How to Achieve the Ultimate Goal - by Self-Effort or Grace ? | part-6 by Swami Mukundanand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bye-47Kc4 Full Text 1 If somebody makes a mistake and you ask, why did you make the mistake? No Swamiji, it must be the will of God. Will of God that you make a mistake? This reminds me of one katha. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bye-47Kc4&t=0 2 You know it's a humorous katha that when God made the world, He gave a uniform lifespan to all living beings. So he gave human beings the lifespan of 40 years and he gave the same to donkeys and dogs and birds. So human beings became pretty frustrated. Some of them formed a delegation and went to the Lord and said Maharaj you have given us 40 years to live. Our Grahasthi (household life) just become set and life gets over. This is totally unreasonable. Can't you extend our lifespan? So God said alright I'll put your application in pending. Let's see what's going to happen. You return for now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bye-47Kc4&t=22 3 A few days went by, and a donkey came whining (to complain about something in an annoying, crying voice) to God. The donkey said, my lord what kind of creature am I? I take the burden and put it from here to there and then from there to here and 40 years go by. Can you not reduce my lifespan a little bit? God remembered human beings wanted an extension and the donkey wants a cut. So God removed 20 years from the donkey's lifespan. The donkey's expectancy now came to 20 years. And he added those 20 donkey years to human life. So God said, is it okay now? 60 years? Human beings said, 60 years? Oh Maharaj I still have so many desires, to go to Florida beach and to see football super bowls etc. Can't you consider a further extension? God said, alright. Then let's see what happens? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bye-47Kc4&t=69 4 A few more days went by and a few dogs came barking to God. The dogs said, Maharaj in what format have you made us? We keep on barking barking barking. Nobody listens. The car comes, we bark from here to there and then we get tired. Then a next car comes. we bark from here to here and then get tired. Can't you reduce our life? Forty years is a bit too much, so God remember that human beings wanted further extension. God removed twenty years from the dog's life as well. So dog's life expectancy got reduced to 20. God added those 20 years to human life. Now the human beings could well now expect to live till 80. God said, is it not alright? Human beings said, Maharaj it is alright, but not fully alright. I want to see my granddaughter's wedding before I die. People say every thing else is alright. But I just want to see my granddaughters wedding and then die. Everybody is saying, this dadaji (grandfather) is a big nuisance. Dadaji, don't come close. Otherwise you will fall. You sit and see from far. But dadaji's mind says, I want to see my granddaughter's wedding and then die. Can you extend a little more? God said, alright, now let us see what happens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bye-47Kc4&t=132 5 Finally an owl reached God. The owl said, my lord have you made me by mistake? When the whole world is awake, I am sleeping. Because I have such big eyes they get blinded, and when the whole world is sleeping I am flying from rooftop to rooftop. Please reduce my life. God took away 20 years from the Owls life and added the owl's life also to human beings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bye-47Kc4&t=229 6 Now the human life expectancy reached 100 years. It is said, in Kaliyug, God has given hundred years to human beings. However, what is the nature of those hundred years? The first forty is alright, the BP is alright, the heart is alright cholesterol is alright, sugar is alright. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bye-47Kc4&t=254 7 Then after that, the donkey years begin. I have to clear the mortgage before retiring. I have to settle my son, get my daughter married etc. and create enough bank balance for retirement. So like the donkey carries the burden, the human being is going from 40 to 60. These are the donkey years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bye-47Kc4&t=281 8 At sixty, he hits the dog years. Now the primary duty in the Indian joint family is to take care of the home. The son says, father I'm going with your daughter-in-law to see the movie. You take care of the home. And no matter what he says, people say doesn't matter. He's an old man, let him keep on speaking. These are the dog years going on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bye-47Kc4&t=307 9 At eighty, the owl years start. Doctor, I can't see. What is going on? Doctor sees, hmm, you got cataract. "Please remove it." Wait, let the other eye also get cataract. I will remove both together. So that owl years are going. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bye-47Kc4&t=339 10 The whole life goes by and still human beings don't develop vairagya (detachment) that I was not to go in this direction. I was supposed to go towards God. That is why the scriptures say that it is His grace which will make all the difference. What does this lead us to conclude? Does it mean that we now don't need to do any sadhana? We can just sit down ? Hearing today's lecture is tactically very beneficial, because now we can exploit this piece of knowledge. Whatever little sadhna, devotion, bhakti, bhajan, we were doing, we will just put it aside and sit down. And if somebody asks that do you strive to attain God? You would say, no you know that Mukundananda explained that you can only know God by His grace. There is no point in self effort. Nowadays we are just sitting and waiting for the grace to come. Will it come in 2017 or 18 or 27 or 37? Will it come by plane or railroad or truck load? Will it come from the north or south or east or west? Where will this grace come from? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bye-47Kc4&t=356 11 In other words, utilizing the principle of grace, we have given up our effort and become lazy (indolent). Is this the proper understanding of grace? No! His grace is required and our effort is also required. The Shwetashwetaropanishad says, your effort and grace of God. You have to make your effort. Both endeavors are required, from the soul and from the side of God. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bye-47Kc4&t=444 12 Shri Aurobindo has written a book called 'the mother'. In the first page, first paragraph, he begins like thhere are two great powers alone that in their conjunction can affect the great and difficult thing that is the aim of our endeavor. A fixed and unfailing aspiration that calls from below and the divine grace that answers from above. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bye-47Kc4&t=500 13 Why is our effort necessary? To receive the grace, you need a vessel. In this case, the vessel is the heart. You need to purify the heart. Supposing you go to your guru and say, Guru ji please I am seeking five litres of milk. Can you bestow your grace? The Guru says, my child I've got a drum of milk. But where is your vessel? Get a vessel. Now you go and return again. Guruji I have a vessel, please give me the stuff I want. Guru ji says, my child your vessel has got holes in it. if I pour the milk, it will get drained away. Don't bring a leaky vessel. Third time again we come. Guru ji this time there are no leaks. Guruji says, son it is dirty. If I pour the milk, it will split. Get a clean vessel. Similarly, we say Guruji give us your grace. Guru says, prepare your vessel. So our effort is necessary and the grace of God is also necessary. If we don't consider our effort and marginalize it that will lead to a disaster. Many people make that mistake. They think, we don't need to do anything. In fact they go one step further and say God is doing everything. Nothing is in our hands. There is no Gyani (knower), there is no fool. If God wants somebody to be a gyani, he becomes a gyani. If God wants somebody to be a fool, he becomes the fool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bye-47Kc4&t=527 14 So if somebody makes a mistake and you ask, why did you make the mistake? Swamiji, it must be the will of God. Will of God that you make a mistake? It is all His doing. Nothing is in our hands. If you grew up in India, one sentence you must have heard thousands of times. The same sentence comes in the Western world, but it's not so popular. Not a leaf stirreth but by the will of God. भगवान की इच्छा के बिना एक पत्ता भी नहीं हिलता, So people say you know that even a leaf cannot stir but by the will of God. So He is doing everything. Let Him do. I don't need to do anything. Amongst all the thousands of philosophies that are being propagated in the world, this particular one is the most disastrous. why? Because then we will not do anything proper and we will blame God for it. So we need to root this concept from our heart totally and completely. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bye-47Kc4&t=659 Transcript 0:00 If somebody makes a mistake and you ask, why did you make the mistake? 0:05 No Swamiji, it must be the will of God. Will of God that you make a mistake? 0:22 This reminds me of one katha. You know it's a humorous katha that when God made 0:29 the world, He gave a uniform lifespan to all living beings. So he gave human 0:37 beings the lifespan of 40 years and he gave the same to donkeys and dogs and 0:41 birds. So human beings became pretty frustrated. Some of them formed a 0:49 delegation and went to the Lord and said Maharaj you have given us 40 years to 0:53 live. Our Grahasthi (household life) just become set and life gets over. This is totally 0:59 unreasonable. Can't you extend our lifespan? So God said alright I'll put 1:05 your application in pending. Let's see what's going to happen. You 1:09 return for now. A few days went by, and a donkey came whining (to complain about something in an annoying, crying voice) to God. The donkey 1:18 said, my lord what kind of creature am I? I take the burden and put it from here 1:25 to there and then from there to here and 40 years go by. Can you not reduce my 1:32 lifespan a little bit? God remembered human beings wanted an extension and the 1:39 donkey wants a cut. So God removed 20 years from the donkey's lifespan. The 1:47 donkey's expectancy now came to 20 years. And he added those 20 donkey years to 1:54 human life. So God said, is it okay now? 60 years? Human beings said, 60 years? 2:01 Oh Maharaj I still have so many desires, to go to Florida beach and to see 2:06 football super bowls etc. Can't you consider a further extension? Gods said, 2:12 alright. Then let's see what happens? A few more days went by and a few dogs 2:18 came barking to God. The dogs said, Maharaj in what format have you made us? 2:24 We keep on barking barking barking. Nobody listens. The car comes, we bark 2:29 from here to there and then we get tired. Then a next car comes. we bark from here 2:33 to here and then get tired. Can't you reduce our 2:36 life? Forty years is a bit too much, so God remember that human beings wanted 2:41 further extension. God removed twenty years from the dog's life as well. So 2:48 dog's life expectancy got reduced to 20. God added those 20 years to human life. 2:55 Now the human beings could well now expect to live till 80. God said, is it not 3:04 alright? Human beings said, Maharaj it is alright, but not fully alright. I want to 3:13 see my granddaughter's wedding before I die. 3:16 People say every thing else is alright. But I just want to see my granddaughters wedding and then die. 3:25 Everybody is saying, this dadaji (grandfather) is a big nuisance. 3:29 Dadaji, don't come close. Otherwise you will fall. You sit and see from far. But 3:34 dadaji's mind says, I want to see my granddaughter's wedding and then die. 3:39 Can you extend a little more? God said, alright, now let us see what happens. 3:49 Finally an owl reached God. The owl said, my lord 3:53 have you made me by mistake? When the whole world is awake, I am sleeping. 4:00 Because I have such big eyes they get blinded, and when the whole world is 4:06 sleeping I am flying from rooftop to rooftop. Please reduce my life. God took 4:14 away 20 years from the Owls life and added the owl's life also to human beings. Now 4:21 the human life expectancy reached 100 years. It is said, in Kaliyug, God has 4:29 given hundred years to human beings. However, what is the nature of those 4:35 hundred years? The first forty is alright, the BP is alright, the heart is alright 4:41 cholesterol is alright, sugar is alright. Then 4:46 after that, the donkey years begin. I have to 4:51 clear the mortgage before retiring. I have to settle my son, get my daughter 4:56 married etc. and create enough bank balance for retirement. So like the 5:02 donkey carries the burden, the human being is going from 40 to 60. These are the 5:07 donkey years. At sixty, he hits the dog years. Now the primary duty in the Indian 5:17 joint family is to take care of the home. The son says, father I'm going with your daughter-in-law 5:26 to see the movie. You take care of the home. And no matter what he says, people 5:34 say doesn't matter. He's an old man, let him keep on speaking. These are the dog 5:39 years going on. At eighty, the owl years start. Doctor, I can't see. What is going on? Doctor sees, 5:50 hmm, you got cataract. "Please remove it." Wait, let the other eye also get cataract. I 5:56 will remove both together. So that owl years are going. The whole life goes by 6:03 and still human beings don't develop vairagya (detachment) that I was not to go in this 6:10 direction. I was supposed to go towards God. That is why the scriptures say that 6:16 it is His grace which will make all the difference. What does this lead us to 6:24 conclude? Does it mean that we now don't need to do any sadhana? We can just sit 6:31 down ? Hearing today's lecture is tactically very beneficial, because now 6:41 we can exploit this piece of knowledge. Whatever little sadhna, devotion, bhakti, 6:48 bhajan, we were doing, we will just put it aside and sit down. And if somebody 6:53 asks that do you strive to attain God? You would say, no you know that Mukundananda explained 6:59 that you can only know God by His grace. There is no point in 7:04 self effort. Nowadays we are just sitting and waiting for the grace 7:08 to come. Will it come in 2017 or 18 or 27 or 37? Will it come by plane or railroad 7:19 or truck load? Will it come from the north or south or east or west? Where will 7:24 this grace come from? In other words, utilizing the principle of grace, we have 7:32 given up our effort and become lazy (indolent). Is this the proper 7:41 understanding of grace? No! His grace is required and our effort is also required. 7:52 The Shwetashwetaropanishad says, 8:02 your effort and grace of God. 8:12 You have to make your effort. Both endeavors are required, from 8:20 the soul and from the side of God. Shri Aurobindo has written a book called 'the 8:27 mother'. In the first page, first paragraph, he begins like this: There are two great 8:35 powers alone that in their conjunction can affect the great and difficult thing 8:41 that is the aim of our endeavor. A fixed and unfailing aspiration that calls from 8:47 below and the divine grace that answers from above. Why is our effort necessary? 8:59 To receive the grace, you need a vessel. In this case, the vessel is the heart. 9:06 You need to purify the heart. Supposing you go to your guru and say, Guru ji 9:15 please I am seeking five litres of milk. Can you bestow your grace? The Guru says, 9:22 my child I've got a drum of milk. But where is your vessel? Get a vessel. Now 9:29 you go and return again. Guruji I have a vessel, please give me the stuff I want. 9:35 Guru ji says, my child your vessel has got holes in it. if I pour the milk, it 9:42 will get drained away. Don't bring a leaky vessel. Third time 9:49 again we come. Guru ji this time there are no leaks. 9:53 Guruji says, son it is dirty. If I pour the milk, it will split. 9:59 Get a clean vessel. Similarly, we say Guruji give us your grace. Guru says, prepare 10:08 your vessel. So our effort is necessary and the grace 10:14 of God is also necessary. If we don't consider our effort and marginalize it 10:22 that will lead to a disaster. Many people make that mistake. 10:29 They think, we don't need to do anything. In fact they go one step further and say 10:34 God is doing everything. Nothing is in our hands. There is no Gyani (knower), there is no fool. 10:45 If God wants somebody to be a gyani, he becomes a gyani. If God wants somebody to be a fool, he becomes the fool. 10:59 So if somebody makes a 11:04 mistake and you ask, why did you make the mistake? Swamiji, it must be the will 11:10 of God. Will of God that you make a mistake? 11:14 It is all His doing. Nothing is in our hands. 11:21 If you grew up in India, one sentence you must 11:27 have heard thousands of times. 11:31 The same sentence comes in the Western world, but it's not so 11:37 popular. Not a leaf stirreth but by the will of 11:40 God. भगवान की इच्छा के बिना एक पत्ता भी नहीं हिलता, So people say you know that even a leaf cannot stir but by the will of God. 11:45 So He is doing everything. Let Him do. I don't need to do anything. Amongst all 11:51 the thousands of philosophies that are being propagated in the world, this 11:59 particular one is the most disastrous. why? Because then we will not do anything 12:06 proper and we will blame God for it. So we need to root this concept from our 12:15 heart totally and completely.
