Nothing Is Higher Than Spiritual Knowledge

By Author: Sikha Dawan
Total Articles: 7
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Our saints said that the root cause of misery is the mind. Through the mind alone, our desires go on multiplying and there is no end of desires. Once there was a saint. A small mouse used to frolic around in his hut. He used to observe her intently. She used to jump and play and was happy to eat some grains there. One day the saint said to her, “You show me how you play and entertain me a lot. I am very happy with you, so ask from me whatever you wish.” The mouse said, “Maharaj, I had a lot of trouble getting here. Cats used to trouble me before I came here, so it would be really nice if you made me a cat.” The saint said “Okay” and turned her into a cat. Now, being a cat, when she started roaming dogs chased her. She came running to the saint and said, “Maharaj! Please do me one more favour! Please turn me into a dog.” The saint said “Okay” and made her a dog. After she became a dog, some hyaenas started chasing her. She then came running to the saint and requested him to do her one more favour by making her a hyena. The saint turned her into a hyaena. Then some lions started following her. She then requested ...
... the saint to make her a lion. She became a lion. You know that hunters track lions. A king started hunting her. Then she asked the saint to turn her back into a mouse. In other words, desires go on increasing, there is no end to it. For example, you listen to ‘Satyanarayan Katha’ in which a businessman says that he will do the special ‘Satyanarayan’ fast once a baby is born to him. When a baby girl is born, he says, “Lord, when my daughter grows up I will do that fast.” When his daughter grows up he says that when his daughter will get married he will do the Satyanarayan fast. But even after his daughter got married, he did not do it. So, we put off until tomorrow what we should be doing today. In this context a saint has said- “Kal kare so aj kar, aj kare so ab. Pal mein parlay hoyegi, bahuri karega kab.” “Do today what you thought of doing tomorrow. Do now, what you thought of doing today. Total destruction may happen in an instant, so when will you do it?” We should do good work right now. We should not postpone it until tomorrow. Many people say that they do not have time to get initiated and that they will think about it later. However, Spiritual Knowledge is the Knowledge within you. This is the Knowledge for you becoming a human being. Some people believe in the existence of God and others do not believe. But all religions do say that we are, we have existence - everyone believes this. An atheist does not believe in God but he also believes that he is. What is he? What is his essence? To explain this very thing, the great Master imparts Knowledge to a true seeker. By that Knowledge, with the friction of inhaling and exhaling, our saints and sages manifested the divine light. The Ramayana describes that light: “Param Prakash roop din rati. Nahin Kachhu chahiya diya ghrit bati.” “The Divine Light shines day and night. For this, neither any lamp or ghee or wick is required.” Only concentration of mind is required. You know that when we focus rays with a magnifying glass on a piece of paper, the paper burns instantly. Likewise, when our saints concentrated their mind through meditation, the Divine Light manifested from within. In fact, saints experienced that thing within their hearts through meditation. Had they not experienced, they could not talk about it. If we touch a piece of iron to a magnet again and again then the field of the magnet transforms that iron piece into another magnet. Similarly, when a devotee prostrates at the feet of the Master, his north pole (forehead) touches the south pole (feet) of the Master, by which spiritual power enters into the devotee and you experience his power. The same thing has been said by a saint: Jo jhukte hain, un mein jan hoti hai. Akare rahna to murde ki pahchan hoti hai.” “Only those who are alive can bend. Rigidity is the sign of a corpse.” When big apples ripen on the apple trees in Kashmir, then the branches bend. Likewise, those who are arrogant get nothing. That is why it is said: “Bara hua to kya hua, Jaise perh khajoor. Panchhi ko chhaya nahin, Phal lage ati door.” “What is the use of becoming as tall as a date palm? Its fruit is far away and it does not even give shade to birds.” So, we have to wonder what controls the mind of a man and also makes him humble, what it is that inculcates reverence and love among mankind. That is the Spiritual Knowledge. Spiritual Knowledge is above all and there is nothing superior to it. Lord Krishna says, ‘Arjuna, I am imparting the sovereign Knowledge to you, which is the king of all knowledge, after knowing which, nothing remains to be known. This Knowledge is top secret, quite easy to practise, it is indestructible and has no bad side-effects.” So, each and every person should know this Knowledge. Once there was a sage who used to live in a hut. One day a certain man came to him and said, “Maharaj ji, please teach me how to meditate.” The sage said, ‘Brother, you are a farmer. On what will you meditate?’ That man said that he was very fond of his ox and he could meditate on his ox if the sage thought it proper. The sage agreed that he could meditate on his ox. So he sat at home and started meditating upon his ox. One day the sage comes to him and asks him to come out of his house to enjoy the cool breeze and the sun. Then the devotee replied, ‘Maharaj ji, I want to come out but my horns have become so large that they would get stuck in the doorway. So, I cannot come out.’ In other words, through his meditation he became so absorbed in his ox that he started thinking he was the ox and when he thought about the size of his horns, he did not dare to leave his room. Likewise is meditation on Knowledge. With meditation, a person gets absorbed in the Almighty and the Spiritual Master shows us how. In other words, we should not sit idly. Our sages said, “Uttishthat jagrat prapye varanni bodhat’ meaning, “Get up, awaken and keep on going until you reach the goal.” Our saints said that we have to know that vibration, Power, which is omnipresent, which is within an atom and also within the entire creation. Its uniqueness is that it is the primordial vibration and when it hums within the heart, when through devotion it is awakened, then it reverberates within the cave of the heart. Our sages called this as ‘unstruck sound’ (anhat Naad), which means that this music plays automatically, not needing any instruments to be struck. A saint, after experiencing this music, said: “Acharaj dekha bhari sadho, acharaj dekha bhari re. Bina bajaye nishidin baje, ghanta shankh nagari re.” “I have experienced a wonderful thing! I hear the sound of a bell, a conch shell and a kettledrum day and night, but no instruments are being played.” The saint experiences a strange spiritual world, reaching where a soul does not return. So, what is that state? That is known as spiritual saturation or perfection. So, realise the reality. Your false pride will cause you to fall into a ditch. Definitely there is Power within you. If you wish, you can make your life heaven or hell. You have the power to make your life heaven or hell. If you wish, you can create sins or virtues. But, the point is that you must put in effort to reach the eternal Father. You have to understand the existence of God, from whom you have been separated, otherwise this human life is just a total waste. So, you must have the sincere feeling in your heart to give something to the society in which you live. If our hearts are pure, our conduct will be pure and then we will be able to spread light among our brothers and sisters. Like the light of a candle, we will spread light within our society and only then will society prosper.