SIN AND RELIGIOUS MERIT
We are doing certain acts in the householder’s (grihastha) life in
order that we as well as our children, relatives and others can eat to their
heart’s content. Just as we have to do certain mundane acts in order to procure
cloth to cover our body, food to remove hunger, house to live and other
facilities to look after our children and others, we have to do certain acts
for living happily in the world to which we would eventually go. That act is
Dharma.
There arises a doubt now. All our time is spent in working for our
food; there is no time for doing dharma; this appears to be the difficulty. If
people who talk this way spend all their time in making money, then it may be
understood at least. A lot of time is indeed wasted in useless talk, thought,
mocking others and having fun. One can do acts for benefitting the Self (Atma)
in the time left after spending for making money, without wasting that time.
Where there is will, there will be no shortage of time. While travelling in
tram, train and bus, one can chant the names of God. Will even a paisa of our
earnings here be useful to us in the next world? The only currency valid in
those worlds is the name of God. Hence we should chant God’s names without
fail. It is falsehood to say there is no time.
We can perform dharma in four ways; we can do with our body, tongue,
mind and money. Money can be used for the benefit of Self; we can do danam
(ceremonial gift) and dharma. A doubt arises on how to do danam and dharma
while in poverty. Even in poverty it is possible to curtail expenses and give
danam of one paisa at least. Everyone should resolve to donate at least one
paisa or ¼ anna every day.
Everyone spends a lot of time in sleeping and gossiping. One can stop
that and meditate on Bhagavan’s feet. That is the only ‘income’; all else is
‘expense’. All that is time spent on flesh. Our body is flesh; time spent in
relation to that is spent on flesh only.
We should not feel scared that we have sinned a lot. People like us
have become devotees and attained to good state. Even those who have been much
worse sinners than us have attained to good state. Iswara is great because he
protects sinners. Hence we should have courage and faith and keep doing good
acts.
In Bhagavad Gita Sri Krishna tells Arjuna:
“Api chedasi papebhyah sarvebhyah papakrittamah|
Sarvam Gnana-plavenaiva vriginam santarishyasi||” (Gita 4:36)
“Even if you are the greatest of all sinners, you will cross the ocean of sin by means of the boat of Gnana.”
“Aham tva sarva-papebhyo mokshayishyami ma suchah||”
We should not weep at our having committed sins. Bhagavan says: “I shall release you from all sins; hence do not feel diffident; do not weep.”
“Api chedasi papebhyah sarvebhyah papakrittamah|
Sarvam Gnana-plavenaiva vriginam santarishyasi||” (Gita 4:36)
“Even if you are the greatest of all sinners, you will cross the ocean of sin by means of the boat of Gnana.”
“Aham tva sarva-papebhyo mokshayishyami ma suchah||”
We should not weep at our having committed sins. Bhagavan says: “I shall release you from all sins; hence do not feel diffident; do not weep.”
Let us consider how we commit sins. We commit sins with tongue, mind,
body and money. With tongue we spread gossip enthusiastically and do sin.
With body we do evil acts and do sin. With money we commit many types of sins.
Even if we think that we should not commit such sins, we are unable to stop
them. Like an evil spirit the habit of committing sins has caught us; it always
encircles us. We have committed sins for a long time. That is why that habit
has not left us. How to get rid of that habit?
We should change the habit with the same way with which we commit
sins. We should put in efforts in the four ways mentioned earlier.
Mahanarayana Upanishad says that we should annul our sins by dharma.
What is dharma? That which is directly opposed to adharma is dharma. That which
is opposed to evil is good. That is dharma. What is evil? That which induces us
to commit sins. Sin is doing an act out of desire. That desire drags us by
force into committing sin.
What is sin (Papa)? What is religious merit (Punya)? The act which we feel is bad and we should not do is sin. The act which we feel is good and we should do is merit. Man always desires the fruit of merit only.
What is sin (Papa)? What is religious merit (Punya)? The act which we feel is bad and we should not do is sin. The act which we feel is good and we should do is merit. Man always desires the fruit of merit only.
The fruit of merit is to be comfortable, free from trouble. All are
desirous of that fruit only. That makes the mind peaceful; happiness results.
We desire the fruit of merit; but the majority of our actions are sinful. Our
mind is itself the witness of the sins we commit. In the matter of doing acts
of merit, there is laziness; when it comes to doing acts of sin, there is
enthusiasm.
The fruit of sin is trouble. Actions prohibited by our conscience are
sinful. We think we should avoid such acts; but there is no desire to stop
doing them. Everyone born in this world desires comfort. People think they
should only do acts of merit. They also know they should not commit sin. But
sin constitutes 80% of their actions; only 20% is merit. Coming to think of it,
this is very funny. We do not desire that we should commit sin; but our load of
sins keeps increasing. The cause of this wonder is not known. We cannot answer
why it is like this. A long time ago Arjuna, on behalf of all of us, put this
question to Bhagavan and got the reply.
“Atha kena prayuktoyam papam charati poorushah|
Anichchannapi Varshneya baladiva niyojitah||” (Gita 3:36)
Arjuna asked: “Man commits sin. Though he has no wish to do it, he does it. Who makes him commit sin? He remembers he did not wish to commit sin; there was no wish at all. Even then who is it that makes him commit sin?” Bhagavan replied:
“Kama esha krodha esha rajoguna samudbhavah|
Mahasano mahapapma vidhyenam-iha vairinam||” (Gita 3:37)
“Atha kena prayuktoyam papam charati poorushah|
Anichchannapi Varshneya baladiva niyojitah||” (Gita 3:36)
Arjuna asked: “Man commits sin. Though he has no wish to do it, he does it. Who makes him commit sin? He remembers he did not wish to commit sin; there was no wish at all. Even then who is it that makes him commit sin?” Bhagavan replied:
“Kama esha krodha esha rajoguna samudbhavah|
Mahasano mahapapma vidhyenam-iha vairinam||” (Gita 3:37)
Man desires for an object; he works for it. If he cannot get it in a
proper way, he adopts improper methods to get it. That is sin. The cause of
that sin is the desire to possess. That is called Kama.
That is an enemy of us. There is another enemy, called Krodha (anger). When we
desire for an object and that object is not available to us, anger develops
towards those who prevented us from getting that object. When kama
is deflected, it becomes krodha. Hence both can be said to be the same.
That which was kama itself becomes
krodha. We throw rubber ball on the wall; it bounces back at us. While throwing
the ball, it is like kama. While bouncing
back, it is like krodha. When kama is not
fulfilled, it becomes krodha. Kama dos not get
satisfied with anything. Howsoever much it consumes, it is not enough. If we
feed that hunger, kama flourishes. Desire does
not get subdued when it is fulfilled. Kama is
like fire. Fire, when given food, spreads and multiplies. Kama
is like that fire. Fire also does not get extinguished when it is fed. Fire has
a name, ‘krishnavartma’. It means that wherever it goes, it leaves a black
trail. Kama is also the same. Initially there
is happiness. Then there is weeping as the object is not available more and
more. Kama increases when it is fed. Kama has insatiable hunger. It is called ‘Mahaasana’
(great eater).
Krodha occurs when kama returns
unfulfilled. It is higher than kama. This has
been pointed out in ‘Naishadham’. Kali (Kalipurusha) arrives. He is accompanied
by his army commanders like Kama and Krodha. Panegyrists praise the greatness
of each commander. Krodha is also eulogised. It is said that there is no place
not entered by Kama. But Krodha is stronger
than him. Kama’s arrow cannot penetrate the
fort of Krodha. Krodha used to say that from within his fort he would attack
even Devas like Indra. Which is that fort? That is the heart of Durvasa. Kama’s arrow cannot enter there.
These kama and krodha are the cause
of the many acts of sin we commit. They are caused by Rajoguna (quality of
passion). Kama is extremely hungry; krodha is
a great sinner. They are indeed our enemies.
When we do an act without desire, there is no sin. Doing the act with
desire is sin. As the habit of committing sin is deep seated, it makes us
commit sin now again.
We commit sin with all three instruments (thought, word and deed).
There are evil thoughts in the mind. They are sin. With mouth we commit sins
like telling lies. Why has Bhagavan given us alone the ability to speak? He has
given that power in order for us to speak out that which is there in the heart.
If we tell lies, Bhagavan will feel that there is no use giving that power to
us and give us birth as bull. Bhagavan’s grant of the power of speech to us is
only for speaking truth and chanting His names.
We commit sins with four instruments, viz. Mind, speech, body and money. Sin results from act of desire. We must do good acts with the four instruments. The way we put knot in the rope, we should unknot in the same manner. With the same four instruments with which we got the habit of committing sin, we should do punya (acts of religious merit).
We commit sins with four instruments, viz. Mind, speech, body and money. Sin results from act of desire. We must do good acts with the four instruments. The way we put knot in the rope, we should unknot in the same manner. With the same four instruments with which we got the habit of committing sin, we should do punya (acts of religious merit).
Sin has two powers. Let us consider a bad habit, say, inhaling snuff.
It produces two types of bad results. One, the bad result of using snuff on
that particular day; two, the evil of inducing us to commit that act again. In
the same way an act of sin creates the habit of committing many more sins. That
habit is called ‘Vasana’ (tendency). We should develop good vasanas and destroy
bad vasanas.
Hence, realising that all sins arise from desire, we should perform
acts without desire in the four ways mentioned above. We should always do good
actions with mind, speech, body and money. Out of the money we get, we should
set apart at least one paisa every day for dharma. That money should not be
used for family, but used for dharma. We should always keep in mind that all of
our money does not belong to us. As soon as this body is dropped, that money
will lose its relation with us. If we are to make that money ours, we have to
convert it into currency valid wherever we go. In the upper worlds, the money
of this place will not be valid. If we convert this money into currency of
dharma, it will be valid anywhere. Then that money will continue to belong to
us.
Hence everybody from children to elders should keep a separate hundi
for dharma. If we had such habits right from the time we were born, we would
have accomplished much. We have forgotten our true act. We should institute
hundi of dharma for children now itself. Do we not do insurance for them? As
this insurance will be useful even after this life, this should be considered
as ‘After-life insurance’.
We should do acts of merit with our tongue. We should chant names of
Bhagavan at least a thousand times every day. It will be of use to us; it will
also ward off troubles. By useless gossip, sin and trouble arise. By chanting
the name of Bhagavan, the trouble is not there; further merit accrues. There
are many names of Bhagavan. Elders have said: ‘O Great One, with thousands of
names, worshipped by Devas’. We should chant one name of His a thousand times.
We should learn the name from elders who have attained ‘siddhi’ (success in
spiritual life from that name). For counting, we can keep a string. If we were
to chant the name of Bhagavan on our own, there is no harm.
With our mind, we should again do good acts. We should sit in one
place for some time and meditate on Bhagavan. Our mind has many thoughts. We
should know whose abode our heart is. Heart is Bhagavan’s abode. We have
dirtied that place. We have to scrub and clean that place, make Bhagavan sit there
and we should also sit with him. We should meditate on God at least for five
minutes every day. This should continue without fail at all times. This is like
eating. This is higher than even Swaraj. This should be done even when we are
unable to eat. Then there will be Grace of God. That Grace is beneficial in all
respects. We spend so much of time for earning money. Should we not spend at
least half an hour for doing this, which brings benefit to Atma? That half an
hour is the time we earn the currency of dharma. If mind is engaged in
meditation, tongue etc. will also do good acts in the same way.
We should do good acts with our body. We should go to temple, do
pradakshina (circumambulation) and prostrate. Prostration (namaskara) is called
‘performing danda’. That is falling like a rod. Thinking that this body is not
ours, but His, it should be dropped in His sannidhi (presence). By doing this,
sin will automatically drop. Arrogance (I-ness, Ahamkara) will reduce. The more
we come down, the higher will be the greatness.
It is enough for women to prostrate to husband. As husbands have
willed not to go to temple, women now go to temple including for their
husbands! It is not that they should not go to temple. You need not think it is
not necessary. Some have darshan of the Moola Linga. It is enough for some if
they have darshan of Dvaja Sthambha (Flag Staff). Merit comes to some just by
having darshan of Gopuram (tower). For women, it is enough to worship the
husband. There is a place of work for each; body must be surrendered
accordingly.
We have committed sins in four ways; we continue to do so. The
antidote for this is dharma. We must do that dharma with the three instruments
(thought, word and deed) and money. With body, pradakshina etc. must be done.
With the thought that this body is not mine, but Bhagavan’s, we must prostrate
before God. If there is no temple, we may think of God and prostrate. With
speech, we must chant the name of God. With mind, we must meditate on the lotus
feet of God. With money we must do danam (charity) and dharma.
If we do not commit sin, there is no need for us to do punya (act of
merit). As we have committed sin, we must definitely do these dharmas. Persons
of all ages from child to old person and of all castes must do dharma in these
four ways and sin will be washed off only then. As the strength of merit goes
up, the sin will reduce. The capital required for the benefit of Self will
accrue. These dharmas should be done when our limbs like hands and feet are
under our control and we must thereby pay off the loan and also accrue capital.
When the time to depart comes, our limbs will not be under our control. The
tongue will not utter what the mind thinks. Ear will not hear. Hands and feet
will not obey our commands. Eye will not see. When the sense organs are
under our control, we should get rid of our sin by doing dharma. We should not
procrastinate. We do not know what will happen tomorrow.
It has been said:
“Prayanakale manasa-achalena bhaktya yukto yogabalena chaiva|
Bhruvor-madhye pranam-avesya samyak sa tam Param Purusham-upaiti divyam||” (Gita 8:10)
When we depart from this body, our mind should not waver; it should remain like a mountain. If we do not have fear of sin, we can be that way. If there is no kama and krodha, that fear is not there. If we keep doing dharma, they will dissolve. If we look at the sins we commit, we should not be getting even food to eat. We commit so many sins. As Bhagavan is extremely compassionate, so many comforts are available even to sinners like us. Hence we should reduce sins. We must surrender everything to Him. He resides inside Atma. By surrendering body etc. to Him, desire is extinguished. Then there is no sin. When there is no sin, there arises permanent happiness.
“Prayanakale manasa-achalena bhaktya yukto yogabalena chaiva|
Bhruvor-madhye pranam-avesya samyak sa tam Param Purusham-upaiti divyam||” (Gita 8:10)
When we depart from this body, our mind should not waver; it should remain like a mountain. If we do not have fear of sin, we can be that way. If there is no kama and krodha, that fear is not there. If we keep doing dharma, they will dissolve. If we look at the sins we commit, we should not be getting even food to eat. We commit so many sins. As Bhagavan is extremely compassionate, so many comforts are available even to sinners like us. Hence we should reduce sins. We must surrender everything to Him. He resides inside Atma. By surrendering body etc. to Him, desire is extinguished. Then there is no sin. When there is no sin, there arises permanent happiness.
Om Tat Sat
(My
humble salutations to the lotus feet of
Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Mahaswamy ji humble greatfulness to VEDA DHARMA SASTRA PARIPALANA
SABHA also to
Brahmasri Sreeman P R Kannan ji
for the collection)
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