I. Renunciation
Always a life supported by the Overself is a calm, wise, strong life, inwardly protected.
Know this: by long prostration, by enquiry, by service, those men of wisdom who have realized truth will teach thee wisdom.
In India everyone prostrates himself on the ground before approaching a spiritual teacher. It is a symbol of the fact that he seeks a higher power; and that he humbly accepts what he hears as the divine truth. Reverence for spiritually illuminated men is rare in the west, to our loss. The earnest seeker will eventually have to seek a competent teacher. When you find one who appeals, ask for acceptance and then remain in touch with him/her until you are led to truth, no matter how long it takes. Krishna says that when you have “humility, enquiry, and service” then the men of wisdom who have realized truth, will teach you. They will give you their wisdom in various ways, by speech, some by writing, some by silence, but ultimately by bestowing their grace. Humility means having faith and confidence in the teacher, as well as in his/her words. Enquiry means persistent search for reality by piercing through illusions. Service means knowledge freely and never ask anyone for return. If those three qualifications are not fulfilled, it is hard to get genuine tuition. When you have found it, you need not again fall into error.
Even shoulders thou be the most sinful, thou shalt verily cross all sin by the boat of wisdom.
If you can find a genuine spiritual teacher and climb the steps of this auspicious quest under his guidance, you may be the greatest sinner in the world, yet you can transcend all these sins and attain liberation. Your devotion to him will be repaid a thousand fold.
As kindled fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Disciple, so does wisdom reduce all actions to ashes.
If you continue with this road to liberation, and gain a knowledge of truth, destiny will not harm you. No matter how sinful you are, the moment you realize truth you become released from the effects of your sins. What is destiny? Nothing but the collection of thought, desires and actions which persist in your head and eventually materialize, thus resulting in a material re-adjustment or change ion your life. You destroy all these at the root by knowledge of truth.
Verily, there exists here no purifier equal to wisdom. He who is perfected by yoga finds it in time in himself by himself.
When you have practised meditation and achieved control of your mind, then you will eventually find the esoteric wisdom. You will have to wait for someone to lead you into absolute truth, which will be given to you as a reward. You will given this initiation after a lapse of time. Meditation alone is not enough. The only truth is knowledge of the supreme reality.
Therefore with the sword of wisdom cleave asunder this doubt of the Self lying in the heart and born of ignorance, and resort to meditation.
Eliminate your doubts and fears by acquiring real knowledge of the Overself. Knowledge chases ignorance as light chases darkness. Real knowledge of truth does not mean knowledge of material things. The next path is renunciation. It applied only to the man who runs away from the world to practise meditation in solitude or monasteries.
To Be Continued…..
