Waste Not This Rare Human Birth
Divine Life
Society Publication: Waste
Not This Rare Human Birth by Gurudev Swami
Sivanandaji Maharaj
Salutations
again and again at the Holy Feet of the great Sage, Sri Vyasa Bhagavan Sri
Krishna-Dwaipayana, who edited the Vedas, composed the Brahmasutras, and wrote
the Mahabharata and the eighteen Puranas including the Srimad-Bhagavata;
salutations to the Brahmavidya Gurus, all Saints and Sages of yore to the
present day.
Jagad-guru, Sri Sankaracharya,
who was an Avatara of Lord Siva, delved into the precious wisdom of the
Upanishads and brought out the most rare gem in the form of the unparalleled
Advaita philosophy or the Monistic idealism which gives you, in a nutshell, the
glorious truth that you are in essence Divine beings, ever perfect, free, full
and blissful. This idea is contained in his famous memorable Sloka: ‘Slokardhena
Pravakshyami Yaduktam Granthakotibhih; Brahma Satyam Jaganmithya, Jivo
Brahmaiva Naparah.’ This gives the very essence of all spiritual wisdom,
and it is the last word in the transcendental realization expressed in the form
of this famous Sloka. Bliss is to be found in the spiritual Reality which is
within you. Realize this and be free.
Now this ultimate declaration
has been given—well and good. But how to attain it? Because you know that in
your actual experience of worldly pleasures, your mental impressions are,
unfortunately, gathered through the instruments of the mind and the senses. So,
when your entire experience of pleasure gives you a perception of Asat, Achit
and Duhkha, how can you find the Satchidananda Atman? Everything in this world
is fleeting in character. You do not find Chit (consciousness) anywhere but
only the Jada (insentient) everywhere. ‘Sarvam Duhkham Vivekinah’,—according
to this declaration there is only pain to be experienced in this world. If pain
is constantly experienced by you, how can you find Ananda or Bliss? And in
answer to this, seers and sages of yore have shown the way by which we have to
reach our goal, step by step.
In the Vivekachudamani, there
is a Sloka which runs as follows: ‘Durlabham Trayamevaitat
Daivanugraha-hetukam; Manushyatvam Mumukshutvam Maha-purushasamsrayah.’ Three
things are very difficult to obtain. Only through the grace of God the Jivas
obtain them. To be born as a human being is no small privilege. It is a very
precious gift given by God to the Jiva. Having got a human birth, to have an
aspiration for liberation is the next difficult thing to obtain. So, if one
obtains both these, one is indeed doubly blessed. But having been born as a
human being, if you do not want to know, and yet even after knowing
that, if you do not know the way, you are not fully blessed. Therefore,
if you get the shelter of a Mahapurusha, one who has known what has to be
attained and one who is in a position to show you the way, you can admit that
you are thrice blessed. This unique blessing has to be remembered always. Then
alone will you be careful not to waste the opportunity. When you know the real
value of a thing, you take proper care of it, and not otherwise.
The only thing that stands in
the way of your spiritual realization is your own mind, the ego, or call it by
any name you like. It is precisely in order to see that this obstacle is
removed and one gets at the ultimate goal of human life that one goes to the
preceptor or Guru. The Guru has destroyed the limiting mind and he knows the
method as to how one has to destroy it. Let us suppose that a man who is
desirous of leading a spiritual life goes to a Guru and asks for his advice and
guidance; and the Guru tells him, "Be good, lead a virtuous life, serve
selflessly, love all, share with others what you have, purify the mind,
meditate with one-pointed mind, etc." But, if the man does not sincerely
strive to follow the Guru’s advice, what benefit will he thereby derive?
Absolutely nothing. He will be in no way better than what he was. It seems that
one does not want to practice anything, but there is only the expectation of
the result. What a sad state of affairs!
This life on earth is a
halting place on the way to the achievement of the Goal of life. Earthly life
is transitory, for it is seen that everything that is born dies. Death is not
the end of life, since without a continuation of life therefrom the value of
the deeds and experiences in this life would be rendered nugatory. There were
births and deaths in the past, there will be births and deaths in the future,
too, until Self-realization is attained. Life is a long chain of which the
recurring births, planetary lives and deaths are links.
Birth is caused by desires and
actions, and birth becomes the cause of further desires and actions. This
present life is, therefore, meant to train the individual to qualify himself
for a higher life. viz., to stop births and deaths ultimately. This life is not
the goal or the end, even as the path is not the same as the destination. If
earthly life were the final goal, none would have died here, there would not
have been mutation, pain and sorrow, and there would be no sense of
imperfection and no further urge or aspiration to transcend the present
condition. The ever-changing world proves the existence of an unchanging
imperishable Being.
Remember that you came alone
to this world and also you will pass away alone from this world. None will help
you except what you have done here in this life. Your deeds will search you out
and follow you as calves follow their mothers even in the midst of a big herd.
Your life is short and there
are many obstacles to get over. Therefore, exert now with earnestness. Waste
not precious time but utilize every moment for the noblest of causes. Finish
your journey quickly by practicing right Sadhana (spiritual endeavor) with the
guidance of a Guru or preceptor. Great shall be your glory and glorious shall
be your success. May peace be with you on your spiritual path. May blessedness
wait upon you in all your pursuits. May the Supreme Master, the Lord of all,
shower His blessings upon you all!
Excerpts from:
Waste
Not This Rare Human Birth by Swami SivanandaArchives - Blog
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