Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Dog in the well

Once upon a time, a Mahatma - a sage was passing through a village. 
He saw some people fetching pots of water from a well and throwing it on the ground.
Mahatma asked - what are you doing?
They replied that a dog had fallen in this well, so the water of this well has become dirty. 
We are going to take one hundred and one buckets of water out of the well and throw it out - so that the remaining water becomes clean. 
Mahatma asked: where is the dog?
They said the dog is still inside the well.
Mahatma said that if the dog is still inside the well, then if you remove one hundred or even one thousand buckets of water, the water of the well will never become clean. 
Get the dog out first, he said. 
As long as the dog is still inside, the well cannot become clean. 

Similarly, if a dog is sitting inside the well of our mind, then our mind can also not become pure - no matter what we do.
                          What is this dog? Who is it?

In the holy scriptures, 'Greed is known as a Suan or Swan: meaning the dog.
                     "Baahar gyaan dhyaan ishnaan                      
                      Antar byaapay lobh suaan"
                                                             (Sukhmani Sahib)
Meaning: From outside we talk about Gyana and meditation, we go to take holy baths in the pilgrimages - but the kingdom of greed is widespread inside the mind. 
   "Hiras da kutta dil wich baithaa bhaunkay tay halkaan karay"
                                                                                   (Avatar bani)
As long as this dog of greed is sitting in the well of our mind, our mind cannot become pure.

Therefore, to purify the mind, the greed-ridden dog has to be taken out first.
If you look discreetly, unbiasedly, then who does not have this dog of greed inside them?
Leave aside the ordinary people - even today's so-called saints do not appear to be free from this. 
They too, seem to be running after more wealth - money, resources, assets, and properties.
It seems that all of them are also busy building big houses and collecting expensive cars, and more and more luxury for themselves.
The truth is that simplicity and a sense of contentment in the life of the Gyanis, and Bhaktas appear automatically.
As devotion and Sumiran increase - contentment, gratification, and patience also increase. 
But, this does not mean that we should give up good food, clothes, and a better or higher lifestyle.
However, the desire for excessive and more than necessary eventually takes the form of greed - which may become an obstacle in the path of real happiness and everlasting peace. 

Adi Shankaracharya says:
                          "Yallabhsay Nij Karmopatan - Vittam Teina Vinodaya Chittam"
Meaning: The Gyanis and Bhaktas always remain content and happy with the wealth they earn with honesty and the appropriate means. They do not accumulate money by fraud or cheating others - by unfair and unethical acts of greed to get more.
 Guru Nanak also gave a similar sermon: 
                       'Ghaal kar kicch hathon day
                        Nanak Rahu pachhaanay say'
Those who earn to make a living and also give charity - 
says Nanak - understand the way (to God and righteousness). 

Therefore, to purify the well of mind, it is essential to drive the dog of greed out of it. 
                                                ' Rajan Sachdeva '

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