1015 Saints Help
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Published by VOICE (Vedic Oasis for Inspiration, Culture and Education) Page 1 of 1 ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Pune, India The Spiritual Scientist An ezine for those who think! Saints Help People Discover Their Best Question: How do saints practically help others? Answer: The German poet Goethe said, “Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.” Treating all people as potentially divine is the hallmark of a true saint. Unlike such saints, most of us have a tendency to focus on people’s faults and stick labels like “lazy”, “short‐tempered”, “immoral” on them. When we harp on people’s faults, we force them into a defensive, justifying mode. This distracts them from the deep internal work that can bring out their divine potential. Let’s see a couple of examples of true saints in action. Once, the great saint Ramanujacharya (ca. 1017 to 1137), while in the sacred town of Srirangam, came across a young man Dhanur das, who was completely infatuated by a society girl and was fanning her in public. In those days, such behavior was scandalous, and people were condemning him for his shamelessness, but he was oblivious to their criticisms. Seeing him as a pure soul, Ramanuja politely asked him why he was so attracted to that lady. Dhanur das replied passionately, “I have never seen eyes as beautiful as hers.” Appreciating his earnest love for beauty, Ramanuja challenged him, “What would you do if I showed you eyes far more beautiful than these?” Dhanur das promptly replied, “I would devote myself to the person with those eyes.” Ramanuja took him to the nearby temple and showed him the beautiful deity form of Lord Ranganath. By Ramanuja’s sincerer prayers, the Lord revealed the supreme beauty of his eyes and, at that very moment, Dhanur das fell in love with the Lord. Eventually, Dhanur das went on to become one of the most exalted devotees among the disciples of Ramanuja. Srila Prabhupada (1896‐1977), the founder of ISKCON, went to America during the 1960s, the period of the counterculture, when thousands of youths were becoming “hippies”, seeking “to go high”, to have spiritual experiences, by taking drugs. Instead of judging them as degraded, Srila Prabhupada explained to them how mantra chanting – and not drugs – would enable them to “stay high forever”, to rise to a high, fulfilling, lasting state of constant spiritual experiences. Encouraged and guided by him, many of his students have become internationally respected spiritual leaders, selflessly sharing God’s love with all his children. By associating with such saints, not only can we become inspired to bring out our best, but we can also become vehicles to help bring out the best in others. Z
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Saints help people discover their best
Transcript of 1015 Saints Help
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Published by VOICE (Vedic Oasis for Inspiration, Culture and Education) Page 1 of 1 ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Pune, India
The Spiritual Scientist An ezine for those who think!
Saints Help People Discover Their Best Question:Howdosaintspracticallyhelpothers?
Answer:TheGermanpoetGoethesaid,Treatamanasheisandhewillremainashe is.Treatamanashecanandshouldbeandhewillbecomeashecanandshouldbe.Treatingallpeopleaspotentiallydivineisthehallmarkofatruesaint.Unlike such saints,mostofushavea tendency to focusonpeoples faultsandstick labels likelazy,shorttempered,immoralonthem.Whenweharponpeoples faults,we force them into a defensive, justifyingmode. This distracts
themfromthedeepinternalworkthatcanbringouttheirdivinepotential.
Letsseeacoupleofexamplesoftruesaintsinaction.
Once,thegreatsaintRamanujacharya(ca.1017to1137),whileinthesacredtownofSrirangam,cameacrossayoungmanDhanurdas,whowascompletely infatuatedbyasocietygirlandwasfanningherinpublic.Inthosedays,suchbehaviorwas scandalous, and people were condemning him for hisshamelessness,buthewasoblivioustotheircriticisms.Seeinghimas a pure soul, Ramanuja politely asked him why he was soattracted to that lady. Dhanur das replied passionately, I haveneverseeneyesasbeautifulashers.Appreciatinghisearnestlovefor beauty, Ramanuja challenged him, What would you do if Ishowed you eyes far more beautiful than these? Dhanur daspromptly replied, I would devote myself to the person with thoseeyes.RamanujatookhimtothenearbytempleandshowedhimthebeautifuldeityformofLordRanganath.ByRamanujassincererprayers,theLordrevealedthesupremebeautyofhiseyesand,at thatverymoment,Dhanurdas fell in lovewith theLord.Eventually,Dhanurdaswenton tobecomeoneofthemostexalteddevoteesamongthedisciplesofRamanuja.
Srila Prabhupada (18961977), the founder of ISKCON,went to America during the 1960s, theperiodofthecounterculture,whenthousandsofyouthswerebecominghippies,seekingtogohigh, tohave spiritualexperiences,by takingdrugs. Insteadof judging themasdegraded,SrilaPrabhupadaexplained to themhowmantra chanting andnotdrugswouldenable them to
stayhighforever,torisetoahigh,fulfilling,lastingstateofconstantspiritualexperiences.Encouraged and guided by him, many of hisstudents have become internationallyrespected spiritual leaders, selflessly sharingGodslovewithallhischildren.
Byassociatingwithsuchsaints,notonlycanwebecomeinspiredtobringoutourbest,butwecanalsobecomevehiclestohelpbringoutthebestinothers.
