Four Pillars of Four Pillars of
Self-Development
=Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya
(Translation of a discourse by Poojya Gurudev
Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharyaon
Atmonnati Ke Char Adhara delivered in 1980) Let us begin with the
collective chanting of the Gayatri Mantra:
“Om Bhur Buva Swa, Tatsaviturvareyam Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi, Dhiyo Yona
Prachodayat” ||
Swadhyaya: Swadhyaya
is a wonderful method of purifying the mind and righteous molding of the
thoughts and attitude. Our attitude and thoughts are expressions of what we
have accumulated in the mind. The activities around us, the nature and conduct
of the near and dear ones, the ambience we are exposed to or what we have been
experiencing, learning or grasping, knowingly or unknowingly via the automatic
process of nature, continuously create subtle impressions on our mind. This
accumulation, together with the consequences of what we have been desiring,
feeling, thinking and doing remain inscribed in the unconscious mind life after
life. What we have inherited from the earlier lives and what has been
assimilated so far in the present life accounts for our sanskaras (intrinsic
impressions and tendencies). Unless we make an extra effort, our outlook and
thoughts and hence our persona is shaped up by our sankaras and our present
ambience and training. Swadhyaya is an attempt to choose an enlightened aura of
influence, superior ambience for our mind. How? Swadhayaya literally means
self-study.
It deals with the study of ones own self (ones aspirations, thoughts,
attitude and conduct) in the light of elevated thoughts of enlightened
personalities. How will you study yourself unless you have a guiding measure
for comparison? Why will you study yourself unless there is a motivation and an
aim to do that? What is your aim? Self-ascent. What will inspire you for this?
The company of those who have achieved it. It is human nature to compete with,
to copy, or to follow others especially the more influential ones around.
This is why parents are advised to maintain good conduct in front of the
children. This is why you are advised to choose your friends carefully. If you
are in the inspiring company of great personalities, you are bound to be
motivated to improve and illumine yourself, to rise and experience the
fulfilling and glorifying horizons of life.
The present times and environment of life are such that more often than
not they encourage and aggravate our negative tendencies, sensual passions and
vices. Even our relatives and friends often divert us from the path of
self-ascent. They do so because of their ignorance. For them, likewise for most
people around, following the popular trends, viz., earning money, comforts,
higher worldly status and power are the major goals in one way or the other.
They would even criticize, hinder and oppose ones efforts for self-restraint,
simply because they are not familiar with such things, or, because these do not
fit into the common framework of life-styles they have adopted or desire for,
or they don't see any immediate gain in attempts of self-control. Our own tendencies
are also not much different from them so we also get attracted by the
suggestions of people around us. Then what do we do? Should we let ourselves be
entangled in the vicious cycle of downward trends? Certainly not! As you all
know it is the nature of water to flow downwards. Water naturally flows, by the
law of pressure-gradient, from higher to lower level. Additional force (e.g. by
the motor of the pump) of higher magnitude is required to draw it upwards.
Similarly, if you want to see the light of knowledge, if you want to broaden
your attitude, if you want to rise beyond the insane or wrong trends of the
present time, if you want to cross the barriers of your present circumstances
and ambience and want to excel in the righteous sense, you will have to put in
extra efforts with unflinching resolution. How will you do that? From where
will you get the power to move ahead against the resistance of the popular
customs, against the downward pull of surrounding ambience and against your own
convictions and habits? Who will give you adept guidance and support for it?
One possibility to annual the negative is by assimilating the positive
with greater intensity. Satsang (good company) of great personalities, saints
and sages is most effective and practical method of doing this. But how often
do we get this opportunity to attend their discourses or to meet and discuss
them? Even if their discourses and meetings are organized in your neighborhood,
sometimes, you may not be free in those particular hours. Then? Therefore,
swadhaya is the only means which is feasible in the present circumstances and
which can serve the purpose of satsang. As balanced food and regular physical
exercise is necessary for bodily health, regular swadhyaya is necessary for
mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. It is no less important than any
devotional practice. Swadhyaya is given utmost importance in the science of
spirituality. It is stated in some Vedic scriptures that a person is
equivalent to a beastly human on the day when he/she does not do swadhyaya. As
washing and scrubbing is necessary for the cleanliness of the clothes, bathing
is essential for the hygiene of the body, similarly, swadhyaya is necessary for
the purification of the mind. The untoward accumulations in the mental field
are cleared out and elevating sanskaras are strengthened by the trenchant
thoughts and inspirations induced by swadhyaya. It lays the foundation for
realization of Inner Light.
Thanks GOD, Thanks Sadguru,
Shiv Sharma
No comments:
Post a Comment