The Native Place
If people ask me, “What is your native place?”
I would say, “Cuddalore.” And you would all say the name of some other towns and cities.
But all of us have another true “native” place. What is it?
Navadwarapuri (place of nine entrances). Our body. This is really our place of residence. We live always only in thisNavadwarapuri.
So who are our parents?
The ahankara (ego – ‘I’) and mamakara (feeling of “mine”) are the cause of our birth. But for these two we would never have been born.
What is our kula danam (hereditary property)?
It is the loka vasana (worldly latent impressions) like lust, anger and fear that we have accrued over innumerable births.
Who are our children?
The manas (mind) and indriyas (senses) are verily our children and grandchildren.
Who is our enemy?
Death is our enemy, old age is our enemy, sorrow is our enemy – all these are our enemies within.
And, what is our name?
Jiva!
That Jivatma, caught in the Navadwarapuri, having been born to ahankara and mamakara and given birth to children that are manas and indriyas is struggling, not knowing a way out of this place. The children and the grandchildren are no help to us. They only pull us down, into it. If someone has to help us out of this Navadwarapuri and take us us home it can only be the Guru. Is it not so?
There are 3 kinds of gunas – rajas, sattva and tamas. Mahans look at Bhagavan and seek his help to destroy their rajasicand tamasic gunas. They pray to Parasurama, “Destroy the two kshatriyas of rajas and tamas [Parasurama hatedkshatriyas and went about destroying them] in me. Let the satvic guna alone remain.”
But what prayer do I have? “Oh, Prabho! It is difficult for you to destroy the rajas and tamas in me. So let them remain. But transform them the way I desire. How? When my mind desires something or gets interested in worldly affairs let mytamasic guna (lethargy) begin to work. When the desire to see Bhagavan arises let the rajasic guna (to be active) begin to work. Let me develop a passion and fire for seeing Bhagavan. In the case of anubhava (experience) let me be sattvic. Why don’t you transform the gunas in me in this manner?”
(Adapted from Sri Swamiji’s discourses at various times.)
