Haripath - homework prescribed by Saints

 

Homework – gruhapath, a nagging concern during school days. Is it not? It is not only concern for students but the parents and teachers as well. The head master, as per his foresight, instructs the teachers to create homework, by following which, students can revisit what they learned during classroom sessions. Homework helps to absorb the lessons fully. The more devoted the student the more he/she gets ready to face challenges of life when they enter the family life and not only fulfill all their duties towards family well but also assume responsible positions in the society and contribute in maintaining harmony in society. When student performs the homework sincerely, all in the chain, students, teachers, headmaster and parents of the students find great satisfaction.

 

Sant Dnyaneswar, the great saint from Maharashtra, upon instructions from His loving Guru Shri Nivruttinath, created homework for His students, essentially the whole world population. This homework is popularly called as Haripath.

 

This homework has already gone through the tests of time. Many people have already taken benefit of this homework. So it is a proven homework. What does this homework helps achieve? It helps achieve the most basic required wealth for leading happy life here and hereafter; and that is - blessings of Shri Hari. Blessings of Hari not only help to improve the quality of life on earth, but it also helps at the last moment when future path is decided.

Like school homework, there is always a tendency to postpone doing this homework. But saints strongly recommend not delaying as this human birth is a very rare chance and there is no certainty that one will again get a human body in next birth, unless proper spiritual efforts are taken under the guidance of Guru.

So, saints recommend bringing little haste in following instructions of Guru and sincerely follow the discipline prescribed by Him. When disciple follows instructions of Guru, not only Guru, but even God is pleased and offers His blessings.

Applying bhasma - a great purification practice

 

For every man there are four goals, purusharthas, prescribed to be achieved during lifetime, namely – dharma (understanding the importance of human birth, the roles to be played in that birth and the expectations of those roles, essentially understanding eternal code of conduct), artha (earning remuneration by offering services to the society while adhering to eternal code of conduct, using that remuneration and the gathered influence for maintaining and raising family and helping society for maintaining harmony), kama (strive to be content and help others to be content, purify one’s own desires and convert them into a desire for moksha i.e. getting rid of moha) and finally moksha (getting liberated from desire itself which causes one to be entangled in never ending cycle of birth and death). It is very important to pay attention to the order of these goals. First goal to be pursued is dharma which makes one eligible for artha, right usage of artha helps to satisfy all desires i.e. kama and hence leads one to the final goal of moksha. If the order is not followed the final goal cannot be reached.

 

Having understood about four goals, it is necessary to understand practices that act as aids in simplifying the journey of pursuing these goals. One of the important requirements in this journey is purifying self by eradicating effects of past sins. Past sins become blockage in pursuing these goals, and so, they have to be eradicated first to get speed in achieving these goals.

 

In the assembly of Lord Shiva, once the great sage Sanatkumar asked Lord Shiva the best practice that can help a man to not only get rid of past sins but also that can help in achieving all goals purusharthas.

 

Lord Shiva not only advised the best practice but he also narrated the procedure of applying. And that practice is, applying bhasma, also known as vibhuti, on the forehead. Bhasma is the remains of sacrificial fire in which a mixture of cow’s dung and urine is burnt and offerings are made to the divine fire. One should apply bhasma on forehead from left to right as three horizontal lines using three middle fingers (fingers except thumb and little finger). By following this practice one can get rid of all past sins and gain speed in achieving four goals of life.

 

There is a symbolic meaning as well to this practice. Bhasma means purity. The final goal of four goals is moksha which is nothing but achieving complete purity of soul. When all desires are burnt what remains is a pure soul. That’s why Lord Shiva, the purest soul, is known as madanari – meaning one who destroyed madana, presiding deity of kama. So, applying bhasma reminds one of this final goal of becoming one with Lord Shiva.

 

The simplest way to promote this practice and help others to achieve purification is to follow this practice.

Being a child of Saint - mark of a good character

People argue over behavior all the times. The interpersonal issues due to generation gap or due to conflict of interests or due to behavioral issues are a rising and intriguing problem.

The easiest measurement for anybody to check if his/her behavior is appropriate or not is to see how saint is judging that person. If saints are happy then we are good but if saints are not happy for any reason then something is wrong. As long as saints are happy they can correct any severe problem, but if saints are not happy then nobody can help.

Saints being God themselves they like what God likes. And that is innocence and devotion.

They say that one should approach a saint how one will approach one’s own mother. That is with sincerity and honesty. Nothing is hidden from mother. Mother knows all minute details about child. Saints are equivalent to thousand mothers. One may be able to deceive one’s own mother at some time or the other, but it is not possible to deceive a saint.


What’s an indication that Saint is not happy? Do they get angry? Yes saints get angry. But being angry may not mean that saint is not happy. Mother gets angry on child but that does not mean that mother is unhappy with a child. She gets angry out of love, out of her worry for a child. So also saints get angry out of worry, out of love for a person whom they consider as child.

However if a Saint stops or limits conversation with a person, it is definitely an indication that saint is not happy with that person. That may mean that saint is not considering that person as a child.

To be a child of a saint is a mark of good character. To become a child of a saint two things are needed. One has to accept saint as mother and saint has to accept that person as child.