The Wisdom of Silent Suffering

7/30/2019 The Wisdom of Silent Suffering

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The Wisdom of Silent Suffering

The Wisdom Of Silent Suffering.

By Swami Sharananad.

Translated from Hindi into English

by Arwind Vasavada

A Jungian Analyst

Chicago.

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Foreword

This is an attempt to translate the untranslatable. - the Wisdom ofSilent suffering. The author went blind at then age of 10 which destroyed all hishopes of formal education and marked his life with a series of disappointingevents. With a staff in hand, all alone, he roamed about the length and breadth ofIndia. Later, when he was known as a holy, wise man, he was surrounded byseekers and known as the Blind Saint. Once he told about an event in his life. Hewas invited by a rich man in a big city. He stayed there in all luxury and comfort for

three days. He would not stay ant where for more than three days. An old poorseeker saw him walking along the road and heartily welcomed him to his


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home. That also ended after three days. There was no one to invite him. He wentout of the city, found a place under the shade of a tree and sat down. He was therefor three days in heat, sun and rain, without food and shelter. That too passed assomeone else invited him home.

Lessons from pain and suffering is the cream, the essence and wisdom of suchpainful turns of life of silent suffering.

I trust a part of this wisdom is transmitted through this translation, which is a freerendering.

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The Wisdom of Silent Suffering.

According to cosmic order, that which visits every man in spite of not wanting, ispain and suffering; and that which does not last, in spite of wanting it, ispleasure. It is impossible for any man to stop pain and struggle to maintainpleasure. It is, therefore necessary to welcome that which cannot be prevented,and it is foolish to make pleasure as a goal of life, since none can maintain itpermanently and prevent it from passing away. However, one clearly realizes ondeeper insight that no one wishes to live in constant fear and servile dependence onanything. Man, at heart, wants freedom from all kinds of fears and

dependence. According to benevolent plan of Nature, fulfillment of this need forfreedom is possible on all occasions. Desires can be fulfilled only when rightopportunities are available; but this inner need for freedom is possible any time andon all occasions. It is, therefore, necessary not to feel despair when events seemfrustrating and unwanted. It is a mistake and inalertness to wait for the rightopportunity to fulfill one's inner need for freedom.

Fear causes loss of inner clarity, misappropriation of one's abilities and misuse of

things. Fear also stop one's growth, since it depletes energy. Fear brings aboutinattention and stupidity. In order totally to eradicate fear one has to learn from


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uninvited suffering and not to wallow in it. Wallowing in pain keeps man bound todependence on past pleasures and also greed and false hope of its return.

There is no place for dependence on pleasure and fear of pain in man's life. So longas one is dependent on pleasure, fear of pain will not go away. One has to end thisdependence. What a paradox that man does not give up his dependence eventhough he knows that this dependence is ineffectual in maintaining pleasure. It isthis dependence which does not allow one to learn the lessons from pain. Being withpain, welcoming it will help remove this dependence and augment inner growth.

In reality, fear of pain feeds one's wallowing in it. It prevents being with pain. Even

though one is afraid of favorable circumstances going away, can one stop them atany time? Have the worst unfavorable event ever stayed forever? Unfavorableevents visit us in order that we end our dependence on favorable circumstances. Itis a mistake to be afraid of them. Favorable events can make us compassionate, butenjoyment of them will bring forgetfulness and inattention. Turns of events in lifeare like passing clouds in the sky. They do not constitute life. Inalertness alone letsus get involved in them. Disrespect for one 's inner light - discrimination - is thecause of inalertness.

Welcoming pain and being with it - not wallowing in it - and not longing for pleasureis learning from pain. Soon one is free from false hope for pleasure true inquiry andintense desire for life beyond pleasure and pain awakens. Now, the door for furthergrowth is open.

One feels pain as soon as one sees the possibility of one's pleasure going away. Ifby inattention, one starts longing for pleasure one is indulging in pain and not

learning from it. If the desire for pleasure does not arise and one can see pain inthe ongoing pleasure, one is learning the lesson, because seeing that pleasure ispain ends further desire for pleasure. Ending desire for pleasure is also ending painwhich means one is on the way to life beyond both - pleasure and pain.

Inner need of man is for freedom and spontaneity. Enjoyment of pleasure andwallowing in pain is suffering. Pleasure and pain lead to disease and sorrow, whichno one wants really. Happiness and pleasure are transient state of mind


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supervening satisfaction of any activity. Whether desire is good or bad, intense orweak, satisfaction is just the same. It is true that an activity which supervenes atthe end of every other activity keeps the love for pleasure alive, but it imprisons usalso. If pleasure were an independent fact other than satisfaction of an activity, itwould have stayed permanently and harmful activities would have disappeared

altogether in the end. The facts are otherwise. The life of a pleasure seeker nevergets nearer to spontaneity and creativity. Thus, we see the difference betweenpleasure and spontaneity.

Man thinks that the other is happy because he possess - a car, a house, a well -paid job and things like that. One is not happy because of things he possess butone feels happy in doing satisfying activities. Since not all the desires are possible ofsatisfying at one time and in one situation, how can one accept pleasure as the goal

of life. Pleasure is a passing phase. Nature according to its benevolent plancontinues to bring pain in life so that one may become free from the serfdomof pleasure. How can one enter life of freedom and creativity being imprisoned assuch in pleasure.

If one looks deep within, one really wants a life of unending and evergrowinginterest. Man imprisoned in desire lives a dependent life and is never able to tastefreely flowing interestful living. Desire suppresses this need, though it cannot

destroy it. What now one has instead, a life full of boredom and devoid of interest.

Half heated attention to pain kills alertness, it is difficult to distinguish between merehappiness and unimpeded flow of life - spontaneity. One has to make effort to getpleasure, hoard things and remain dependent on things and circumstances. Itmakes one insensitive. Rest and silence, love and independence are required toexperience a life of eternal; interest.

All pleasures pass away in due course leaving the pleasure seeker feeling guilty,since he continues to blame himself for not being smart enough to keep itcontinued. He lives the life of guilt, never knowing what innocence is. Let man usehis happy circumstances in the service of mankind.

The lure for pleasure is like a poison. A poison kills a man outright, whereas apleasure seeker undergoes pains of birth and death many times over. Insults and

servility visit him constantly. What a blunder that one cannot give up pleasure -seeking in spite of all humiliation he experiences.


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Proud of one's qualities, limited power and abilities, man forgets his dependence andthe pain and insults suffered through life. He cannot learn to be affectionatelydetached; rather he becomes an angry person, who sometimes harms himself andhis dear ones. Thus living in dependence, he does not make use of whatever isavailable.

Indulgence in pain makes one weak; being with pain, welcoming it, bringsstrength. A pleasure - seeker writhes in inferiority. Being with pain ends indulgenceand frees him from beggarly dependence. There is something other than toleratingpain and not tolerating it. If one can experience that, it is the remedy to endpain. Tolerating pain decreases the intensity of pain and not tolerating pain disturbsthe peace of mind. This something which is beyond bearing with pain or not bearingwith it can dawn only when one becomes aware of one's hidden, lurking dependenceon pleasure.

One can never be free from fear so long as dependence on pleasurepersists. Without realizing the true nature of pain dependence on pleasure

continues. It is a mistake to suppress any pain which comes about unbidden andnaturally. One can really learn the lesson from pain only when one does notsuppress it in order to have future pleasure. There is no reason to complain aboutpain which comes on its own. Such an attitude will help know the reason for pain.

One suffering in pain, getting afraid of it begins to suppress it in many unnaturalways. Not only that he begins to despair about the reality of life. He begins to longfor pleasure which leads him to unhealthy activities. He starts taking pleasure in

paining others. He becomes a sociopath. Let pain be faced rather than besuppressed.

Intensity of pain and suffering is in no way harmful, but helpful to the person. Toaccept defeat at this time is detrimental to one's growth. Suffering awakens thelatent power within and makes the person alert and aware. He becomes humbleand begins to lead a useful life.


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There is no other way to gain self - dependence but by affectionately detachedthrough suffering. Pain and suffering is unasked and is a gift of the Divine. It is nota punishment. Nature is very kind to bring about this situation so that man maybecome free of the lure of transient pleasure. Do not be afraid of pain, butwelcome it and let it teach us. Unless one unwaveringly trusts that in and through

learning from pain lies one's deliverance from pain and lure for pleasure, one cannotreally be free.

Man continues to be afraid of pain as long as he gives importance topleasure. Pleasure does not come by asking for it; it comes on its own, accordingto Nature's benevolent plan. Look at what good things we have and begin todistribute them to the needy; Longing for what you do not have will; go away andyou will become calm and balanced. One should then begin to perceive that pain

and unhappiness are always present at the end of pleasure. That pleasure is lastingis an illusion. Be alert not to think of future pleasure, for in good time pain andsuffering visit. Pain and pleasure are alternating phases of life. Life is beyond both.

Being with pain and learning its lessons destroys lure for pleasure but notpleasure. According to natural law, happiness comes on its own, so also pain and

suffering, in spite of ourselves. If we ponder over this it becomes evident that it issenseless to strive for pleasure and be afraid of pain, since it is a mistake to hang onto that which will eventually go away and be disturbed by that which will come inspite of not wanting.

Everyone experiences happiness when a desire is fulfilled and pain when it is notfulfilled. The source of all desires is our identification with the body. It is wrongthinking. Respect for inner light - discrimination - is sufficient to end wrong

thinking. Discrimination is present in all of us. One's identification with the bodyends when light of discrimination dawns. This also ends desiring. Being desire-freeopens the door to Life beyond pleasure and pain. Lure of pleasure blindsdiscrimination. When one is afraid of polarities - dependence on pleasure and fearof pain - but sees through them, one also begins to ask, "What is this life afterall?" Everyone has to answer his question for himself. To overlook this burningquestion of life is nothing but inalertness and sleep.


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One has to distinguish between desire and inner need. Desires get fulfilledsometimes and sometimes not. Desire is a state of mind. Inner need is somethingone can not live without.

States of mind are always changing. To be imprisoned in a state is to be imprisonedin want and frustration. Want is not Life. It is, therefore, essential to turn awayfrom it and be affectionately detached from that which is not life. Turning away willawaken the real question, "What do I really want?" or "What is the innerneed?" This is our question, it is a question of the present moment. Until it isresoled no other question need be allowed to occupy our mind. In the moment oftotal confrontation the question alone remains; the question and questionerunite. There is no separation. This is the real need. Then question alone exits.

The source of desire and the source of inner need are identical. The only differenceis that desires are many and the inner need is one. In the state of desiring thedesire and the one who desires are separate, a sense of tension is experienced. Butwhen the inner need awakens, the inner need and the one in whom it is awakenedare one. We cannot separate ourselves from our inner need. It is a fact. Desiresmay cloud our inner need for a short while. They cannot kill the inner need. Butonce the inner need is awakened, all desires totally disappear like darkness beforelight.

Pleasure and happiness will continue to visit according to natural law even whenattraction for pleasure has ended. Pain visits us in order to end it.

We all know that every circumstance is a mixture of pain and pleasure. To viewthese alternating events as the essence of Life is a mistake and the cause of man'sgetting involved in them and tolerating them. Though pain is repulsive and pleasureis attractive, but the pleasure - seeker has to go through pain in spite of himself. Ithas never been possible to for any man to live happily without enduring pain. Theremay be variation in degrees of pain and pleasure in the lives of two people, yet painremains and continues in their lives while enjoying pleasure. Not only that, there isa no enjoyment of pleasure which is not fraught with pain in the beginning andend. There is no pure pleasure in the life of a pleasure - seeker. The pain of hungeris the happiness of eating food; the anguish of separation is the ecstasy ofunion. The end of enjoyment is not sweet and pleasurable as thebeginning. According to Nature, the enjoyment of pleasure begins to ebb slowly on


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its own. The energy to enjoy pleasure diminishes and destroys the object ofpleasure. That is why pain is the residue at the end of all enjoyments. Thus, onesees that enjoyment is fraught in one way or other with violence, dependence andwant. When anguish caused by this want eats up the attraction for pleasure painbegins to teach its lesson. One can then walk the road to self - dependence

becoming affectionately detached from circumstances mixed with pleasure and pain.

Dependence, violence and boredom is undesirable for an aspirant. Freedom is thereal need of man. Being with pain helps strengthen and stabilize the innerneed. External events may appear different, but they are essentially thesame. This makes it evident that inner need is not dependent any specialcircumstance. Hence, to misuse the present situation and to invite or desire for thatwhich is not available is an obstacle in fulfilling the real need. When an aspirant

with discrimination accepts the present moment - the available situation or event -as helpful for the purpose of growth, he can make good use of that availableopportunity. It will help him to be affectionately detached from events andpersons. This is marching on the road of growth. Happiness is the occasion to begenerous and call to be affectionately detached. To be generous is to becompassionate towards those who suffer and to feel happy towards those who arehappy. Ordinarily everyone is compassionate and caring. He feels for others, but itis out of attachment. A wife feels for husband and vice versa. An aspirant'sattachment is different. An aspirant does not have attraction for pleasure nor doeshe crave for what is not available. He distributes his happiness to others and builds a

sane society and bring harmony among people.

To believe what is given as one's own and that it is only for himself is not rightthinking. Such beliefs generate confused thinking. Right thinking ends all confusedthinking. What is given is not only for us. It is given to be used rightly. it is theeasiest way to be detached from our belongings. It helps to be detached easily andhelps us to be content with what we have and do not have. This is being free indesiring. It brings peace and calm. Calm and rest is source of all power, energy andaffectionate detachment.

Who is this person who is enduring pain or enjoying pleasure? He is the one whocalls himself suffering and enjoying. It is "I" or "Me". It is this person, the "I" the"the Egoji" who is lured by pleasure, afraid of pain, but also wants to end thepain. This also is the person who can be immortal and demands unimpededcontinuance of joy and bliss. Being with pain ends lure for pleasure, which totallyends pain. One then becomes hungry for immortality and bliss. The intensity ofhunger manifests eternal union and immortality on its own, according to the

benevolent plan of nature. One has to trust and have Faith in this divine,benevolent plan. It is absolutely necessary.


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A miserable man can not end his pain by its own efforts, hence he can not have faithin himself. In such a critical situation, often times one begins to lean on somethingwithout faith. Even if he accepts this with trust the problem can be solved. When

one does not give up pleasure in spite of suffering, it return to him again in theguise of pain in order to unite him with immortality and bliss.

Discriminative intelligence informs us that it can not prove that the object - the Seenis self - existent. Whatever is Seen is only an appearance, transitory. The Seen,though, invites action, but it is never possessed. The things on which we dependmay be useful, but one can not put faith in them. One can not trust them. They aretransient and go away as they come. It then, becomes necessary to inquire into thereality of the Seen. What after alls is that appears. Know the "This." Trust TheThat." The "I" the "Egoji" normally identified itself with the "This." It also hasyearning for "That." Identification with "This"is the cause of all desires andimprisonment is in fear or pain and dependence on pleasure. Being with painremoves identification withThisand awakens the yearning for That."

Every turn of event is nixed with pleasure and pain. If man were free toarrange events according to his choice. He would have succeeded to have allcircumstances favorable to him, since no one likes pain and suffering. Experiencetells us that no one has been able to do so. However, man is free to make good useof the available situation, though unable to arrange than according to his choice.Circumstances are a part of cosmic order.

Pleasure imprisons man into isolation; pain inspires man to be free of this

imprisonment. A pleasure - seeker gets bound to the present good life; man in painbecomes anxious to free himself from pain. Pleasure binds, pain frees. If theaspirant can see the hand of the Beloved behind the veil of pain and pleasure he canreally be free from fear of pain and serfdom of pleasure. He can become the love ofthe One - the remover of pain - God.

Pain is pain, degrees do not matter. It is not the case that severe pain will open oureyes easily. It depends, m upon a person. One who cannot tolerate dependence,helplessness and boredom easily awakens to the inner need to be free. There islifebeyond pain and pleasure. All that is required is alertness, watchfulness.


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Neither the history of humanity nor the experiences of individual testify thatcircumstances are wholly favorable, without the least admixture of pain. There is noman who does not undergo pain while enjoying pleasure. Life certainly is beyond

both pleasure and pain.

It is necessary to see that man is more than the turns of events in life. He need notsell himself cheap to circumstances. He is a value in himself. Circumstances aremerely useful materials. Until he sees his Self as separate from circumstances, hecan notinnerstandwho really he is. Man who realizes his independence fromcircumstances can be aware of his responsibilities to himself as a human beingand to his inner need. He will then be aware that responsibilities and inner need

are of prime importance. The felt immediacy of the problem can always be solved.

"I can not fulfil my responsibility:, or "Inner need is not fulfilled," such statementsarise our of ignorance. If one continues to say "I can not do anything about it," hereally does not understand the meaning of not - doing. Real non - doing is attainedonly when one has done all that needs to be done or when he has made full use ofwhat is available to him. It is also attained by coming to Rest through desire - freestate of mind, which means he is affectionately detached from things and events.

One also comes to the sane state through trustful surrender. Any one talking about"Non - doing" before this reveals sheer idleness, sleep and unawakened state,

It is clear that things of the world and persons are not be had by mere wishing forthem. If it were possible one would not experience separation from persons oneloves most and things one wants most. Things and people visit us according to the

plan of cosmic order.

It is not true that when one is searching for one's inner need favorablecircumstances will not help. When one buys fruits in an orchard, he has shade andfragrance of the fruit without cost. So, when one is on the way, favorable eventsbegin to emerge. However, an aspirant does not cling to them.


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Distinction between Desire and inner need has to be seen clearly. When one beginsto see that, he sees two different kinds of pains, "Lifeless" and "Living" or"vibrant". In "Lifeless" pain one goes on tolerating and undergoing it, expecting,hoping that it will go away and replace pleasure. "Living" pain leads one to seekrest and cessation of pain, freedom from desire and not hope for future

pleasure. No only that, he starts searching for Life which is full of unfathomablelove, freedom and cessation of pain.

Anguish generated by frustration of desire is a very important aspect oflife. Satisfaction of desire is dependent on things and events. One feels frustratedwhen it is not fulfilled. On deeper insight it is clear that pleasure does not resultfrom satisfying a desire. Joyous ease is present even before and after a desire. Butman does not see it.

Senses merely inform about sensations, pleasurable or painful. Intelligence,discriminates between healthy and unhealthy pain or pleasure. Discriminativeintelligence is necessary to overcome lure of senses. When intelligence is keenenough to end unhealthy desires, it merges into its origin - the Light within. TheLight within begins to direct one's path.

No one disrespects and looks down upon those in pain and sorrow because they aredisabled by natural causes and not on account of their mistakes andactions. Compassion awakens in the heart for such people. One who is in pain andsorrow due to his mistakes becomes impatient. He feels hurt andinadequate. Society does not respect such people. Such a person can not followthe right path until he unswervingly, trusts in the innocence of the present momentand resolves not to repeat the past mistake. Each one is pure and innocent in thepresent moment.

Society generally ignores those who remain in pain due their mistakes. A rare greatperson out of compassion respects and loves them. He infuses self confidence andhelps them on the right path.

There is no higher service than empathizing with suffering of others. Those trustingin the innocence of the present moment do not look down upon anyone and do nothurt anyone, can render this service. Those who are ready to see and acknowledge

their mistakes and resolve not to repeat the past mistake can really help those whoare mistaken and are in sorrow. Innocence is present each moment, the lure of


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pleasure obliterates its memory. Being with pain and learning from it can removethis forgetfulness.

Those who, while living in happy circumstances, can become sympathetic andcaring for people suffering in pain and sorrow can very easily turn towards thesearch for truth of life. They need to be alert, sincere and cautious. They canbecome free from lure of pleasure having learned the lesson from their own painand suffering. Such persons will not care for appreciation or otherwise frompeople. A grace from heaven falls on them. Their ego dissolves. They reach thecompletion of their life goal. Non - clinging to good qualities is absolutelynecessary. It is possible only when intensity of co - passion reaches such a climaxthat he feels pains of others as his own,

One has to be very alert on the path of Self - search. Ending desire bringspeace. Peace is much more tempting than happiness and satisfaction. One canstart indulging in it. One can get caught in it which results in isolation andseparation from the world. Isolation means division between I and other One canalso get caught in self - praise and social approval. This indulgence can again leadone back to pain and suffering. One has to keep clear of all this since it keeps the

little me "Egoji" alive - the cause of all pain.

Pride in one's good qualities prevents one from seeing and acknowledging onesshort-comings. It is easy to end them if known and accepted honestly. It makesone humble before the Unknown. Adorning oneself with virtues does not removeshort - comings, rather it increases one's pride and ignorance.

It is a law that when deeply felt , a lack or shortcoming within generates anguishand yearning, then short coming begins to be filled naturally andeffortlessly. Intense anguish of the present moment alone is fruitful in thefuture. In order to experience innocence intense yearning and anguish for theabsence - emptiness within is necessary. This is possible only when one ceases tosee defects in others. Intense anguish for one's faults cannot come untilthen. Blaming others prevents seeing where ones is failing. Desire to be innocentdevours lure for pleasure.


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Inner need alone can be fulfilled, since it is one with the essence of man. Desires aremany and Inner need is one. Desires create separation between man and object ofdesire. They are not congruent with inner need.

Every activity begins and ends. Each activity brings one to rest for a while. Butevery activity for pleasure leads to further unending pursuit of it. It brings depletionof energy and weakness. Desires crowd man's mind. They confuse and lead toundesirable action. Compassion for the suffering can end the pursuit for pleasureand bring one to rest and peace. This also ends depletion of energy and loss ofstrength.

Man desires pleasure without pain, peace without fear, and happiness notdependent on anything. Experience of life tells us that pain lurks in the beginningand at end of pleasure and happiness. If pleasure did not end in pain, pleasurecertainly would have been the achievable goal of life. Life does not confirm if. Inspite of all this there is such a seduction in pleasure that temptation for pleasurecontinues haunt man. He continues to pursue it even though knowing that pain willvisit him at the end of pleasure. That is why man naturally longs for happinesspure and unmixed. Life beyond pain and pleasure is attainable. It is the only goalof life. Happiness, pure and unalloyed is not the same as happiness which resultsafter satisfaction of a desire. Life beyond pain and pleasure is an attainable goal.

Every man loves happiness and peace, but peace dependent on favorablecircumstances is fraught with fear. Such peace mixed with fear is an illusion ofpeace. It is the mother of disruption. Peace, pure and independent of everything isthe real need of an aspirant. Power to maintain peace obtained with dependence onpersons and circumstances is totally a mistaken attempt. Power is generally usedalways towards the helpless and weak and not towards equally powerful or morepowerful..Use of power towards weak makes the user weak in the end. Not only

that he creates opposition against him and has to experience the same fate hebrought on the weak. Right use of power brings unity obliterating all differencebetween weak and strong.

There is no nation, class or a person who is wholly strong or weak. We all are amixed bag. If a man in power and strength can be compassionate towards weakand knowing his weakness can feel happy towards the strong and powerful, he candissolve all differences into unity and bring peace without a trace of fear. Trueservice consists in being happy with happy and compassionate with thesuffering. One really can serve only when he is free from clinging to


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possessions. He can then use what he has in the service of humanity. In order toawaken love and sense of service freedom from clinging to possessions is necessary.

To bring love into world we have to understand that body and world are one. This iscorrect understanding of materialism. Body and the world are made of the samestuff. Just as it is naturally desirable to protect and preserve the body and not todestroy it, it follows that we should protect everybody and not destroythem. Keeping safely protected this little "me" and trying to protect its own selfishinterests is not the correct understanding of materialism. It is a source of disruption,destruction and indulgence in pleasure. "May this body be in service of the world."such an objective of life can bring Love all over the world.

The understanding of spirit tells us that we all are in essence one - Self. Selfalone IS. The world as an aspect of Life is also Self. This understanding also helpsbring Love in the world. Self is light in the world and unto everything. Ifalone IS. Trust and faith in the Divine also makes for love in the world.

We all know that happiness resulting from fulfillment of desire is experienced only inwaking and dreaming states. One can not enjoy then state of happiness all thetime, nor actually is it available. One naturally turns away from what is neitherinteresting nor possible. That is why man longs for sleep and values it. Have wenot forgotten our dear ones and precious things in sleep? This shows that ending ofdesire is more valuable than fulfillment of it. All desires naturally end in sleep. Butsleep can not be an act of will. Drugs do bring sleep but it is not a natural sleep. Itis not possible for man to will sleep in its totality. Man is thus dependent even onsleep. Sleep is more pleasing than waking and dreaming. Sleep is an experience ofevenness, also there is absence of pain. Pain is always present on waking and

dreaming. In sleep pain is absent. Yet sleep is not free from inertia anddependence. An aspirant through discrimination fulfills his desires with a sense ofduty, forgoes unnecessary desires and becomes thus thought - free. He will thenexperience the end of pain even in waking state like one experiences in sleep. Hewill then put an end to inertia and dependence also. Thus being thought - free ismore important than sleep. Still to be lured by a thought free, peaceful state isalso a dependence of a kind. Thought - fee peaceful state can be used as a meansto freedom, since peace leads to freedom. Through discrimination one can be freefrom the lure of peace, since freedom is more valuable than peace. To trust in theplan of nature - the unknown is real freedom.


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Fear of pain and indulgence in pleasure imprisons man in dependence onpleasure. Indulgence brings inertia. It is undesirable for any man. Being with painand learning from it makes one alert and attentive. Inertia and dependence areintolerable to any awakened person. Being awakened makes one fully aware of thepresent. An awakened person is inspired to shun dependence on pleasure and fear

of pain. Being awakened is to be on the Way. Dependence on pleasure robscompassion and fear of pain drives away joyful ease. Compassion for the sufferingremoves temptation for pleasure. Compassion removes all differences and divisionsand makes generosity manifest. One feels happy seeing others happy andcompassionate towards those who are suffering. He becomes free ofboredom. Being with pain and learning from it is the Way.

Being alert and awakened is an unusual kind of light. which dispels inertia. Being

awaked is a gift of the Infinite. It is total illumination. Inertia is always partial; it isever present with us all, we are never completely asleep. To believe partialalertness to be an awakened state leads to pride. Total illumination destroys partialinalertness.

Pride in good qualities nourishes one's faults. It is the root cause of all faults. Beingwith pain allows one to be sensitive to one's faults and awakens him to follow rightpath.

Generosity born out of alertness fills one's heart with love. A loving heart does notsee faults in others, nor does he bear ill will towards others. He can not at all hurtanyone. Ending faults brings divine qualities. It is futile to fight and suppress one'sfailings. One needs to be naturally. effort - essay free of faults. It is possible bybeing generous. it a quality of an awakened man. One must constantly rememberthat "We all are innocent in the present." A generous man is desire - free andaffectionately detached.

One can not practice to be at joyful ease nor can it be had any kind of effort. Desire- free state naturally brings joyful ease. All efforts and practice need involvement ofmind and body. They bring dependence and identification with the means ofattaining it. Being desire free brings affectionate detachment towards all. No effortis required at all. One has not to tolerate dependence of any kind at all.


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One can be affectionately detached through being generous. For some, affectionatedetachment opens the door to generosity. Feeling types of persons becomegenerous naturally, whereas, thinking type become detached naturally.

Ability to feel for others, discrimination and energy to act is a gift of the Divine. Allthese become useful only when the aspirant does not become attached to powerand energy obtained through generosity and affectionate detachment. And he doesnot remain content with dependence. Grace from heaven fall on him spontaneouslyin the form of loving trust and confidence in the Divine and oneness withit. Profound love then over flows, his heart and his life becomes useful to the world.

Inquiry for truth and yearning for love exists in this Ego-atom. Desire to be happyby possessing things, person and circumstances are the seeds that make onedependent on the world - the other. Desire to be happy imprisons man in love ofpower. This leads to suffering caused by attachment and anger. All clingingattachments lead to inalertness, anger and forgetfulness. Being with pain andlearning from it frees man from love of power, ending the lure for pleasure. Hebecomes desire -free. True inquiry ends all wrong thinking and fulfills the quest fortruth He is now self-dependent or truly his own master. Here lurks a very subtleattachment and ego-atom begins to indulge in it. Total disappearance of ego is notpossible, without awakening of Love. Freedom is Divine, but it is a mistake to

depend on freedom which keep ego alive.

Just as dependence on activity, thinking and states of mind make one isolated anddivided, likewise, dependence on peace and freedom keep the subtle aspect of egoalive. Ego is not a self-existent entity. It needs the support of others to keep italive. It is true that peace and rest are reservoirs of energy and freedom, thesource of immortality, but to remain content with them is to turn away fromLove. To turn ends into means is to keep the ego alive. The aspirant, in essence, is

profound peace, eternal remembrance and deepest Love. The goal and the aspirantare identical. May the aspirant be in unity with the essence and feel fulfilled. Beingwith pain and learning from it is the fulfillment of life.

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The Wisdom of Silent Suffering