haughtiness and hypocracy...

The next is abhimana or haughtiness.
Most of us while doing an action think that we are the one who is doing that action. This is because of the rajasic Guna which arises from a Tamasic base. It is human nature to claim credit when things go right but the moment something goes wrong, we blame so many factors. We start blaming our colleagues or subordinates;or say that the time was not right or at least the weather was bad!

But anyone who is serious about spiritual progress should not fall into this trap. If he does so, he will get confused on the urged to seek God will slowly disappear.

It is only in the human janma that one can have spiritual thoughts and progress. We might have been born as animals or even worse, beings of even lower orders. We cannot expect to have any spiritual thoughts, and so where is question of any spiritual progress? It is fortunate that we are born as human beings.There is no point in wasting it as long as we know and can appreciate that one needs to seek Spiritual elevation. Let us make use of it. Who knows what our next janma will be?

A new line of thought arises from the above analysis. It is common to see that one feels that he is the one who is looking after his family etc. But in reality, it is obvious that it is God who is looking after each one of the life forms. We are only acting as tools in his hands. Suppose we're not there, tomorrow he will do the same thing to someone else.

Ask anybody if he is prepared to leave this world in exchange for a permanent place in swarga (the heaven). The answer will be,"oh no! I'm sorry!" , followed by explanations that he has to look after so-and-so, be it children, wife, parents and the list may well run 2 to 3 pages. As long as we have this feeling that we are the one who can look after them, God will leave it us as we desire. The moment we surrender these mundane things to God, He will look after, and usually he does a better job. If we think deeply about these things, we will not be afraid to die, and that makes a whole lot of difference to the outlook of a person. We will simply lose fear and the spiritual progress can be very fast.

The next thing to avoid is hypocrisy. Without any doubt this will take the sataka for away from here, he will lose the simplicity and the sweetness. He will be filled with violence and bitterness. So says Narada!

Narada then goes on to generalise, what should be avoided. He simply says, "Avoid all bad things!" So you ask, what are the bad things? The answer is simple, whatever makes your mind run after the senses are bad!
Let us see down why he should say so.

dhyayato visayan pumsah
sangas tesupajayate
sangat sanjayate kamah
kamat krodho 'bhijayate
- Bhagavad gita 2.62
[While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.]

To think of mundane things start liking them. When you start liking them you desire them. When you desire something you want to obtain that. And if these efforts are frustrated it leads to anger. So, this desire and anger spoil everything.

It is said that the fire destroys on contact and poison on consuming it. But the senses destabilise the person just on thought.

if we say okay, I will think only good things, that is also not desirable. If we call, thinking bad things the iron fetter, good thoughts are Golden fetter. That is what Shri Ramakrishna says.

It is quite possible that you're getting very jittery now! What should I be doing then?! Don't worry, that stages far off. Let us first get rid of the bad thoughts, and then let us think about the good thoughts, much later.