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THE HURDLES
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THE HURDLES
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1.
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Oblivious of the Truth that he is the 'Atma', Jeeva is deluded to think that he is the body. The spiritual progress is linked to the diminishing of body-consciousness. "This body is the property of Mother. Its husband is therefore only Mother (Sri Radhaji)"
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2.
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As long as the Jeeva moves outwardly he cannot see mother. Antarmukha samaradhyai namah Bhairmukha Sudurbabha - This is one of the Lalita Sahasranam which enunciates that Mother can be attained only with inwandness, but not outwardness.
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Brahma Deva could not realise what he is and where his origin is, as long as he carried out outward search. After an outward search of thousand years Brahmaji heard a divine voice 'Tapah', Tapah'. He did penance for hundred years by a practice called 'Ashtanga yoga kriyanurakti, and by Divine Grace he finally realised himself and his father, the parama purusha. This story is enunciated in the third canto of Srimadbhagawata. Thus a Jeeva who is desirous of meeting Sarveswari should move along the path of inwardness.
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3.
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The human body is made of Tri Gunas, one of these three Gunas- Rajoguna, is filled in every atom of the body. 'Kamaesha krodha esha rajaguna samudbhavaha' According to this Geeta pronounment it is understood rajaguna unfolds itself as Kama (desire) and Krodha (anger).
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Brahma when he desired his first creation [by name Bharati], sages like Marechi harshly told him that the world would accuse him as 'kamandhopi napasyati' (one who is blinded by desire cannot see the right ) by this action. Ashamed by his own action Brahma left his body - Third canto of the Bhagawatha. The Bhagawata says that a powerful Sage like Soubhari who renounced the world was overwhelmed by kama by viewing the love sport of fish couple.
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Where does the ordinary Jeeva stand, when 'kama' had deteriorated Gods like Brahma and Sages like Soubhari?
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4.
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Man and woman run after each other influenced by Kama (desire). This is the secret of creation. This mutual intimacy can be seen in devatas (Angels), humans, animals, birds, and worms and even in inanimate objects like metals, as north and south poles of magnet attract each other. It is also seen in flora. A bird when lands on a male flower, it carries pollen along with it and when lands on female flower it leaves the pollen there. Thereafter the female flower fertilises. Such mutual attraction of male and females is but the secret of the world.
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5.
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Many sadhakas spend part of their lives in sadhana and the remaining in their worldly activities. Unless entire life becomes sadhana, a Jeeva cannot surrender himself to God. Spending part of life for sadhana and the rest for home, job etc, is like taking bath in the holy waters of the Ganges for some time and there after living in dirty sewage waters. As long as the jeeva lives in bits and pieces in this manner, he cannot attain any spiritual progress. As pronounced by the Lord in the Geeta. 'Sarva Dharman parityajya mamekam saranam vraja'
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To give up all Dharmas and to surrender only to the Parama purusha - is the duty of the Jeeva. Unless these two are put into practice Lord does not remove the veil of maya, he will not let you out from his maya. Total surrender is the only way to flourish spiritual life. It is the royal path to the Divine Life.
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6.
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Atma when united with prakrithi begets Jeeva-hood. Within every jeeva both atma and prakriti are intermixed. He deteriorated to lower nature due to this union with prakriti.
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'Naiva stri na pumaneshu napunsakah, ydrussareera madatte tena tena na yujyate'
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The soul which is beyond gender, because of its involvement with prakriti deterioriated to a feeble state as a drop of poison fell in a pot full of milk. Then how such feeble jeeva can regain his original state and reach the Lord? In this context the veda pronounced
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Yato vachonivartante aprapya manasasah
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unable to reach Him, speech along with mind got reverted.
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7.
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Ordinarily as jeeva continues his practice after receiving instruction as a mantra or as a divine name, however, it should be understood that these mantra or names belong to the realms of prakriti' The jeeva limited to 'prakriti' borns and dies within the same cycle as the bullock in the oil mill confines to the circle it is tied to, no matter how many rounds it is making everyday.
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By the foregoing, questions may arise that there are great devotees who received the grace of Lord by mantropasana, by ceaseles recilation of name didn't the lord bless those devotees? Gajendra, Dhruva and Prahlada have seen their 'Ishta' by meditating on the name. If so, how far that 'by the mantra and the like we cannot cross the chains of prakriti is true. Such questions do arise naturally.
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| Bhidyate hridaya grandhih |
| Chidante Sarva samsayah |
| seeyantasya karmani |
| Tasmin drushti paravare. |
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When his sight falls on the jeeva, the heart glands get broken and the karma gets dissolved. We have to meet the Lord in his super plane (Abode) face - to - face. It is to say that many times the Lord has come down to prakriti in different occasions to protect His devotees, but the Jeevas didn't ascend to his plane.
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-Vedic Prononment
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8.
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Jeevas are like charcoal pieces. Unless the fire like touch of paramatma is felt by them they do not transform to Divinity. Even the divine name is written crores of times with the black coal, it looks black only. The demon Ravana' did not get any change of heart even after reciting the 'Name' crores of times.
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King Parikshit listening to the 'Ras Leela' (contained in the 10th cant of Bhagawata) from the Sage Suka, put a question that the gopis who ran towards krishna filled with kama (desire) could get redeemed and asended to higher planes. The sage replied that by the fire-like touch of Lord, the gopis became purified. This reply of the Suka Maharshi has to be kept in mind.
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Krishna stu Bhagawan svayam - The Bhagawata
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The absolute Lord's touch made the Gopis pure and sacred.
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9.
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At the moment of parting with the body every Jeeva will have to face a peculiar situation. The event that is most enchanting to him during his previous births will stand before his eyes like a dream. Then he starts reminiscing the same again and again and wants to involve in it once again. '
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Yadbhavo tadbhavati
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As the thought so is the result.
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Thus he tends to assume the form according to his longing. This outcome is due to the volition (free will) of the jeeva. By desiring so, repeated rebirths and deaths become unavoidable. The life of Jada Bharatha is a glaring example to this fact. Srimannarayana in an incarnation known as Vrishabha had hundred sons in his wives Sati and Jayanti. Among them the eldest is 'Bharata'. Bharata later understood that the sons and others are detrimental to realising mokha and renounced the most difficult one and became a mendicant. Such a pure soul had developed deep attachment for a small deer. At his last moment he kept the thought of the deer and left his body. Eventually he had to born as an antelope in his next birth - Fifth Canto of Srimadbhagavata'.
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10.
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God belongs to bhava japat'' as long as we do not possess bhava' we cannot enter his abode. To attain the 'Bhav' there is no sadhana in the world. God's grace alone can instil Bhava within us.
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| Nayamatma pravachanena labhyah |
| Namedhaya, Nabahoonam Srutena |
| Yame Vaisha Vrunute na Labhyah. |
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By delivering numerous discourses, by listening to the words of great souls we cannot attain him. He himself has to bless his grace on us. Swami Vivekananda had highlighted this truth in a letter written to a gurubhai- swami Truiyananda.
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-Kathopanishad
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Dear Hari Bhai,
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I do not think you can obtain God in exchange for any Japa or Tapa that you may perform just as you can obtain vegetables in exchange for the money you pay. Remember that none can attain him except by His grace. The sruti declares.
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Nayamatma pravachanena labhyah
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no medbaya.....
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Always keep in your heart that the attainment of God depends not on your Japa and Tapa but only by on his grace.
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God belongs to Bhava Japat. Without possession Bhava none can attain Him. He himself showers this Bhava on us.
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- Vivekananda
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11.
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The mundane man possesses many desires. But spiritual Seeker has only one desire, one goal. Having many desires, itself, is a big hurdle.
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Sarva dharman parityagya mamekam saramam vraja' Swami himself told, "Those, desirous of attaining Lord, should have only one goal".
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Even though there are many obstacles in attaining spiritual progress, the jeeva need not be fearful. To remove these hardles and redeem him to higher planes, here is a path. It is Brindavaniswari Sri Radha Devi. The meditation to reach Her and the methods enshrined therein are elaborated in the last chapter.
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A jeeva who attained the grace of Sri Radha will face no obstruction in his spiritual progress. Karma cannot en-shackle them. This fact is amply revealed to the world in the strong of boy Rehman and Syamanandaji .
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