The Wisdom of Silent Suffering

The Wisdom Of Silent Suffering. By Swami Sharananad.

Translated from Hindi into English by Arwind Vasavada A Jungian Analyst Chicago.

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Foreword

This is an attempt to translate the untranslatable. - the Wisdom of Silent suffering. The author went blind at then age of 10 which destroyed all his hopes of formal education and marked his life with a series of disappointing events. With a staff in hand, all alone, he roamed about the length and breadth of India. Later, when he was known as a holy, wise man, he was surrounded by seekers and known as the Blind Saint. Once he told about an event in his life. He was invited by a rich man in a big city. He stayed there in all luxury and comfort for three days. He would not stay ant where for more than three days. An old poor seeker saw him walking along the road and heartily welcomed him to his

home. That also ended after three days. There was no one to invite him. He went out of the city, found a place under the shade of a tree and sat down. He was there for three days in heat, sun and rain, without food and shelter. That too passed as someone else invited him home.

Lessons from pain and suffering is the cream, the essence and wisdom of such painful turns of life of silent suffering.

I trust a part of this wisdom is transmitted through this translation, which is a free rendering.

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The Wisdom of Silent Suffering.

According to cosmic order, that which visits every man in spite of not wanting, is pain and suffering; and that which does not last, in spite of wanting it, is pleasure. It is impossible for any man to stop pain and struggle to maintain pleasure. It is, therefore necessary to welcome that which cannot be prevented, and it is foolish to make pleasure as a goal of life, since none can maintain it permanently and prevent it from passing away. However, one clearly realizes on deeper insight that no one wishes to live in constant fear and servile dependence on anything. Man, at heart, wants freedom from all kinds of fears and dependence. According to benevolent plan of Nature, fulfillment of this need for freedom is possible on all occasions. Desires can be fulfilled only when right opportunities are available; but this inner need for freedom is possible any time and on all occasions. It is, therefore, necessary not to feel despair when events seem frustrating and unwanted. It is a mistake and inalertness to wait for the right opportunity to fulfill one's inner need for freedom.

Fear causes loss of inner clarity, misappropriation of one's abilities and misuse of things. Fear also stop one's growth, since it depletes energy. Fear brings about inattention and stupidity. In order totally to eradicate fear one has to learn from

uninvited suffering and not to wallow in it. Wallowing in pain keeps man bound to dependence on past pleasures and also greed and false hope of its return.

There is no place for dependence on pleasure and fear of pain in man's life. So long as one is dependent on pleasure, fear of pain will not go away. One has to end this dependence. What a paradox that man does not give up his dependence even though he knows that this dependence is ineffectual in maintaining pleasure. It is this dependence which does not allow one to learn the lessons from pain. Being with pain, welcoming it will help remove this dependence and augment inner growth.

In reality, fear of pain feeds one's wallowing in it. It prevents being with pain. Even though one is afraid of favorable circumstances going away, can one stop them at any time? Have the worst unfavorable event ever stayed forever? Unfavorable events visit us in order that we end our dependence on favorable circumstances. It is a mistake to be afraid of them. Favorable events can make us compassionate, but enjoyment of them will bring forgetfulness and inattention. Turns of events in life are like passing clouds in the sky. They do not constitute life. Inalertness alone lets us get involved in them. Disrespect for one 's inner light - discrimination - is the cause of inalertness.

Welcoming pain and being with it - not wallowing in it - and not longing for pleasure is learning from pain. Soon one is free from false hope for pleasure true inquiry and intense desire for life beyond pleasure and pain awakens. Now, the door for further growth is open.

One feels pain as soon as one sees the possibility of one's pleasure going away. If by inattention, one starts longing for pleasure one is indulging in pain and not learning from it. If the desire for pleasure does not arise and one can see pain in the ongoing pleasure, one is learning the lesson, because seeing that pleasure is pain ends further desire for pleasure. Ending desire for pleasure is also ending pain which means one is on the way to life beyond both - pleasure and pain.

Inner need of man is for freedom and spontaneity. Enjoyment of pleasure and wallowing in pain is suffering. Pleasure and pain lead to disease and sorrow, which no one wants really. Happiness and pleasure are transient state of mind

supervening satisfaction of any activity. Whether desire is good or bad, intense or weak, satisfaction is just the same. It is true that an activity which supervenes at the end of every other activity keeps the love for pleasure alive, but it imprisons us also. If pleasure were an independent fact other than satisfaction of an activity, it would have stayed permanently and harmful activities would have disappeared altogether in the end. The facts are otherwise. The life of a pleasure seeker never gets nearer to spontaneity and creativity. Thus, we see the difference between pleasure and spontaneity.

Man thinks that the other is happy because he possess - a car, a house, a well paid job and things like that. One is not happy because of things he possess but one feels happy in doing satisfying activities. Since not all the desires are possible of satisfying at one time and in one situation, how can one accept pleasure as the goal of life. Pleasure is a passing phase. Nature according to its benevolent plan continues to bring pain in life so that one may become free from the serfdom of pleasure. How can one enter life of freedom and creativity being imprisoned as such in pleasure.

If one looks deep within, one really wants a life of unending and evergrowing interest. Man imprisoned in desire lives a dependent life and is never able to taste freely flowing interestful living. Desire suppresses this need, though it cannot destroy it. What now one has instead, a life full of boredom and devoid of interest.

Half heated attention to pain kills alertness, it is difficult to distinguish between mere happiness and unimpeded flow of life - spontaneity. One has to make effort to get pleasure, hoard things and remain dependent on things and circumstances. It makes one insensitive. Rest and silence, love and independence are required to experience a life of eternal; interest.

All pleasures pass away in due course leaving the pleasure seeker feeling guilty, since he continues to blame himself for not being smart enough to keep it continued. He lives the life of guilt, never knowing what innocence is. Let man use his happy circumstances in the service of mankind.

The lure for pleasure is like a poison. A poison kills a man outright, whereas a pleasure seeker undergoes pains of birth and death many times over. Insults and servility visit him constantly. What a blunder that one cannot give up pleasure seeking in spite of all humiliation he experiences.

Proud of one's qualities, limited power and abilities, man forgets his dependence and the pain and insults suffered through life. He cannot learn to be affectionately detached; rather he becomes an angry person, who sometimes harms himself and his dear ones. Thus living in dependence, he does not make use of whatever is available.

Indulgence in pain makes one weak; being with pain, welcoming it, brings strength. A pleasure - seeker writhes in inferiority. Being with pain ends indulgence and frees him from beggarly dependence. There is something other than tolerating pain and not tolerating it. If one can experience that, it is the remedy to end pain. Tolerating pain decreases the intensity of pain and not tolerating pain disturbs the peace of mind. This something which is beyond bearing with pain or not bearing with it can dawn only when one becomes aware of one's hidden, lurking dependence on pleasure.

One can never be free from fear so long as dependence on pleasure persists. Without realizing the true nature of pain dependence on pleasure continues. It is a mistake to suppress any pain which comes about unbidden and naturally. One can really learn the lesson from pain only when one does not suppress it in order to have future pleasure. There is no reason to complain about pain which comes on its own. Such an attitude will help know the reason for pain.

One suffering in pain, getting afraid of it begins to suppress it in many unnatural ways. Not only that he begins to despair about the reality of life. He begins to long for pleasure which leads him to unhealthy activities. He starts taking pleasure in paining others. He becomes a sociopath. Let pain be faced rather than be suppressed.

Intensity of pain and suffering is in no way harmful, but helpful to the person. To accept defeat at this time is detrimental to one's growth. Suffering awakens the latent power within and makes the person alert and aware. He becomes humble and begins to lead a useful life.

There is no other way to gain self - dependence but by affectionately detached through suffering. Pain and suffering is unasked and is a gift of the Divine. It is not a punishment. Nature is very kind to bring about this situation so that man may become free of the lure of transient pleasure. Do not be afraid of pain, but welcome it and let it teach us. Unless one unwaveringly trusts that in and through learning from pain lies one's deliverance from pain and lure for pleasure, one cannot really be free.

Man continues to be afraid of pain as long as he gives importance to pleasure. Pleasure does not come by asking for it; it comes on its own, according to Nature's benevolent plan. Look at what good things we have and begin to distribute them to the needy; Longing for what you do not have will; go away and you will become calm and balanced. One should then begin to perceive that pain and unhappiness are always present at the end of pleasure. That pleasure is lasting is an illusion. Be alert not to think of future pleasure, for in good time pain and suffering visit. Pain and pleasure are alternating phases of life. Life is beyond both.

Being with pain and learning its lessons destroys lure for pleasure but not pleasure. According to natural law, happiness comes on its own, so also pain and suffering, in spite of ourselves. If we ponder over this it becomes evident that it is senseless to strive for pleasure and be afraid of pain, since it is a mistake to hang on to that which will eventually go away and be disturbed by that which will come in spite of not wanting.

Everyone experiences happiness when a desire is fulfilled and pain when it is not fulfilled. The source of all desires is our identification with the body. It is wrong thinking. Respect for inner light - discrimination - is sufficient to end wrong thinking. Discrimination is present in all of us. One's identification with the body ends when light of discrimination dawns. This also ends desiring. Being desire-free opens the door to Life beyond pleasure and pain. Lure of pleasure blinds discrimination. When one is afraid of polarities - dependence on pleasure and fear of pain - but sees through them, one also begins to ask, "What is this life after all?" Everyone has to answer his question for himself. To overlook this burning question of life is nothing but inalertness and sleep.

One has to distinguish between desire and inner need. Desires get fulfilled sometimes and sometimes not. Desire is a state of mind. Inner need is something one can not live without.

States of mind are always changing. To be imprisoned in a state is to be imprisoned in want and frustration. Want is not Life. It is, therefore, essential to turn away from it and be affectionately detached from that which is not life. Turning away will awaken the real question, "What do I really want?" or "What is the inner need?" This is our question, it is a question of the present moment. Until it is resoled no other question need be allowed to occupy our mind. In the moment of total confrontation the question alone remains; the question and questioner unite. There is no separation. This is the real need. Then question alone exits.

The source of desire and the source of inner need are identical. The only difference is that desires are many and the inner need is one. In the state of desiring the desire and the one who desires are separate, a sense of tension is experienced. But when the inner need awakens, the inner need and the one in whom it is awakened are one. We cannot separate ourselves from our inner need. It is a fact. Desires may cloud our inner need for a short while. They cannot kill the inner need. But once the inner need is awakened, all desires totally disappear like darkness before light.

Pleasure and happiness will continue to visit according to natural law even when attraction for pleasure has ended. Pain visits us in order to end it.

We all know that every circumstance is a mixture of pain and pleasure. To view these alternating events as the essence of Life is a mistake and the cause of man's getting involved in them and tolerating them. Though pain is repulsive and pleasure is attractive, but the pleasure - seeker has to go through pain in spite of himself. It has never been possible to for any man to live happily without enduring pain. There may be variation in degrees of pain and pleasure in the lives of two people, yet pain remains and continues in their lives while enjoying pleasure. Not only that, there is a no enjoyment of pleasure which is not fraught with pain in the beginning and end. There is no pure pleasure in the life of a pleasure - seeker. The pain of hunger is the happiness of eating food; the anguish of separation is the ecstasy of union. The end of enjoyment is not sweet and pleasurable as the beginning. According to Nature, the enjoyment of pleasure begins to ebb slowly on

its own. The energy to enjoy pleasure diminishes and destroys the object of pleasure. That is why pain is the residue at the end of all enjoyments. Thus, one sees that enjoyment is fraught in one way or other with violence, dependence and want. When anguish caused by this want eats up the attraction for pleasure pain begins to teach its lesson. One can then walk the road to self - dependence becoming affectionately detached from circumstances mixed with pleasure and pain.

Dependence, violence and boredom is undesirable for an aspirant. Freedom is the real need of man. Being with pain helps strengthen and stabilize the inner need. External events may appear different, but they are essentially the same. This makes it evident that inner need is not dependent any special circumstance. Hence, to misuse the present situation and to invite or desire for that which is not available is an obstacle in fulfilling the real need. When an aspirant with discrimination accepts the present moment - the available situation or event as helpful for the purpose of growth, he can make good use of that available opportunity. It will help him to be affectionately detached from events and persons. This is marching on the road of growth. Happiness is the occasion to be generous and call to be affectionately detached. To be generous is to be compassionate towards those who suffer and to feel happy towards those who are happy. Ordinarily everyone is compassionate and caring. He feels for others, but it is out of attachment. A wife feels for husband and vice versa. An aspirant's attachment is different. An aspirant does not have attraction for pleasure nor does he crave for what is not available. He distributes his happiness to others and builds a sane society and bring harmony among people.

To believe what is given as one's own and that it is only for himself is not right thinking. Such beliefs generate confused thinking. Right thinking ends all confused thinking. What is given is not only for us. It is given to be used rightly. it is the easiest way to be detached from our belongings. It helps to be detached easily and helps us to be content with what we have and do not have. This is being free in desiring. It brings peace and calm. Calm and rest is source of all power, energy and affectionate detachment.

Who is this person who is enduring pain or enjoying pleasure? He is the one who calls himself suffering and enjoying. It is "I" or "Me". It is this person, the "I" the "the Egoji" who is lured by pleasure, afraid of pain, but also wants to end the pain. This also is the person who can be immortal and demands unimpeded continuance of joy and bliss. Being with pain ends lure for pleasure, which totally ends pain. One then becomes hungry for immortality and bliss. The intensity of hunger manifests eternal union and immortality on its own, according to the benevolent plan of nature. One has to trust and have Faith in this divine, benevolent plan. It is absolutely necessary.

A miserable man can not end his pain by its own efforts, hence he can not have faith in himself. In such a critical situation, often times one begins to lean on something without faith. Even if he accepts this with trust the problem can be solved. When one does not give up pleasure in spite of suffering, it return to him again in the guise of pain in order to unite him with immortality and bliss.

Discriminative intelligence informs us that it can not prove that the object - the Seen is self - existent. Whatever is Seen is only an appearance, transitory. The Seen, though, invites action, but it is never possessed. The things on which we depend may be useful, but one can not put faith in them. One can not trust them. They are transient and go away as they come. It then, becomes necessary to inquire into the reality of the Seen. What after alls is that appears. Know the "This." Trust The That." The "I" the "Egoji" normally identified itself with the "This." It also has yearning for "That." Identification with "This" is the cause of all desires and imprisonment is in fear or pain and dependence on pleasure. Being with pain removes identification withThis and awakens the yearning for That."

Every turn of event is nixed with pleasure and pain. If man were free to arrange events according to his choice. He would have succeeded to have all circumstances favorable to him, since no one likes pain and suffering. Experience tells us that no one has been able to do so. However, man is free to make good use of the available situation, though unable to arrange than according to his choice. Circumstances are a part of cosmic order.

Pleasure imprisons man into isolation; pain inspires man to be free of this imprisonment. A pleasure - seeker gets bound to the present good life; man in pain becomes anxious to free himself from pain. Pleasure binds, pain frees. If the aspirant can see the hand of the Beloved behind the veil of pain and pleasure he can really be free from fear of pain and serfdom of pleasure. He can become the love of the One - the remover of pain - God.

Pain is pain, degrees do not matter. It is not the case that severe pain will open our eyes easily. It depends, m upon a person. One who cannot tolerate dependence, helplessness and boredom easily awakens to the inner need to be free. There is life beyond pain and pleasure. All that is required is alertness, watchfulness.

Neither the history of humanity nor the experiences of individual testify that circumstances are wholly favorable, without the least admixture of pain. There is no man who does not undergo pain while enjoying pleasure. Life certainly is beyond both pleasure and pain.

It is necessary to see that man is more than the turns of events in life. He need not sell himself cheap to circumstances. He is a value in himself. Circumstances are merely useful materials. Until he sees his Self as separate from circumstances, he can notinnerstand who really he is. Man who realizes his independence from circumstances can be aware of his responsibilities to himself as a human being and to his inner need. He will then be aware that responsibilities and inner need are of prime importance. The felt immediacy of the problem can always be solved.

"I can not fulfil my responsibility:, or "Inner need is not fulfilled," such statements arise our of ignorance. If one continues to say "I can not do anything about it," he really does not understand the meaning of not - doing. Real non - doing is attained only when one has done all that needs to be done or when he has made full use of what is available to him. It is also attained by coming to Rest through desire - free state of mind, which means he is affectionately detached from things and events. One also comes to the sane state through trustful surrender. Any one talking about "Non - doing" before this reveals sheer idleness, sleep and unawakened state,

It is clear that things of the world and persons are not be had by mere wishing for them. If it were possible one would not experience separation from persons one loves most and things one wants most. Things and people visit us according to the plan of cosmic order.

It is not true that when one is searching for one's inner need favorable circumstances will not help. When one buys fruits in an orchard, he has shade and fragrance of the fruit without cost. So, when one is on the way, favorable events begin to emerge. However, an aspirant does not cling to them.

Distinction between Desire and inner need has to be seen clearly. When one begins to see that, he sees two different kinds of pains, "Lifeless" and "Living" or "vibrant". In "Lifeless" pain one goes on tolerating and undergoing it, expecting, hoping that it will go away and replace pleasure. "Living" pain leads one to seek rest and cessation of pain, freedom from desire and not hope for future pleasure. No only that, he starts searching for Life which is full of unfathomable love, freedom and cessation of pain.

Anguish generated by frustration of desire is a very important aspect of life. Satisfaction of desire is dependent on things and events. One feels frustrated when it is not fulfilled. On deeper insight it is clear that pleasure does not result from satisfying a desire. Joyous ease is present even before and after a desire. But man does not see it.

Senses merely inform about sensations, pleasurable or painful. Intelligence, discriminates between healthy and unhealthy pain or pleasure. Discriminative intelligence is necessary to overcome lure of senses. When intelligence is keen enough to end unhealthy desires, it merges into its origin - the Light within. The Light within begins to direct one's path.

No one disrespects and looks down upon those in pain and sorrow because they are disabled by natural causes and not on account of their mistakes and actions. Compassion awakens in the heart for such people. One who is in pain and sorrow due to his mistakes becomes impatient. He feels hurt and inadequate. Society does not respect such people. Such a person can not follow the right path until he unswervingly, trusts in the innocence of the present moment and resolves not to repeat the past mistake. Each one is pure and innocent in the present moment.

Society generally ignores those who remain in pain due their mistakes. A rare great person out of compassion respects and loves them. He infuses self confidence and helps them on the right path.

There is no higher service than empathizing with suffering of others. Those trusting in the innocence of the present moment do not look down upon anyone and do not hurt anyone, can render this service. Those who are ready to see and acknowledge their mistakes and resolve not to repeat the past mistake can really help those who are mistaken and are in sorrow. Innocence is present each moment, the lure of

pleasure obliterates its memory. Being with pain and learning from it can remove this forgetfulness.

Those who, while living in happy circumstances, can become sympathetic and caring for people suffering in pain and sorrow can very easily turn towards the search for truth of life. They need to be alert, sincere and cautious. They can become free from lure of pleasure having learned the lesson from their own pain and suffering. Such persons will not care for appreciation or otherwise from people. A grace from heaven falls on them. Their ego dissolves. They reach the completion of their life goal. Non - clinging to good qualities is absolutely necessary. It is possible only when intensity of co - passion reaches such a climax that he feels pains of others as his own,

One has to be very alert on the path of Self - search. Ending desire brings peace. Peace is much more tempting than happiness and satisfaction. One can start indulging in it. One can get caught in it which results in isolation and separation from the world. Isolation means division between I and other One can also get caught in self - praise and social approval. This indulgence can again lead one back to pain and suffering. One has to keep clear of all this since it keeps the little me "Egoji" alive - the cause of all pain.

Pride in one's good qualities prevents one from seeing and acknowledging ones short-comings. It is easy to end them if known and accepted honestly. It makes one humble before the Unknown. Adorning oneself with virtues does not remove short - comings, rather it increases one's pride and ignorance.

It is a law that when deeply felt , a lack or shortcoming within generates anguish and yearning, then short coming begins to be filled naturally and effortlessly. Intense anguish of the present moment alone is fruitful in the future. In order to experience innocence intense yearning and anguish for the absence - emptiness within is necessary. This is possible only when one ceases to see defects in others. Intense anguish for one's faults cannot come until then. Blaming others prevents seeing where ones is failing. Desire to be innocent devours lure for pleasure.

Inner need alone can be fulfilled, since it is one with the essence of man. Desires are many and Inner need is one. Desires create separation between man and object of desire. They are not congruent with inner need.

Every activity begins and ends. Each activity brings one to rest for a while. But every activity for pleasure leads to further unending pursuit of it. It brings depletion of energy and weakness. Desires crowd man's mind. They confuse and lead to undesirable action. Compassion for the suffering can end the pursuit for pleasure and bring one to rest and peace. This also ends depletion of energy and loss of strength.

Man desires pleasure without pain, peace without fear, and happiness not dependent on anything. Experience of life tells us that pain lurks in the beginning and at end of pleasure and happiness. If pleasure did not end in pain, pleasure certainly would have been the achievable goal of life. Life does not confirm if. In spite of all this there is such a seduction in pleasure that temptation for pleasure continues haunt man. He continues to pursue it even though knowing that pain will visit him at the end of pleasure. That is why man naturally longs for happiness pure and unmixed. Life beyond pain and pleasure is attainable. It is the only goal of life. Happiness, pure and unalloyed is not the same as happiness which results after satisfaction of a desire. Life beyond pain and pleasure is an attainable goal.

Every man loves happiness and peace, but peace dependent on favorable circumstances is fraught with fear. Such peace mixed with fear is an illusion of peace. It is the mother of disruption. Peace, pure and independent of everything is the real need of an aspirant. Power to maintain peace obtained with dependence on persons and circumstances is totally a mistaken attempt. Power is generally used always towards the helpless and weak and not towards equally powerful or more powerful..Use of power towards weak makes the user weak in the end. Not only that he creates opposition against him and has to experience the same fate he brought on the weak. Right use of power brings unity obliterating all difference between weak and strong.

There is no nation, class or a person who is wholly strong or weak. We all are a mixed bag. If a man in power and strength can be compassionate towards weak and knowing his weakness can feel happy towards the strong and powerful, he can dissolve all differences into unity and bring peace without a trace of fear. True service consists in being happy with happy and compassionate with the suffering. One really can serve only when he is free from clinging to

possessions. He can then use what he has in the service of humanity. In order to awaken love and sense of service freedom from clinging to possessions is necessary.

To bring love into world we have to understand that body and world are one. This is correct understanding of materialism. Body and the world are made of the same stuff. Just as it is naturally desirable to protect and preserve the body and not to destroy it, it follows that we should protect everybody and not destroy them. Keeping safely protected this little "me" and trying to protect its own selfish interests is not the correct understanding of materialism. It is a source of disruption, destruction and indulgence in pleasure. "May this body be in service of the world." such an objective of life can bring Love all over the world.

The understanding of spirit tells us that we all are in essence one - Self. Self alone IS. The world as an aspect of Life is also Self. This understanding also helps bring Love in the world. Self is light in the world and unto everything. If alone IS. Trust and faith in the Divine also makes for love in the world.

We all know that happiness resulting from fulfillment of desire is experienced only in waking and dreaming states. One can not enjoy then state of happiness all the time, nor actually is it available. One naturally turns away from what is neither interesting nor possible. That is why man longs for sleep and values it. Have we not forgotten our dear ones and precious things in sleep? This shows that ending of desire is more valuable than fulfillment of it. All desires naturally end in sleep. But sleep can not be an act of will. Drugs do bring sleep but it is not a natural sleep. It is not possible for man to will sleep in its totality. Man is thus dependent even on sleep. Sleep is more pleasing than waking and dreaming. Sleep is an experience of evenness, also there is absence of pain. Pain is always present on waking and dreaming. In sleep pain is absent. Yet sleep is not free from inertia and dependence. An aspirant through discrimination fulfills his desires with a sense of duty, forgoes unnecessary desires and becomes thus thought - free. He will then experience the end of pain even in waking state like one experiences in sleep. He will then put an end to inertia and dependence also. Thus being thought - free is more important than sleep. Still to be lured by a thought free, peaceful state is also a dependence of a kind. Thought - fee peaceful state can be used as a means to freedom, since peace leads to freedom. Through discrimination one can be free from the lure of peace, since freedom is more valuable than peace. To trust in the plan of nature - the unknown is real freedom.

Fear of pain and indulgence in pleasure imprisons man in dependence on pleasure. Indulgence brings inertia. It is undesirable for any man. Being with pain and learning from it makes one alert and attentive. Inertia and dependence are intolerable to any awakened person. Being awakened makes one fully aware of the present. An awakened person is inspired to shun dependence on pleasure and fear of pain. Being awakened is to be on the Way. Dependence on pleasure robs compassion and fear of pain drives away joyful ease. Compassion for the suffering removes temptation for pleasure. Compassion removes all differences and divisions and makes generosity manifest. One feels happy seeing others happy and compassionate towards those who are suffering. He becomes free of boredom. Being with pain and learning from it is the Way.

Being alert and awakened is an unusual kind of light. which dispels inertia. Being awaked is a gift of the Infinite. It is total illumination. Inertia is always partial; it is ever present with us all, we are never completely asleep. To believe partial alertness to be an awakened state leads to pride. Total illumination destroys partial inalertness.

Pride in good qualities nourishes one's faults. It is the root cause of all faults. Being with pain allows one to be sensitive to one's faults and awakens him to follow right path.

Generosity born out of alertness fills one's heart with love. A loving heart does not see faults in others, nor does he bear ill will towards others. He can not at all hurt anyone. Ending faults brings divine qualities. It is futile to fight and suppress one's failings. One needs to be naturally. effort - essay free of faults. It is possible by being generous. it a quality of an awakened man. One must constantly remember that "We all are innocent in the present." A generous man is desire - free and affectionately detached.

One can not practice to be at joyful ease nor can it be had any kind of effort. Desire - free state naturally brings joyful ease. All efforts and practice need involvement of mind and body. They bring dependence and identification with the means of attaining it. Being desire free brings affectionate detachment towards all. No effort is required at all. One has not to tolerate dependence of any kind at all.

One can be affectionately detached through being generous. For some, affectionate detachment opens the door to generosity. Feeling types of persons become generous naturally, whereas, thinking type become detached naturally.

Ability to feel for others, discrimination and energy to act is a gift of the Divine. All these become useful only when the aspirant does not become attached to power and energy obtained through generosity and affectionate detachment. And he does not remain content with dependence. Grace from heaven fall on him spontaneously in the form of loving trust and confidence in the Divine and oneness with it. Profound love then over flows, his heart and his life becomes useful to the world.

Inquiry for truth and yearning for love exists in this Ego-atom. Desire to be happy by possessing things, person and circumstances are the seeds that make one dependent on the world - the other. Desire to be happy imprisons man in love of power. This leads to suffering caused by attachment and anger. All clinging attachments lead to inalertness, anger and forgetfulness. Being with pain and learning from it frees man from love of power, ending the lure for pleasure. He becomes desire -free. True inquiry ends all wrong thinking and fulfills the quest for truth He is now self-dependent or truly his own master. Here lurks a very subtle attachment and ego-atom begins to indulge in it. Total disappearance of ego is not possible, without awakening of Love. Freedom is Divine, but it is a mistake to depend on freedom which keep ego alive.

Just as dependence on activity, thinking and states of mind make one isolated and divided, likewise, dependence on peace and freedom keep the subtle aspect of ego alive. Ego is not a self-existent entity. It needs the support of others to keep it alive. It is true that peace and rest are reservoirs of energy and freedom, the source of immortality, but to remain content with them is to turn away from Love. To turn ends into means is to keep the ego alive. The aspirant, in essence, is profound peace, eternal remembrance and deepest Love. The goal and the aspirant are identical. May the aspirant be in unity with the essence and feel fulfilled. Being with pain and learning from it is the fulfillment of life.