Chapter 12, Leela 2: Bhausaheb Dhumal

Leela:

Once Bhausaheb Dhumal, a lawyer, was going to Niphad for a case. As Shirdi was on the way, he stopped there and took Baba's darshan, with a plan to proceed immediately to Niphad. Baba did not give him permission to leave Shirdi, and in fact, made him stay in Shirdi for over a week.

 

In the meanwhile, the magistrate at Niphad suffered from intense stomach pain and the case was adjourned. When Mr. Dhumal was finally allowed to proceed to Niphad to attend to his case, it went on for some months and was tried by four magistrates. Ultimately Mr. Dhumal won the case, and his client was acquitted.  

 

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The wonderful life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba, Translated by Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji (Mumbai: Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi, 20^th Edition 2002), p68

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The Life and Teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba, G. R. Dhalbokar, Translated by Indira Kher (Slovenia: Bird Publisher, 2009), p95

 

 

Teachings from Leela:

1)    Shraddha means that you must remain steadfastly devoted to your Sadguru, trust in Him, remain fearless and accept any unfavourable outcomes as His will.

In this leela, Bhausaheb Dhumal came to take Baba’s darshan with the intention to leave immediately after His darshan, but when Baba denied him permission to go, he stayed there for over a week, even though he had to attend a court case in Niphad. Bhausaheb Dumal showed a humble willingness to accept his Sadguru’s judgment to make certain decisions.

Acceptance of one’s Guru’s wishes is usually interpreted as “Surrendering to your Guru”. In the English language, surrender has a negative connotation. It is used in a situation when someone gives in and accepts failure or defeat, usually due to over-whelming force.

Bhausaheb’s act of assigning some of his decisions to his Sadguru is not based on over-whelming force, nor does it indicate his failure or defeat.  Bhausaheb is showing shraddha in his Sadguru’s judgment. Here shraddha is referring to Bhausaheb’s trust that his Sadguru will make a decision that is best for his devotee’s spiritual progress.  Bhausaheb is not surrendering his right to his Sadguru, but relying on the judgement of a trusted guide and expert, which is no different from having your trusted family doctor of many years, to make health decisions in your best interest.

Shraddha

Baba asked only 2 things from his devotees, shraddha and saburi. Shraddha is commonly translated into English as faith, which the Oxford Dictionary says is the “complete trust or confidence in someone or something”.

Baba’s teachings of shraddha (single-pointed devotion and trust) and saburi (patience) will help an aspirant make progress on the path of spirituality.

The closest word for Shraddha in English is Faith, but Shraddha has a much deeper meaning than that. It is definitely not blind faith

Swami Vivekananda, in his Complete Works, Volume 5, describes shraddha in this way:

The word Ekâgranishthâ (one-pointed devotion) conveys, to a certain extent, the meaning of the word Shraddha. If you meditate on any truth with steadfast devotion and concentration, you will see that the mind is more and more tending onwards to Oneness, i.e. taking you towards the realisation of the absolute Existence-Knowledge-Bliss (note 1).

As a devotee of Baba, practicing shraddha, loyally and steadfastly focuses on his Sadguru, his mind gradually moves towards Oneness with his Sadguru, and therefore oneness with Brahman. On the path of spirituality, with his Sadguru as his guide, the devotee trusts Him to make certain decisions which are best for his spiritual development.

This leela provides an example of a devotee who displays complete shraddha towards his Sadguru. He does not argue or try to convince Baba that he must leave, but instead he immediately accepts Baba’s decision for him to stay in Shirdi. As we all know from this leela and many such leelas of Baba, that those who accepted His judgement never suffered, but benefitted.

Shraddha for a Nirgun Sadguru

Bhausaheb Dhumal was fortunate to have access to Baba in sagun (physical) form. For devotees like us today, for whom Baba is in nirgun (unmanifest) form, are there decisions which we must trust Him to make for us?

Though at times we cannot receive verbal instructions from Baba, we must practice shraddha (one-pointed devotion). However, as He is nirgun (without form), we cannot assign decisions to Him. Instead of this, we must become more accepting when things don’t go in our favour, recognizing that they are moving as per His plan, and trusting His judgment to do what is best for us.

Imagine a scenario where you must get to an important meeting, but for some reason you are delayed and unable to attend, even though it was very important to you, and you had worked hard to prepare for it. When things do not go your way, instead of being agitated and upset, accept it as your Sadguru’s will. This approach to life will give you peace of mind and the strength to deal with the unfavourable effects of the outcome. In the end, you will realise that it was ultimately in your favour to miss the meeting, and know that Baba is helping you even though He is not in His physical form. 

 

Putting into Practice

Here are some suggestions on how we could use this leela in our daily lives.

2)    Shraddha means that you must remain steadfastly devoted to your Sadguru, trust in Him, remain fearless and accept any unfavourable outcomes as His will.

To develop Shraddha in your everyday life, you must make an effort to do 2 things:

1.    Improve your focus upon Baba.
You can do this by identifying events throughout your day, where you give full attention to Baba.  For example, each time you sit at a meal, you could take a few seconds before you begin, to completely focus upon Him.  As these practices become a habit, you can gradually add more events.

2.    Learn to accept unfavourable outcomes in your life as His will.
For any task you perform, you must learn to always put in your best effort. However, after all your efforts, the results might not be what you expected, or some unfavourable event might happen which is beyond your control. You must learn to let go of your strong desire to have things happen in the way you want. 

When you have a quiet moment to yourself, contemplate upon Baba, and then a recent unfavourable outcome and think about the aspects that were under your control, and the aspects that were not. With repetition of this practice, you will gradually realize how little control you actually have over some outcomes.

 

Mantra:

Om, Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ
Sarve santu nirāmayāḥ
Sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu
Mā kashchit duḥkha bhāgbhavet
Oṁ Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ

Meaning:

May all be prosperous and happy
May all be free from illness
May all see what is spiritually uplifting
May no one suffer
Om peace, peace, peace

 

This above mantra is from the Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/seekingshanti/2015/09/hinduprayerforeveryone_globalgoals/

I would encourage all of you to please share your interpretations, learnings and experiences on how you have put this leela into practice.

 

 

Om Sai Ram.

 

Notes:

1.     https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Complete_Works_of_Swami_Vivekananda/Volume_5/Conversations_and_Dialogues/XI_-_XV_From_the_Diary_of_a_Disciple,_Shri_Sarat_Chandra_Chakravarty

Chapter 7, Leela 6: Master Khaparde’s Plague-Case

Leela:

Mrs. Khaparde, the wife of Dadasaheb Khaparde of Amraoti, was staying at Shirdi with her young son for a few days. One day, her son got high fever, which further developed into Bubonic plague. Mrs. Khaparde was frightened and most uneasy. She thought of leaving for Amraoti and approached Baba, when he was out on his evening walk, to ask His permission to leave. She informed Him in a trembling tone, that her dear young son was down with plague. Baba spoke kindly and softly to her, saying that the sky was beset with clouds, but they would soon melt away and everything would be smooth and clear. He lifted His Kafni up to the waist and showed to all present, four fully developed buboes (swollen, inflamed lymph nodes, a symptom of Bubonic plague), as big as eggs, and added, “See, how I have to suffer for My devotees. Their difficulties are Mine.”

 

Witnessing this unique and extraordinary miracle, the people realized how the Saints suffer for their devotees. The minds of the saints are softer than wax. They are soft, in and out, as butter. They love their devotees and come to their help without any expectation of gain.

 

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The wonderful life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba, Translated by Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji (Mumbai: Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi, 20^th Edition 2002), p44

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The Life and Teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba, G. R. Dhalbokar, Translated by Indira Kher (Slovenia: Bird Publisher, 2009), p58

 

Teachings from Leela:

1)    Baba takes on the sufferings of his bhaktas

This leela is another example where Baba took on the karmas of a bhakta and suffered on their behalf. He showed the four buboes to everyone present and said that His devotee’s sufferings are His own. The karma of His devotee still existed, but Baba was able to divert some its suffering to Himself.

This leela indicates that Baba, being a Sadguru with great love for his devotees, also has the capacity to take on some of their suffering, or the suffering of someone dear to them (in this case, Mrs. Khaparde’s young son).

A true Sadguru has no selfishness, ego or desire for recognition. He helps His devotees just out of love for them and to see them progress in their spiritual path. He himself has reached Moksha and wants to guide his devotees on that path to success. He does not expect anything in return from them.

 

Putting into Practice

Here are some suggestions on how we could use this leela in our daily lives.

1)    Baba takes on the sufferings of his bhaktas

This section, has been very well explained in a previous blog (note 1)

If you find yourself in an unhappy situation facing the advent of suffering, remind yourself that Baba will take on some of your suffering if it becomes intolerable. Remember him often.

It also becomes your duty to keep your deeds clean so that you do not create new bad karmas, the consequences of which Baba will have to suffer unnecessarily, as he is bound by his duty to protect you.

When you find yourself in a situation where it appears you have got away with less harm than potentially could have happened, consider the possibility that Baba took on some of the consequences. On contemplating this, you will realise that your faith in him deepens.

You will also realise that in taking some of the consequences, Baba has made some room for you. Instead of being fully occupied with the allotted suffering, you have been given the gift of time, which you should make the best use of, by applying it towards your spiritual growth.  

 

Mantra:

Om, Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ
Sarve santu nirāmayāḥ
Sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu
Mā kashchit duḥkha bhāgbhavet
Oṁ Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ

Meaning:

May all be prosperous and happy
May all be free from illness
May all see what is spiritually uplifting
May no one suffer
Om peace, peace, peace

 

This above mantra is from the Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/seekingshanti/2015/09/hinduprayerforeveryone_globalgoals/

I would encourage all of you to please share your interpretations, learnings and experiences on how you have put this leela into practice.

 

 

Om Sai Ram.

Notes:

1.     At the feet of Baba: Chapter 7, Leela 4: Baba’s All-pervasiveness and Mercy

Chapter 49, Leela 1: Hari Kanoba

Leela:

A gentleman of Mumbai named Hari Kanoba heard, from his friends and relations, many of Baba’s Leelas and miracles. He was skeptical and did not believe them. He wanted to test Baba himself, so he came to Shirdi with some of his Mumbai friends. He wore a gold-fringed turban on his head and a new pair of sandals on his feet.

 

Seeing Baba from a distance, he thought of going up to Him and prostrating before Him. He did not know what to do with his new sandals, so he left them at a corner of the open courtyard, and went into the Masjid to take Baba's darshan. He made a reverential bow to Baba, took udi and prasad from Baba, and returned to the courtyard. When he reached the corner, he found that his sandals had disappeared. He searched for them in vain and returned to his lodging very much dejected.

As he bathed, offered worship and naivedya, and sat for a meal, he thought about nothing but his sandals. After finishing his meal, he came out to wash his hands, when he saw a Maratha boy coming towards him. The boy had in his hand a stick, on the top of which was suspended a pair of new sandals. He said to the men who had come out to wash their hands that Baba sent him with this stick in hand and asked him to go on the streets crying, "Hari Ka Beta. Jari Ka Pheta" (Hari, son of Ka, Gold fringe on Turban), and told him that "if anybody claims these sandals, first assure yourself that his name is Hari and that he is the son of Ka, i.e., Kanoba, and that he wears a gold-fringed turban and then give them to him."

 

Hearing this, Hari Kanoba was pleasantly surprised. He went to the boy and claimed the sandals as his own. He said to the boy that his name was Hari and that he was the son of Ka (Kanoba) and showed him his gold-fringed turban. The boy was satisfied and returned the sandals to him.

 

Hari Kanoba thought to himself that his gold-fringed turban was visible to all and Baba might have seen it, but wondered how could Baba possibly know that his name was Hari and that he was the son of Kanoba, as this was his first trip to Shirdi.

 

Hari had come to Shirdi with the sole objective of testing Baba and with no other motive. He came to know by this incident that Baba was a great Satpurush (God-realized). He got what he wanted and returned home well-pleased.

 

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The wonderful life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba, Translated by Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji (Mumbai: Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi, 20^th Edition 2002), p249

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The Life and Teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba, G. R. Dhalbokar, Translated by Indira Kher (Slovenia: Bird Publisher, 2009), p415

 

 

Teachings from Leela:

1)    A true Sadguru never demands blind faith, and accepts the challenges of his devotees to increase their Shraddha in Him

Even though Hari Kanoba’s friends and relatives told him of Baba’s many leelas and miracles, he was skeptical and wanted to test Baba for himself. Baba obliged, and offered him the evidence he needed to accept Him as his Sadguru.

Baba wants us all to learn from this leela and not follow unproven gurus blindly. In these times we are exposed to a lot of information and it is often difficult to differentiate between what is true or false.  

Throughout the Sai Satcharitra, there are several instances where potential devotees respectfully challenged Baba for proof of His ability to lead them, and He never took offense. He always responded to these challenges by providing proof of his state of self-realization, to help them increase their Shraddha in Him.  

There are other instances where He did exhibit anger, but only if someone pre-judged Him, i.e., formed an opinion about Him without even meeting him or giving Him an opportunity to prove Himself.

Another example, where Baba accepted this sort of challenge, is described in the following leela in Chapter 35:

Out of curiosity and just to test Baba, Mr.Thakkar decided to go to Shirdi with Kaka Mahajani during Shimga holidays (a festival in the Konkan region of Maharashtra which is similar to the Holi festival of north India).

Kaka bought along two kilos of raisins (dried grapes with seed), prostrated himself before Baba and offered the raisins to Him. Baba ordered them to be distributed, and Mr. Thakkar got a few of them. He thought in his mind that, if Baba was a Saint, how could He be ignorant of his dislike for the seeded variety of raisins and force them upon him. When this thought arose in his mind, Baba gave him some more raisins. Mr. Thakkar could not eat them and held them in his hand. Then Baba asked him to eat them up and he obeyed, and found to his surprise that they were all seedless. He wanted to see miracles and here was one. He knew that Baba read his thought, and as per his wish, converted the seeded raisins into the seedless variety.

To test this further, he asked Mr. Tarkhad, who was sitting nearby and who also received some raisins, "what kind of raisins did you get?" Mr. Tarkhad replied, "the variety with seeds". Mr. Thakkar was still more surprised to hear this.

Then to confirm his growing faith, Mr. Thakkar thought in his mind that, if Baba was a real Saint, the raisins should be now given to Kaka first. Reading this thought too, Baba ordered that the next round of distribution be commenced from Kaka.

These proofs were sufficient for Mr. Thakkar.

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The wonderful life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba, Translated by Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji (Mumbai: Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi, 20^th Edition 2002), p188

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The Life and Teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba, G. R. Dhalbokar, Translated by Indira Kher (Slovenia: Bird Publisher, 2009), p297

 

Baba performed these miracles to increase his devotee’s Shraddha in him. Faith is the closest word in English language to describe Shraddha, but it has a much more deeper meaning than just that. Shraddha is not just blind faith, but faith based upon knowledge and trust. It is a belief supported by a strong feeling of being certain about what you believe in.

A true Sadguru never demands blind faith. He will never intimidate His devotees. He will never demand love and respect from them either, as they must be earned and a true Sadguru will surely earn them. He also accepts the challenges of his devotees to increase their Shraddha in Him. Once such a guru has taken a devotee under His wing, He will work with them, even if it takes many life-times, to help them in their spiritual journey to moksha.

 

Putting into Practice

Here are some suggestions on how we could use this leela in our daily lives.

2)    A true Sadguru never demands blind faith, and accepts the challenges of his devotees to increase their Shraddha in Him

 

For those of you who have accepted Baba as your Sadguru, you need not worry as He will Himself guide you towards your journey to Moksha.

 

For those of you who are on a lookout to find a guru, you must be already aware that there are a lot of false gurus who take advantage of people for their own benefit. Unfortunately, just as there are unscrupulous individuals in every occupation, there are also unscrupulous gurus. 

 

Here are some warning signals for you to prevent yourself from becoming a victim.

 

1)    Always trust your gut feeling when deciding to pick a guru. If your inner voice is saying otherwise, then listen to it. It is guiding you to make the right decision.

 

2)    Is this guru interested in making money? The expectation of some dakshina is acceptable, if used to finance charitable works, but not for luxuries. A person on a spiritual path should be detached from worldly pleasures. If a guru is not treating the rich and poor equally, and is giving undue importance to a disciple who is rich but ignoring the poor, he is not a true guru.   

 

3)    Be wary of a guru who demands love and devotion from his disciples. Love and devotion are slow processes that grow over time. Just as when you plant a seed, it takes time to grow into a plant. Similarly, as you learn more and more about your guru, you will start to develop a liking and affection for him or her, based on admirable qualities you find in them.

 

Mantra:

Om, Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ
Sarve santu nirāmayāḥ
Sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu
Mā kashchit duḥkha bhāgbhavet
Oṁ Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ

Meaning:

May all be prosperous and happy
May all be free from illness
May all see what is spiritually uplifting
May no one suffer
Om peace, peace, peace

 

This above mantra is from the Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/seekingshanti/2015/09/hinduprayerforeveryone_globalgoals/

I would encourage all of you to please share your interpretations, learnings and experiences on how you have put this leela into practice.

 

 

Om Sai Ram.

 

Chapter 12, Leela 1: Kaka Mahajani

Leela:

Once, Kaka Mahajani went to Shirdi from Mumbai. He wanted to stay there for one week and enjoy the Gokul-Ashtami festival. As soon as he took Baba's darshan, Baba asked him, “When are you returning home?” He was rather surprised at this question, but he had to give an answer. He said that he would go home when Baba ordered him to do so. Then Baba said, “Go tomorrow”. Baba's word was law and had to be obeyed. Kaka Mahajani therefore, left Shirdi, immediately. When he went to his office in Mumbai, he found that his employer was anxiously waiting for him. His munim (accountant) had suddenly fallen ill, and so Kaka's presence was absolutely necessary. His employer had sent a letter to Kaka at Shirdi, which was still on its way there while Kaka was already on his way back.

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The wonderful life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba, Translated by Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji (Mumbai: Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi, 20^th Edition 2002), p68

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The Life and Teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba, G. R. Dhalbokar, Translated by Indira Kher (Slovenia: Bird Publisher, 2009), p94

 

Teachings from Leela:

1)    If you fail to bring your own plans to action, be happy and satisfied that Baba’s own plans have overruled them

When our plans fail to execute, we should take comfort that, instead of our plan, it is God’s plan that is in effect, and accept it as the best plan for everyone involved.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, remember this leela, as it proved that when things do not go as planned, initially you might be surprised and disappointed, but in the end, you will realise that it all works out, not just for your own benefit but for the benefit of everyone involved.

Putting into Practice

Here are some suggestions on how we could use this leela in our daily lives.

1)    If you fail to bring your own plans to action, be happy and satisfied that Baba’s own plans have overruled them

I once watched an interview of a famous Bollywood actor, Amitabh Bachchan, who narrated an incident in his life. Once he had prepared for a school play, but at the last moment, got sick and was not able to perform. His father said to him, “If your wish is fulfilled then be happy, but if it is not then be even more happy, as it is God’s wish that is being fulfilled and it is much better than our own”.

When things don’t go your way, don’t be disheartened. Accept things as they are, as God’s plan is in the best interest for all concerned.

 

Mantra:

Om, Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ
Sarve santu nirāmayāḥ
Sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu
Mā kashchit duḥkha bhāgbhavet
Oṁ Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ

Meaning:

May all be prosperous and happy
May all be free from illness
May all see what is spiritually uplifting
May no one suffer
Om peace, peace, peace

 

This above mantra is from the Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/seekingshanti/2015/09/hinduprayerforeveryone_globalgoals/

I would encourage all of you to please share your interpretations, learnings and experiences on how you have put this leela into practice.

 

 

Om Sai Ram.

 

 

 

Chapter 49, Leela 3: Nanasaheb Chandorkar

Leela:

Once when Nanasaheb Chandorkar was sitting in the Masjid with Mhalasapati and others, a Muslim gentleman from Bijapur came with his family, to see Baba. Seeing burqa-clad ladies with him, Nanasaheb wanted to back away to give them more space, but Baba prevented him from doing so. The ladies approached and took Baba’s darshan.

 

When one of the ladies momentarily removed her veil while saluting Baba's feet, Nanasaheb saw her face, and was so taken by her rare beauty that he wished to see her face again. After the family had left, knowing Nana's restlessness of mind, Baba spoke to him as follows, “Nana, why is your mind so disturbed? That which follows its natural inclination should not be interfered with, for there is no harm in it. God has created this beautiful world, and if we do not fully appreciate it, his skill and ingenuity will be in vain. Over time, the mind will calm, slowly and gradually, and become steady. When the front door stands open, why go to the back door? When the mind is pure, there is no difficulty. If one has no evil thought, why should he be afraid? The eyes do their function of seeing. Why be embarrassed?”

 

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The wonderful life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba, Translated by Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji (Mumbai: Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi, 20^th Edition 2002), p251

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The Life and Teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba, G. R. Dhalbokar, Translated by Indira Kher (Slovenia: Bird Publisher, 2009), p420

 

Teachings from Leela:

1)    If vasanas (latent tendencies, likes and dislikes) within us trigger harmless desires, we must not interfere in their fulfillment, as they can only be removed from our minds when they are fulfilled

In Vedanta, there are several pre-requisites before one is prepared for moksha (liberation).  One of these, vairagya (non-attachment), is important for this leela. Vairagya is the final turning away from all desires and pleasures of the world.

To achieve absolute vairagya (non-attachment), one must become fully un-attached from all desires and pleasures. Along with the obvious desires, each of us have countless latent tendencies, likes and dislikes, which are hidden until an external situation triggers them into activity.  In Vedanta, these latent tendencies are called vasanas (tendencies, likes and dislikes, imprinted in the mind). They are activated under suitable circumstances, triggering desires, which trigger thoughts, which prompt us to perform actions to fulfill them.  We cannot achieve absolute vairagya until we exhaust all our vasanas.

How vasanas are Formed

Vasanas are impressions created in our minds as we interact with the world using any combination of our five senses. If the interaction is important to us, it leaves an impression representing a like or dislike. The more we obsess over a situation, the deeper the impression and the stronger the vasana.

Since we have created these vasanas during our transactions with the world, we can only exhaust them in the real world, and not by denying their existence or by suppressing them.

Not only have we accumulated vasanas over multiple lifetimes, but we create several new vasanas in each lifetime. In some lifetimes, we sometimes create more vasanas than we are able to exhaust.

Good and Bad Vasanas

Not all vasanas are bad. Good vasanas are those that take us towards our spiritual goals, while bad vasanas are those that take us away from them.

For example, tendencies to enjoy and find comfort in singing bhajans (spiritual songs) and enjoying discourses in spiritual philosophy are good vasanas which help you advance on the spiritual path, while tendencies to be aggressive, speak ill of others and insult others, are bad vasanas, since they hinder your spiritual progress. 

Some vasanas are widely shared by all people who share a common experience.  For example, all people blessed with the sense of sight will share certain tendencies towards visual experience, such as being drawn to beauty. Such vasanas are neither good nor bad.

However, any vasana, whether good, bad or neutral, eventually becomes an obstacle towards vairagya, and therefore an obstacle to final spiritual goal of liberation.  Before you receive liberation, you must shed all tendencies, all likes and dislikes, including the ones that once helped you advance spiritually.

Shedding Vasanas

We must exhaust all our vasanas and reach a desireless state before we can achieve moksha. Even saints like Ramana Maharshi had to do so. One such incidence below is related to this point (note 1).

Once during His last years, Sri Ramana Maharshi (Bhagavan) wanted chilli powder and oil for idlis. But doctors have said no for such things. Sri Bhagavan said however: Let me also fulfill this vasana and be done with it. He took chilli powder and oil once and from next day, He did not ask for them!

In this leela, when Nanasaheb was about to leave, Baba, being omniscient, did not allow him to do so as this was a perfect opportunity to teach him some lessons about vasanas.

Baba explained to Nanasaheb that, if a vasana is not connected to bad intentions, and is itself harmless, it must be allowed to be exhausted without interfering with it, or feeling guilt about it.

He also offered a technique we can use when dealing with a strong vasana that we would consciously like to shed, but cannot find a way to do so.  He reminded us that we can consciously connect our objects of desire with God. By reminding ourselves of God in relation to our desires and tendencies, we weaken the hold the vasana has upon us, and eventually shed it.

Adi Shankara’s Vivekachudamani gives the same advice in verse 3.16 (note 2):      

Sarvatra sarvatah sarvam
brahma-matr'avalokanaih |
sad-bhava-vasana-dardhyat
tat trayam layam asnute ||

Sankaracharya here points out that the way to destroy worldly influences lies in looking on everything, under all circumstances, always, everywhere and in all ways, as Brahman and Brahman alone. Under all circumstances, 'Sarvada,' always. Sometimes we take recourse to discrimination and the next moment we forget to do so. That will not do. 

Putting into Practice

Here are some suggestions on how we could use this leela in our daily lives.

1)    If vasanas (latent tendencies, likes and dislikes) within us trigger harmless desires, we must not interfere in their fulfillment, as they can only be removed from our minds when they are fulfilled

It is important to exhaust as many vasanas as possible. You must be vigilant to identify the nature of your vasanas as desires appear in your mind.  You must let harmless desires play out.  The more you attempt to suppress them, the stronger the underlying vasana will get. Think of them as your bucket list, and act on them, and be done with them.

If you notice a vasana that is an obstacle to your spiritual progress, you must uproot it. My Vedanta Guru, Rita Nayar, used to say that as we get rid of one vasana, we may be creating many more vasanas. To deal with this problem, she said we must remove our vasanas in bulk.

Shedding vasanas in Bulk

For example, let’s say that as you monitor your thoughts and desires, you identify several vasanas that relate to desires towards expensive, luxury items, such as brand name clothes, high end electronics, jewelry, expensive watches and luxury cars. These cluster of vasanas cause you to desire a number of material objects and luxury experiences. These vasanas lead you to obsess over specific items, inflate your ego in their possession, compete with others over your acquisitions, and perhaps even make you susceptible to using unethical means to acquire them.  This will, in turn, deepen your vasanas, and generate new, negative vasanas.

To work on this cluster of vasanas is to come up with a new perspective on how to think about acquiring material objects: 

1)    Your new perspective could be based on the temporary nature of the objects you acquire, where you think about the role that object will play in your life 5 years from now.  If you picture it sitting in your closet gathering dust in the future, you will be less tempted to purchase an overly expensive luxury version of the object now.

 

2)    You could also think about how you could make the life of someone less fortunate than you happier through a purchase of a material object. You could achieve this by purchasing a more modest item, and donating the money you save by not buying the luxury item.

How do you know when you’ve shed a vasana?

When you notice that a given situation does not agitate your mind with a desire, it is an indication that you have successfully conquered the underlying vasana.

 

Mantra:

Om, Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ
Sarve santu nirāmayāḥ
Sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu
Mā kashchit duḥkha bhāgbhavet
Oṁ Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ

Meaning:

May all be prosperous and happy
May all be free from illness
May all see what is spiritually uplifting
May no one suffer
Om peace, peace, peace

 

This above mantra is from the Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/seekingshanti/2015/09/hinduprayerforeveryone_globalgoals/

I would encourage all of you to please share your interpretations, learnings and experiences on how you have put this leela into practice.

 

 

Om Sai Ram.

Notes:

1)        http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?topic=6426.0

2)     http://www.eng.vedanta.ru/library/gokulananda/how_to_control_vasanas.php