Direct Directions from the Divine
Dear Reader,
In response to your positive feedback to this section where we have a conversation with the Divine, we continue with Prof. Anil Kumar’s ‘Satyopanishad’ following Dr. John Hislop’s series ‘Conversations with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’ that ended in January 2008.
This series is also in the question-answer format that many devotees prefer, and has answers from Bhagavan on topics as wide ranging as the origin of evil, the goals of human lif, and aspects of God – embodied and formless, to price hikes, women’s liberation, vegetarianism, and the generation gap among people of the present times.
Published in two parts by the author, these volumes have 270 questions in all, which are neatly grouped under separate chapters. In this issue, we begin the fifth chapter: 'Concepts'
- Chapter 5: Concepts
Prof. Anil Kumar: Swami! We have many qualities tamasika (like laziness, dullness, etc.), rajasika (like aggressiveness, ego, etc.) and sattvika (being pious). Do they change at any time? How are we to ennoble ourselves? Sometimes these attributes may be responsible for conflicts with our colleagues in the office. What is to be done under these circumstances? Kindly give us a solution to this problem that we encounter everyday?
Bhagavan: The whole world revolves round these three attributes tamasika, rajasika and sattvika. Every individual has these three attributes working like the three blades of a fan. But in a person, the quality which dominates the other two, decides their nature and total personality, nay, their very destiny as a whole.
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He is a pious man whose sattvika quality dominates his rajasika and tamasika qualities. He is an emotional, passionate, active man if his rajasika quality dominates his sattvika and tamasika qualities. He is a dull, inactive and passive man if he is dominated by the tamasika nature. Thus, everyone has these three attributes.
For instance, in an eyeball don't you see all the three colours - white, red, and black? They symbolise these three traits. Watch the Sunrise. You will notice three colours - red, white and black again indicating three attributes. However, you should note one important point. These attributes or gunas have no independent existence. Divinity makes them functional. But the gunas are not to be found in the divine, as God is gunatita, the One beyond attributes.
Gunas are transformable. For instance, you can get over tamasika quality by karma, action. Karma transforms tamasika quality into rajasika activity. Rajasika nature is dual. It may give you success or failure, profit or loss, praise or blame, etc. Man has to perform karma. In fact, there is no one who does not take any action. You may lie on a bed sleeping, yet your heart beats, blood circulates and the nervous system and pulmonary system work. Don't they? Does it not amount to action?
By doing selfless actions, offering all the fruits of action to God, serving God in everyone and by realising the indwelling divinity, one can develop anubhavajnana, practical wisdom or experience-based wisdom. At that stage, a rajasika person becomes a sattvika person. Therefore, karma is important. It is said karmanubandhini manus yaloke, which means, human society is bound by action. Your very life is gifted to do karma. Thus, janma, birth and karma, actions are interrelated.
Therefore, a tamasika nature can be converted into rajasika by volitional action, which can be further transformed into sattvika by bhakti and jnana, that is, devotion and awareness. This is sadhana or spiritual practice.
In fact, one should salute respectfully the action he does. Tasmai namah karmane, “my salutations to the action given or assigned to me”. Therefore, a tamasika nature can be converted into rajasika by volitional action, which can be further transformed into sattvika by bhakti and jnana, that is, devotion and awareness. This is sadhana or spiritual practice.
By atmavicara, self-enquiry, you can improve and change your nature. When any lower or animal qualities like wavering of the mind, excessive sleep, gluttony, etc. crop up, immediately say to yourself at least ten times. "I am a man, I am not an animal." Then, you will be able to get over them. Do your duty sincerely. Don't be pompous. Don't show off or do any stunt. Always be sure that God notices everything that you do, though others may not. Do your duty with love.
Duty with love is Desirable.
Duty without love is Deplorable,
Love without duty is Divine.
If you offer all your work and the fruits thereof to God, your work will be transformed into worship.
To See The Whole Conversation Go To the Page Below :
http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_07/01JUN09/01-conversations.htm
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