Man's sacred duty is to obey God

Human reason, unaided and unsupported by scriptures, cannot take man very far. He cannot pull himself in this world by his own bootstraps. He needs Divine grace, which is there always, but his foolishness does not raise the sails to receive it from God. Unless we are base ingrates, we should love God because we belong to Him. His, then, is the right to command us. Ours is the sacred duty to obey whether He speaks to us directly or makes His will conveyed to us through scriptures or His messengers. Some shrink from making an appeal to God for the fear that it may fall on unheeding ears. This is the danger of atheism.

It is the inherent nature of the turbulent to feel proud and lock up their sorrows, refusing to bring them before the Almighty. To acquire amiability and imbibe charity, we should repose confidence in God. His grace raises our drooping faith in moral values, gives us the nerve to take up new endeavours and strengthens our perseverance. Faith is the only solvent which can help us to live sanely. But Faith is not belief without proof; it is trust without any reservation. Singleness of mind gears us on the purpose of life and secures concentration.

In a discourse, Dr. P. Nagaraja Rao said the physical basis of human life, the lure of the Senses, emotional upheavals, changes in circumstances and the irresolute nature of human will as well as its fickleness, have been taken into account by the Lord in His message to posterity. Worldly temptations and the threat of violence will make men give up their convictions. The Lord says "Do not yield to this unmanliness". This imperative is the most important among the 60 commands which God has given to set right the faltering humanity in general. Religion is a force. The potential good in men can become dynamic only when we make an effort to put down the lethal elements which coexist within him. Devotees who analyse God's message discern in it the fundamental tenets of a liberal religion, acceptable to all because it is catholic in its outlook, comprehensive in its scope and concrete in its treatment of human problems.
                                                                                January 27, 1987

Justice is truth in action

With many juggle with man-made laws and try to fool human courts but there is one judgment that comes from the “unseen” for which there is no appeal. There is no virtue so great and God-like, as 'Justice'. The four pillars of a Government are religion, justice, good  counsel and treasure. Justice is like the kingdom of God; it is within us, as a great yearning. It is 'truth' in action. He who rules over men should hence be just and honest.

While revenge may be described as the action of an individuals against another who committed a wrong, punishment is restored to by society against one who has transgressed its laws. Most of terms designated as crimes or offences in Sanskrit are essential religious in nature. No strict line can be drawn between sins and punishable offences. The ancient law books contain lists of crimes and their methods of perpetration. How the law-givers dealt with those who indulge in these offences is also spelt out, ranging from cutting a finger initially upto serving the head when a person turns incorrigible, Pandit V.Natesan said in a discourse.

The laws codified by Manu give the details of judicial administration. The cow has been held sacred and hence its killing has been made a crime. Generations of rulers followed Manus Laws strictly and people felt satisfied that the real culprits were severely dealt with. A Chola King,  “Ezhaaran” who lived in Thiruvarur was an ardent upholder of justice follower of the Manu's Dharmasastras. Hence he was affectionately called “Manu Needi Cholan”. To render justice to people who felt they were wronged, he caused a huge bell to be hung in front of his place. When someone desired to seek  his help, all that he had to do was to pull the rope, making the bell sound and attract the attention of the ruler. Once, to his surprise, he noticed a cow seeking Justice through this process. The culprit was his own son who had run the chariot over the calf of the complainant- cow. It was the king's duty to render Justice to the animal too and he ordered the prince to lie on the road and had his chariot driven personally, to crush the latter. There were showers of praise for his daring act.
                                                                                August 31, 1988

Moral treatise akin to the Bhagavad Gita

The thoughts of a person, the words which he utters and the deeds he performs should all be identical. But usually, he plans in his mind to carry out a particular scheme but when he specifies the same to others, he will invariably say the exactly opposite, either to deceive the other or deliberately misinform him. If by chance, a person speaks out as he thinks, he may not act in accordance with what has been indicated. His very deed may result in baffling situations. Only a hypocrite can act without any hesitation, flouting all canons of morality.

The symbol of virtue, Vidhura cautioned the blind king Dhritarashtra that the land he governed was not legitimately his and hence it should be handed over to his brother's sons, the Pandavas. Only those who have committed a wrong will not be able to sleep comfortably and Vidhura pleaded with the king to see that the legitimate share due to the Pandavas was returned, when, he would definitely enjoy peace of mind. But these words fell on deaf ears.

Sri Vishwapriya Thirtha Swami in his discourse on "Vidhura Needhi," which is a treatise on the Law of Morality, said this was akin to the "Bhagavad Gita" of the Lord. All aspects of human conduct have been analysed and Vidhura pointed out how a man should lead a life of purity. Vidhura said that the Pandavas were least interested in getting the issue settled on the war field and even Bhima the most vehement among them, talked of the repercussions of bloody battle. But Draupadi, who could never reconcile herself to the ill- treatment meted out to her in a public assembly by the mischievous, elements declared that even should her husbands decide to keep off the war path, she would settle the score by taking her sons help and wreak vengeance. Vidhura urged the king not to adopt a diabolic stance and cited the instance of the reeds on the banks bending fully and escaping the wrath of the floods while huge trees being uprooted because their soil holding the roots got eroded. Vidhura referred to the harm that a society suffered because of one man's fault and gave the example of Ravana. He asked him not to be under the misapprehension and false hope that even if the Pandavas win the war, the righteous Yudhishtirar would handover the reins of administration back to him.
                                                                                August 31, 1988

The Yoga connected to five cardinal virtues

From time immemorial, all the great, awakened and enlightened spiritual guides had given only one message -- at all times and anywhere --to mankind, viz., of fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man. The human being, the highest rung of all creations, is basically the same everywhere. All are born the same way, receive all the bounties of nature in a similar manner, have the same inner and outer construction and are controlled by the same power --God though called differently. They are all members of God's family.

India's ancient "mantram" -"Vasudaiva Kutumbakam" lays down the principle that entire world is one family. But it is common knowledge that despite long and loud preachings by various religious and social leaders professing the unity of man, the world today is torn by strife and tension. The root cause of the sorrow spectacle is that the gospel of the unity of man, however well-accepted in theory, is not put into practice. It remains at best as a mere slogan. It is also accepted that the purpose for which this human body has been provided, is to aim at the union of the soul with the Cosmic Soul --God. This is achieved by Yoga, one of the various methods, which attempts to bring the two close. The yogic system is one of the six schools of Indian philosophy systematised by sages and saints to set in order, the Indian thought concerning the Cosmos and relationship between man and God.

Sant Rajinder Singh, spiritual head of Sawan Kirpaul Ruhani Mission (Delhi) said here that God is one and the way back to Him is also one The Surat Shabd (Sound) Yoga is an easier form when compared with other systems all of which call for severe discipline Every prospective initiate to the Shabd Yoga (which he imparts) should endeavour to adopt and cultivate five cardinal virtue, --Ahimsa (non-violence), Sathya (adherence to Truth), Brahmacharya (continence), universe love and selfless service to mankind They should also practise the three purities -diet, livelihood and conduct.
                                                                          December 29, 1990

Guru makes overcoming problems easier

Many think that those who lead a spiritual life are selfish and are after comfort. This misconception can be removed by a comparison. Both a surgeon and a person who wants to kill, use knives in their respective professions. For the former it is a tool to save a patient while the latter, it is a weapon to deprive another of his life. Likewise, though the life-force is the same in all, spiritual aspirants utilise it to go through a selfless and disciplined existence to realise God and truth whereas worldly-minded men will be keen on getting their desires satiated. God realisation can arise only out of elimination of selfishness. An enlightened person will perform all actions in a dedicated spirit which the pleasure seeker will find if impossible to do.

Disinfectants may remove superficial germs but cannot destroy the more powerful ones, which cause fatal diseases. We can some how eliminate the gross tendencies lurking in the mind but the subtle ones which get lodged in the subconscious mind require greater efforts to root out. This is possible with the help of a spiritual guide who will see that the wicked tendencies are wiped out.

We find time to satisfy our various types of desires which involve us in great suffering and ultimately culminate in dissatisfaction. Even for minor sickness, we run to medical man but never seek advice or treatment of a supreme doctor –God, for the chronic disease of repeated births, presuming that to go to Him is not necessary. We may spend money and time to resort to litigation in a court over a tiny piece of land but not keen on sparing a few minutes in the company of pious and holy men. Those who thirst for redemption from re-births will be indeed.

Some may not like the idea of accepting another as a spiritual teacher, humbling themselves or undergoing discipline and if necessary, correction. But what ever a preceptor may ask them to do will only be with the intention of moulding of purifying their mind and inculcating disciple. Even as blacksmith hammers a shapeless lump of iron on an anvil always keeping in mind the product he wants to make out of it, so too a religious guide will be planning as how to train his disciples. Even then, one may say that realization can be had without the aid of the mediator. It will be possible, provided one has a pure mind from birth. In Kashmir apples flourish due to climate and soil but the same will not thrive on the plains. Even if their growth is made possible here, their qualities and quantity will suffer said Mata Amritananadamayi in a speech. An aspirant can avoid pitfalls and can gain moral strength and power through the guidance of a guru.
                                                                                May 6, 1993