________________
Aptavani-2
531
532
Aptavani-2
and has made everyone joyous with laughter. Never mind that he has indulged in leisure but he has also attained the path to liberation in a leisurely manner, has he not? What would happen here if we were to say, "Don't be lazy. Don't be lazy?" Everywhere you look people run around in a state of agitated restlessness, even when they eat they are not at peace. Why are you so agitated and hyperactive? Is it to get rid of laziness? Laziness leaves but it is replaced with restlessness. The same old ghost! On the contrary, the ghost of hyperactivity is worse. If a certain sadhu has been invited for a meal, he would go. He would not be fidgety. And if you meet some other sages on the road and if you tell him to wait while you do darshan of Suryanarayan (Sun God), by the time you do darshan and you turn around, he would be gone! What is the reason? It is nothing but hyperactivity driven by the clever mind. No matter what he does, whether he eats, drinks, goes to the toilet or anything else, he is hyperactive. Instead why not enjoy a nice meal and take your time with it? No one likes to see one who is agitated and hyperactive. In order to rid themselves of their laziness, they became hyperactive. Laziness (pramaad) was much better. The 'ghost' of laziness was better, at least one was familiar with it. But this new ghost of hyperactivity takes hold and one has no experience or understanding of it. People try to get rid of laziness without understanding anything.
What is the reason for this hyperactivity (raghavat)? They say it is because they have gotten rid of laziness. You do not have to get rid of laziness of the physical body; on the contrary it had to be preserved. You have to relax on your couch even if others complain, even if the couch complains and squeaks. It is just a couch, not a living thing, is it? Now if it was a living thing, then you will immediately get up, but let the couch complain. You can buy a new one if it squeaks too much. But one would say, "No I can't do that. Laziness will set in' and so he will not make himself comfortable and sit. He will sit without
ease. He will get irritated even if you ask him a question. Does that suit him? The Lord has told us to take it easy. Do you think the vitarag Lords were like that? These people move so fast that within no time they are nowhere to be seen! Do you think that Lord Mahavir used to walk this way? He would walk slowly, regally and in great ease. When you become restless from within then you become restless externally. Hyperactivity and agitation on the inside will also become hyperactivity and agitation on the outside. Then he will see everything else moving: even the trees!
These religious heads (auliyas) do not have such restlessness and hyperactivity. They are laid back and relaxed. If we say, "Is the sky going to fall?" He will reply. "No sir, it will not fall." Whereas these people here maintain, "I have done it, and I will have to suffer." Hence, what happens when the sky falls (a calamity occurs)? The right understanding that has become wrong is the reason why bitter fruits have come about, otherwise why would the world be this way?
A hyperactive person (with both inner and outer hyperactivity) after attaining Gnan will not be able to remain in shuddha upayog (awareness as the Self). Even if you were to give' such a person shuddha upayog, it will not stay with him because he is hyperactive. When you all eat, drink; go out, you do it with upayog: with awareness. Whereas the hyperactive person keeps thinking, "My awareness (shuddha upayog) will definitely go away in doing all these mundane things." No the shuddha upayog remain in all activities. Whether the tea is strong or not, sweet or not, our awareness remains for sure.
The word 'pramaad' has killed spirituality. They have not understood the word pramaad at all. Even if he wakes up at four in the morning and does all his kriyas (spiritual rituals), if we ask Lord Mahavir, the Lord would say, "These are all pramaadi; completely pramaadi (spiritually apathetic). Not even a fraction of their spiritual sloth is gone."
