Man, the crown of God’s creation !

“Proclaim to the whole world with trumpet voice, there is no sin in you, there is no misery in you, you are the reservoir of omnipotent power. Arise, awake, and manifest the divinity within !”

~ Swami Vivekananda  

This is a small story of a lion cub. It was in the same mental trap as we live whole life in. Mental fog is the biggest hurdle to see clearly.  

There was once a baby lion left by its dying mother among some sheep. The sheep fed it and gave it shelter. The lion grew apace and said "Ba-a-a" when the sheep said "Ba-a-a".

One day another lion came by. "What do you do here?" said the second lion in astonishment: for he heard the sheep-lion bleating with the rest. "Ba-a-a," said the other. "I am a little sheep, I am a little sheep, I am frightened."

"Nonsense!" roared the first lion, "come with me; I will show you." And he took him to the side of a smooth stream and showed him that which was reflected therein.

"You are a lion; look at me, look at the sheep, look at yourself." And the sheep-lion looked, and then he said, "Ba-a-a, I do not look like the sheep — it is true, I am a lion!" and with that he roared a roar that shook the hills to their depths.

That is it. We are lions in sheep's clothing of habit, we are hypnotised into weakness by our so called negative limited beliefs.  And the province of Vedas & Upanishads is the self-dehypnotisation.  

A beautiful Subhashit in Sanskrit...

नाभिषेको न संस्कारः सिंहस्य क्रियते वने ।

विक्रमार्जितसत्त्वस्य स्वयमेव मृगेंद्रता ॥

सिंह को जंगल का राजा नियुक्त करने के लिए न तो कोई अभिषेक किया जाता है, न कोई संस्कार । अपने गुण और पराक्रम से वह खुद ही मृगेंद्रपद प्राप्त करता है ।

There is no official coronation ceremony held or any samskar performed to declare that Lion is the king of jungle. He becomes king by his own attributes and heroism.

People value us according to their level of thinking and judgment. In society we experience that people value degree, money, position and worldly possessions. If I have these, I am being valued, else not. If people have self interest in me, they value.

It is good to have possessions, one can live a good life with it, but it’s not all in life. We are being identified with possessions that is a slavish mentality. There are three levels of life. Necessity, comfort and luxury. I have to decide at what level I can live.

To what I give weightage in life is important. To be & To have. We ignore ‘To be’ for ‘To have’. We are ready to compromise our self, health, family, happiness and what not if we get paid. One question arises in mind that Is man a purchasable commodity ? But now a day has arrived that a man is being sold. Is this development or degradation ?

We have been grown in such surroundings. We believe it as all believe it. Other’s opinions are words only. If I agree, accept and believe it, it affects me, if I don’t; words have no meaning and significance. Don’t give a key in other’s hand. It is I who is responsible for my beliefs. No one else has control over me.

One of the major reason for this mental slavery is that India is being dominated and influenced for last thousand years by many races. Who ruled India, they broke the cultural backbone of Vedas and Upanishads. They struck upon the most ancient Tapovan Education System. They introduced their system as they wanted slaves only. And foolish people are still being carried away. A real Indian is lost in dark jungle of materialism.   

Time is up now. It’s time to awake. Let us know the rich and most ancient heritage of India. Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagvad Gita are the real essence of Knowledge. These are real source of Education. Many discoveries that are revealed now a days are secretly inspired by Vedas and Upanishads. But that is not coming in light.

‘A’ for ‘Apple’ and ‘B’ for ‘Ball’... is it worthy to be known ?! Loads of information can not create a Lion. To create a Lion, spiritual values should be awakened and cultivated within.

True Dignity comes from within and not dependent on anything else. It is I that can esteem self. None else can do that.

A man is the crown of God’s creation. I am unique, rare and exceptional. I am great, original and only of my kind. I am master piece because I am master’s piece. I am potentially divine. How many times do I say this to own self ? My positive attitude towards myself can dignify my being. My self-image is in my hand. Build own self-image powerful.

A musk-deer is running every where but do not understand that from where fragrance is coming. He runs whole life but remains muddled. A musk-deer is bewildered but mere an animal so it fails to realize. But we can as God has gifted us an intellect.  

“Men are taught from childhood that they are weak and sinners. Teach them that they are all glorious children of immortality, even those who are the weakest in manifestation. Let positive, strong, helpful thought enter into their brains from very childhood.”

~ Swami Vivekananda  

I can recall wonderful lines from one poem...

Filled with sweet thought, then happy I

Take not my state from other's eyes;

What's in my mind -- not on my flesh

Or theirs -- I prize.

A wonderful Subhashit in Sanskrit...

न मुक्ताभि र्न माणिक्यैः न वस्त्रै र्न परिच्छदैः ।

अलङ्कियेत शीलेन केवलेन हि मानवः ॥

मोती, माणेक, वस्त्र या पहनावे से नहि, पर केवल शील से हि इन्सान विभूषित होता है ।

No pearl, no ruby, no costume, no attire; a man is being glorified by his character only.   

Once Swami Vivekanada was asked by an American woman during his Chicago visit, “Can’t you wear proper clothes to be a gentle man?  Swamiji smiled and said, “In your culture, a tailor makes a gentleman; but, in our culture, Character makes gentlemen.”

Let me end this article with worth remembering quote..

If wealth is lost nothing is lost,

If health is lost something is lost,

If character is lost everything is lost.

~ Swami Vivikeanda