MAIN PRINCIPLES TO BE KEPT IN MIND
Through one's gurudev, each vaishnav has surrendered every thing to God sand
hence one's foremost duty is to perform His seva. It is an offence not to
fulfill instructions of Gurudev. Therefore one should understand Shri Maha
Prabhuji's principles in their real form and pray to him that we may attain the
capacity to implement them in our lives.
'Ananyata' literally means 'not another'. Pushti Margiya Vaishnavs should keep
exclusive 'ananya bhava' for Pushti Prabhu with no attachment to any other
deity. Total devotion is said to be only when, through the heart, words and
actions, all of one's thoughts, remembrance and words express stead fast
exclusive ananya bhava. While walking, speaking, hearing, sleeping and with
every breath all devotional feelings are expressed in one swarup alone.
Association is a matter of critical importance upon which one should ever remain highly cautious. If there is a association with a person who oppose Thakurji or Guru, one's own devotional sentiments will be destroyed and one will lose the way leading to the divine path. One should not have association with such persons so as to become entangled in worldly maya (illusions) but should associate with those who are perpetually absorbed in devotional expressions through whom Bhagavad bhava develops and deepens Prabhu transcends the mundane. Accordingly, satsang should at all times remain elevated. In comparison to 'Bhagavad ras' all other pleasures are of inferior quality.
Shri Mahaprabhuji has given definite teachings for keeping Trust in God. The
foremost sacred duty of a sevak is to have firm, unwavering trust in HIM. If one
has lost faith in Prabhu, then devotion, seva and all actions are in vain.
Devotions means to take full aashray in Prabhu, consider him to be the supreme
and ultimate of all existence, live according to His wishes in all actions and
face all circumstances, whatever they may be, with pleasure.
Other than Prabhu, there is no power or capacity in the universe. He is the
destroyer of suffering, the remover of adversity, the provider of all needs and
He alone bestows protection. It is essential to have deep unwavering belief that
Prabhu's will is the ultimate power and primordial cause in all of creation.
If one has firm belief in Prabhu, then only ultimate faith can develop. In all
actions and interactions, while walking, moving, eating, drinking, standing and
sitting, if one remembers that Prabhu is there at every moment, in every place
with us, then, it can be said that ultimate faith has been established. With
ultimate faith, there can never be greediness. One could overcome the grief. One
will never worry, as to what will happen to him? A person with ultimate faith
will be perpetually contented, fearless and unharmed in worldly and scriptural
matters.
ABANDONING EGOTISM AND
WORLDLY ATTACHMENT
Pushti souls should never allow ego in themselves. One should always think, 'who
is the doer of all action? What is this entire creations? Is there anything
other than Prabhu? What great accomplishments has one made, to justify an
attitude of egotism. 'Everything belongs to Prabhu. He alone is master.' By
keeping such conviction in the heart constantly, how could one remain attached
to anything ? If something belongs to our master, how can we have feelings of
possessiveness for it? By ignorance, people live in egotism and consequently
suffer day and night, encountering conflict and are unable to attain peace of
mind.
In Pushti Marg 'dinta' is an exceedingly essential principle. In reality the
human soul is entirely incapable of accomplishing any undertaking. Understanding
this, humbleness should naturally arise and if it does not, then, negative and
opposing forces (asuravesh) will obstruct the attainment of fruits of Pushti
Marg. One will be lost in the delusion of 'doer ship'. The pure sentiments of
being a mere humble servant will be destroyed and one will fill himself with the
pride and arrogance of being master himself. Without 'dinta', one becomes
inextricably trapped in the cycle of pleasure and pain. Dinta is to have the
firm knowledge and conviction that whatever that is happening, whatever has
happened in the past and whatever that will happen, depends entirely upon the
single factor of God's will and dinta alone is the sole means to please Him.
'How can Prabhu be experienced?' Is it a question of doing practices and
austerities? Can He be known through deep study? In fact, Prabhu's subtle divine
form is not subject to such things. It is only when Prabhu, out of His own will
and desire, bestow. His grace, one can experience HIM. When humbleness develops
and one realizes deeply and profoundly that he is unable to do anything without
his help, then only, God pleases, and the ultimate attainment awakens in the
heart. This grace is entirely and exclusively dependent upon HIS will and
desire.
'When all the creations belongs to Prabhu, how is it possible to have any
attachment?' If something belongs to us then, attachment is justified, but it is
an illusion and ignorance that we consider something to belong to us.
Consequently there will be sufferings and endless worries. It is exactly this
delusion-caused bondage which is the essence of the human dilemma. After having
surrendered all things to Prabhu, where is the necessity for worry? If we
surrender to God everything that belonged to us, not only with empty words but
with deep conviction and understanding, then at that very moment, one will be
freed from all worries.
While performing seva and any physical actions that are being done for Thakurji,
if our mind is absorbed in worldly matters, then, we will not gain any of the
benefits of seva. In reality, one should become detached from all worldly
affairs and any such thoughts should not be allowed to enter into the mind. One
should be unceasingly absorbed with the single exclusive thought of Sri Hari's
pleasure. Prabhu is embodiment of anand (bliss) and His seva should be performed
at all times with pleasure.
It is very commonly and repeatedly spoken by the vaishnavs that everything is
Prabhu's will, but in fact, these are only empty words and do not come from
within the depths of the heart. If this was genuinely assimilated, then what
would be the cause of distress? Behind every single action in the universe,
there is solely Prabhu's divine will. Prabhu is our everything. All souls in
creation are made to dance according to His resolve. Then why one should not
experience total fulfillment of the soul on surrendering all of one's personal
desires to His divine will.
One whose entire heart and mind is absorbed in Prabhu will never experience any
type of conflict and will remain unceasingly satisfied. Such a person will
always taste the 'ras' of Prabhu's Katha through ears, and in the heart, he will
be fearless with unwavering faith. His single abiding desire will be to please
Prabhu with all his senses in seva. In this entire universe, who is there to be
pleased other than HIM. One who has pleased Him has attained the ultimate fruits
of life.
Pushti Marg is the path of awakening the experience of 'Viraha' for Prabhu.
Everyone feels distress due to the separation from their husband, wife, children
etc. but one should perpetually strive to eliminate such worldly attachment,
instead one should experience the exalted state of viraha from Prabhu.
Innumerable births have passed fruitlessly in separation from Him. If we do not
become absorbed in the distress of His separation then how can we possibly hope
to attain Prabhu. When this distress of separation becomes foremost in the
heart, then only, viraha can be experienced.
How can one have victory over mind and how can one bring it under control ?
Countless methods, experiments and investigations have been made since the time
immemorial for this. It can be said that life has no value without control over
the mind.
In Pusti Marg, a unique way has been shown to stop the conflict-producing
instability of the mind. One should sustain an all-encompassing relationship
with Thakurji, speak only of those things related to Him, have all actions be
dedicated to His seva, give priority to hearing katha, the narrations of His
lilas and at all times keep the mind absorbed in His 'Swarup'.
It should be understood that some one has fallen from the path when one begins
to think, 'I've attained so much,' 'I have gained knowledge', 'I have the
capacity to get what I want at whatever moment'. Such attitudes are a clear
indication of having fallen from the path, because a true devotee considers
himself to be entirely without any capacity or power of his own and knows with
full conviction that His 'will' shall prevail and therefore surrenders every
things to Prabhu. Considering every thing to be His divine will, is an unfailing
means to prevent falling from the path.
Genuine shraddha is to face whatever adversities that may arise, by welcoming
them with an undisturbed mind and maintaining this attitude through out the life
until death. Such 'shraddha' is the true wealth of a Bhagavadiya. A mind which
wavers at any moment has not imbibed the mature state. There is no other measure
of a person to evaluate the level of his shraddha, except to determine as to how
firm and sustaining it is.
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