How to stay nearest to God ?
Chapter-11
What happens to one with imperfect spiritual state ? Ways to remove spiritual imperfection.
On the thirtieth day of the second fortnight of the month of Shravan of
Samvat 1, Swami Sahajanandji Maharaj was seated on a cot in the
verandah near the hall facing north in the Durbar hall of Shri Jiva Khachar at
Sarangpur. He was dressed in all white clothes. Saints and the devotees from the
different places were assembled before him.
Then Muktanand Swami asked, "To what extent can one achieve the
fulfilment of Sadhana by one's own endeavour and by the grace of God ?"
Replying to the question, Shriji Maharaj said, "In confirmity with the
scriptural injunctions, the realised saint gives sermons hearing which one
who has attained completeness in Vairagya and with deep faith in such
injunctions observes indomitably complete celibacy, practises Ahimsa and
realises his ownself as Atma, he, then easily transgress the cycle of births
and deaths. Just as, the seed of rice which processessed and uncovered of
its covering shell does not grow even when sown, similarly one who
possesses the above five attributes has removed the veil of ignorance
attached to .his Jiva, is freed from the cycle of births and has realized his
ownself. So, this much can be attained by one's own spiritual endeavour.
God, then bestows his grace upon such a devotee who attains the
culmination of his devotion and becomes an Ekantik Bhakta. Such a
devotee, as proclaimed by Shruti, "Niranjan param samyamupaiti" is freed from the
ignorance of Maya and attains a status equal to that of God, i.e. by his
redemptive attributes, he becomes immune to all the Karmas, good and
bad. The exuberance of love that Lakshmiji possesses makes her sometimes
lose her identity and she merges in God, similarly, such a devotee, out of
such exuberant devotion sometimes merges in God and some times remains
engaged in the service of God. Like God, he too becomes absolutely
independent.
Then Nityanand Swami asked, "It is quite natural that God's grace is
bestowed upon one who has attained perfection in the above five attributes.
But what would be the fate of one who has not attaind such qualities ?"
Shiji Maharaj said, "One who remains deficient in developing fully the
attributes of Vairagya, Brahmcharya, Shraddha, Ahimsa" and Atmanistha1
would not be .fully redeemed and would not attain Akshardham. He would be
transmigrated too the nearer regions of God. If these material desires persist
and are not fully eridicated, he would attain the regions of the deities, which
are described in Mokshdharma,1 as equal to hell in comparison with the
blissful region of God. From this region of deities he would again take birth
here on earth. Undergoing this process of metamorpchosis, he would be
redeemed after many births: "Anek Janamsansidhastato yati param gatim"! would take many
birth either as a man or deity. Ultimately, when he attains fullness in
Vairagya and other attributes, he earns the grace of God and attains the divine
abode of God, Akshardham. Therefore during one birth or after many births,
a devotee will have to become free from worldly desires to earn the grace of
God and attain final redemption."
Then Nrisinhanand Swami asked, "Is there any means by which the
deficiency can be removed right in this birth it self ?"
Shriji Maharaj said, "If a devotee becomes fully awakened to his
deficiency, his deficiency gets removed even during this birth. If he is full of
such deficiency till the approach of his end and if at the last moment he
becomes profoundly attached to God, all his worldly desires are eradicated and
he would attain the divine realm of God. It is a divine law that either in this
birth or after many births or even at the last moment of one's death, if one
becomes, deeply attached to God, one gets cured of all the deficiencies.
Thus Ends Vachanamrit : Sarangpur - 11.
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