Harboring hurt in one’s bosom is like keeping daggers close to one’s body. Hurt may be a consequence of any number of legitimate reasons that make us lose our true perspective and can make us bitter and revengeful. Bitterness affects the one who harbors it. One becomes indiscriminative as a result. A man without discrimination is like the soldier of modern warfare without a GPS or radar to guide his direction. What can be done when the very first step of Sadhana-Chatusthaya, ‘vivek’ or discrimination, is already amiss!
Forgiving all with a generous heart gives birth to unlimited peace and tranquility.
Trying to take revenge only perpetuates the disease. Can there be restfulness as a result? Can there be peace as a result? Can consciousness flow freely as a result? The wounded heart attracts itself to mere movement, which is also in the wrong direction, instead of freely expanding, as is the nature of Brahmam.
Being vengeful can only promote more violence, however subtle. It can have so many ways of displaying its ugly color. It manifests as anger, irritability, and unhappiness resulting in unsettled feelings. In turn, it leaves those persons who are cursed with limited vision with physical, mental and emotional bankruptcy, all of which arise from a vengeful attitude. Contentment becomes nothing more than a mere idea. The vengeful heart rejects understanding, rejects any compromise for the sake of peace, rejects mental and emotional harmony, and prevents one from becoming spiritually prosperous, which, in turn, obstructs any further way to Realization. How, then, can one ever dream of bliss or that which lies beyond?
Instead of judging persons 24/7 and piercing their hearts with unkind opinions and remarks, how wonderful it would be if the gentler mannerisms and kinder words would soothe the hearts of those individuals who earlier tried to wrong us! The true seekers in the field of Spirituality, with their highly charged inner systems, have only to channelize their attention with a little care, by letting their inner beautiful conditions flow out unrestrained.
W e are responsible for fostering the great prestige of the Source we belong to.
We are responsible for fostering the great prestige of the Source we belong to. Can it be said that those who are busy criticizing and judging others 24/7 are working for Nature or for God? Are they Godly agents? Whatever they are, they weave their own destiny, but let us take advantage of the favor bestowed upon us, which is our ability to learn from others’ mistakes.
Have we not known that God cannot be hoodwinked? Can we dream of the mutability of Divine Laws for our sake? Divine Laws are immutable. Reactions of all types have their seeds lying buried within our deeper consciousness. When we have profound awareness of the Law of Karma, how can we hide, preserve, and protect the seeds of anger, passion and revenge in the fertile soil of our hearts, where the Lord should have been the primary occupant and the owner of the temple we call ‘heart’?
Know well that pride, in its trail, gives birth to many ill traits, including anger, bitterness, revenge, sorrow, grief, loss of discrimination, prejudice and many such evils.
An ideal shishya’s life canvas is all about ‘living in Divine Consciousness’ through the art of constant remembrance, which emerges out of joyful meditations.
See how beautifully Pujya Shri Babuji explains the fundamental aspect of bhoga through his commentary in the Maxim 7, and furthermore inspires us as to how and why we take wrongs done by others as heavenly gifts.
For mundane existence, some level of openness of heart is required, but those who crave speedy spiritual evolution will have to cultivate an unprecedented level of openness of the heart.
Maxim 7: If you are feeling wronged by anyone, do not wish for revenge. Instead, think this comes from God and be grateful.
Should we not take this as an order for the sake of cultivating habits of the forgiving heart? He writes, "The circumstances for the process of bhogam, which may be from internal causes or external, are thus created.
"The external help comes in the form of suffering caused by the wrongs done by others, against which the people generally poison their thought on account of their own ignorance. This is very improper because this action, having helped the process of purification, has in fact put you under a sense of obligation. When this is the case, the work done through an external agency, it may be any, has in other words rendered the function of a true friend."
Our heart naturally appreciates the vast differences between the forgiving heart, the grateful heart and the vengeful heart. Allow the heart to perceive these opposites. For the mundane existence, some level of openness of heart is required, but those who crave speedy spiritual evolution will have to cultivate an unprecedented level of openness of the heart.
The yielding heart attracts grace, happiness, cheerfulness, and joy, which, in turn, build relationships. The vengeful heart breeds animosity and divides. The forgiving heart, while attracting grace, attracts blessings from the Higher Authorities in its trail. Imagine Their joy when one lets go of this evil from the heart, once and for all.
Remedy: The prelude to forgiveness is that gem of qualities, that of an accepting heart, which heals all wounds. By constantly cultivating humility and by keeping a check over one’s thoughts, feelings, and actions, we can all have the capacity to stay away from web of pride.
The heart, which is drowned in gratefulness towards God, no longer needs to forgive anyone. In such hearts, there is no pride to be hurt, nor can such a heart hurt anyone through retaliation. Where there is no hurt, how can there be seeds of revenge or vengeance? There is always peace, peace and peace.
In the Gita, Lord Krishna instructs Arjuna to perform his actions in Divine Consciousness. He also gives Arjuna further flexibility, cajoles him that if he misses out and does not perform his actions in Divine Consciousness, he may surrender the results of his actions and be rid of the consequences.
An ideal shishya’s life canvas is all about ‘living in Divine Consciousness’ through the art of constant remembrance, which emerges out of joyful meditations. Suppose we miss out on performing actions in Divine consciousness, we then submit the results and say, “They are at your lotus feet, my Lord!” When the above is missed or willfully neglected, we can erase the impressions formed during the evening cleaning.
Despite of all that, in utter helplessness, we pray to our Lord with a heart full of love and humility, beg forgiveness, and resolve not to repeat the same trend of errors. In summary:
- Performing in Divine Consciousness through constant remembrance
- Work as if you are working for Him and Him alone
- The Lord is working through me
- Surrender the fruits of the actions to Him
- Despite of all these when impression loom over our consciousness, we resort to cleaning in the evening
- Beg for forgiveness for the wrongs committed and resolve not to repeat the same
As a result of our constant endeavor to remain pure and simple through daily sadhana, humility, meekness, and simplicity then drench the heart. On its own, suddenly, we are overwhelmed by the outpour of love towards one and all. The heart, which is drowned in gratefulness towards God, no longer needs to forgive anyone. In such hearts, there is no pride to be hurt, nor can such a heart hurt anyone through retaliation. Where there is no hurt, how can there be seeds of revenge or vengeance? There is always peace, peace and peace. Heart that is peaceful, content and above all silent – what can it ask for more?
The yielding heart attracts grace, happiness, cheerfulness, and joy, which, in turn, build relationships.
