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At bed time, feeling the presence of God,
repent for the wrongs committed. Beg forgiveness
in a supplicant mood, resolving not to allow the
repetition of the same. The relationship
that a devotee has to the Master must come to
the fullest extent so as to mean to be one
between Master and slave. This is called Dasatva
or Dasabhutatva. This is the dependence of the
slave on the Master that he is almost nothing
and this negation has reached a high stage
(Master has described this in the Anant-Ki-Oer
as the IXth Granthi). It is at this stage that
one begins to experience two things at once,
one's connection with Bhuma (Infinity) and one's
nothingness apart from the Master. By thus
becoming a Bhakta (which is again one of
absolute dependence on God and Master), one
becomes nothing because of exclusive devotion to
the Paramapurusha or Master. This brings about
vacuity in one's self and one's centre becomes
God. This the Master has stated is like being
born in another world. Thus we practise the
presence of God. God's eyes are directed or
attracted to oneself and it is thereafter His
work and direction. This state is our natural
state, the state of utter dependence on God
alone. It is described as Akinchanatva -
nothingness.
It is true that we are asked to practice this
from the very beginning. Engaged as we are with
the world our activities do not at the beginning
has this entire dependence on God or God's
direction. Thus all our activities are
imperfect. Imperfection is the cause of our
wrong doing, and imperfection results from our
not being in full negation of ourselves or being
nothing in ourselves. Thus wrong thoughts, deeds
and speech arise. To recognize them as such is
necessary. Thus one reviews one's whole day's
thoughts and talks and actions, and begins to
discern the imperfect manner of doing them. The
keeping of a diary is helpful not merely for the
purpose of noting our spiritual experiences but
also of our wrong doings, doings done on our own
initiative and without practice of God's and
Master's presence and direction. It is necessary
to review these and note them so that the mere
entry of it in our diary will automatically draw
the attention of the Master and speed up the
process of rectification and purification.
Repentance is for the loss of practice of
nothingness and of presence of the Master.
Confession in religion has this same purpose but
being made into a technique it is likely to lead
to abuses. Confession in private or in public
have no basic value unless one follows the same
up to rectification or seeks God's power and
help to lead him upto that stage when he will
not ever go wrong: this is perfection.
Thus by practising the presence of God and
seeking his guidance and treating God as one's
confidante and true friend one gets nearer to
Him. Man has, it is well known, three kinds of
impurities which are Mala, Superficial
impurities or dirt, Vikshepa which are unreal
projections of desires and so on for enjoyment,
and lastly Avarana or layers of grossness which
overlay themselves on one and drag him down and
restrict or indeed separate him from God.
Removal of these is possible only by continuous
Abhyas so that one is taken nearer by God. Of
course, it is God who finally or rather from the
very beginning removes them and comes daily
nearer and nearer to man. But one should on his
part at least know that he suffers from them and
wishes to get rid of them. There are so many who
consider them to be excellent qualities of man.
This inversion of thinking has to go. Much of
our trouble arises from the wrong appearing as
right and the right appearing as wrong. God's
guidance alone can help us to see things in
their true nature.
Thus one begins to improve the next day and
feels Master's presence becomes one persistent
conscience in all doings hindering us from
repetition of the wrong acts of the previous
day.
The bed time, as has been spoken of under the
first Commandment, is the time of rest and
contentment, of recuperation and remembrance and
quiet recollection is possible. This is the best
time prescribed by nature for recollection and
reviewing and linking oneself with the Master.
This Commandment thus is very important as it
preaches the practice of constant remembrance of
the Master through day and night and always.
Thus do we pass from the Unreal to the Real
Asato Ma Satgamaya of Upanishads, with the
guidance and grace of the Master.
OM TAT SAT
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