Gadhadã II 55 · Vachanamrut · Swaminarayan Scriptures

Perform The Nine Types Of Bhakti After Becoming Brahm-Rup / A Goldsmith’s Workshop

In the Samvat year 1880, on Jyeshth sud 11 [7th June 1824], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting on a large decorate bedstead on the veranda outside the east-facing rooms of Dãdã Khãchar’s darbãr in Gadhadã. He had tied a golden-bordered, white moliyu from Navãnagar around His head. He was wearing a white khes and had covered Himself with a white pachhedi. A sabhã of munis, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him. Some of the munis were singing kirtans to the accompaniment of a jhãnjh and mrudang.

After the munis had finished singing the kirtans, Shreeji Mahãrãj said, “Just as a person possesses some sort of strength today, he must also have had some trace of it before joining satsang. Therefore, today I would like all of you to describe whatever type of strength you have. To begin, I shall describe the type of strength I have, so please listen.

“Even when I was a child, I very much enjoyed going to mandirs for darshan, listening to kathãs, keeping the company of sãdhus, and going on yãtrã. Then, when I left my home, I did not even like to keep clothes. In fact, I like to stay only in the forest, and I was not the least bit afraid. Even when I came across large snakes, lions, elephants, and countless other types of animals in the forest, there was not the slightest fear of dying in my heart. In this way, I always remained fearless in the dense forest. Thereafter, after travelling to holy places of pilgrimage, I met Rãmãnand Swãmi. Only after Rãmãnand Swãmi passed away did I begin to keep a little fear; and that was for the sake of satsang.

“However, the following thought is constantly in my mind: When a person is laid down on his death-bed with death waiting, everyone loses their self-interest in that person. The mind of the person who is dying also becomes dejected from worldly life. In the same way, I also constantly feel as if death is waiting at this moment for me, as well as for others. In fact, I constantly regard each and every worldly object to be perishable and worthless. Never do I make any distinctions such as, ‘This is a nice object, and this is a bad object’. All worldly objects appear the same to me. For example, when considering the hairs of the armpit, which can be considered good and which bad? Good or bad, they are all the same. Similarly, all worldly objects appear the same to me.

“If I do compliment or criticise something, it is only to please the bhaktas of Bhagvãn. When I say things such as, ‘This is delicious food’, or ‘These are nice clothes’, or ‘This is beautiful jewellery’, or ‘This is a pleasant house’, or ‘This is a fine horse’, or ‘This is a beautiful flower’, it is only to please that particular bhakta. In fact, all of my activities are for the sake of the bhaktas of Bhagvãn; there is not a single activity which I perform for my own personal enjoyment.”

Shreeji Mahãrãj then said, “The mind of an ekãntik bhakta of Bhagvãn thinks of only the svarup of Bhagvãn; his mouth sings only the praises of Bhagvãn; his hands engage only in the sevã of Bhagvãn and His bhaktas; and his ears listen only to the praises of Bhagvãn. In this way, I am able to perform all my activities only after realising them to be a form of bhakti to Bhagvãn. Besides the bhakti of Bhagvãn, my mind is indifferent to everything else. For example, if the only son of a king dies when the king reaches the age of sixty or seventy, the king would become disinterested in all things. In the same way, I constantly remain disinterested while eating, drinking, mounting a horse, and even when I am pleased or displeased.

“In addition, a thought also remains within my heart that I am the ãtmã, distinct from the body; I am not like this body. Also, my mind is always cautious, for fear that a portion of mãyã in the form of rajo- gun and tamo-gun will infiltrate my ãtmã! In fact, I am constantly attentive of that.

“Now, consider the following analogy of a goldsmith’s workshop: If a person takes some pure, twenty-four-carat gold to the goldsmith’s workshop, but takes his eyes off of it for even a moment, the goldsmith will extract some of the gold and alloy some silver in its place. Similarly, consider the goldsmith’s workshop to be the heart and the goldsmith to be mãyã. While the goldsmith is sitting within his workshop (heart), he is continuously hammering away with his hammer of desires. Even his wife and children secretly steal some gold if they can get their hands on it. Consider the indriyas and antah-karans to be the wife and children of the goldsmith (mãyã); it is they who add silver (three gun, attachment to the panch-vishays, the belief that he is body, and that he has kãm, krodh, and lobh) into the gold (chaitanya). They also extract some gold (gun, such as dharma, bhakti, gnãn, and vairãgya).

“When some gold is extracted and sliver is mixed in its place, the original gold diminishes in purity to become eighteen-carat gold. It can be purified again only after melting. Therefore, the silver of rajo- gun and tamo-gun, which has been mixed into the jeev, should be filtered out. Then, the pure ãtmã (gold) will remain, and no other impurities of mãyã will be left. This is the thought in which I remain engrossed, day and night.

“I have therefore described my strength to you. Now, in the same way, please describe your strengths to me.”

Then, the sãdhus said, “Mahãrãj, in no way can there be any impurities of mãyã in you, as you are divya. The talk you have just delivered also describes our strength; and the thought that you have mentioned is actually what all of us should develop in our lives.”

Having delivered this talk, Shreeji Mahãrãj bid “Jay Sachidãnand” to all and returned to His residence. || End of Vachanãmrut Gadhadã II || 55 || 188 ||