Acharya Mahaprajna
Nobody will say that he is an egotist or an ambitious person. To become a Paramatma is no mean task and in aspiring for it there is no objection. The ambition of attaining to a small post is fraught with danger. If you wish to become prime minister, you will face innumerable obstacles, jealousies and other problems.
All these posts come with conflict and opposition. Those in small posts are always wary of others grabbing their posts. But the post of the Paramatma is very large, expansive. Anybody who wants this post can aspire for it without creating any objection, jealousy or conflict.
The path to become the Paramatma is so large that all the small paths get contained in it. It is the path of optimism. Acharya Umasvati, the author of Tatvartha Sutra, was asked: "What is the truth that is not bound but is freely accessible to all?"
He replied: "Happiness of moksha or liberation". Asked if such a path were attainable, the acharya said that the single solution to that is to follow right thinking (samyak-darshan), right knowledge (samyakgyan) and right conduct (samyak charitra).
The path of spirituality, the path of meditation can never be seen as the path of despair. The desperate do not come to this path but only those come who are satiated with the materialistic path. They then find peace. They set out in search of this path.
Only those who felt that the sandalwood paste was not able to cool them or bring them any peace have trodden this path. Such a great fire was burning that even the waters of the ocean could not quench it. In such a state they searched for a new route.
This is a perspective of great hope, not of despair. The path of meditation is difficult. A despairing man cannot join this path and a lazy man cannot be successful in it. It requires effort, will and courage. Closing the eyes and sitting down to meditate is not laziness.
The courage required to meditate is much more than that required for farming. The path to meditation is not a sweet path. It is not a path of meaningless words. The words of meditation are bitter but they are useful. That is why people who do not understand tend to call it the path of despair.
The path to meditation is the path to a peaceful life and peace of mind. A peaceful life and mind do not come from wealth or prosperity. There is no alternative to this peace. Its only way is through mental concentration, steadying the mind and to change the functioning of the glandular system.
This way the thoughts and waves that come to mind are assuaged. Thoughts and waves create opposing actions, causing restless -ness. To negate this and achieve balance is the way to peace.
As told to Lalit Garg