________________
Aptavani-2
289
290
Aptavani-2
Only the penance that comes to you naturally is
worth doing
renunciation you will attain a life in the celestial world, but not liberation. Liberation only comes when you become sahaj (natural and spontaneous). The practice of rituals of renunciation and penance are really tantamount to cranking the 'handle' (you have to make an effort).
If someone is not eating and you ask him, "Are you not well? Is that why you are not eating?" he may reply, "No. I am fasting. I am doing penance." You ask him, "How many days are you going to fast?" He replies, "Four days." So, is penance supposed to calm a person or irritate him? This man becomes so irritable that the moment his son says anything, he reacts with so much anger, that the son thinks it would be better if his father were not around. The Lord has said that if a person suffers from constipation or an upset stomach, he should eat once a day. Eating too much is poisonous but not eating is poisonous too. That is why the Lord had said to do penance of eating less i.e. keep the stomach a little empty. For example, if you eat four rotlis (chapattis) everyday, start with eating only three and eat only half the amount of rice. You will not have to do any penance of fasting if you do this. So, give the body enough food to keep it alive. Eating too much causes intoxication. Intoxication is a liability. In satsang they tell you to read certain chapters in the book. You eat some rice pudding and then you read your assignment in bed. Reading in bed makes you drowsy. You should never eat to the point that it makes you drowsy.
Some people fast for days at a time. The Lord equates this to the forced muzzling of animals that cannot eat their food (dhor langhan) for days. Really this penance makes one suffer physically. It will not go unrewarded. These people will attain a birth in the celestial world. Even pleasures you indulge in will have consequences. The Lord has said for us to remain within normal limits. He has said for us to follow a natural path, but people have not understood what the Lord had said and they practice penance with a misunderstanding.
Penance you learn from others is worthless. Your mind is subject to so much agitation from morning till night. Real penance is to suffer the agitation and restlessness of the mind, speech and body, with serenity. That is true penance! What is the point of becoming engrossed with your mind, speech and body in their distressed state and when everything is quiet and serene, you subject yourself to the heat of penance? Of what use is that penance? When has the Lord said for us to do penance? It is when everyone brings you poison (problems and hurt), and despite the 'heat' that arises within you, you suffer with serenity. You suffer calmly even when you become 'redhot' from within. The Lord has not asked you to invite penance. He has told you to gladly welcome and suffer the penance that comes to you naturally. But people push away such penance. They frown upon it and hence they push it away and by doing so they increase that penance many fold, and on the other hand, they go out looking for penance to suffer. And if they cannot find it, they learn by watching others doing penance. You fools! Is penance a thing you learn from others? Your penance is different from his penance. Everyone's penance is different. Everyone's causes are different. In the current era of this time cycle, penance will come to you naturally and uninvited.
Lord Mahavir has said, "Be cautious in the Kaliyug. Suffer the penance that unfolds in front of you; do not create penance that does not come to you naturally. "If someone gets into an accident with you and you get hurt, suffer that penance peacefully. Instead people get into a fight and then undergo fasting. You foolish people! Why must you do this? If your health is not good, then undergo a little fasting, skipping a meal or two. There is no problem in doing that because it is a natural thing to do. That also happens in the animal kingdom, but you don't need to resort to other nuisances of looking for penance.
