Someone else gave us birth.
Our name was given by others.
We were raised and nurtured by others.
Our education was provided by someone else.
Work or employment also came from others.
Our knowledge came from others.
The recognition, titles, and honors were all given by others.
Respect and fame were granted by others.
Our first and final bath—both are performed by others.
And in the end, others will carry us to the cremation ground.
After death, our property will be divided by others.
Then what exactly are we so proud of?
“I do everything, I did all…
It’s all mine... Everything happens because of me.”
Why are we always stuck in this endless loop of I, me, and mine?
“Ka tay kaanta kaste putrah – Sansaaroyamateeva Vichitrah
Kasya Tvam va kut aayaatah – Tattvam chintaya tad iha bhraatah”
(Adi Shankaracharya - Bhaja Govindam, Verse 8)
Meaning:
This world indeed is strange — Whose wife? Whose son?
Who is the wife? Who is the son?
O brother! Before all this, pause and think:
'Who are you — and where have you come from?'
But rarely do we ask these questions.
Caught in the false pride of “I” and “mine,” We forget to look within.
We fail to see ourselves clearly and miss the chance to know our True Self -
To know who we truly are.
" Rajan Sachdeva "
Absolutely True ๐
ReplyDeleteThank you Rajan ji for these pearls of wisdom, if properly understood and assimilated can help us to transcend the cycle of samsara. ๐
ReplyDeleteSanjeev Khullar
So true, Rajan Jรฌ! The key lies in the question “who am I?” Once the Self is known, I will realize, I am neither the body nor the mind, all these attachments and labels will dissolve and reduce to mere appearances
ReplyDeleteI am nothing and nothing is mine to lead peaceful life
ReplyDeleteVery well said Ji!
ReplyDeleteWhen thought logically, it seems almost foolish to believe that we are the doers of the achievments and successes of our life. Consider the same example in a practical sense, between 2 individuals. If another person completed a task, would we ever say that we did it? No.
Yet, everyday we pray to God to take care of our livelyhoods, our body, our mind, and credit ourselves for the successes that may follow. This false illusion makes us believe that we are great, when in reality we are nothing but a temporary vessel for something greater within( our soul).
Thank you for sharing Ji!