Understanding God means removing our ego

Understanding God means removing our ego

 

Chaitanya Dev Gaurang Mahaprabhu says that a person becomes a Saint when the Divine love of Krishna appears in his heart. Until then, even the celestial gods of intelligence like Saraswati and Brihaspati cannot understand a Saint’s words, actions, and behaviour. Even great yogis and munis cannot understand a Saint. Only God and other Saints can understand a Saint. Why? Sometime Saints act just as we act in the world. Sometimes they may appear very formal and sometimes they may act in an anti-social way. Sometimes they may seem as if they have one screw loose, sometimes two, three, and sometimes all four screws loose.

Sometime a Saint cries, sings, laughs, jumps, or does anything else. Occasionally his condition may appear to be like of a crazy person. Sometime he may seem normal. He lives in an ever-changing state. Depending upon his Divine bhav (state of Divine love absorption), he acts accordingly. From inside he loves you, but from outside he may scold you. On the other hand, he might lovingly talk to someone, but not love him from inside. He exhibits opposite-type behaviour. Sometimes his behaviour is normal and sometimes contrary. He acts any way he wants.

The Vedas says that a Saint is under no one’s control. He is under the control of the waves of Divine love. How a Saint behaves at a certain time depends upon the kind of Divine love wave that is arising in his heart at that time. We cannot enter that world. We don’t know what the rules are of the Divine world. Since this is the case, how could we recognize, analyse or inspect a Saint? If we try, we will definitely fall beyond any possibility of being saved.

We have wasted innumerable lifetimes this way. We now worship these great Saints like Tulsidas, Mira, Soordas, Nanak, and Tukaram. We were also present when these Saints were on this earth. At that time we laughed and said, “Hey, what kind of Saint is this?” We saw, thought, made a decision, and gave a judgment: He is not a true Saint. We turned around and went home.

We went to another Saint. We saw him and thought, “He is not right. He’s not at my intellectual level.” This means a Saint should be at the level of our dirty, material and worthless intellect. You will find many people in this world who are at the level of your intellect. We have become friends with people in this world who are at the same intellectual level. A drunk will make friends with another drunk. Those who love their mother, father, son, wife, and husband will form friendships in the world with the same kind of people.

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj stresses that friendship takes place among people with the same nature and interest. But if you want the Divine Bliss, then what are you doing? Your measuring tool is a 4-inch ruler made from salt. You are trying to measure the unlimited ocean with that scale. How could you measure the ocean with a 4-inch ruler? Your scale will dissolve in the seawater. What could those who want to evaluate God or a Saint measure? Rather, their intellect will be destroyed and they will commit transgressions. They will have to suffer the consequences of that sin. It would have been better if they did not go to see a Saint at all.

In some ways Saints are very dangerous. You might go to a Saint, but not surrender to him. Instead you may argue with him by applying your intellect. You might think, “I am someone important. Why shouldn’t I apply my intellect?” If you think this way, you will commit a transgression.

When a person judges a Saint, he commits more transgression. For example, there is a powerhouse. You should not walk in to the powerhouse because you do not know anything about the powerhouse. You should stay quiet. You might go in and ask the electrician where to stand, which switch or wire can be touched, which item is live and which isn’t, which switch is on and which is off. If you say, “Why do I have to ask him? I am not less intelligent then him.” Okay, then touch the live wire and die. Similarly, you would not be successful in the world. You have to surrender.

You have some knowledge in some subjects. For example, someone is an engineer. He may study this subject till his old age, but even so, he wouldn’t be able to attain .100% of the all the engineering knowledge. Then how could he know about medicine or any other subject? You have to surrender to receive the knowledge of your desired subject.

When the topic of God comes up we think, “I am knowledgeable in this subject matter.” This type of ego brings you down. Since eternity we have seen uncountable Saints and heard their speeches. Sometimes, we nodded our heads and said, “Yes! I understand. I understand.” After that we added ‘but’ every time.