A POINT TO PONDER AGAIN

Let us all be as polite to each other as Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi was to all. She hailed from a remote village of erstwhile Bengal but what etiquette she had, what civility, what sweetness of temperament and manner! It is futile preaching that all are the manifestations of Brahman if we cannot put such precept into practice through our day-to-day dealings with people. We may quote the scriptures and rightly proclaim that each human being is the incarnation of the Most High but we must follow it up with real reverence for all even in our outward behaviour. It is grand to preach the sublime truths enshrined in the Upanishads but grander still to realize them and activate them in our demeanour. I am convinced that he who has realized an iota of the spiritual principles enunciated in the Vedanta will have such compassion for fellow humans that his whole personality will have undergone a transformation making his company a delight, conversation with him a heavenly experience and never a disturbing one and prolonged association with him a life-transforming event. Such spiritual personages are indeed rare and it is one's singular fortune if one gets the grace of such a soul. As for the rest, they are all struggling to arrive and will in due course of time attain to a level of spiritual elevation when they also will be beacons of light. But for all our struggles let us not forget that we must be humble in our attainments, respectful towards all, decent in our manners and lovingly patient to all who interact with us, else we will be culpable of offence to divinities disguised as men.

We should always remember that however holy we may be, we are dealing with the incarnations of God in our neighbours and associates and ought to worshipfully treat them. If we fail to do so on grounds of supposed superior spirituality fuelled further by reverence of others towards us who consider us as holy, then we have fallen into the trap of Maya, SPIRITUAL PRIDE, which is the bane of all who are struggling to reach the goal, liberation from primeval ignorance. Let us be humble, respectful and loving towards all, distinguished in our decency and patient above all. Let us not rush to conclusions during deliberations with others for such haste is fraught with the pitfalls of misapprehension of import and therefore liable to induce miscommunication. Above all we should reverentially remember Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's golden utterance: Trinaadapi sunichena, tarorapi sahishnunaa, amaaninaa maanadena, kirtaniyaa sadaaharey (We must be as humble as a low-lying blade of grass, as forbearing as a tree, reverent towards even those are irreverent towards us and ever-engaged in singing the glory of the Lord). Sri Chaitanya is God and his words are binding on all of us. His utterances are LAW and must be adhered to if we are to find peace and fulfilment. Let us remember this beautiful quatrain and permeate our beings with its fragrant freshness. Jai Mahaprabhu! Jai Ramakrishna! Jai Ma! Jai Bhaktabrinda!