religion

ON RELIGION

HOME (An address by Parampujya Laalaaji Maharaj)

Please examine your previous and present characteristic features. Do you know where you were prior to your stepping down on the surface of this earth? If we start discussing or arguing over the philosophy, and the knowledge of the divided and the undivided whole or devote our mind and time on trying to understand about the special features and the origin of existence of the Universe, or over things related to our merger, some of us perhaps would have the mind, the knowledge, the time and the capacity to labor, to measure, the expanse of this ocean and to know about the various universes in detail. Therefore, it is necessary that we should consider only things that are easily understandable and perceivable by the people of ordinary caliber.

There is a time when a baby finds great comfort in its mother’s womb, and the only thing it can do is to remain hanging upward down. From all sides it is tied with veins and sinews and is lying inside, covered by skin. The mother’s blood in the changed form is its only diet. Only through a few veins and nerves, it breathes air. Instead of light, it has darkness in its share. As a consequence, after comparing worldly life with this state, we can easily say that its home is no where else than this narrow, thin, suffocating and cellar-like place.

But a time comes when it turns its face from its mother’s womb and it is nothing short of death. But is it an eternal one or is it simply a turn to enter in to a new life? Now it steps down on the surface of the world.. The only difference is that, previously it found it self encircled within a narrow cellar-like place, but now it finds itself in an open, large and lighted place where it can breathe. Here it has the liberty to move its limbs and make noise. There is a change in its diet also.

Formerly, it was physically contracted and suppressed like a seed in which all the branches, flowers and fruits lie hidden in a dormant state. Afterwards, they were given stir. Then tender parts, leaves, boughs flowers and fruits come up in their own time. The name of this first state is ‘Nafs Ammara’ (an existence which inclines him towards sin).

Now it starts moving. This first movement is of grosser qualities (tamoguni). This ‘tamogun’ was lying. Suppressed in its previous life (in womb) and it had no movement. Now it gets a chance to come out and stretch itself in life. It is a physical state, which has a specific feature in its first motion, that it turns man towards vices which are against Divinity and are against his own characteristic conditions. Anyway, it move towards faults and a state of imbalance is a condition of a man which is inherent to him before the formation of his character. This condition is known to be a physical one, where like a four legged animal, he continues to follow the feelings which keep him engaged in eating, drinking, walking and sleeping and getting angry. This condition continues till a man starts dwelling under human and spiritual wisdom. In all children we see that their emotions rise and fall in a particular manner and it cannot be easily stopped. We call this the stubbornness (Baal hath).

After certain period, this condition takes a new turn. It is the end of the natural state and the start of a new life. From here, with the help of intelligence and consultation, he starts distinguishing between human wisdom and Divine wisdom and keeps in mind the benevolence of the Ultimate. Then it is not called a natural state but is known to be characteristic one which rebukes itself on its vice and imbalanced state. This is known as Nafs lavvama (an existence which prevents him from committing sin) and makes him to repent. This makes him vexed, ashamed, regretful and awakens in him a desire to make progress.

This stage is known as Rajoguni (one of the three qualities or “gunn”- quality of luxuriousness and exhibitionism) and its quality is to move forward and backward and continue to step ‘to and from’. It is always active (mobile) and is not at peace, nor is contented. Now it gets deliverance from bestiality and does not agree to lead of life of a camel without the rein. On the other hand, it wants to produce better conditions and better ways of life. In all its ways there should be no imperfection in any of his worldly activities. Now he wishes to use his thinking capacity for his activities.

Even if he wants to repent and rebuke himself for his worldly emotions, he is not able to completely overcome them. Often, the temporal feelings prevail upon him. Then he falls down and suffers as if he is s weak child who does not want to fall. But because of his weakness, he falls. Then he feels repentant over his weakness. The outcome is that when the primitive condition of the mind accumulates grossness in excess and yet remains unaffected with its excessiveness, it cannot completely prevail upon.

Then a third condition opens, which can be called a point of spiritual state. It is the condition of mental contentment and is called mainly the ‘satoguni’ (one of the three qualities or “gunn”- quality of purity and goodness) state. At this juncture, the mind of a man is at rest which is bestowed upon him by God himself. He does towards God – “woh us-se raazi aur woh us se raazi” (He is happy with him and he is happy with Him).

It is a stage when the mind, finding deliverance from its shortcomings is filled with many a spiritual power. It establishes a relation with Almighty without which it cannot remain alive. As it flows down from above with all its activities, it removes all the hurdles on its way and comes down with a great speed. As per the principle of Inverted, it flows towards God. Consequently in this very life (and not after death), it brings about a great change and it is where it enjoys Heaven in this world and no where else. It goes back towards God the protector. Divine love is its diet and it is the spring from which it takes water and so it seeks entry in to the gate leads to deliverance from death.

This is the story of the stages of a man’s physical, mental and spiritual chain of births and deaths. But the cycle of births and death does end. These are all the natural births and

Deaths and are not necessarily real. Now starts the different stages of real births and deaths. When a man gets deliverance from the strong feelings of physical and mental stages, he gets the different stages of spiritualism and ‘Satogun’. Then he frees himself from the clutches of ‘Rajogun’.

But as long as Real Peace, supremacy and pause (between births) do not give a push and take him up to the state of merger with the Real Source, there always remains fear. Therefore till ’Mahesh Shakti’, which the Master calls “yomuddin”, the state of merger, does not take one in its arms, till then the Real and complete merger with the Ultimate is an impossibility.

Only the above three stages change till a man reaches this state. In the first stage s msn was like stones and plants. In the second stage he was like stones, plants and beast but to some extent a man also. In the third stage he was a man in the apparent shape of a man but he was yet not able to become a perfect man.

To undergo a change in all these stages, on has to have a taste of death and has to cross the pleasant stages of new life. Even in this life, one does not know how many steps of births and deaths he has to cross to become a perfect man. This is a natural process. But till such time, may this ordinary death not come to him. To become a perfect man, one has to die while in this body, i.e., ‘die before death’.

It is essential that after an ordinary death, we have to seek entry in to more subtle, brighter and more enlightened stages. We do not know how many layers after layers of these are there to be uncovered. Before trying to become a perfect man, before trying to mention those stages and to give detailed descriptions, one should know what is the secret of ups and downs, comings and goings etc. Because if we dare go from the depth to the elevated stages at one stroke, there is a danger that such sudden change may break our nerves and sinews. Therefore it is essential that we should have a pause and rest so that we might gather courage to continue further.

By this going and stopping, moving and staying, we come to a conclusion that we are on our way to the goal. These intermediary stages are the pauses and the resting places for us to have a breath for going further. They are nothing more or nothing less. There is a way ahead and these are moments on the way.

To save ourselves from the beasts, the thieves, the cheats and to keep ourselves protected from heat and cold, the pains and pangs on the way, we have to adopt such means, so that we go safely and ensure our entry into the desired end. On our way and in the intermediary stages, we have to adopt certain means and take efforts to keep ourselves safe so that we may achieve our ultimate end. That is called “religion”.