Forbearance is Protective Armour for Man

Forbearance is truth, forbearance is righteousness,
forbearance is the teaching of the Vedas, forbearance is non-violence, forbearance is sacrifice, forbearance confers happiness and heavenly bliss. In fact, it is everything in all the worlds.
(Telugu Poem)

When You Develop True Love, You Will Have No Doubts

Students! 

Forbearance is the first and foremost quality that man has to develop. This sacred quality cannot be learnt by reading books. It cannot be taught by teachers nor can it be acquired from friends. It cannot be bought in the market either, and there is no company that can supply it. It can be acquired only by following the path of truth and righteousness in daily life and by constant practice. There is no other way to attain it.

Sorrows Make Your Humanness Manifest

Forbearance is like a protective armour for man. One who wears this armour will be able to withstand all types of difficulties, sorrows and sufferings and will march forward without being bogged down by them. There is no other power greater than the power of forbearance. This is the most important quality for a human being. But man today has forgotten the quality of forbearance and has lost his humanness due to his total involvement in worldly and mundane pursuits. Even if you are in the grip of any number of sorrows, difficulties and sufferings, you should try to uphold the quality of forbearance. But man today is totally overpowered by difficulties and sorrows in his day-to-day life and has lost this valuable quality. Human life is highly precious and sacred. It is a long journey which should be performed by following the right path. On this sacred path, the quality of forbearance is most essential. It is only difficulties that help you to develop the quality of forbearance. It is not possible to develop it without undergoing difficulties. Pleasure is an interval between two pains. It is only difficulties that make you aware of the value of human life. Sorrow makes your humanness manifest. Whatever may be the pursuits of your life, you should never leave humanness. It was the quality of forbearance that protected the Pandavas in their difficulties. Difficulties are, in fact, the stepping stones to happiness.

In spite of all his difficulties, man should not give up forbearance and forgiveness. However, forgiveness should be practiced according to the time and situation. You should be discreet in your practice of forgiveness and should know when it should be put into practice and with respect to whom. When Mohammad Ghori attacked Prithvi Raj, he was completely defeated by Prithvi Raj. But Prithvi Raj, being a large-hearted ruler, forgave him and let him go scot-free. Later, Mohammad Ghori again attacked Prithvi Raj and defeated him. Mohammad Ghori made Prithvi Raj captive and blinded him. He did not have gratitude towards Prithvi Raj who had earlier allowed him to go back unharmed. You should, therefore, be cautious in practicing forgiveness while dealing with a cruel person. No doubt forgiveness is a great virtue, but it will do more harm than good if it is practiced with respect to an evil-minded person. Today man totally lacks the sense of gratitude. As he is verily drowned in selfishness and self-interest, he has become a victim of numerous difficulties. Man should put some limit to his selfishness and exercise control over his mind.

One may be the master of all forms of knowledge,
One may vanquish one’s adversaries in debate,
One may fight with valour and courage in the battlefield,
One may be an emperor reigning over vast kingdoms,
One may offer cows and gold as an act of charity,
One may count the countless stars in the sky,
One may tell the names of different living creatures on the earth,
One may be an expert in eight forms of yoga,
One may reach even the moon,
But, is there anyone who can control the body, mind and senses?
Turn the vision inward,
And achieve the supreme state of equanimity of the mind.
(Telugu Poem)

Exemplary Devotion of Sakkubai

Control of senses and surrender to God are very essential to develop the quality of forbearance. Without surrendering to God, without love for God and without His grace, it is not possible to develop forbearance. Forbearance is truth, forbearance is righteousness, forbearance is verily God. Truth is God, love is God. When you develop love, you automatically attain truth and forbearance. Sakkubai contemplated on Lord Panduranga day in and day out with steadfast faith. She considered Him as her goal of life. She was put to a lot of suffering by her mother-in-law and husband. They gave her many difficult tasks to perform with the sole intention of punishing her. In that situation, forbearance was her greatest strength. The quality of forbearance gave her peace and patience. Sakkubai performed all the difficult tasks with the feeling of surrender to God. Her every endeavour was to please God. She expressed her agony to the Lord and constantly prayed to Him:

Oh Panduranga! Without any shade or shelter, I am carrying on this burden of life only for Your sake. I become restless if I don’t see Your beautiful smile. Oh Krishna! At least come in my dreams. Grant me Your vision because I can no longer bear separation from You.
(Telugu Song)

Oh Krishna! Sing a sweet song, and fill my heart with nectarine words and bliss. Distil the essence of the Vedas, transform it into divine music, play it on Your enchanting flute, and captivate me with Your melody. Sing, oh Krishna! Sing for me!!
(Telugu Song)

Singing this prayer song, she started grinding grains, many bags of which were given to her by her mother-in-law to grind on the hand grinder. Ultimately, she was fully exhausted and fainted. But she never lost faith in Panduranga. Yad Bhavam Tad Bhavathi (as are the feelings, so is the result). Whatever feelings you have, you get the result accordingly. As are your feelings, so will be your qualities. As is the action, so is the result. Be fearless in matters relating to God. With such courage and conviction, you should develop the quality of forbearance. God is Bhakta Paradheena (under the control of His devotees). Sakkubai therefore prayed to the Lord:

How long can I bear this suffering, oh Ranga! Why do You put me to such severe tests? Don’t You have compassion on me? Are You displeased with me? Does not Your heart melt seeing my plight? Is it not true that I am Your servant? Doesn’t it affect Your reputation to put me to so much suffering?
(Telugu Song)

She made a fervent prayer to Lord Panduranga, “If I am Your true servant, why should I suffer so much? There must be some defect in me. I must have committed a sin. That is the reason for Your delay in coming to my rescue. Kindly let me know my defect so that I can correct myself”. That very moment Panduranga manifested before her. Isavasyam Idam Jagat (the entire world is permeated by God). Brahman pervades the entire universe. All are the embodiments of Brahman. All are the very forms of God. There is no name and form that does not belong to God. Sahasra Seersha Purusha Sahasraksha Sahasra Pad (the Cosmic Being has thousands of heads, eyes and feet). God can assume thousands of forms. Panduranga assumed the form of Sakkubai and performed all the household duties that she used to perform, and sent her to Pandharpur to give happiness to her.

Never doubt that God is here and not there. Wherever you search for Him, He is there.
(Telugu Poem)

Focus Your Vision on God

It is not difficult to have the vision of God if your heart is pure. In fact, it is very easy to have the vision of God. You are unable to attain God because you lack purity. You have to open your eyes to see the resplendent sun. Even if the sun is there in the sky, how can you see it if you close your eyes? Similarly, you should purify your inner vision. Then you will see God everywhere. But man’s heart is thickly covered with the dirt of evil thoughts. His mind is filled with worldly, physical and ephemeral desires. It is essential to purify your heart to see God who is eternal and ever true.

You cannot see your reflection in a mirror unless its other side is coated with a chemical. Heart is the mirror and love is the chemical. When you coat this chemical of love on the mirror of your heart, you will attain the vision of God immediately. But this coating of love is totally missing in the heart of man today. Instead it is filled with the evil qualities of hatred, jealousy, ego and ostentation. God continues to shower His grace on man at all times. But man is unable to receive it because of his misunderstanding. In fact, he has lost his humanness completely. Whatever you see in this world is just a reflection of your own feelings. God is Nirgunam, Niranjanam, Sanathana Niketanam, Nitya, Shuddha, Buddha, Mukta, Nirmala Swarupinam (attributeless, unsullied, final abode, eternal, pure, enlightened, free and embodiment of sacredness). There is no change in Him at all at any time. But you are deluded by your own feelings. Your feelings are not focused on God.

When Lord Narayana rushed to rescue Gajendra who was caught by the crocodile, His consort Lakshmi was in a dilemma whether she should ask Narayana or not why and where He was going.

At first, Lakshmi walked fast behind Narayana to ask Him where He was going,
Then, she stopped, thinking that her husband might not reply as He was rushing in a great hurry,
In that confusion, her plaited hair became loose,
And she could neither move forward nor step back.
(Telugu Poem)

Lakshmi first stepped forward to ask Narayana and then retraced her steps. Even though she was the consort of Narayana, she had a doubt whether her husband would give a reply to her question or not. When does doubt come? It comes when there is some defect in a person. What was the defect of Lakshmi? She developed ego as she thought, “Why is Narayana going without telling me”? This ego was her main defect. Ego is one of the main defects of man. It causes his downfall. The divine principle of love will manifest in him only when he subdues his ego. If he wants to get rid of evil qualities like ego, ostentation and jealousy, he has to develop forbearance. Forbearance is truth, forbearance is righteousness, forbearance is yoga, forbearance is verily God. Forbearance is everything.

Today love is only limited to the speech of man; it has disappeared from his heart. People only pretend to love but they do not really understand what love means. You will have no fear, no anger and no hatred when you have love. There is no need for you to go to the forest and perform penance nor there is any need for you to undertake various spiritual practices. If you fill your heart with pure love, that is enough. Love is always pure and sublime. Because people lack love, they start doubting even God. When they develop true love, they will have no doubts. God is ever ready to help and serve His devotees who totally surrender to Him. Such devotees have no work of their own. They always think of God and God always looks after their welfare. God always teaches man what is good and beneficial for him. Similarly, man should implicitly obey God’s command. This should be the goal of his life. Forgetting this, man today is indulging in unnecessary pursuits. This is not good.

Greatness of Draupadi

What is the real meaning of Kshama (forgiveness)? Aswatthama killed the five sons of Draupadi in the darkness of night when they were fast asleep. They were innocent and had not done any harm to him. Still he mercilessly killed them. Ultimately, Arjuna caught hold of Aswatthama and brought him in front of Draupadi. You can see yourself how great was the quality of forgiveness in Draupadi from this incident. She asked Aswatthama:

It is at the feet of your father, Dronacharya that my husbands have learnt all that they know. Being the son of Dronacharya, was it proper for you to kill my children? How could you have the heart to kill them, who were unarmed, young, quietly asleep, were not having any grudge against you, and were not contemplating any harm to you?
(Telugu Poem)

“Was it justified to kill innocent children who were not in the battlefield and were not wielding any weapon?” she questioned him.

Draupadi then fell at the feet of Arjuna and said:

Oh Partha! It is not righteous to kill a person who is afraid or has lost courage, who is asleep or intoxicated, who seeks refuge or is a female. You should not kill Aswatthama, for he is your preceptor’s son.
(Telugu Poem)

When Draupadi uttered these words of forgiveness, Bhima became furious and said:

This Draupadi is a stupid woman, for she pleads for this wretch’s freedom. She feels no anger against this murderer of her sons. This assassin Aswatthama is not a Brahmin. Do not release him but kill him. If you do not do that, I myself will hammer his head with my powerful fist, for you to see!
(Telugu Poem)

Draupadi argued with Bhima, “There is no justice in killing Aswatthama. As I am grief-stricken due to the killing of my sons, will not the mother of Aswatthama grieve over the death of her son in a similar way? Anyway, my children are no more. I cannot escape this grief. Why should you now cause grief to the mother of Aswatthama by killing him”? This is true forgiveness. You should understand the truth that the other person will suffer in a similar way if you harm him, just as you suffer when you are harmed. Is there any mother in the world today who can show such forgiveness and tolerance? This is the greatness of Draupadi. Draupadi was not an ordinary woman. She was born out of Yagnya fire and had complete control over her senses. Since ancient times, many such women of nobility have taken birth in this sacred land of Bharat and have demonstrated its pristine glory and culture. But today, the Bharatiyas themselves are unable to understand the greatness of their culture. Students should understand the greatness of Indian culture and act in a befitting manner.

In times of any adversity, you should practice forbearance so as to lead your life in a peaceful manner. People of Bharat have been treasuring this quality in their heart since time immemorial. Forbearance was the main quality of our Rishis. That was their real beauty. However, some Rishis suffered a downfall in their spiritual endeavors because they lost the quality of forbearance. They lost all their power of penance performed over a number of years. Similarly, many emperors lost their kingdoms and great scholars came to nothing because they lost this quality of forbearance. Therefore, you should consider forbearance as the quality which gives you total protection. It is your protective armour. If you forget this protective armour of forbearance and seek worldly and ephemeral pleasures, you will subject yourself to unbearable difficulties.

Anger is a Great Sin

Students! 

Forbearance is most important. Whatever may be the situation, you should always observe patience and forbearance. Never be in haste. Haste makes waste, waste makes worry. So, do not be in a hurry. Always remain calm and composed. Never do anything in a hurry. Always maintain your peace. You can attain anything if you have peace. One cannot attain happiness without peace and quietude. Therefore, maintain quietude; it is your greatest protection. Never act in haste. This applies more to students because many of them are hotheaded. For them, forbearance is most essential. They should develop forbearance and be prepared for all types of tests. You should observe patience even when others hurl abuses at you. On the other hand, if you react in haste to others’ criticism, you will lose the precious quality of forbearance. Maintain your calm even if others indulge in mean and meaningless talk against you. Your forbearance is precious like a diamond while meaningless talk of others is like charcoal. You should not exchange your precious diamond with their worthless charcoal. You should not be perturbed when others talk ill of you.

Man today is wasting his life due to lack of patience. He flies into a rage every now and then. Anger is a great sin. There are some people who recite even their prayer in an angry tone when they are angry with someone. For example, when you are sitting for Bhajan, somebody sitting close to you may cause inconvenience to you by not giving you sufficient place to sit. You have no other go but to bear this inconvenience. At the end of the Bhajan, “Shanti Shanti Shanti” is chanted three times. But because of your anger on that person, you chant “Shanti Shanti Shanti” also in an angry tone! How can you then attain peace? You should consider this as a test of your patience and be absolutely peaceful while chanting “Shanti Shanti Shanti”. But devotees today are full of anger even while chanting “Shanti Shanti Shanti”. What is the use of singing Bhajans devoid of devotion? If your devotion is true, you will observe patience whatever may be the situation. But you become angry and agitated even on trivial matters and start hating others and fight with them, thereby causing unrest in society. This is not correct. You should always remain peaceful, maintain peace in your family and radiate peace to society. That is your duty. On the other hand, if you lack peace and spread unrest in society, that is a great sin. Therefore, you should develop this quality of forbearance more and more, considering it as your very life principle.

(Bhagawan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, “Vahe Guru Vahe Guru Vahe Guru Ji Bolo …”)

– From Bhagawan’s Discourse in Sai Kulwant Hall, Prasanthi Nilayam on 26th June 1996.