Amrit Vani: What Should be the Focus of Devout Faith?
(Translation of a discourse given by Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya in early 1970s on the topic "Shraddhā siddhānton ke prati ho")
॥ Om Bhūr Bhuvah Swah, Tatsaviturvareñyam Bhargo Devasya Dhīmahi, Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayāt ॥
Sisters and Brothers,
I have been looking forward to meeting each one of you. If you listen carefully and sincerely adopt whatever is being conveyed today, you will not have to look back; your life will ascend towards higher goals with excellence and dignity. I am telling you this from my own experience. I was born in a tiny village that hardly had any resources, facilities or opportunity. You can see where I stand today! Indeed, there is excelling progress and preeminent success on the path I have chosen.
You have come here to seek guidance for good and worthy ascent in life. Based on my experience I can guide you so that you could do what I did. Instead of describing the events, activities or experiences of my life, I will discuss the key principles, disciplines, values, inherent in the milestone endeavors and achievements of my life.
The most important thing I did was that I awakened āsthā, shraddhā, and nishthā in my heart and mind:
- Āsthā: trust/belief that inspires faith
- Shraddhā: deep reverence that generates pure devotion
- Nishthā: sincerity, loyalty
Awakening of āsthā, shraddhā, and nishthā — in what, for whom? In an idol? Towards a person? Not quite! You must understand that true reverence, true faith, true devotion for a Guru or a deity is for the virtues, the ideals, the principles, which make the Guru so revered, or the deity worth worshiping. It is not for their personality or form.
Devotion or faith in a deity, dedication or loyalty for a Guru cannot be stable if they remain only at superficial emotional level. Unless there is intrinsic faith, unflinching dedication, and reasoned loyalty for the principles and ideals the deity represents or the Guru has lived and taught, āsthā, Shraddhā, and nishthā would be nothing more than soothing currents of emotions or illusions of devotional feelings.
I have dedicated my endeavors to refine my thoughts, my feelings, my conduct; I have lived with āsthā, shraddhā, and nishthā for the divine values of humanity — benevolence, compassion, generosity, selfless love, altruistic service, truthfulness, simplicity, humility, peace, equality, justice, hard work, alertness, punctuality. These have been the greatest support in the ascending journey of my life so far.
Had I not done so, then I might have got strayed here and there like a tiny bit of grass in a hurricane. Look at the history of the world — powerful talented giants like Bhasmasur who attained great siddhis through arduous tapa-sādhanā on the Himalayas, but who then, intoxicated by the arrogance of his mighty siddhis, became a tyrant and eventually charred himself into ashes. Driven by the clout of Ravana, Mareech misused his siddhi of self-transformation and was eventually killed by the bow of Lord Ram. So you see, without the stability, force, and stout support of true devout faith, you might also get distracted or carried away.
Once my shraddhā got awakened, it showed me the path and also inspired unflinching motivation and immense inner strength. In order to uproot the chance of materialistic attractions, I donated all my property and my wife also donated her jewelry for altruistic purposes. For nearly 17 years, I lived with my family in the Ghiya Mandi house without electricity. From 2 am till sunrise, only a lantern or oil-lamp was the source of room-light in which I would do my daily upāsanā and extensive writing work for Akhand Jyoti and other books. My 18-hours-a-day work schedule did not get disturbed for want of a fan even in the acute heat of summer in Mathura.
You can also succeed in arduous sādhanā and achieve higher goals, provided your shraddhā is deep and strong. A farmer harvests the crop only after long and persistent hard work in the field — ploughing, plantation of seeds, irrigation and protection of saplings — everything requires tremendous hard work. The farmer works enthusiastically, enjoys the hard work and looks after his family as well as the farms with due care. So should be the mentality of every seeker of worthy goals.
(To be concluded in the next issue)
Notes: Yug Nirman: Carving a new and bright era by personal, social and cultural transformation/reconstruction, thought-enlightenment, and spiritual elevation.