: Shree Hari: 
Ram Ram

9th July, 2009, Thursday, Shravan Krishna Dwitiya, Vikram Samvat 2066, Guruvaar

If you firmly resolve then realizing Paramatma (God) is not difficult.  To give up the world from the heart is difficult.  This attraction to pleasures - the pleasure from sense enjoyments, the happiness from leisure and comforts, the pleasant feeling from receiving honor, the joy of hoarding, the joy arising in the pride of having the last and final word, all these are the primary obstacles  to realization of the Truth.    Giving up of these appears to be difficult, however after giving these up, Paramatma realization is very straightforward; as Paramatma is ever attained by all and in this there is great joy. 

How to easily give up the happiness and pleasure derived from association with sense objects ?  This can happen very easily when the inner sentiments are transformed into how others can be happy?  How others can gain respect?  How others get praise and recognition ?  How others are benefited? 

Question:  How to change the inner sentiments - Maharajji? 
Swamiji:  Brother ! This can only change by changing the Self !  The change of sentiments is up to us.  The sentiments should change such that I do not wish to take pleasure.  Eat your meals, but don't seek joy from it; wear clothes, but do not  take joy in them, Sleep but do not seekcomfort from the sleep, cover yourself with warm clothes, but don't indulge in enjoyment in the warmth of the cover, see the world but don't seek pleasure in the seeing,  Listen to good things, but don't seek joy in the hearing.  Think good thoughts but do not seek happiness in the good thoughts. 

Questioner:  But there appears to be enjoyment in these ! 
Swamiji:  Yes!  because it appears so, therefore one is not to become an enjoyer.  For it to appear to give happiness is not a fault, but to become happy in that experience is a fault. When some person becomes and behave as we like, and we become happy thinking that this person is very nice.  In becoming pleased, as well as, considering the other person as nice, these are two faults that come in us.  When some person criticizes us, we feel bad, and we consider that person as bad.  Therefore to be unhappy and to consider the other person bad, becomes two flaws that we adopt.   To take pleasure and to be unhappy are two main obstacles.  The person who gives pleasure, we consider that person nice.  To consider the other person as nice is not a fault, but to consider the person nice, because they give pleasure to you - that is a fault.  To take pleasure is not as much of a fault as becoming happy in that  pleasure. 

Having knowledge of pleasure and pain in not a fault, but becoming happy and unhappy is.  Bhagwaan has said a wonderful thing in Gita 2/56 - Let there be knowledge of pain, but let there not be any dejection or agitation within.  Let there be knowledge of pleasure, but let there not be any eager desire within, then the intellect will become stable.  Look, this is such a deep subject, that it is not so easily recognizable.  For many years I did not recognize this.  For you all, you yourself are the ones who know best. I was on an ongoing search, as to what are the obstacles and why ?  We hear, we understand, we read, we inquire, then too we are not attaining the state that we should be in, then what is the main obstacle?  The obstacle is arising where in favorable situations we become happy and in unfavorable, we become unhappy.  To become happy and unhappy, to become joyful or sorrowful is all enjoyment.  All the enjoyments resulting from association with senses and relations, are all the cause of sorrow.  Gita 5/22 says - "ye hi samsparshjaa bhogaa dukhayonaya eva te."  He who becomes the enjoyer of pleasures, will have to experience immense and horrifying sorrow.  No one can stop that.  Joy of sense pleasures takes place out of one's own will, whereas sorrow is experienced by becoming dependent and subservient. 

From "Swaadheen Kaise Bane?"  in Hindi pg 36-38 by Swami Ramsukhdasji 

Ram Ram

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