KNOW THE ESSENCE OF ENLIGHTENED LIVING

TRUE WEALTH

A multi millionaire was travelling in his car. 

On the way, he was listening to a Satsang of a certain Saint.

The Saint was preaching that, everyone in the world is after money only. But they are ignorant of the fact that they cannot take their money with them after their death. Still, they are after money and money alone and do whatever possible to earn more and more money in any way.

The millionaire got annoyed of this statement. 

He said to himself that since the Saint has no money with him, he is giving a Lecture like this.  

The next day, the millionaire called all his employees and advised them to give him an idea so that he can take all his wealth alongwith him after his death.  

Every one thought that their boss has gone mad and tried to avoid him.  

Days passed by.  

Suddenly one day, a stranger approached the millionaire and informed him that he had heard about his query & he has one brilliant idea.

The millionaire could not believe his ears as everyone had declared him "Mad".

The millionaire was very eager to hear his idea. 

The stranger first asked him whether he had travelled abroad? 

The millionaire said that he had visited many countries.

Then, the stranger asked him what he had done with money before he went to USA?

The millionaire said that he had converted the Indian rupees into American dollars and went to USA.  

The stranger again asked him, what he had done when he went to UK ? 

The millionaire replied that he had converted Indian rupees into Pound Sterling and went to England.

The stranger asked him why he did all this?

The millionaire laughed and told the stranger that our Indian rupees have no value in USA and in England.  

The stranger replied that you are very correct and continued.  

Mr. Millionaire, now you want to go to Heaven after your death, correct?

Well, in Heaven, the name of the currency is “Punnya”.

So you convert your entire Indian rupees into the currency of Punnya, so that you can spend it very happily there after your death.

The rich man was convinced and very happy to hear this idea and started doing NISHKAMA Karma and Charity - helping the needy without expecting anything in return.

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KNOW THE ESSENCE OF                                    ENLIGHTENED LIVING

Life is full of surprises and each surprise is a gift from the unknown. We can’t experience a surprise as a gift as our minds are filled with preconceived notions. These pollute our experience and hence, we lose the wonderful experience of surprise.

We feel bored and this boredom happens because we take life for granted and are indifferent to its mysteries. Learn to train your eyes to see the miracle of life. Is it not a miracle to see when the sun rises, the birds start chirping? Is it not a miracle to see the seed becoming a tree and from the tree, seeds are born… and this process continues? In the finite seed, the infinite possibility is hidden.

Those who don’t take life for granted will have a child-like innocence and you will find them participating in the movement of life with grace and joy. For them success and failure become points of celebration rather than points of frustrations.

How is it possible to celebrate success and failure? The ordinary paradigm is when you are successful there is greed to be more successful. This greed makes you look at the other as a threat and a competitor. When there is failure, instead of learning from failure you whip yourself with self-pity. One could celebrate one’s failures as opportunities to learn.

So, when you are successful, celebrate your success and don’t fill that moment with greed but with joy. Include planning of what actions you should take. Planning is not part of greed but of wise living.

When success and failure come, see the surprise. See how many variables have contributed to it. Don’t lose the quality of being surprised. The moment wonderment is dead you are dead. In every moment, bring the quality of surprise and embrace each moment with this energy. Then you will be able to celebrate success and failure.

What constitutes the soul of enlightened living? Firstly, understand that truth wins and not lies. Secondly, hurt or upset whether you justify it or not, is self-damaging. Thirdly, see opportunity in difficulty and not difficulty in an opportunity.

Fourthly, see every experience and situation as messages from the divine. Learn to operate from infinite possibilities. Next step is finding out, ‘Who am I?’

Observe the ‘self’. Then you will find that the self or the soul is not just the body, or mind but a space, in which the body and mind exists. This inner space takes the form of the body and thoughts. Similar to the space in a room appears to be limited by the room but room exists in space. So too, body exists in this inner space.

To experience this more deeply start by asking, ‘Who is in?’ It will lead you to a new awareness of your state of being. If your state of being is restless, then you make it restful. This discipline will lead you to a bigger question to ‘Who am I?’

This will lead you to an understanding that your ego is blocking the bigger picture of who you are.

~ Swami Sukhabodhananda