Acharya Tulsi
The path of religion is harder than hardest and simpler than simplest as well. Religious preceptor has shown Delphic way of sacrifice and austerity on one hand and on the other hand they asked to observe the breath. Who learns to breath, learns to rule on own mind. Those who rule on mind can rule the world. Who cannot rule their own mind how can rule on others?
The basic thing is that in the area of practice, it is valuable to accomplish or manage the mind in place of ruling or discipline. Those who can control our breath can control our mind and who control our mind can control our family. The control over society and country come automatically to them. From this point of view it is important for everybody to learn how to breathe properly and balance our life.
Today's Problem
One of the biggest problems in this era is students. On one hand student is future of the country, salvation of society and heir for family. On the other hand student is a problem which is a subject of concern for family, society and country. Why this absurdity? Whom to blame for this? In my opinion, the maximum blame should go to parents. Because they do not pay heed to build the personality or character of their wards. They have no time to handle them or imbibe values in them. They accumulate wealth for their children's luxurious future, muster amenities, but ignore their personality development.
Who Will Utilize the Wealth?
Seth's house caught fire. Seth came hurriedly on hearing about fire. Around fifty ministers were accompanying him. They rushed into the burning house on the orders of Seth. They entered the chamber where assets of millions, Gold-Silver jewellery, precious stones and required documents were kept. Ministers brought much of it risking their life in the fire. Seth sighed with pleasure.
Sethani was out at some relative's home just before the house caught fire. The news of fire reached there. She reached home quickly in helter-skelter. Seth sahib met her outside of the home. She asked thickly- 'What happened? ‘Seth reassuringly said, "Don't worry, everything is taken out"
Sethani composed a little with Seth's words. But her mind was not stable. Her eyes were searching for something. She glanced around for a while and asked, "Where is Munna?" On hearing this Seth's mind filled with darkness. For whom the wealth was earned, in the wake of whose happiness and future's surety the assets were accumulated, and for whom the wealth was evacuated from the burning house, that only son was charred to death in that fire. Now who will take care of this all? Who will utilize the wealth?
No Knowledge without Preceptor
There is an undertaking to make children cultured - Contact with Preceptor. Cohabitation with virtuous people works towards culture-formation effortlessly. Those who want their children's personality development but do not want them to come in contact with saints; targeting such people, Acharya Somnath had written -
Dharm dwasdyo yasscyutanto vittn pratth pumaan
Kaavayn nishpratibhstaph shmadyashunyolpamegha xatrutam
Vastvaalokamlochanschmana dhyaan ch vaanchtyasoo
Yah: sandag guninaa vimuchh vimatih kalyaanmakanxhitiThe foolish who wants well being without the contact of saints, wants to be religious being cruel, wants to become successful without morality, wants wealth and glory being lazy, wants to become a poet without practicing talent, wants austerity without peace and self-control, wants to become erudite without intelligence, with the loss of eyesight wants to see everything in the world, and wants to meditate with unstable mind. Nothing can be obtained with mere desire. In the same way, without good company no one can get well being.
Who Destroyed?
The knowledge which cannot be acquired with reading thousands of books can be in the shelter of Preceptor. In our culture Preceptor has a great position. A person becomes successful in his life journey depending on the teachings received from the Preceptor.
A person got a book. It had the process to get Swarnsiddhi (achieving gold). The book receiver began to appreciate his luck. He started making gold leaving all the work. He ordered many objects spending thousands of rupees. He worked hard as per the narration in the book. But he could not make gold. He could get nothing even after wasting time, energy and wealth. Failure made him frustrated. Because of frustration he was now filled with indignation. He went to a junction to vent out. He kept the book on a dais and started hitting it with shoes. It became a great poor show. Children gathered there. They also started hitting the book. Coincidentally the person whose book was lost came there and asked, "Why are you doing so?" The person yelled with rage, "Then what should I do? It ruined me totally." On knowing the story the stranger asked, "Can I show what is written in this book?" Among the audience floating in curiosity and intriguing, he ordered all the things, proportionate them and the gold was made. The Gold maker was Lukman Hakim who took his book and disappeared.
This small incident gives a great moral. Unless and until knowing the procedure the experiment cannot be successful. The knowledge of procedure is acquired from Preceptor. In this sense taking shelter of Sadguru (Preceptor) is valuable. This value is for all small and big. The idea of well being is impossible until one gets the shelter of a Preceptor. If the student understand this thing from very beginning and get the suitable opportunity, his all round personality development is possible.
This world is full of darkness. A ray of light can be obtained from preceptor only. This ray could be obtained in childhood keeping this in mind children should be benefited by exposing them to bright halo and auspicious guidance of the Preceptor time to time.
