To a superficial observer, the life of man appears as an
endless round of eating and drinking, toiling and sleeping. But,
verily life has a much greater meaning; a much deeper
significance. Life is a sacrifice, a yagna. Each little act is an
offering to the Lord. If the day is spent in deeds performed in
this spirit of surrender, what else can sleep be except Samadhi?
Man commits the great fault of identifying himself with the
body. He has accumulated a variety of things for the upkeep and
comfort of the body. Even when the body becomes weak and decrepit
with age, he attempts to bolster it up, by some means or other.
But, how long can death be postponed? When Yama's warrant comes
each has to depart. Before Death, position, pride and power, all
vanish. Realizing this, strive day and night, with purity of body
and mind and spirit, to realize the Higher Self, by the service of
all living beings. The body must be preserved as a vehicle for
this service. But remember, you are not this body; this body
cannot be you. Tat Tvam Asi. Thou art That. That is the highest
and holiest Mahavakya; you are the indestructible Atma Tatwa. It
is for the sake of that Atma Tatwa that you have this body and so
in the attempt to realize Parameshwara here and now, you must be
prepared to offer this body, at any moment, as a sacrifice.
Utilise your authority over this body to foster the welfare of the
world. This body is but an instrument, an implement given by God.
Let it serve its purpose.
But, until the realization of the purpose for which the
implement is given, it is your duty to watch over it vigilantly
and protect it from injury and disablement. During winter woollen
clothes are worn to withstand the rigour of the cold gales. But
when the cold subsides they are discarded. So, too, when the cold
gales of material life do not affect us in the least, the material
body is no longer essential. One is conscious of only the
incorporeal body.
When the rains come, earth and sky are one in
the sheety downpour. It is indeed a beautiful inspiring scene, a
scene by which creation itself is teaching you to become One, in
unison with it. There are three lessons that can be learnt - the
impermanence of created things, the role of Man as the servant,
and God as the Master. This creation is the wherewithal of the
Puja; Man is the worshipper, and God, the worshipped. The game
called Life is played with these.
Man must be happy that Purushothama has placed around him newer
and newer materials for serving Him and gets done through him Puja
in various forms. He must pray for newer and newer opportunities
and exult in the chance that his hands receive. The attitude gives
immeasurable joy. To lead a life suffused with this joy is indeed
bliss.
Whatever is done from sunrise to sunset must be consecrated, as
if it is the worship of the Lord. As care is taken to pluck only
fresh flowers and keep them clean and unfaded, so too ceaseless
effort should be made to do deeds which are pure and unsullied.
If everyday, this vision is kept before the mind's eye and life
is lived accordingly, then it becomes one long unbroken service of
the Lord. The feeling of I and Thou will soon disappear; all trace
of self will be destroyed. Life then transmutes itself into a
veritable Haripaaraayanam. "I am the sevaka. This world is the
offering. God is the master who is worshipped" - when one attains
this stage of thought, feeling and action, all difference between
mine and thine will disappear.
