Manav ka Lakshya.........

So, the glories of the human body have been sung by the Vedas, th Darshan Shastras, the Purans and the Saints because it is a fact that there is absolutely no other body in which we can attain our goal. So the human body is the first necessity. Now the second is ‘proper association’ with the Guru. Not mere meeting with the Guru but proper association with him. We have met Gurus infinite times, in infinite lives. But, we did not associate with them in the proper manner. We went to them, offered our obeisance, listened to their lectures and even nodded our heads afterwards “yes, yes, I understand”. But that’s all. We did nothing practical about it. Our minds remained attached to the material world. So proper association is required. Thus the human body is the first necessity and proper association with the Guru is the second. That is why God’s grace is considered to be a reason fo attaining the human body.

Kabahunka kari karuna nara dehi

Deta isa binu hetu sanehi

(Ramayana)

Out of compassion, God sometimes awards the human body to someone. This is the first grace. Furthermore proper association with the Guru is an exceptional grace (second grace). Merely meeting the Guru is not grace. It becomes special grace when we associate with him properly. Without this proper association, it is like having fifty-six delicacies laid out before you, and yet not eating. If we simply sit before the food and stare at it, we will die of starvation. If water is there but we refuse to drink, we will die of thirst. Similarly, merely meeting a Saint will not help. If we associate our mind with His, surrender unto Him and unite our intellect with His, then this is the second and even more special grace.

 

We have met infinite Saints in infinite lives. They explained everything to us and we also accepted it. Already we have been blessed by both these graces before. It is the result of this that you are seated here today. This is not your achievement. Just think over it by yourselves – what wonderful thing have you done to get the human body and get correct knowledge of spiritual principles? How much study of the Vedas and other scriptures did you engage in? On what basis did you receive these two graces? But, you still did not attain your goal. The third grace is even more essential – it is the thirst for Divine love. In other words the hunger for food must be there (the intense yearning to attain). This is called ‘mumuksha’ or intense desire (for liberation) by Shankaracharya. The Braj Rasiks call it ‘lalsa’ or ‘craving’. It is called by various names. There should be a thirst, hunger, craving, intense desire, yearning and intense eagerness and longing to attain Divine Love. One should reach the point of not being able to live without it. Thirst has various levels. The level of desire to attain something can be of various classes. There is an ordinary level – “it would b nice to get it”, a little effort is made and then, “forget it, it cannot be obtained”. Then there is this level – “no I have to obtain it, no matter what!” and the corresponding effort is made. Similarly the levels of thirst for Divine Love, is different for everybody. It depends on our detachment. What is the level of our detachment from the world? How firm is this knowledge within you – that this mother, this father, this wife, this husband, this wealth, this world is not for you, not for the soul, not at all? There is nothing to be gained for the soul there, not even 0.1%. We are divine souls, parts of God. This world is mayic, material. It has been created by God for the maintenance of the body; not for the soul. If this knowledge remains in your mind cent percent at all times and in all places, the thirst for Divine love and detachment from the material world would be stronger....