Dear
brothers and sisters,
1. We have gathered again
to celebrate the birthday of our most beloved
Master Babuji Maharaj. The auspicious number
in spirituality is108. Usually japa is recited108
times to gain maximum advantage. This is the
108th year of our beloved and it is time we
meditate about his method and teachings. I would
like to share some of my thoughts on Truth.
We all know the fifth Commandment of the Master
relates to this subject.
2. We are all convinced that
the Master has arisen and is guiding us. We
also called the path towards the cherished goal
as Satyapad meaning that which leads us to Satpad.
This leads us to think about the Satya or Truth.
3. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
(2:30-31) states that the laws of life are five:
Nonviolence, Truthfulness, Integrity, Chastity
and Nonattachment. These laws are universal.
Unaffected by time, place, birth, or circumstance,
together they constitute the "Great Laws
of Life." It is well known that for not
telling the Truth, Brahma was cursed by Siva
as unworthy of worship and consequently there
are no temples for Brahma.
4. Even as Death, Truth always
succeeds in the end. Denial of the truth will
make any person soon discover that such a game
of life meets with undesirable consequences.
As a matter of fact Truth and Reality are the
same in a very practical sense. In our daily
parlance we in fact use these words interchangeably.
5. We should note that facts
are facts and they are entirely different from
our perceptions of the facts. Both are powerful
and serve a purpose. However we should know
the difference. We should know that true honesty,
self-respect, trust, and character are facts
built on truth or reality and not on our perceptions.
6. The acceptance of truth
is a moral obligation, not an option. The reason
is ‘lies’ destroy progress, compromise
character, and ruin relationships with others
and ourselves. Every decision about our life
must be based on truth.
7. Unfortunately truth often
becomes a pain for those unwilling to accept
reality. We should know that truth is Reality;
since many a time it is not according to our
perceptions it makes us uncomfortable. When
our competence is not enough to perform a task
it is wisdom and truth to accept it. Denying
this leads to inevitable bad consequences. That
truth cannot be told many a time for reasons
that are obvious and personal to us, is the
main basis for our resorting to confessions.
Confessions are truths revealed by us to the
Divine. To make confessions first we must agree
to the facts as true and then feel repentant
for the same. This is the crux of effective
prayer. Effective prayers are performed as we
all know with much difficulty and not too often.
The truth is often felt as too blunt, it is
the thing that many people resist at all costs
and often wait until all options are exhausted
before accepting or acknowledging the truth.
The problem takes many shapes in the context
of prayer before going to bed. I have heard
aspirants informing me that they do not know
why they should pray. Some say they have done
nothing wrong and there is no reason to repent.
The problem is our addiction to Lies or Ego.
8. Some where I have read that
“Everyone has the right to believe and
accept what he or she wants, but truth does
not discriminate. Truth is not different for
different people. Not once has truth excused
anyone for good intentions, ignorance, or stubbornness.
Truth shows no mercy, accepts no excuses, and
issues no pardons.”
9. We should face the truth
and reality as it is, and not as we wish it
to be. We have no choice but to see both within
and without in the purest, most transparent
way possible: otherwise we can not relate ourselves
to Reality and our notions and perceptions of
reality would corrupt our vision. We must embrace
this profound virtue. If we hold on to our notions
and perceptions of what Reality should be according
to any avowed authority and do not accept the
Reality that is before us as a matter of Imperience,
we cannot make significant progress. We should
accept the true facts of reality revealed to
us as an absolute. Surely before we arrive at
such a Truth our minds should have been purified
and the Antahkarana is true to its nature. I
do not think it is easy to follow this path
unless we are aware that we are connected to
the primal store through beloved Master
10. It is true that Truth scratches
and rubs us in the wrong way. But we have to
accept it for what it is, because in the end
that is all that matters. Acceptance and embracing
truth is the path of reality. It is wiser to
say we woo the truth. Once truth is accepted,
then we must act decisively by submitting ourselves
to it totally. Most mistakes that aspirants
make in the path are due to their own notions
and ideas of what Reality should be. These notions
were arrived at by them after tedious study
of subjects of philosophy and religion which
they are not properly trained for to understand
and appreciate..
11. Accepting truth sounds
simple but it is not. It requires that we remove
filters that screen out the things that we might
not want to see, acknowledge shortcomings and
accept the need for change. Also, acting with
truth often means saying and doing things that
are not popular, but only by coming to grips
with reality will performance improve.
12. The Truth is that the entire
humanity is a great fraternity meant to glorify
God/Master. There are relationships in our existence.
We have relationships like that of parents,
children, spouses, friends and we have relationship
with tradition and Nature. We live in unreal
relationships with and bemoan when that relationship
is threatened. To treat all existence as a trust
with us is the most balanced approach and that
is the only approach that takes us near the
Reality.
13. We have also to be true
to the God, True to the Master, True to our
Goal, True to our Path. There cannot be different
goals for us to strive for, there cannot be
more than one person to whom we are oriented
as Guru, there cannot be allegiance to more
than one path and there cannot be an idea of
having more than one God. Truthfulness in following
these practices is of paramount importance if
we are to realise the true nature of Reality.
14. In order to train ourselves
in the spiritual field it is necessary that
proper and correct information is collected
before making any assessment. It in this regard
we have been asking the aspirants and trainers
to gather the data of the aspirants in the several
proforma. Whether or not we like that information
is relevant: the quality and integrity of the
information is what counts. What we need is
integrity of data and the willingness to operate
with it. It is essential to understand that
reality is not necessarily going to be the way
we wish things to be or the way they seem to
be; reality is the way things actually are.
15. Honest living many times
reduces us to the condition of living at the
lowest level in Maslow's hierarchy of needs
namely survival. We have many merits and many
more demerits too and there is no way by which
we can escape from them. Our personality, disposition,
and reputation follow us wherever we go and
if we want to have any significant progress
in spiritual life there is absolute need to
comply with the commandment 9 which from my
point of view cannot be read and implemented
without the first 8 commandments.
16. Many of us pretend to know
something about which we have the least knowledge
through experience /imperience. This is nothing
but the play of the Ego and we try to hide our
ignorance which is felt by us as very undesirable.
If this is understood we have understood the
value of truth. Truth moves us toward our goals;
denial of the same moves us away. Denial is
self-imposed deception, convenient cover. But
that is short lived for after all Truth finally
triumphs. Self-delusion can grip an entire organization
irrespective of its nature being spiritual,
religious, business etc., and lead the people
in it to ridiculous conclusions. Denying truth
or reality, for any reason, leads only to stress
and frustration and takes us away from our goals.
17. We need to know ourselves
through critical analysis of our status in the
context of our progress in spirituality. I always
suggest aspirants to evaluate themselves against
the Ten Commandments. Further it would be wiser
to meet a trainer and take periodical assessment
in the path of Grace. That is the way by which
we will know our true nature as it exists in
the present. We will then not be cheating ourselves
about our progress in spiritual life. Honesty
is the best policy as lies and deceptions corrupt
the soul. We do not like to be lied to by others.
We then feel very upset. Then, why do we so
often lie to ourselves? We lie the loudest when
we lie to ourselves. How many years of self-denial
will it take before we accept the truth as it
is! Infinity is the time limit for waiting when
we do not have a guide like our Master.
18. Success in sadhana demands
that we have an honest relationship with ourselves
and with Master/God. We should learn to refuse
to make excuses as they are nothing more than
lame attempts to corrupt and submerge the truth;
their aim is to prevent truth from exposing
our pardonable and unpardonable mistakes before
the Master during prayers and other submissions.
Truth can be inconvenient, especially for those
that deny it. We tend to reject that which is
not easy to digest, and truth is always a bitter
pill. For the most part, people do not want
to accept the painful truths. It seems easier
to them to ignore the facts even if they succeed
only in delaying the inevitable. The attraction
to lie which is the same as attraction to Ego
needs to be cleansed out of our psyche. This
is the toughest part in practicing prayer.
19. The aspirant who desires
to achieve excellence and personal mastery must
develop the habit of examining the premises
and beliefs on a regular basis so that the risk
of dining on delusions is avoided. When truth
about our condition is harsh for us to accept
as it happens often the exit ramp of denial
looks appealing. I have experience of many aspirants
not accepting the evaluation of their condition
though I think they know that is the truth.
However attractive is the exit route we should
understand the need to take the high road of
truth.
20. Denial is addictive and
perhaps that is why so many try to indulge in
it. Denial is a retreat from truth. The one
important renunciation is the renunciation of
the ever tempting falsehood of Ego. We should
be willing to experience discomfort associated
with the relentless pursuit of truth. Dealing
with truth requires intellectual honesty, discipline,
and commitment. Being Truthful always has meaningful
influence in all aspects of our life. We need
to aim for a lifetime tryst with Truth. Our
success is dependent upon it.
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