Great Spiritual Teachers – Why a life of suffering?

The lives of the ten Sikh Gurus, or the life of Jesus Christ, or Gautham Buddha, or Sri Ramakrishna, or Swami Vivekananda, or any other great saint who attempted to teach the world had always been a life of extreme suffering. We, ordinary humans, may ponder over this fact and enquire, “They lived like us, suffered like us. Why should they be looked upon as partial incarnation of God and hence worshipped as God? How can they show us the way? In which way do they differ from us?” Here is a story to understand the role, the mission, of all our great spiritual gurus (teachers).

Once upon a time, there lived a farmer who didn't believe in God but his wife, however, did believe, and she raised their children to have faith in God and in the teaching of gurus, despite her husband's disparaging comments.

One dark evening, the farmer’s wife was taking their children to a shrine near the place they lived. She asked him to come along, but as expected he refused. "All that is nonsense!" he said. "Why would God lower Himself to send a part of himself to earth as a man if God is really such a great soul as you say?  That's ridiculous.” So she and the children left, and the farmer stayed home.

A little while later, the winds grew stronger and the darkness turned into a dust storm. As the man looked out of the window, all he saw was a blinding storm with dust taking over everything outside. When he sat down to relax, he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. He looked out, but couldn't see due to dust filling his eyes.

When the storm settled down a little, he peeped outside to see what could have hit the window. In the field near his house he saw a flock of pigeons.

Apparently, they had been sitting on trees nearby when those poor pigeons got caught in the dust storm and couldn't reach their destination. They were lost and stranded on his farm with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. Probably, a couple of them might have banged into the window. The man felt sorry for those pigeons and wanted to help them. ‘The big store room outside would be a great place for them to stay’, he thought. It will be warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and can wait for a bright morning. So he walked over to the store room and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open store room and go inside. But innocent birds just fluttered around aimlessly and didn't seem to notice open doors or realize what it could mean for them.

The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them, and they moved further away. He went into the house and came with some grains, spread them, and made a trail leading to the store. They still didn't catch on. Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward that big store room, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward open doors. Everything he did could not get the birds to go into the room where they would be warm and safe.

"Why don't they follow me?!" he exclaimed in anger. "Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm safely?" He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn't follow a human. "If only I were also a pigeon, then I could save them," he said loudly.

Then he had an idea. He went into the store, got one of his own domesticated pigeon, and carried it in his hands as he circled around behind the flock of poor storm struck pigeons. He then released it.... His pigeon flew through the flock and straight into the room - and one-by-one, the other pigeons followed it to safety.

He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier re-played in his mind: "If only I were a pigeon, then I could save them!" 

Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier. "Why would God want to be like us? That's ridiculous!"

Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the pigeons – blind, lost, perishing. God sent his messengers who appear like us but they don’t lose their way in the midst of the pain and suffering of this world, since they are His messengers. They live a blemish-free life in spite of their suffering, show us the way, and save us.

As the winds and blinding dust died down, his soul became calm and pondered over this wonderful incident. He understood why Gurus had also lived a life full of struggles and pain. Years of doubt and disbelief vanished with the passing storm.

He fell to his knees in the field, and prayed his first prayer: 
"Thank You, Oh Lord..... Thanks for coming in human form to get me out of the storms of life..."

From the Gospel – 37

MASTER (to M.): "Some are born with the characteristics of the yogi; but they too should be careful.  It is 'woman and gold' alone that is the obstacle; it makes them deviate from the path of yoga and drags them into worldliness.  Perhaps they have some desire for enjoyment.  After fulfilling their desire, they again direct their minds to God and thus recover their former state of mind, fit for the practise of yoga.

Have you ever seen the spring trap for fish, called the 'satka-kal'?"

M: "No, sir, I haven't seen it."

MASTER: "They use it in our part of the country.  One end of a bamboo pole is fastened in the ground, and the other is bent over with a catch.  From this end a line with a hook hangs over the water, with bait tied to the hook.  When the fish swallows the bait, suddenly the bamboo jumps up and regains its upright position. 

Again, take a pair of scales for example.  If a weight is placed on one side, the lower needle moves away from the upper one.  The lower needle is the mind, and the upper one, God.  The meeting of the two is yoga. 

Unless the mind becomes steady there cannot be yoga.  It is the wind of worldliness that always disturbs the mind, which may be likened to a candle flame.  If that flame doesn't move at all, then one is said to have attained yoga.

'Woman and gold' alone is the obstacle to yoga.  Always analyse what you see.  What is there in the body of a woman? Only such things as blood, flesh, fat, entrails, and the like.  Why should one love such a body?

Sometimes I used to assume a rajasic mood in order to practise renunciation.  Once I had the desire to put on a gold-embroidered robe, wear a ring on my finger, and smoke a hubble-bubble with a long pipe.  Mathur Babu procured all these things for me.  I wore the gold-embroidered robe and said to myself after a while, 'Mind! This is what is called a gold-embroidered robe.' Then I took it off and threw it away.  I couldn't stand the robe any more.  Again I said to myself, 'Mind! This is called a shawl, and this a ring, and this, smoking a hubble-bubble with a long pipe.' I threw those things away once for all, and the desire to enjoy them never arose in my mind again.

 The mind of the yogi is always fixed on God, always absorbed in the Self.  You can recognize such a man by merely looking at him.  His eyes are wide open, with an aimless look, like the eyes of the mother bird hatching her eggs.  Her entire mind is fixed on the eggs, and there is a vacant look in her eyes.” 

From the Gospel - 36

MASTER (to M.): "I should like to visit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar a few times more.  The painter first draws the general outlines and then puts in the details and colours at his leisure.  The moulder first makes the image out of clay, then plasters it, then gives it a coat of whitewash, and last of all paints it with a brush.  All these steps must be taken successively.  Vidyasagar is fully ready, but his inner stuff is covered with a thin layer.  He is now engaged in doing good works; but he doesn't know what is within himself.  Gold is hidden within him.  God dwells within us.  If one knows that, one feels like giving up all activities and praying to God with a yearning soul."

The Master talked with M. - now standing, now pacing up and down the long verandah.

MASTER: "A little spiritual discipline is necessary in order to know what lies within."

M: "Is it necessary to practise discipline all through life?"

MASTER: "No.  But one must be up and doing in the beginning.  After that one need not work hard.  The helmsman stands up and clutches the rudder firmly as long as the boat is passing through waves, storms, high wind, or around the curves of a river; but he relaxes after steering through them.  As soon as the boat passes the curves and the helmsman feels a favourable wind, he sits comfortably and just touches the rudder.  Next he prepares to unfurl the sail and gets ready for a smoke.  Likewise, the aspirant enjoys peace and calm after passing the waves and storms of 'woman and gold'.

From the Gospel - 35

MASTER (To Kedār and the other devotees): "God can be realized through all paths.  All religions are true.  The important thing is to reach the roof.  You can reach it by stone stairs or by wooden stairs or by bamboo steps or by a rope.  You can also climb up by a bamboo pole. 

 

You may say that there are many errors and superstitions in another religion.  I should reply: Suppose there are.  Every religion has errors.  Everyone thinks that his watch alone gives the correct time.  It is enough to have yearning for God.  It is enough to love Him and feel attracted to Him: Don't you know that God is the Inner Guide? He sees the longing of our heart and the yearning of our soul.  Suppose a man has several sons.  The older boys address him distinctly as 'Baba' or 'Papa', but the babies can at best call him 'Ba' or 'Pa'.  Now, will the father be angry with those who address him in this indistinct way? The father knows that they too are calling him, only they cannot pronounce his name well.  All children are the same to the father.  Likewise, the devotees call on God alone, though by different names.  They call on one Person only.  God is one, but His names are many."

From the Gospel – 34

The Master explained to the devotees the secret of communion with God. 

MASTER: "With the realization of Satchidananda one goes into samādhi.  Then duties drop away.  Suppose I have been talking about the ostad and he arrives.  What need is there of talking about him then? How long does the bee buzz around? So long as it isn't sitting on a flower.  But it will not do for the sadhaka to renounce duties.  He should perform his duties, such as worship, japa, meditation, prayer, and pilgrimage.

If you see someone engaged in reasoning even after he has realized God, you may liken him to a bee, which also buzzes a little even while sipping honey from a flower."

The Master was highly pleased with the ostad's music.  He said to the musician, "There is a special manifestation of God's power in a man who has any outstanding gift, such as proficiency in music."

MUSICIAN: "Sir, what is the way to realize God?"

MASTER: "Bhakti is the one essential thing.  To be sure, God exists in all beings.  Who, then, is a devotee? He whose mind dwells on God.  But this is not possible as long as one has egotism and vanity.  The water of God's grace cannot collect on the high mound of egotism.  It runs down.  I am a mere machine.”

From the Gospel – 33

After writing four blogs to highlight the importance of brahmacharya and chastity through the lives of two divine personalities – Sri Krishna and Hanuman, and two disciples of Sri Ramakrishna – Swami Vivekananda, a sanyasin and Nag Mahashay, a householder, we get back to the Gospel (The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by M.) to know about the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna regarding this topic, and also tricks to overcome lust and greed.

MASTER (to M. and other devotees): "Some are born with the characteristics of the yogi; but they too should be careful.  It is 'woman and gold' alone that is the obstacle; it makes them deviate from the path of yoga and drags them into worldliness.  Perhaps they have some desire for enjoyment.  After fulfilling their desire, they again direct their minds to God and thus recover their former state of mind, fit for the practise of yoga.

Take a pair of scales for example.  If a weight is placed on one side, the lower needle moves away from the upper one.  The lower needle is the mind, and the upper one, God.  The meeting of the two is yoga.

Unless the mind becomes steady there cannot be yoga.  It is the wind of worldliness that always disturbs the mind, which may be likened to a candle flame.  If that flame doesn't move at all, then one is said to have attained yoga.

'Woman and gold' [meaning lust and greed] alone is the obstacle to yoga.  Always analyse what you see.  What is there in the body of a woman? Only such things as blood, flesh, fat, entrails, and the like.  Why should one love such a body?

Sometimes I used to assume a rajasic mood in order to practise renunciation.  Once I had the desire to put on a gold-embroidered robe, wear a ring on my finger, and smoke a hubble-bubble with a long pipe.  Mathur Babu procured all these things for me.  I wore the gold-embroidered robe and said to myself after a while, 'Mind! This is what is called a gold-embroidered robe.' Then I took it off and threw it away.  I couldn't stand the robe any more.  Again I said to myself, 'Mind! This is called a shawl, and this a ring, and this, smoking a hubble-bubble with a long pipe.' I threw those things away once for all, and the desire to enjoy them never arose in my mind again."