AS THE BUBBLE BURSTS

AS THE BUBBLE BURSTS

1. It is character alone that sustains a religious movement and not dogma, doctrine or even enlightening principle on paper. Where character fails, the faith fails too. Hence, the core and kernel of spirituality lies in character-formation.

2. In freedom flourish.

3. Be a sect unto yourself and restrict your following thus.

4. Love of self hides the Self. So, give up this petty self in search of the Supreme Self.

5. There is a law unto life and it is love.

6. Love cares not to receive but to give of its own boundless bounty.

7. Selflessness is spirituality, selfishness is sin.

8. Advance. Ahead lies the ocean of bliss.

9. Chant the Holy Name incessantly. It will cleanse the soul of all worldly dross. The mirror of the mind cleaned of dust will reflect the Self. The Name brings recollection of the Lord who is your real Self.

10. Death being certain it is best not to attach oneself to life. Everything earthly perishes. Knowing this to be the terrestrial truth, break free of all fetters and shine free even as the ray of the midday sun.

11. There is a Mother who nourishes the world, suckles the babes as our earthly mother does. Take refuge in Her, surrender and in your complete submission be free of all the cares and worries of life. Why worry when the Mother is there ever ready to take you in Her unfailing arms?

12. A disciplined daily effort at recollection of the Lord approximates one to His divine presence. Austerity and discipline are the twin imperatives of the spiritual life.

13. The life of love is the life of light and the life of light is the life of love. But love divine and light divine without aught of earth is the way.

14. The founders of sects or religions with a fractional view are not fully illumined, to my mind, for they have a partial view of Truth. Our Rishis were universal and non-sectarian which is what has made the Sanatan Dharma the universal religion of Truth and enlightenment that allows for inclusion of all fractional representations of Truth and yet exceeds them by allowing for infinite future expansion. The Rishis were fully realised souls rooted in the Atman and beholding the Brahman in all that exists.

15. The longevity of a race lies in its real and not apparent spirituality. Materialism over a lengthy period of time rots and destroys civilisation. A healthy balance is necessary for the perpetual flourishing of a race. The alternate rise of spiritualism and materialism notwithstanding, a deep undercurrent of spiritual flow must hold civilisation as in India. Else, man perishes out of his own folly and becomes an extinct civilisation.

16. He who has the least thought of self is of the greatest help to humanity. Therefore, obliterate the petty self and manifest the real universal Self that embraces the whole of sentience and is infinitely more besides.

Written by

Sugata Bose

Photo : The ninth Sikh Guru, Tegh Bahadurji, who was brutally executed by the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb Alamgir.

10Sharmistha Chatterjee, Subhrajyoti Bhowmick and 8 others