Following Gurus without discrimination, without
viveka, without this heart discriminating the entire thing, you will become just a pashu
tied up to the post of a Guru or tied up to a Shastra.
Namaste ji.
What is this clay and the fertile soil which is compared in relationship with God and Shaitaan (satan)
the role of the mind in the whole process? The mind can become a precious thing
- a fickle mind, disturbed mind, restless mind - it can become a precious thing, meaning
a very fertile soil for Satan, while the same mind when it is regulated, it becomes fertile
soil for God. But where it is not regulated, it is useless for God. That is how we become
pashus (animals) bound by rope to a post. Jaise kehte hain na, pashu ko baandh dete
hain khete pe (as they say, we tie an animal to a post) usko pashu kehte hain. (we call
that an animal) Toh hum log bhi bandhe hue hote hain. (So we are also bound similarly).
Lekin jisme turiya ki condition aa gayi, (But those who have attained the turiya condition,)
those who remain absorbed and remain aware, jo jagrat rehte hain (those who are aware),
deep sleep mein bhi unki halat (even in deep sleep their condition)...aisa nahi hai ki
woh sote nahi hain (it is not that they do not sleep,) sote hain, (they sleep,) lekin
(but) they are full of awareness, awareness of their inner state. Even when you tap them,
and you wake them up they are not groggy. Their consciousness returns with a smile,
with a good response. They do not get upset, “Oh, why did you tap me and wake me up?”
Aisa nahi kehte hain. (They do not say that). Woh bandhe hue nahi hain. (They are not bound).
Unko poora freedom hai, isiliye unko pashu nahi keh sakte. (They have complete freedom,
which is why we do not call them animals). Pashu unko kehte hain jo bandhe hue hain,
apni aadaton se, apne vichaaron se. (Those who are bound, bound to their habits, bound
to their thoughts are called animal-like beings). Blind faith rakh ke, kayi log sunte rehte
hain (Many people keep listening with blind faith,) “guruji ne kaha hai, guruji ne kaha
hai” (“My Guru has said this, my Guru has said this”) lekin kuch andar se sochte
nahi hain ki sahi mein mere liye hai ki nahi. (but they do not introspect whether this is
right for me or not). Babuji Maharaj ne bhi kaha (Babuji Maharaj has also said,)
"hum bhi jab advice dete hain, whenever I give any advice, please make sure you refer it
to your heart and only when your heart okays it, obey. If your heart says no, do not obey.”
So, this is how we can get off this status of becoming Pashus, just by becoming aware
of what I should be doing and what I should not be doing. And in the chapter called Karma,
Lalaji has described four, five categories of Pashus, Nara Pashu, Striya Pashu, Guru
Pashu, Veda Pashu. One wonders why he is calling Guru Pashus and Veda Pashus especially;
I can understand Nara Pashu and Striya Pashu, but why Shastras and why Gurus? Because following
Shastras (scriptures) and following Gurus without discrimination, without viveka (discrimination),
without this heart discriminating the entire thing, you will become just a pashu tied up
to the post of a Guru or tied up to a Shastra (scripture).
Again, somewhat controversial subject Lalaji touches, and he says there are three causes
of bondage - Remembrance, which is so highly praised in Sahaj Marg, he says that it is bondage.
The second bondage is Meditation that we do all the time.
Third, bhajan or devotion or bhakti towards God. All three things so highly praised in Sahaj Marg have
been criticized by Lalaji Maharaj, that they can become bondage. But when can they become bondage?
He explains it - when the practice of these three is associated with external
things, the result would be birth and bondage and when they are practiced at heart, internally
keeping the goal constantly in view, it would result in freedom from external and surface bondage.
Toh, Guru ka smaran, Guru pe dhyan, Guru ki bhakti,(So remembrance of the Master,
meditation on the Master, devotion to the Master ) aisi nahi honi chahiye. (should not be like this)
Dikhawa nahi hona chahiye. (It should not be done to show off).
Wo shai mein andar se, dil se hona chahiye. (It should be from within, from our hearts).
Jab yaad karte hain, (When we remember) superficially, mentally, jaise koi samasya ke baare mein
sochte hain (like we think about some problem), ishi tarah, Guru ko bhi soch lete hain (same
way, we can think about the Master as well.) “Chalo yaar abhi time hai soch lete hain,
unka khayal kar lete hain.” (“We have time now, let us think about him, let us remember
him.”) Woh idhar udhar ghoomte honge, sote honge, satsangh karte honge, padhte honge,
ye khayalon mein, ye imagination hai. (Thinking that he must be traveling, he must be sleeping,
he must be conducting satsangh, he must be reading, these thoughts - this is imagination).
Connecting with the Master heartfully is a different matter altogether. Meditation,
again as they say, for temptations of reaching higher regions, aage pahunchna hai isiliye dhyan
karte hain (they meditate because they want to progress), takleefon se bachna hai isliye
dhyan karte hain (they meditate to get deliverance from troubles). Woh dhyan nahi hai. (That
is not meditation). Then it becomes a treatment by any physician. You go to treatment for
your emotional wellbeing to a Guru, apne ko andar accha lage isliye karte hain (They meditate
to feel good within), woh dhyan bhi bekar ka ho jaata hai (Even that kind of meditation
is of no use). Aur bhakti (And devotion) externally done, thoda ro liye (a little bit of crying),
thoda gaana gaaliya (a little bit of singing), “Arre Guru bahut acche hain, wo hain'' (“Guru
is so good, he is this and that”) ye sabh dikhawa ho jata hai toh ye bhajan kirtan,
devotion - bhakti ka koi matlab nahi rehta hai. (When this attitude of showing off is
there, devotion has no value). Isliye Sahaj Marg mein Babuji baar baar, aur khaas karke jab
Brighter World se messages dete hain (That is why in Sahaj Marg, Babuji emphasizes through
messages from the Brighter World), very powerful message – interiorize your Master, interiorize
His presence in your heart, make His presence livelier through your lifestyle.
Then sahaj Marg will work. Otherwise, it will only create bondage and slavery.