Date Sent: July 27, 2013
When you learn to value "Nothing", everything becomes priceless. Self-Realization is a state of mind. Self-realization is emptying your basket of mind. The mind that is empty slips into Samadhi (Conscious state of Bliss) without efforts. As long as there is last thought in your mind you are away from that bliss. As long as there is last thought in your mind you are living a miserable life.
Average individual's mind creates tons of trash every day (thought waves one after the other). His/her mind continues to scour through the same pile of trash day and night (even through the dreams). Think of the people who try to find worthless treasure in the garbage can; we are no different than that. The thoughts and Trigunas create next set of Karmas, Trigunas and thoughts. The cycle of miseries continues one-after-the-other like “Tree Seed and Tree again”. The hamster (of mind) never stops. It keeps churning life after life. The Jiva (individual body with soul) continues to go thru these cycles of miseries endlessly.
Everything is about mind. God is about mind, Spirituality is about mind, Happiness is about mind and Pains are also of the mind. Our mind has compiled Samskaras (trash) from thousands of past lives. It’s the mind that keeps Jiva in the hamster wheel. It’s the mind that releases Jiva from the hamster wheel. Happiness will come only when the last Samskar is wiped out from the mind. Self-realization will come without efforts when the hamster wheel stops. There is no realization until the hamster wheel (mind) is spinning with the hamster (Jiva) on it. The Jiva must continue to suffer.
There are stupid people in this world who offer Samadhi for dollars and there are idiots who pay money for attaining Samadhi, or Shaktipat or Self-Realization. It’s a stupid, stupid world where blinds are leading groups of blinds. No one can achieve Samadhi by doing meditation either. Bliss is a state of mind; God is a state of mind. Mind is everything. When that mind becomes calm (nothing) you will achieve wealth of the entire universe. Until that time Jiva must continue to struggle.
There are only three types of people in this world - Slaves, Seekers (Bhakta) and Jivanmuktas.
1) Slaves - Those who are slaves of mind. They in a state of misery most of the times. Even God cannot help these people. They must continue through cycle of birth and death.
2) Seekers (Bhakta) - These are still the slaves of the mind but God is guiding them towards the state of Jivanmukta. Read divine deer here.
3) Jivanmukta: They are the masters of the mind who have tamed their mind. There is only one Jivanmukta in millions of people. There is no difference between a Jivanmukta and the God.
Here is wonderful piece by OM Swami
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The world can't affect you when you stand firmly rooted like the ancient banyan tree. Or, it leaves you alone when it doesn't see value in you. All through one's life, one is searching for things of value, of worth. First, we are conditioned to value certain things more than others. Then we chase them. The struggle in the process makes the attainment look worthwhile. And finally, we work hard to retain them. We like to preserve what we value. Often, the more effort it takes to attain something, the more valuable it feels. It's natural. Think about it. For example, after much toil, it takes someone a year to save a thousand dollars, its value is much greater to him compared with the one who saves that much in a day. The first one has paid a greater price to save those one thousand dollars. What and how you value something is often based on how you price it.
When you learn to value things that are usually "nothing" for the world, you move closer to your inner source of strength. What is practically worthless to most are the prized possessions of a Yogi. For example: everyone breathes. It's no rocket science. Most take it for granted but a yogi understands breath, he tames his breath. The world doesn't think much of it but it is a feat for the yogi. The bliss is everlasting when it is not conditional, when it is not based on having or losing something. How can you be blissful without attainments? Well, that's the whole realization. That's not all though. Self-realized people have another important quality. It's not about meditation or adhering to some tradition that has barely any connection with the transcendental state. Once again, let me share another anecdote.
In Hinduism, cows are considered sacred, worthy of worship. Predominantly because, cows were an integral part of human life at one stage. Dairy products provided the nutrition, dried cow dung was used as fuel, bulls tilled the farms, drew water from the wells, they transported people and goods. Cows were like pets and more. In our story, set in India, a pig and a cow were talking:
"Why do people worship you but detest me?," said the pig. "After all, every single part of my body is used when I'm slaughtered. Shouldn't I be the sacred one?"
The cow said, "There's a difference between you and I. I serve when I'm alive whereas you do it after you're dead."
Read full article at http://www.omswami.com/2013/07/the-value-of-nothing.html |