Aug 22, 2016
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Self Respect in Sadhna
Aatma Samman, Self respect many a times gets confused with the Ego, by people who are judgemental and who are on the other side of the picture!
My Gurudev, Pujya Maharajshri Dr. Vishwamitrji Ji Maharajshri says that Ego is in all of us, it could be negative, positive or just plain. But it is there! Like for Pujya Shri Hanuman Ji, He requested Lord Ram to bless Him with retaining the Ego of a sewak! There is the bhav “I” am the sewak. So these are positive Ego, that saints and Divine people chose to retain. Saints like Raman Maharishi, who were so much diluted with “I” that try as much as they could, He could never see Himself separate from Divinity! With our Gurujans too! They followed Pujya Hanumanji ‘s path of retaining the form of “I” of being a sewak, even though They were completely One with Divinity.
As a sadhak, as a spiritual aspirant, that also a householder one, one needs to protect that beautiful pure Divine Soul, from the attacks of the thoughts of those with whom the inner Self does not blend,as one continues positively on the path of sadhna. Pujya Swamiji Maharajshri says that a sadhak comes across many such roadblocks, but he/ she needs to be very cautious of his/ her enviornement and should take any step to avoid confrontation with those minds who do not share same values. So as Soul progresses to shed its illusive coverings, one further needs to keep the mind free from any more illusive thoughts!
So maintaining Self respect is a part of the process of protecting one’s thoughts and ideologies that one believes are coming from one’s Gurudev! Try as much as the outside pressures try to push one down, but the Divine signatures are so strong that it’s just impossible to ignore!
My Gurudev was the peak of humility! Nobody can surpass what He taught and demonstrated. He was the first one to reach out to all different sections of the institution , such that one could live as Pujya Swamiji Maharajshri’s family. When He got no response, He stopped. He did not go there again and again! He stopped! Never there was a hint of disappointment or anything! He did what He believed in, He tried what He believed in!
Pujya Maharajshri teaches us that in a confrontation a disciple should be like a soldier and should be ready to apologize even if it’s not one’s fault! Only with Gurujans’s immense Grace it is possible ! Now the world, when it accepts an apology, all it knows is to humiliate you further and put the blame to you as you apologized ! But Gurujans continue to make you a warrior! Now here Gurujans clearly step in, and say STOP! No more! And step back!
When after trying to put good sense, after showing the gracefulness of humility ,They are so compassionate that They do not allow you to participate further. In some cases They make you go silent without any dislike within or in some cases They make you move out!
So in all these cases there is no sense of EGO! It’s just that Your values, your intentions, inspite of being pure are not accepted by your environment, hence They step in to make your beautiful soul secure from further attacks of negativity!
Like there was a sadhak whose husband repeatedly since more than 10 or so years would continually say get out of this house. She would quietly endure, do her responsibilities, hear all bickering from the family. But after 20 years, Gurujans stepped in, as her sadhna became alive and flowered after a long spell of dormancy. Her kids grew up and said enough Maa! Leave! And by Grace after final hurling of ” you get out” she said ok, I will. And she did! That was not ego! That was self respect! The courage she got was from sadhna, divine company!
Like wise after continuous years of abuse at home, if a sadhak says, no more! Stop !I do not agree! This courage, can only come from sadhna. This can only from from Gurujans. This is not Ego! That a house wife says no to atrocities! Her in laws will say she has Ego! Look she is not compiling ! She is not humble! No this is maintaining self respect ! To acknowledge herself as a human! To acknowledge that what she believes in, she can stand up for it!
Or as Pujya Gurudev narrated a true story of an employee who was asked to sign papers of a foreign company for a low standard material ,he refused! He was a junior, but he got the courage to refuse! This courage comes from Gurujans from Ram Naam! His colleagues and even his family said, why ? Why are you doing this He simply said, My Gurujans taught this! These things are in no way Ego! It is Self respect!
So my learning for today:
Standing up for what your values are and being able to literally walk away from the negative source or mentally walk away from those sources, is not Ego! It’s Self respect! And each living being of the Divine has a right to it! And when the inner self is calm and poised, one knows that who is leading ……
All at my Loving Gurujans’ Lotus feet! These are all personal thoughts, and I accept other thoughts on it wholeheartedly! As I believe life is constant learning, unlearning and sharing! Being a learner, I learn to accept other learners too!
Jai Jai Ram