We all have knowledge, but no awareness. Because of this, we fail to realise the purpose for which we were born. We think one thing, decide to say something else, and actually say something else altogether. And what we eventually do is totally different. Such is our life. We live as if in some dream world. Even after so many years, we remain unable to awaken awareness in thought, word or deed.
Amma is reminded of a story. Once, a father was trying to wake his sleeping son. “Son, son, wake up. It’s time for you to go to school. Why aren’t you getting up?” the father said, shaking his son.
The son replied, “I don’t like going to school.”
“Why’s that, son?”
“School’s boring, dad!”
“Why is it so boring?”
“The kids in school make fun of me.”
“Really? Alright, son, I heard the three reasons you gave. Now, listen to the three things I have to tell you. You must hear me out,” said the father.
“Alright dad, say,” replied the son.
“One, it’s your duty to go to school. Two, you are 50-year-old. Three, you are the school’s principal.”
Today, our situation is like that 50-year-old principal, who was too lazy to go to his school. We are in a kind of slumber. Our words and deeds lack sufficient awareness. Therefore, we should awake and start growing from within. Awareness will bring knowledge along with it. Cigarette packets carry a warning that smoking is injurious to health. Those who smoke know this, and yet, they continue to do so. Even though they know that smoking causes cancer, they smoke. They finally become aware of the consequences of smoking when diagnosed with cancer. When awareness dawns, they strive to get rid of their bad habits. Thereafter, even if they feel like smoking, they would not because as they become conscious of the fact that continuing smoking will kill them. That is why Amma says that we err because we lack awareness.
Once, a man approached a Guru and confessed, “O Guru, I am a thief. I ea
rn my livelihood by stealing. I want to get rid of this bad habit. Please bless me so that I can do so.”
The Guru replied, “If you cannot stop stealing, do this: after stealing, inform the person from whom you have stolen, or do so before stealing.”
The man prostrated before the Guru and left. One day, he entered a house, intending to steal. He unlocked a cupboard and was about to steal a valuable necklace when he suddenly recalled the words of the Guru. He thought, “If I steal this and then inform the owner, he will hand me over to the police who would beat me and throw me behind the bars.” The moment this thought arose, he drew his hand back. The mind tempted him to steal it, but he could not. When he thought of the consequences that awaited him, he could not steal. He left the house. The next day, too, he could not steal. The man went to see the Guru and said, “What foolish advice did you give me? You said, either steal and then inform, or inform and then steal, didn’t you? How am I supposed to steal?”
The Guru replied, “I gave you that advice to stop you from stealing. When stealing, you remembered my words and awareness dawned upon you at the right time. You realised the consequences of the deed you were about to commit. You reflected on how harmful the act was, and this prevented you from perpetrating the wrong action.”
Once awareness of the consequences of each action we perform dawns upon us, it prevents us from doing anything wrong. We err because we lack awareness.
Therefore, we should strive to be aware of every act we perform; we should strive to act with alertness.
The easiest path to do this is through meditation.
(The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader)