(Radha Govind Geet -2118)
Because, suppose you have accepted someone as Mahapurush on
the basis of someone else's words and later on that person say, "I had
seen that saint. He is a cheater." Then your feelings about
that saint will change and you will be deprived of the benefits from that Saint
and will harm yourself.
Now arises a question: How should we recognize a Mahapurush?
Generally, three types of nature are seen in a Mahapurush. What are these
types and what are the different kinds of signs, we will read in the next
edition.
You must be aware of the fact that ninety percent of the
people in this world accept a person to be a Saint merely for the fulfillment
of worldly desires like blessing them with wealth, son, etc. If the
arrival of a Saint at a materialistic person's home brings him good fortune,
then that person starts praising the Saint by saying, "He is a descended
Divine soul. He is God Himself." People accept this statement
to be true. This results in immense faith in your heart towards that
Saint. But during the Saint's next visit to that person's home, he
suffers material loss due to his own karmas. Then, that very same person's
faith is shattered. He starts criticizing the Saint, and is not even
ready to accept the Saint as an ordinary person.
However, the Mahapurush, or Saint, does not have a clue that
this person accepted him as God, and later thought of him to be a devil.
On the basis of fulfillment and non-fulfillment of worldly desires, people
judge and criticize true Saints. Due to this reason, they themselves
commit naamaparaadh, serious spiritual transgression, and others who accept
their opinion also become a part of this spiritual transgression. In this
way, far from attaining the Divine Bliss of God, people lose whatever we have
gained in the spiritual realm. And they end up committing sins and lose
this precious human life.
Therefore, we should never accept a person as a Saint based
on someone else's words, even if it takes the whole lifetime to recognize and
accept someone as a true Saint. According to the scriptures, it is better
to be late in finishing the work in perfect form, than to be wrong. Moreover,
we cannot progress properly on the path of devotion without the guidance of a
true Saint. And, it is also said in the Shastras that if someone is
devoted to a fake saint, then the Guru as well his disciple attain hell.
Thus, the most important task,before surrendering to God, is to recognize a
true Saint.
In general, there are three types of behavior seen in a Mahapurursh:
1. Baalavat, Simple and innocent as a child - This
kind of Mahapurush has a simple and innocent heart like that of a child.
He likes clear and straightforward talk and behavior. He is neither
affected by abuse nor pleased by any praise. In fact, a Mahapurush is
pleased when one abuses him. A man abused Lord Buddha the whole
day. Then, Lord Buddha said, "This person might be tired, give him
something to eat and drink. He will get some energy back and start
abusing me again." Hearing this, the man who was abusing Lord Buddha
was shocked and remarked, "My abuses did not affect him at
all." He then bowed down in front of Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha
said, "If you give something to a guest, and he does not accept it, then
with whom will that gift remain?" The man replied, "It will
remain with the giver." Lord Buddha said, "So, you showered me
with abuses, but it was of no use to me, so I did not accept it. If you
would have recited something about God, then I would have accepted it.
So, with whom will those abuses remain?" Hearing this, the man who
abused understood the truth and asked for forgiveness.
Tulsidasji says:
nindak niyare rākhiye, āṅgan kuṭi chhavāya |
nit sābun pānī binā, ujjval kare subhāya ||
"The person who criticizes should be given a place in
the courtyard of the house so that by his abuses, we will continuously test us,
and we will realize how much pride is within us."
We recite prayers in front of God saying, "O God!
Nobody is as sinful and evil as I am, please bestow Your Grace and Mercy upon
me." But the moment we come out of the temple and someone calls us,
"You are an angry person, you are a fool!" we are ready to fight with
that person. Usage of abusive language is such a seed that grows rapidly,
but a saint is like dead soil, where no seeds can grow and all abuses go waste
with no effect. Abuses and criticism never affect him.
2. Jadavat, uncivilized, oblivious of the social
conventions of this world - The actual state of a Mahapurush is beyond the
material world. Because, his world is the Divine realm and he is not from
this material world. The mind of a Mahapurush is constantly absorbed in
the Divine Bliss of God, while bodily he wanders in this material world.
Hence, sometimes he is not conscious of the social norms and conventions of
this world, and his behavior appears to be like that of a madman.
3. Unmattavat, like a madman, without bodily
consciousness - The Bhagavat states:
evaṁvrataḥ svapriyanāmakīrtya jātānurāgo drutachitta
uchchaiḥ |
hasatyatho roditi rauti gāyatyunmādavan nṛityati lokabāhyaḥ
||
A Saint possesses the treasure of Divine Love. It is
the ultimate and highest attainment amongst all achievements. It is the
power through which devotees enslave God and make Him dance to their
tune. However, it is the nature of a Mahapurush to hide that Love. But
sometimes, during the remembrance of his Beloved God's Name, Virtues, Pastimes,
and Chantings, it becomes difficult to hide or control it, which causes his
love to manifest externally. He forgets that he is present in the
material world, and starts dancing, sometimes crying loudly, laughing, singing,
and jumping. In this state, a Mahapurush behaves like a madman. The
scriptures mention the various states of these Divine emotions, as ashta satvik
bhav. By these bhavs, or Divine emotions, we can predict the depth of
Divine Love within the Saint's heart. From external appearance, this
state of the Mahapurush is similar to a madman.
Continue reading in part 4
No comments:
Post a Comment