Don’t teach me! I know what is right! Whenever you ask someone to do something, that person usually doesn’t perform the said task in the specified manner. Especially if it is related to marriage, teaching, life decisions, etc.. I shall elaborate here the examples.
You tell your child that for his future growth and development he needs to do a certain course, but he doesn’t listen to you. He follows all his friends and joins something that has no value. With the wisdom and foresight given to you by your years of experience, you had advised him on his life path. But he doesn’t listen to you and does exactly as he wishes. Thereby falling into the trap set by destiny. Much later he realizes and repents on that.
Now a young girl is advised not to get into a certain relationship but she disses you and falls exactly into that relationship. Much later she realizes the futility of it all and repents. You had told her about the pitfalls right at the onset but she didn’t care to listen. You were talking about it since you had already burnt your hand earlier in life. But no one learns from your misfortunes. The girl believes that she will have the most perfect relationship and considers herself an exception to the rule. But years of knowledge has taught you that everything works in the same manner. What is the use of crying over spilt milk?
Now you are a teacher of repute and full of knowledge. You meet many students who teach you how to teach. They believe your methods are old fashioned or not suitable for them. With the little years of studies they believe they have earth shattering solutions. They wish to advise you on every little thing. Once they graduate they remember years later how your teachings were perfect.
Every penny saved is a penny earned. You have learnt it the hard way. There are no windfalls and if there are then money vanishes the way quickly too. So putting together one at a time is studied by you. But everyone falls for the fly by night operators or get rich quick schemes. They invest in the pyramid schemes and other such con games. Burning their fingers and becoming poor, they destroy their lives.
So why does the man never listen to the voice of reason? He believes he will be that one to win the jackpot, land the best or highly paid job, get the best girl or boy, have a perfect story book romance, have a happily married life, get old steadily and have retirement benefits, enjoy his holidays or vacations, have ample money to go on for the next ten generations, get all documents perfectly done, government permissions, etc…. But the reverse happens.
Human ego is the most difficult to put down or control. It constantly tells you that you are the best or the worst. No in-between for you. You are not a common person. You are capable of taking your own decisions. You have a mind which reason out with you, feeding you that you are the worlds greatest and the best. The words falls out from your mouth with the first person singular letter right at the beginning. I know. I am capable. I am the best. Don’t teach me. I know what is good for me.
We teach in spiritual to tame the ego and subdue the mind. The Guru puts you through a rigorous training of taming that ego. You do the sadhana of overcoming the mind, senses and body.Surrender to the Guru is the toughest thing in the world. There too, you will say- I know. But you don’t have the will to do so. Your ‘I’ fails. You can never be the best in the eye of the Guru till you conquer your ego and mind. You have to decimate your big fat ego in front of Him. So hardly any can survive the teachings
There will always be the I to control, who controls you. You are nobody in front of your ego. To be the best disciple of the Guru requires tremendous submission and surrender. To be the tool in His hands is the highest learning. So leave your arrogance and ego outside when you enter the portals of your Guru’s ashraya. These are the two slippers. Then strip yourself of the clothes which means you don’t have any qualms for submission. No fear or shame to bow down to Him. Destroy the false ego by the death rites or tarpana. Have a bath by removing traces of your past tendencies. Put on new garments of a new life. Get a new identity. Go forth in the world as the Guruputra.
So how many of you think can leave your ego outside? If you cannot then don’t complain when your son or daughter doesn’t listen to you. Don’t complain when you have a miserable spouse who always treats you like crap. Don’t complain when you don’t have money or future. You know you are your own worst enemy when you don’t listen to the voice of reason. So stop expecting others to listen to you.
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