THE REMEDY FOR HEADACHE IS NOT DECAPITATION
(This article was originally written in Tamil by Sri Swamigal for the FIRST issue of Tamil Madhuramurali in July 1995)

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The Tamil poet Avvai says,

Without wealth one cannot live in this world
Without spiritual wealth one cannot attain the other world.

Yes. We cannot live in this world without wealth. People employ various means to attain this wealth. Some acquire it the right way by arduous labor while there are others who use dishonest means of stealing, lying, cheating, robbing, killing, smuggling, etc. to acquire it. To attain spiritual wealth, we have to seek the guidance of a spiritual Master. There is a saying,

Without Guru's blessings one cannot attain God's blessings.

Sayings such as these and the life histories of saints like Kabirdas who went in search of a Guru are proofs of it. While the guidance of an expert teacher is needed to acquire worldly knowledge, that are within the purview of our senses, then the grace of holy men is NEEDED to learn about God who is beyond the comprehension of the limited mind.

But the underlying question is - Who are the real saints? Innumerable bhaktas and Mahatmas have attained God only after great sacrifice. Some due to vasanas (imprints of earlier births) are born with spiritual-consciousness. The deep thirst for the attainment of God take hold of some in their present birth and they have attained God just like the arrow that stops only after hitting the target. Some sadhaks lured by 'siddis' (supernatural powers) attained in course of their sadhanas have deviated from their course of God realization but then have resumed the course and finally reached their goal. Some sadhaks enticed by siddis have enjoyed name and fame for a while but were eventually ruined. Some worship God with the sole objective of attaining of Siddis. Siddis are attained but for a short while, for they disappear. Some who are after fame cheat people by making them believe that they possess 'siddis'.

Some take control of various evil spirits and use them to astound people with wonders. Some proclaim themselves as God or a saint if some of their predictions turn out to be true. Some are 'made' saints by those around them to meet their own selfish ends. Apart from all these are many who have taken to the monastic order without any distinct spiritual goal or path and are bewildered having lost their way.

Since real saints are always immersed in the thought of God, they are silent, totally absorbed in God Consciousness or filled with bhakthi, sing the glory of the Lord incessantly. Compassionate and exercising equality towards one and all they are the ones who, having truly renounced the world, live here helping people tread spiritual path.

Bhakthi and Jnana are 'FEELINGS'. Just as a place of merriment makes us feel happy and a grief stricken place drowns us in sorrow, when we visit places where real 'Mahatmas' live our hearts, without any effort, enjoy Peace, love and devotion.

Associating ourselves with Sadhus is not to put an end to all the sufferings of the world. Joy and sorrow are part of life. We have to go through these. But the association of true Mahatmas matures our minds to accept both joy and misery in the same spirit. Since there is no end to our worldly needs and worries it is impossible to find a solution for all of them. The mind thus matured goes beyond the realm of joy and sorrow and remains unaffected. I do not say that one cannot change the consequences of karma. It is possible through the power of penance. But what I stress here is that only a few are capable of such a penance. Even if altered thus it cannot be a permanent solution. Even though it is true that the Himalayas can be conquered it is not within the reach of all and sundry. Hence, the guidance of a Guru is sought only to liberate us from these fetters and attain everlasting bliss. This bliss is called 'Amrutam' (Immortality). 'Mirutham' - 'Mrithyu' means death. 'A- mrutham' means attaining a state of deathlessness, That is, henceforth there is no birth. Therefore, it means there is no death, either. Referring to it, Vallalar, the Tamil Saint of Vadalur, says,

Let us all lead an immortal life!

Nowadays, even the sphere of spirituality has not been spared of quacks! Social Service is the shield that is used by them to cover up their hypocricy. For example, a finance company stages a scam by advertising a phenomenal interest rate claiming that one thousand rupees multiplies ten-fold to ten thousand rupees in just ten days. The public falls for this ruse. People do not stop to think about its viability. But it has become common for such companies to initially return the investment of a few to convince the public about their credibility but later on when a sizable amount has been collected to wind up the company and disappear altogether from the scene! Such fraudulent companies mushroom and the public, too, never gets tired of being cheated! So the real reason for people getting cheated is their own greed and false values. And then they cry out on being cheated. In such cases the mistake lies more on the part of the people rather than on such companies. Likewise those who do not comprehend what monastic life is, who do not possess spiritual knowledge in order to escape the burden of their family problems make a wrong approach to religion. The innocent people who follow these land themselves in deep trouble in addition to losing their time and money. As long as there are gullible people there will be fake swamis. This does not mean that there is no need for religion or spirituality. Spiritual education is not meant for retired life/old age. BUT IT IS THE WAY OF LIFE. It teaches us to live a 'dharmic' (one who lives as per norms prescribed in the scriptures) life, to enjoy this world and also shows the path to attain God. Vedas, Puranas and all religions contain wealth of knowledge.

Therefore, the remedy for headache is not cutting off one's head but to search out medication. Similarly, trickery in spirituality should not lead to the conclusion that spirituality is not needed at all but instead should search out for remedy. Hence, we should read the life histories of Great devotees and Saints as also their writings. Those who lead a life of dharma (life as ordained by the scriptures) should campaign ceaselessly about spirituality in order to impart true spiritual knowledge to people. A clear spiritual vision will change the approach of people and cleanse religions of the deadwood. Let us all pray to God to shower His blessings on us to help us achieve this.

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