Some
people brought a young man to Maharshi Patanjali and said – “Despite the best
efforts from our side, we are not able to teach this man the importance of yoga sadhana in human life. Kindly help us in
this regard”. The Maharshi asked the young man to stay back in his Ashram for a
few days.
Several
days passed. The people who had brought that man to the Ashram came to meet him
there. It was indeed a pleasant surprise for them to see him completely
transformed. That man, who was addicted to intoxicating drugs and sensual
pleasures a few days back, was now living a life of austerity and self control.
He was engrossed in deep meditation beneath a huge tree when they reached the
Ashram.
“How
did this magical change occur?” – They couldn’t help asking Maharshi Patanjali.
The latter humbly replied that there was nothing amazing in this. It was due to
healing and soothing influence of the spiritually suffused vibrations of this
Ashram, where every inmate is devoted sadhaka; this
acts as an attitudinal therapy. Those people were well aware that the environment
also plays an important role in the progress of sadhana but they could not follow what the
Maharshi meant by attitudinal therapy. Maharshi further explained – “An
eye-specialist cures the problems of eyesight but treatment of the
mental-sight, the outlook towards the self and the world…, is the job of a
rishi. Because of the deep insight awakened by long-term sadhana, a rishi
can view the hidden tendencies and nature of a person and diagnose the ailments
of his mental and emotional selves. Using their spiritual powers, rishis can
heal such ailments and infirmities of the inner selves of a person. The
treatment and righteous orientation of one’s mentality is achieved not merely
by preaching and teaching but by the impact of the rishi-level sadhana”.
The
publication of Sri Aurbindo’s renowned work “The Foundations of Indian Culture”
had sparked a new wave of interest in the multiple aspects of Indian Culture.
His disciples and other residents of his Ashram also used to have prolonged
discussions on the elements of this great legacy of the Vedic Age.
Once
a disciple raised query as to why the Indian Culture is also referred as the
“Divine Culture” while the cultures of all the other nations are known after
their names only. He put this question to Nalinda, who was the senior most sadhaka in the Ashram and was considered very
close to the master. Nalinda could not find a satisfactory answer to the query
and said that he would approach Sri Aurobindo himself for a reply. One day,
while discussing some related topic, Nalinda put the same query before Sir
Aurobindo. The latter replied – “The principal objective of the Indian Culture
is the awakening and expression of Divinity in human life. The Vedic Rishis,
the founders of the Indian Culture, had developed the grand structure of this
culture around this very central search. Because of the incorporation of divine
values and elements in its genesis and expansion, the Indian Culture is also
synonymous with Divine Culture”.
The
Bhagwad Gita quotes – ‘Nahi Jnanena Sadrasam
Pavitramiha Vidyate’. Meaning, nothing is purer than knowledge in this
world. True knowledge generates pure thoughts, which enable righteous
development of character, awakening of good tendencies and sentiments and
refinement of the inner inspired talks, deep thinking and contemplation over
the thoughts and works of great sages, seers, and saints is the surest way of
acquisition of this knowledge.
Dr.
Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, the former President of India, was a scholar of
global repute. Once when he was visiting some of the developed western
countries on an assignment of invited lecture series, a high ranking dignitary
of a host institution wanted to have his views on the scientific and
technological progress of that country.
With
due regards and modesty, Dr. Radhakrishnan responded: “The scientific and
technological development of your country is indeed remarkable. It has enabled
man to fly in the skies like the birds and float in the seas like the fishes.
However, due to lack of corresponding soul-growth, it has not been able to
teach its people to live like cultured human beings on the earth….”
A
rich man was extremely miser. He had instructed even the ladies of his house
never to give alms to the beggars. One day a crippled beggar came to the house.
The newly – wed daughter-in-law of the house was from a noble family. She told
the beggar that the house had nothing to give him. The beggar asked, “Then what
do you people eat?” Came the reply, “We eat the left overs and stale foods, and
when even these will be consumed, we too will start begging like you.”
The
master of the house upstairs was overhearing this dialogue. He was greatly
annoyed. The daughter-in-law explained, “Whatever we have earned as a result of
good deeds in our previous births, we are reaping and consuming only that. We
in this life are adding nothing to that asset, devoid as we are completely of
the qualities of charity and munificence. Naturally when the previously
acquired wealth of ‘punya’ is exhausted, we too will be left destitute. The
rich man highly appreciated the wisdom of the young damsel and thence onwards
started devoting his time and money towards the general weal.
Swami
Vivekanand was taking a stroll along the banks of the Ganga near Vellur Matha
one evening. Sister Nivedita, Sharatchandra Chakravarti and a few others were
also accompanying him. While discussing about the Divine (Indian) Culture.
Swamiji said, “The Divine Culture represents a harmonious blend of sadhana (purity and strength of character) and samvedana (loving kindness and compassion). Lack
of either would strike at the very roots of the structure and aim of our
culture. Sadhana without samvedana leads to arrogance. And, samvedana sans sadhana proves to be nothing more than
sentimental effervescence. A balanced cultivation of both generates what is
essential for the expression of divinity in humanity.
Maharshi
Kanad, the founder of the Vaishashik School of Indian Philosophy was a renowned
thinker and teacher of his times. He got the name ‘Kanad’ because of the
ascetic practice of eating only the kanas (grains) of food. He used to collect
the small quantities of food grains left scattered in the fields after the
farmers had reaped the ripe crop. This was the source of nourishment for him
for the entire season. When the King of the land heard about this severe
austerity of Maharshi’s life, he sent substantial gifts of wealth and food for
the latter. Maharshi Kanad warmly welcomed the bearers of the gifts but
politely refused to accept the royal gifts. He said – “I am very happy with my
present mode of living. I do not need anything more. You may kindly distribute
all these gifts among the needy”. The King vainly tried twice again to arrange
for some material help for this great seer-sage. Finally he himself went to the
Maharshi with abundant material wealth and provisions and requested him to
accept at least a part of the bounty. Kanad then explained to him with due
respect – “I am an Acharya, the sole motive of whose life is the acquiring and
sharing of knowledge. I need abundance of sadhana (devout endeavor towards spiritual
enlightenment) rather than abundance of fulfil my duties and achieve the goal
of my life. So please do not bring any wealth or other materialistic bounties
to me. Give it to those who really need it”.
The
King returned, himself enriched with wisdom. He had now comprehended the true
meaning of the word “Acharya” and understood that the glory of this title lies
in sadhana and not in the accumulation of sadhanas.
(from Akhand Jyoti
magazine, Jan-Feb 2007)
