Articles by Sri Ma Sadhviji

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ENLIGHTENMENT -IN THE LIGHT OF UPANISHADS (9)

ISAVASYA-UPANISHAD : (SELECTIONS)(3)

- - Sri Ma Sadhviji

- The Upanishad offers a beautiful prayer;

- Hiranmayena patrena

satyasyavihitam mukham l

Tat tvam pusan apavrunu

satyadharmaya dristaye ll

i.e.

“O The Nurturing Spirit of the universe, the face of Truth is covered by golden hued, bright cover; to me who am devoted to truth and righteousness, please remove the cover, so that I may behold the Truth”.

Truth _ i.e. Reality, though all pervading and ever existent, though immanently ever present, is said to be covered . It’s said to be covered by golden hued bright cover.

What’s this cover?

Everyone believes that what he/she sees, perceives is true. If doubt was to pervade the understanding in day to day general dealings as to the truth of ones belief, understanding and seeing, life would truly be a mess! Yet it’s also a fact that, the general vision and understanding often miss the truth, giving rise to arguments, misunderstandings, misled inter-relations. Along with this paradoxical situation of seeing the truth and yet not seeing it, there is a question- whether or not human beings have control over their lives. Evidence by hundreds are available to affirm both sides of the question _ equally.

There’s something intrinsic in the quality of “life” itself. Life – always, I emphasize always, carries pairs of opposites _ in everything. “To be or not to be” is a prevalent feature. This very quality of “life” is called the “ golden hued bright cover”.

It’s bright _ so much so that it passes off for “light”. It’s bright _ so much so that it becomes “accepted”. It’s bright _ so much so that it becomes loved as “spice of life”. It’s only when it hits hard upon the very core of one’s beliefs and understanding and shakes it up, that one wakes up. Then, suddenly one comes face to face with the fact that hithertofore he/she was kept constantly under cover. It’s as if you have always been given empty glass to quench your thirst with the promise that there is water within.

Sages, who discovered this pathetic irony prayed, prayed fervently to the Sustaining Power that nurtures all life. They understood one thing very deeply _ that (a) in order to behold Reality, one has to cross over this cover which seems to be equally all pervading; (b) also, to behold the Truth ,one must be ardent about it.

Devotion to truth and righteousness here, are not being spoken in the generalised understanding of justice etc. An upright quality of true broad and deep acceptance enveloping within it qualities of kindness, non-ego, compassion, sympathy, strength and courage _ is being spoken of. Please understand _ do not pass off these virtues as “saintly” and by that label reserve them only to be property of saints /or of whom you consider to be saints. Mercy is required between husband and wife, parents and children, teachers and students, employers and employees, staff and management, workers and office holders; so also kindness, non-ego, compassion, sympathy, strength and courage. The moment two people interact, all…. all.… all kinds of powers of character become enlisted upon the “Needs list”. Wherever these understandings exist even in non awareness, even in small proportions, frictions are lesser, Reality shines better.

Once when a person becomes aware of the cover covering the Truth, and is ardent in being true, righteous, then he/she automatically “becomes” the very prayer itself that’s expressed here; “O Truth, reveal Thy Face to me”.

Earth is blessed with the “gift” of “life”. This however is an infinitesimal fragment of display of the Power Of Reality. Elsewhere and every where else in this vast vast vast , infinitely vast Phenomena of galaxies and stars, the same Power is having It’s fun-game of creations and dissolutions in countless numbers. Earth with its gift of life has manifested man _ the human beings who have the Power to Behold this Reality. Not that trees and mountains,rivers and oceans, and other forms of life do not know . In fact they know better perhaps. But man can “Behold” “become” and “act in coherence” with It.

May mankind awaken to the depth of this prayer.

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