Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New York

A Vedanta Temple for Universal Worship

Teachings

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Back to Teachings by Swami Yuktatmananda
Divine Qualities
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Part 3
- Part 4
- Part 5
- Part 6
- Part 7
- Part 8
- Part 9
- Part 10
- Part 11
- Part 12
- Part 13
- Part 14
- Part 15
- Part 16
- Part 17
- Part 18
- Part 19
- Part 20
- Part 21
- Part 22
- Part 23
- Part 24
- Part 25
- Part 26
- Part 27
- Part 28
- Part 29
- Part 30
- Part 31
- Part 32
- Part 33
- Part 34
- Part 35
- Part 36
- Part 37
- Part 38
- Part 39
- Part 40
- Part 41
- Part 42
- Part 43
- Part 44
- Part 45
- Part 46
- Part 47

Divine Qualities (Part 5)

Uprightness (continued)

We are essentially divine, but this divinity remains hidden from us. According to Vedanta, Self-realization, or the manifestation of this divinity, is the goal of human life. Self-realization alone can make our life meaningful, and give us eternal bliss and lasting fulfillment. Our potential divine nature begins to manifest as we grow in purity of mind by practice of spiritual disciplines. Purification of mind involves transformation of character: from animal nature to human nature, and human to divine. This transformation alone indicates if we truly practice religion.

Meanings of Uprightness

Uprightness helps us manifest our divine qualities. The Bhagavad Gita describes arjava, or uprightness, as a sign of Knowledge (13.7) and as a divine quality (16.1). Sri Shankara explains arjava as simplicity or the absence of crookedness. True simplicity means ensuring that our words tally with our thought. And Sri Ramakrishna considered this quality essential for success in spiritual life: "There is a sect of Vaishnavas known as the Ghoshpara who describe God as the 'Sahaja', the 'Simple One'. They say further that a man cannot recognize this 'Simple One' unless he too is simple." Sri Ramanuja explains arjava as a uniform disposition towards others in mind, speech and body. Perfect alignment in thought, word and deed constitutes true simplicity.

Sant Jnaneshvar gives the following meanings for arjava:

Favoring all equally without likes or dislikes: This amounts to loving all equally. Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi taught a little girl how to do that: "Do not demand anything of those you love. If you make demands, some will give you more and some less. In that case you will love more those who give you more and less those who give you less. Thus your love will not be the same for all. You will not be able to love all impartially."

Not making any distinction of mine or of others': Lack of simplicity is primarily due to selfishness and a feeling of "I" and "mine". Is it possible to get rid of our "I" and "mine"? Certainly it is not easy to give up this "unripe ego" all of a sudden. Nor is it necessary to give up the ego. Sri Ramakrishna advises us to cultivate instead the "ripe ego," which says, "I am a servant of God" or "I am a child of God." He further teaches how to live in the world as a maidservant does in a rich man's house: "Do all your duties, but keep your mind on God. Live with all-with wife and children, father and mother-and serve them. Treat them as if they were very dear to you, but know in your heart of hearts that they do not belong to you. A maidservant in the house of a rich man performs all the household duties, but her thoughts are fixed on her own home in her native village. She brings up her master's children as if they were her own. She even speaks of them as 'my Rama' or 'my Hari'. But in her own mind she knows very well that they do not belong to her at all." (To be continued)

Part 6