Detachment

jaga mahañ sukha dukha dou nahiṅ, asa ura dhari le jñān
sukha māne dukha milata hai, sukha na jagat mahañ mān

Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj explains the true meaning of the word ‘detachment' and attachment’.  Most often the word ‘attachment’ is associated with love.  But this is not the complete meaning of the word.  Attachment means absorption of the mind.  This absorption of the mind can either be through love or even through hate.  Thus, whether it is through feelings of love or feelings of hate, or in any other way, the absorption of the mind in all cases is referred to as attachment.  When there is neither attachment through love nor attachment through hate that state is referred to as detachment or Non-attachment.

Ved Vyas ji says:

kāmaṁ krodhaṁ bhayaṁ snehamaikyaṁ sauhṛidameva cha
nityaṁ harau vidadhato yānti tanmayatāṁ hi te

“Whether the mind is attached to God through lust, anger, fear, love or through any other emotion, the result is attainment of God.”

Saint Kabir said:

kabirā khaṛā bajāra meṅ, sabakī māṅge khaira
nā kāhū soṇ dostī, nā kāhū soṅ baira

Detachment is living in the hustle and bustle of the world without feelings of friendship or enmity towards anyone.

Once you detach your mind from the material world, only then you can think of attaching it to God. We have only one mind and there are two areas where it can be attached-either in this material world or in God. There is no third realm where it can get attached. If our mind is engrossed in the thoughts of this material world, how it can love God?

The mind is attached to the world, because it is the firm decision of the intellect that there is definitely happiness in the material world.  In order to detach it, our intellect should make a resolution in every possible way and accept the fact that there is neither true happiness nor sorrow in the world.  When you think that worldly objects are the source of happiness, then, in their absence, you will feel sad.  Accept this fact that there is no real happiness in the world.

 

Importance of Human Life

Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj in his speeches advises us strongly to do spiritual practice. We have got this human life only to do sadhana (devotion). Just observe that all other living forms have horizontal or inclined spinal columns. Only human beings have vertical spinal columns. This is symbolic of the fact that we humans have the opportunity to elevate ourselves upwards, through the power of knowledge. Hence, Shree Maharajji says, an individual has got this rare opportunity to uplift oneself spiritually by practicing devotion.

 The scriptures say :

durlabham mānuṣham janm prārthyate tridaśhairapi

There are 8.4 million species on earth and the human form of life is the rarest amongst them. It is so rare that even celestial Gods long to attain the human form. So do not waste this life in fulfilling the desires of these material senses. We have been doing this since eternity as we transmigrated in the 8.4 million forms.

āhār nidrā bhay maithunañch sāmānyametatpaśhubhirnarāṇām

Even animals pursue the pleasures of eating, sleeping, defending and procreation. We have got this rarest of opportunities of having acquired a human body, and we must attempt to rise above the level of these four basic activities, by using our intellect. If we know the importance of this human life then we will not waste even a single moment of it.

kṣhaṇārdhamapi vyarthe naneyam

Chanakya Pandit said: The biggest mistake and act of ignorance in our lives is that moment when we forgot to remember Shree Krishna. We lose that moment and it never comes back. So, we have to speedily progress towards attaining the goal of human life. This is our golden opportunity and we can make full use of it by utilizing every moment in remembering God. One day, we will have to leave this human body and go, whether we like it or not. This body will never remain with us.     

 In one of his bhajans, Shree Maharajji says:

                                                      avasar bītyo jāt are man 

O my mind! This golden chance is passing away.

We are asleep in an illusionary trance created by our own mind. We are approaching death everyday and yet we cheerfully celebrate our birthday. We do not realize that each day which is passing by, is not a joyful moment, but a matter of regret, that so much time has passed away and very little remains. So, without further delay and realizing that this body is temporary, we should start doing sadhana from this moment.