It is human nature to ignore things which are too close or at a great distance. This applies to every aspect of life. We live every moment of life but do not understand its glory. We are unaware of supernatural divine powers, which can be attained by proper use of life. Man takes birth, fulfils his natural instincts of food, sex indulgence, earning livelihood and ultimately passes away. There are rarely moments when it is pondered that human life is the greatest gift of God’s treasure. One, who has been gifted so kindly with human life, is expected to make its best use, fulfil his imperfections and become great. He is expected like an efficient gardener to maintain and beautify this garden of universe and prove that he has appropriate knowledge of what is selfishness and what is universal good. Our interest lies in getting rid of unwholesomeness of sensuality and imbibing righteousness in adequate proportion. Those who succeed in utilising this trust get admission in the class of divine man. They not only safeguard their own welfare but help countless people in crossing over difficulties. Only such persons are great, praise worthy and imitable. They get triple pleasure of fulfilment, satisfaction and peace.
Human life is a precious gift of God. When it is entrusted, it is believed that the person concerned is deserving. Other living beings think and act only in relation to their physical body, but man has to discharge several duties and responsibilities as he is the successor Prince of Almighty God. He has to maintain his significance and dignity. He will be regarded as a beast if he confines himself to greediness and illusion and remains engrossed in eating and procreating children. It becomes all the more worse, if along with greed and infatuation, ego also overtakes him. Emergence of vanity to fulfil ambitiousness plunges man deep into the ditch of downfall and degeneration. Such a person becomes licentious, aggressive and dangerous and indulges in devilish activities. Eventually, his life which was symbol of great fortune becomes distressed and miserable. Thus, boon becomes a curse. Both these alternatives are available to everyone. Man has to choose as he is the maker of his own destiny.
There are different types of devotees. They have their own favourite deities from whom they seek favour and kindness and expect fulfilment of their aspirations. Nothing can be said who succeeds because in a state of dependence everything rests on the will of the master. The servant can only pray and entreat. This, however,
does not apply in the case of Jiwan Devta (God, in the form of one’s own enlightened life).
If life is trained in an appropriate manner everything which cannot be found elsewhere can be obtained below this ‘Kalpa Vriksha’ (a mythological tree which is supposed to grant all desires of a person, who sits below it).
Atom is the smallest form of this universe. Scientists have unanimously accepted that whatever is found in this universe is present in the smallest ingredient of matter. The other aspect of this theory is that individual soul is small, but is actually a symbol of the great power, universal consciousness. According to Vedant philosophy, refined soul is God. All divine powers, according to the Indian Philosophy, reside in this physical body. All the grandeur and magnificence of divine potentialities of the Almighty are present in its entirety in dormant centres of human soul. If they could be awakened and known then, super sensuous, unknown divine powers can be aroused and activated. Ascetics, Yogis, great thinkers and saints are gifted with such potentialities. Truth is eternal and perpetual. What has happened in the past, can happen even now. Great spiritual powers can be acquired by training one’s own life in the form of God. The saying about musk deer is well known. If one blunders upon, to find by fluke and searches outside, he will get nothing, but exhaustion and irritation. Peace is attained when it is discovered that the centre of fragrance is in one’s own navel. It is futile to search God elsewhere. God is beyond the limits of time and space. He is formless. He can be seen only in one’s own inner self. Our entire life is God’s direct manifestation.
Geeta says that God is merged, incorporated in human faith. Man is moulded according to his own belief. A person, who incorporates greatness within him is bound to become great.
God is powerful enough to accomplish everything. He is majestic and magnificent. Man, his symbolic representative successor Prince, is also accomplished with all his attributes. The difficulty, however, is that intensity of self oblivion and darkness of ignorance covers the reality. Man stumbles at every step, when in darkness bush appears to him to be a ghost and rope a snake. But, when there is light, everything appears, as it is. Self knowledge (Atmabodh) is an advent of that light, in which, man gets a glimpse of his real form. No time is then taken in searching the right path.
The story of a young cub of a lion, having been brought up in a flock of sheep is well known. The atmosphere and prevalence around us drags us, but when self knowledge dawns, it is fully realised that one’s own inner self is pure, enlightened and transcendental. The saying that ‘man is God, who has lost his way and gone astray’, hardly needs analysis. All problems are
solved if this bewilderment is brought to an end and then there is deliverance from all worldly bonds. Liberation is nothing else but getting rid of inappropriate thinking about one’s own self. A spider weaves web, gets entangled in it and becomes restless, but when it determines, it winds up the web and swallows it itself. Worthless, insignificant life is man’s own creation. Whatever we wish and think, get materialised in due course. If we want to change our circumstances, we have to change our convictions, aspirations and activities. What is mean or inferior-most can be made superior-most. A petty man can become great.
The principle of attaining supernatural divine powers (Siddhis), by spiritual training (Sadhana) is well known. The question is, who should be worshipped? Nothing can be said about the form and nature of different divine powers. The organization of this universe is well planned. The sun, moon, air are universal. God, too, is omnipotent and universal. How can He then have different forms, nature and qualities? How can then one arrive at the truth? The real answer to the question is that life itself should be regarded as living awakened God. Filth and impurities which have covered life should be removed. When live coal is covered with a layer of ash, it appears black. When this layer is removed, hidden bright fire becomes clearly visible. The object of spiritual training is simply to remove this covering. This amounts to converting dormancy into awakening.
Spiritualists have indicated several ways of spiritual training. If they are seriously analysed it would appear that all symbolic worships are nothing but elementary exposition of self-refinement. The object behind all ‘Yoga’ and ‘Tap’ (asceticism) is to enhance one’s own worthiness and sharpness. Worthiness is a magnet that easily attracts useful elements and power. The magnet of developed divinity in man attracts useful elements and powers toward him. Reservoirs are always deep as water from all surrounding areas collects in them. All rivers merge in the ocean on account of their depth. The snow deposits on high hilltops melt on account of heat and the resultant water reaches the sea through rivers. This is known as worthiness or capability. The basic purpose of spiritual training is the enhancement of one’s own worthiness. God does not need persuasion or appeasement. He is not pleased by insignificant gifts, worship, praises and exaltations. Only mean persons have such a nature. God is just and prudent. He is pleased and showers blessing on the basis of glory which emerges as a result of the permeation of idealism in man’s personality. The childish game of trying to allure Him results in disappointment.
The ascetic asks, ‘For whom should we worship (Kasmai Devaya Havisha Vidhema’). The emphatic answer is, we should worship for the God within us (Atma Dev). The real criterion of cent percent perfection of a person can be judged only on the basis of the genuineness of his thoughts, character and behavior. Fruits, flowers do not fall on the tree from the sky. Trees grow and bear fruits and flowers when their roots suck juice from the earth. Roots are within us which influence the entire personality. It ultimately leads to the magnificence and attainment of supernatural powers on the basis of which dual advantage of spiritual greatness and material advancement can be attained. This is the coordinated form of Upasana (worship), Sadhana (spiritual training), and Aradhana (adoration). This spiritual training essentially leads to success. One gets nothing by begging and entreating. God helps those who help themselves. The spiritual training of life is nothing but practicing self-refinement and self-purification. This is the greatest and ultimate object of human pursuit. Those who have understood this ultimate truth have realized the secret behind spiritual knowledge.
Source: Spiritual Training of Life Secret of Spiritual Knowledge
Author : Pandit Sriram Sharma Acharya
