by Sri P.C. Lahiri
This is the 4th part of 'The Science of the Absolute'
article, the first three parts of which appear in the 2019 Buddha Purnima, 2019
Janmashtami and 2019 Raas Purnima issues of e-Sanai.
…. ‘Do not have
expectations, expectation is devastation’ so says the
Master (Prajnanpurush Sri Sri Babathakur) to all those who intend to
lead a life following the ‘Science of the Absolute’. This direction hits us the
first time we hear it. It somehow does not match with the lifelong training
received in schools and colleges, from most of the elders, peers, friends,
social and family circles. Even the events that we get to see, hear or know
about, point differently. There is always a motive behind every action everywhere,
with everyone and anyone. As soon as we say there is a motive behind every
action, the other side of the coin is expectation. How can there be a motive
without expectation? Also, how can there be an action without motive. This is
the predominant philosophy or thought that governs the actions of mankind in
general. In such a scenario how can we follow this direction of the Master? I
am reminded of a story, which was presented as a true event that happened many
years ago.
Two seamen survived a
shipwreck by somehow managing to reach a seemingly uninhabited and deserted
island. They had nothing to eat or drink, no one to take help from, nothing to
protect them from the severe storms which seemed to be a common feature in that
part of the world. They broke down in desperation but soon realization dawned
that crying was not only futile but would lead to certain death. They decided
to carry on with their life instead of dying a painful death. Their hard toil,
unwavering resolve to live and support of the friendly local tribe resulted in
the building of a picturesque village. Twenty-five years passed. They married
local women and had children. The rigorous training that they had received
during their training days acted as a boon to survive and rebuild in the most
trying circumstances. They passed on their skills to the new generation who not
only learnt them eagerly but methodically and scientifically applied them in
practical life. The village became quite developed. The two men commanded great
respect and were the village heads for many years. They immensely loved and
respected each other. Life was smooth and easy.
As comfort and
all-round well-being grew in their worldly life, they began to have wishful
thinking of reuniting with their blood relations from whom they had got
separated long back. They embarked on an unknown journey and arrived at a place
which looked very prosperous and developed after a voyage of more than 500
nautical miles. A feeling dawned on them that had this journey been taken earlier,
they could have avoided the unbearable difficult times, struggle, pain and
inhuman toil. They might have reached their country to unite with their kith
and kin. Angry with God, their fate and themselves they again broke down. An
elderly wise man noticed this and approached them. After hearing the story, he
took them to a place which was in between two palatial and beautiful houses in
a picturesque neighborhood. Pointing to a sick looking man sitting on the roof
of one of those houses, he said that this sick man is younger than you both but
looks so much older because of the gift of an opulent life received without any
toil and internal feud in the family after the death of his father. The mansion
opposite belongs to his real brother but both are at loggerheads with each
other. They are baying for each other’s blood because each one thinks that the
other one crookedly managed to manipulate their father to get a more valuable
share of his immense wealth. Worse, the parents spent their last days in a
shelter for the destitute and needy. You are great friends having a healthy
relationship. You live like real brothers despite starting off as strangers and
have committed to live and die together. Full of gratitude for opening their
eyes by showing them the reality of relationships in this world, the two of
them thanked the wise man and asked him as to why we humans behave like these
inhumans?
The wise man replied,
“You two met as strangers, thus had no expectations of each other. From zero
you both started and put in your hard work without ever looking at the other’s
contribution in comparison. With the passing of each seemingly insurmountable
hurdle, you drew immense satisfaction which became the driver and motivator to
move on with more vigor and effort. You created your own gifts out of nothing.
On the other hand, most of us who are blessed with family and friends have only
expectations from them. Instead of creating and contributing something new and
worthwhile, we want others to do it for us. This is the prime cause of
unhappiness and estrangement.” The two men dropped the idea of returning to
their near and dear ones, instead got back to their loving village where there
was no unhappiness or estrangement.
There are two more
significant points which come out of the story in the light of what has been
revealed by the Master. He says, “Sorrow/suffering has been my greatest teacher
and best friend.” His life was a living example of this statement, starting
from His birth as the eighth child of poor but pious parents in a remote
village in erstwhile undivided Bengal (now Bangladesh), to the extreme
struggles and hardships that He readily accepted and went through in His life
till Self-Realization revealed in Him of Its own accord. The two seamen at the
peak of their suffering went through torturous times but they relentlessly kept
at it and accomplished the impossible. Once they were comfortable and easy,
desires started appearing. Their growth and learning mode gave way to
complacency. Comfort and pleasure puts
us off guard, and we slack in our awareness levels. Master says that your
awareness level should go up with each passing day of your life till the
‘Awareness of awareness’ reveals of Its own accord to establish you permanently
in your very own True Nature - the Absolute I-Reality.
The other significant
moral that comes out of this story, in the language of the Master - ‘In this
strange world there is no one who is your own, in I-Consciousness there is
never any duality.’ When we say that near and dear ones are our own, are we
correct? No, we are not. We not only see it in this story but in innumerable
relationships and families all around the world. It sounds hard but it is the
reality. Each and every relationship in this world is subject to something
else, it is relative. Only in the Consciousness of I-ness, not my-ness, are all
the relationships real, not relative, because of the absence of duality or
many-ness. Master from His very childhood lived a life of aloneness, not
loneliness. Most of us dread to be alone at all times because of fear and many other
factors. Out of fear and the need of acceptable and suitable company, we create
various relationships in our life. More often than not, they get sour being
relative in nature and cause grief, tension and hardships.
These and many other
baby steps have been revealed by the Master for the welfare of the humanity at
large. They are available in the various books and discourses which record the
direct utterings of the Master uncontaminated by any intellectual inputs. This
may be my last article in the series ‘Science of the Absolute’ but Master’s
teachings shall always be the guiding principle and the key factor in all future
articles.
Submitted at the
lotus feet of the Master
