MESSAGE FOR CONTEMPLATION 1138
Radhe krishna,
Have a blessed day,
ARROGANCE
Swami SivanandaAn arrogant man is abject and base. His head is swollen, like the swelling of dropsy. Haughtiness thinks highly of itself and poorly of others. Arrogance claims much for itself and concedes little to others. Pride is an absorbing sense of one's own greatness. Haughtiness feels one's own superiority to others. Disdain sees contemptuously the inferiority of others to oneself. Presumption claims place of privilege above one's right. Pride deems nothing too high. In the presence of superiors, overweening pride manifests itself in presumption or insolence.
Stand up O man! Weakness is a sin. Strength is a spiritual virtue. Have strong will-power. Wake up.
- Swami Sivananda
This is based upon the assumption that the mind of man has evolved greatly. If that is so,
why this moroseness? Why this despair? Why should man be lacking in Sadhana more than he was
before? Either there must be something wrong with man or there must be something wrong in the
methods that he employs. But we have started with the statement that everything is all right with
man. Man has evolved. Man has progressed. He is much farther on the path than he was before.
Then the error should be in the method. Let us see where this error lies. Why, in spite of this
evolution, this progress, man still cries that he is still in darkness, that he is unable to do Sadhana?
Man says, “My physique is not capable of doing severe Sadhana. I have hardly any time! The social
economy has changed. Now life is based upon money. The whole atmosphere has become
commercialised. I have now to work from morning till night to eke out my livelihood. I have hardly
any time.” This is true. The whole outward picture has change, and this despair on the threshold of
hope is because man has not changed in keeping with the outward change. His methods of Sadhana
are antiquated. He has evolved, the emphasis has changed from the physical to the mental plane, but
he has not made a similar change in his methods of approach. He tries once again to go along
physical lines. He does Japa. He tries to see that the same Tapascharya Sadhana is once again
introduced here. But he has now to have a reorientation of his Sadhana. He should shift the
emphasis of Sadhana from the physical to the mental. By shifting the emphasis it does not mean that
the former method has either become obsolete or useless. It means that the new method is more
strong; it is more wise, it is more useful, just as one who has outgrown the lower forms naturally
goes into the University Class. We have to admit that we have limitations of time, limitations of
energy, and in the face of these new set of conditions, we have to see that our Sadhana meets the
limitations of these new conditions so that with all these modern changes and environments, our
Sadhana current is carried on constantly amidst this change.
Swami Chidananda.
why this moroseness? Why this despair? Why should man be lacking in Sadhana more than he was
before? Either there must be something wrong with man or there must be something wrong in the
methods that he employs. But we have started with the statement that everything is all right with
man. Man has evolved. Man has progressed. He is much farther on the path than he was before.
Then the error should be in the method. Let us see where this error lies. Why, in spite of this
evolution, this progress, man still cries that he is still in darkness, that he is unable to do Sadhana?
Man says, “My physique is not capable of doing severe Sadhana. I have hardly any time! The social
economy has changed. Now life is based upon money. The whole atmosphere has become
commercialised. I have now to work from morning till night to eke out my livelihood. I have hardly
any time.” This is true. The whole outward picture has change, and this despair on the threshold of
hope is because man has not changed in keeping with the outward change. His methods of Sadhana
are antiquated. He has evolved, the emphasis has changed from the physical to the mental plane, but
he has not made a similar change in his methods of approach. He tries once again to go along
physical lines. He does Japa. He tries to see that the same Tapascharya Sadhana is once again
introduced here. But he has now to have a reorientation of his Sadhana. He should shift the
emphasis of Sadhana from the physical to the mental. By shifting the emphasis it does not mean that
the former method has either become obsolete or useless. It means that the new method is more
strong; it is more wise, it is more useful, just as one who has outgrown the lower forms naturally
goes into the University Class. We have to admit that we have limitations of time, limitations of
energy, and in the face of these new set of conditions, we have to see that our Sadhana meets the
limitations of these new conditions so that with all these modern changes and environments, our
Sadhana current is carried on constantly amidst this change.
Swami Chidananda.
Chant the Maha Mantra
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
BE HAPPY.
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