Mrigajal (mirage)

During the hot months, when the Deer are traveling in the desert, because of the heat of the Sun they think they see water just a little ahead. They go on running after it, couldn't get because it isn't water but an optical illusion, a deception of the mind, caused by atmospheric conditions, especially the appearance of a sheet of water in a desert or on a hot road caused by the refraction of light from the sky by heated air. At the end the thirsty deer in search of water, not finding any, die.

Ramayana tells us a tale of 'mrigamarichika' in Panchvati. Sita is collecting flowers and sees the golden deer and lures over it. She persuades Rama to get the deer dead or alive, Rama goes after the deer, dying Maricha cry out, Lakshmana goes in search of Rama, Ravana appears and kidnaps Sita, in Lanka war Rama defeats Ravana and regains Sita. Mrigamarichika, the desire of deer by Sita (mrigtrishna), the illusion, was the reason of whole Ramayana. 

Our desires are the reason for all our worries and sorrow. Our mind is the mriga (the deer), it is the merkat (monkey), run like Mrigamarichika after the illusive world of Mrigajal (mirage) in search of peace and happiness but get the fire. Two puppies (Raga and Dvesha) and five thieves: lust, anger, greed, attachment, and ego; are the fires burn our heart and take away the peacefulness, the inbuilt software placed by the creator. 

The Universe is the Brahman Himself. The creator is not seen but his creation, an illusive world appears before us. The visible world is the vivarta (alteration) or abhas (inkling) of the Brahman. We see the ornaments but not the Gold in them, we see the pots but not the earth, we see the waves but not the Ocean. We accept the illusive world as real and run after the mirage and die with the heartburns of unfulfilled desires. This is called agyana, avidhya. 

What is vidhya? What is Gyana? To know of thyself, who am I, the swaroop gyan is the vidhya, gyana, the master key of the salvation. 

How to get this master key?

Through the thought (vichar). Thought is our real friend. It is the torch that guides our path. It can be placed by external Guru or internal light of God within us. Once it illuminates, the vision changes, the life changes. It is the turning point of life.

A Sufi poet sang:

Nazar badli to nazare badle;

Kishti ne badla rukh, to kinare badle !

(When the stance changes, scenery changes; 

When the boat changed the direction, the destination also changed!)

My mother used to teach us: વિચાર બડો સાર છે, તેના રૂપિયા એક હજાર છે. (सोच बड़ी सार है, इसके रूपया एक हज़ार है)

As are our thoughts, so are our actions; as are our actions, so are our habits; and as are our habits, so is our behaviour. In other words, our personality is the outcome of our thought process. The seeking of inner happiness is not about changing the world around us but it's all about changing our thought process and eventually, our own vision to the world: "Sarvam Brahmamayam"

None can change the past and none can predict the future, only the present moment is in our hand. And the present is going in past in the mouth of 'kala' moment by moment. None knows, which breath is the last. When death comes, all our likes and dislikes, all our run, desires, greeds ends on the spot. The body dies and the 'I' either merge with the Brahman (moksha) or go to parloka (new world) or take new birth in this world. 

Then why to cry? Why to worry? The Yaksha asked, "What is heavier than Earth, higher than heavens, faster than the wind and more numerous than straws"? Yudhishthira answered, "One's mother is heavier than the Earth, one's father is higher than the heavens, the mind is faster than the wind and our worries are more numerous than straws ".

Leave the worries and swim joyfully in the Ocean of Brahman. You are the Ocean and the world around you, is your drama (Lila). The script writer, director, actor, screen, projector, spectator, the picture, etc, are you, the Self, the Brahman of your own world (Srishti). You are the creator, you are the operator and one day you will be the destroyer of your world, the drama of your mind. 

વિચાર બડો સાર છે, તેના રૂપિયા એક હજાર છે.

Punamchand

29 June 2017