ЁЯМ╖ Katho Upanishad ЁЯМ╖
Chapter 3
The grace of the divine
ЁЯМ╗ Day 14 ЁЯМ╗
In the Shanti Mantra, why would the Master say, “Lets us not hate each other”? He should have said, “You should not hate anybody.”
рдоा рд╡िрдж्рд╡िрд╖ाрд╡рд╣ै – Let us not hate each other.
Why does he say that? Does the Master have any hatred? No. Then why does he say that? The teacher understands how the mind works. The mind always projects what it has within. A student has imperfection within and he sees imperfection everywhere around him. When someone says, “Only you are perfect”, he is not ready to listen. He says, “No, I am not perfect, everything else is.” The Master has to get to a compromise, “Ok, let us not do this discussion.”
It is amazing how the ancient Rishis were masters of psychology. They knew how the mind works. What is outside is only our own projection. Some devotee, in one of the satsangs, asked me, “Why are you always angry on me?” I said, “What? You are angry on yourself and you project that on others and think others are angry at you. Are you angry at yourself?” That person said, “Yes”. He was saying, “Everyone else is upset with me. You are also upset with me.” I said, “I have no time to even think of anything like that. Why would I waste my energy? I am not that foolish.” This is true that the mind projects itself and as it starts projecting, that becomes a reality. It appears that is what the truth is. The cycle goes on, you see imperfection in everybody and then you start seeing imperfection in yourself and you are upset and you see imperfection in others. That is why the Master said, “Let us be together, enjoy together.” The Master gives the assurance, “I am with you. I understand your emotions.”
There are two situations. In one, they idolise the Master so much that they say, “I can’t be like you. You can do all that, but I am a single human being, I can never be as even as you are. I have my emotions which go up and down and all this happens to me. You can be even steady up there but don’t expect me to be that way.” Then that is it! The lesson finishes right there. There is no possibility of development,
improvement, of any learning; because you think it is impossible. When you think it is possible, it is possible. In the other situation, a good teacher always takes you by the hand and says, “I am with you. I understand. I also went through this. We are together. Let us move together. Do you have problems? Look, how many problems I have. Come on, let us move together. I am with you.” This assurance is given and that is the greatest skill of the teachers. They did not just give sermons, “You do this, otherwise you’ll go to hell.” They said, “Come on. I’m with you.” Step by step, one is led into one’s abode by the Master. They said, “Let us not hate each other”, knowing too well that a Master cannot hate. Why would he hate anybody? But he wants the student to recognise that tendency in him and said, “Come on, it is useless to hate anybody or anything everywhere. Let there be peace in our hearts, our soul, our environment.”
Knowledge can only blossom when there is peace. Peace is never there in the relative. That is why the relative world is called maya, because conflict is the language here. Conflict is the nature of this relative world. The world is made up of five elements. Fire is in conflict with water all the time. Air and fire are in conflict. If the wind blows fire gets extinguished. Water and wind are also in conflict. All the elements except akasha, the space element – the four elements are in constant conflict with themselves, yet they have to exist together. Without air there can’t be fire. Without fire, there can’t be water; otherwise there will be ice all over. And without fluid, without liquid, fire cannot exist. The world is made up of the four elements which are always in conflict with each other and so it is with people, so it is with the world. Where is the mind tempted? What is it blocks you from knowing your self which is bliss, which is eternal?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji
Katho Upanishad
