Name:dattaswami •
Title: Majority/Minority in Spirituality ? •
Date posted: 05/20/07 12:24
Q: Majority/Minority in Spirituality ?
People are always under the illusion of majority. People think that whatever is done by the majority is always good. They expect their son to study, earn a job, marry and have children. The sons of majority are doing like this. Therefore, people think that this is the good path. Therefore, they expect their sons also to follow the same good path. If any son tries to deviate from this path the parents are worried. Of-course the deviation from this path may be towards positive or negative side. If one is leaving this earth, he may fly to the sky or may fall into the downward pit called ‘Patala’. Both are deviations. Similarly, if the son deviates from this normal path and becomes a lazy fellow and is trapped by bad habits the deviation is negative.
In such case the son should be forced to the normal path. He should be brought to the ground from the pit. But if the son deviates from the normal path and is turned towards God by becoming a monk, the parents should encourage and appreciate. If some body is leaving the ground and is flying to the sky, it should be appreciated. Therefore, the negative deviation should be condemned and the positive deviation should be appreciated. The Scriptures say that if a couple is not having a son, they will go to the hell called ‘Put’ (Punnama Naraka). Does this mean that Sankara, Rama Krishna Parahamsa etc., who did not have sons have gone to the hell? Does this mean the demons who had sons have not gone to the hell? This statement of the scripture has to be understood with reference to the negative deviation. This means that one should marry and get a son by leading a disciplined regular family life and one should not be unmarried and should not be trapped by bad habits like moving with prostitutes. Thus, with reference to this negative deviation only the normal path is appreciated. This means that you should be on the ground and should not fall into the pit.
This does not mean that you should be on the ground and should not fly to the sky. This is not with reference to the positive deviation. Therefore, the production of a son is appreciated with reference to a debatcherous life. But it should not be appreciated with reference to the life of a monk. Earning one rupee is appreciated with reference to the loss of money. But it need be appreciated with reference to earning 100 rupees. The concept of majority is capturing the minds of even spiritual people. The spiritual preacher is encouraged to deliver the knowledge if a large gathering appears. When Krishna preached Gita there were lakhs of soldiers there. But He preached Gita only to Arjuna because he was the only deserving devotee. If any spiritual preacher is in the place of Krishna, he would have requested for a mike so that he can preach Gita to all the people in the war!! Datta is surrounded only by very few deserving disciples like Pingala Naga, Alarka, Parasurama, Skanda etc., Sankara preached the commentary only to the four deserving disciples. A Professor is surrounded by a very few research scholars engaged in discussions. If you visit a schoolteacher he is surrounded by a hundred children who are not listening anything.
At the Lotus Feet of His Holiness Sri Dattaswami
Anil Antony
www.universal-spirituality.org
Universal Spirituality for World Peace [email protected]
