I. Renunciation
Children, not the wise, speak of these two paths as distinct. He who is rightly devoted to even on obtains the fruits of both.
The teacher explains that truly wise man will be a master of two worlds – the world within and the world without, and not the salve of either. He will be a child of his own epoch and an imitation of some earlier ancestor.
In a sage with endued wisdom and humility, in a cow, in an elephant, as also in a dog and in a dog-eater, the wise see the same OverSelf.
This is the outlook of the sage. In such a man you find humility and wisdom. He looks at all beings expressing the same unity in life. His outlook is universal; it is without prejudice of race or caste. In the eyes of the sage, who sees the OverSelf in all, an outcast merits the same respect and kindness as that given a king.
He knows the OverSelf can neither rejoice on obtaining pleasant, nor grieve on obtaining the unpleasant – steady minded, undiluted, resting in the OverSelf.
With his mental outlook, the sage can withstand the impulses of desire and anger. This is an interesting statement because it implies that such impulses do reach him.But they can reach him, and why? The idea is that a sage, adept, or master has no such impulses – that they have completely disappeared. This ideas is not quite correct. They do come in some cases because the sage is not yet liberated from the body. Such impulses, however are fleeting. They disappear within seconds because the sage automatically refuses to identify himself with them.
Matter has lost it’s grip on him, and this world no longer possesses the power to enchant him. So he may wander through the materialistic civilisation of the world from Moscow to India, but he will remain inwardly unaffected.
With the Self unattached to external contacts, he finds joy which is in the Self; with the Self engaged in the contemplation of the OverSelf he attains endless joy.
He is not dependant on external things alone for joy and happiness, but on the other hand, he is quite capable of appreciating them when available. He is satisfied whether sitting in a cave by himself or living amongst men in a city. Such is the state of those who have attained recognition of the OverSelf.
The sages attain OverSelf bliss – they whose sins have been destroyed and doubts removed, who are self controlled and intent on the welfare of all beings.
He has no more doubts, They have been removed because he has found truth and is wedded to it. Doubts are thoughts, opinions, and theories. The sage has lifted himself above this realm, his doubts have been removed by clear knowledge. It is needless to flash a light in a room which is already illuminated. Neither is it necessary for a sage to hold theories and opinions when he is illuminated the the radiance of the OverSelf.
To Be Continued….
