Compassion
‘Compassion’ is a superior, ‘universal love’ sentiment that has at its core this abiding desire: 'May all souls of the universe also enjoy eternal spiritual bliss that I am enjoying.' One's heart just cannot feel such compassion without first feeling selfless love that is free of craving.
In other words, compassion is to mirror one's self in others and to experience another person's sufferings as strongly as one's own. Compassion leads to the development of other virtues like equanimity, tolerance, patience and selflessness. It spurs selfless efforts to uplift the downtrodden.
The fountain of compassion, that is so vast that it can engulf the entire universe, leads deserving and eager souls to self-realization and, ultimately, all the way to liberation.
Profound equanimity is the ultimate fruit of compassion - the idea that one’s soul is indeed identical to that of others is the seed of this tree of compassion.
It is important to develop the spiritual perspective that one’s true self is indeed God-like (like Siddha Bhagwan). Keeping this undaunted faith helps build one's conviction and in developing equanimity, an all-encompassing attitude of friendliness and brotherhood as we see that the entire universe is a family of God-like souls. Ultimately, this, with other precious virtues such as friendship, adoration, compassion and equanimity, leads to the realization of one’s true self.
This potent stream of compassion flourishes within the heart of a truly enlightened soul and encompasses all souls of the universe. Enlightened souls feel others’ sufferings far more than their own. Their tender hearts undergo agonizing pain when they see people chasing a mirage in the illusory hope of achieving true happiness.
The compassionate foresight of enlightened souls is not focused on eliminating the temporary sorrows of one's present life; it is actually focused on eliminating all sorrows of all times, leading souls towards eternal happiness.
The compassion of enlightened masters is devoid of expectations. Param Krupaludev Shrimad Rajchandraji has aptly said, "Even continuously extolling the selfless compassion of the enlightened soul awakens the true nature of the self."
Such selfless love attracts one towards the enlightened Master. It awakens the purity of one’s soul, eliminating worldly filth. The degree of awakening of compassion is directly proportional to the degree to which the soul has been purified. The love that enlightened souls have towards the other souls of the universe is a 1000 times greater than the love a mother has towards her child.
"Service of mankind is service to God", "serving the interest of others is serving the interest of the self" - by embracing these noble principles in his life, Param Pujya Bhaishree has made selfless service his daily routine. He has dedicated his entire life towards serving others. Bhaishree's life goals are upliftment of the souls of spiritual seekers and upliftment of the suffering masses of the society. His compassion towards the souls of the universe in every step he takes is just mind-boggling.
During several occasions and functions at the Ashram, Bhaishree serves food to construction workers himself. He always takes comprehensive cognizance of the health and other minutest concerns of the employees and the elderly living at the Ashram. The numerous ongoing humanitarian programs of the Ashram such as the Ashirvad Viklang Center, Prem ni Parab, Community Health Center, Eye Hospital, Dental Clinic, Girl's School, eye camps, food grains distribution, buttermilk centres, camps for the handicapped, etc. are true symbols of the profound compassion that dwells in Bhaishree's tender heart.
He has utmost compassion for even the smallest of life forms. Bhaishree conducts all his routine activities with utmost sincerity, awareness and care. If he finds a tiny mosquito or insect on his bed, he gently and lovingly lifts it with a piece of paper, taking care not to injure it, and places it at a safe location. He is constantly looking for avenues to construct or assist the development of shelters for cattle, other animals and birds. To ensure that small, remote villages can receive and store water easily, he has got many check dams made.
To encourage humanitarian activities, Bhaishree has made several arduous journeys, negotiating narrow alleys in small villages, difficult terrain and tough weather conditions, without ever bothering about his own well-being. He has melted his personal need for comforts and his ego in the mammoth flow of his unfathomable compassion.
Bhaishree’s tremendous control over his body and mind is evident when he sits cross-legged for every discourse, whether it’s an hourly one in Mumbai or a three-hourly one in a Sayla shibir. When he uncoils his legs, there is no stress on his face. When he gets up, there’s no rigidity of the presumptive mind or the aching body. Apart from his phenomenal self-control, this demonstrates how he has melted his need for comfort in the flow of his unfathomable compassion.
Once Bhaishree was unwell and had been advised rest. All the Brahmanishts pleaded with him to take it easy. But he smiled away their concern and travelled to Sayla from Mumbai against medical advice to conduct the shibir. The day before the shibir, the spirits of the assembly were a bit low as everyone was worried for him. Bhaishree looked around the hall slowly, his knowing eyes not missing a thing, and grinned. He laughed in that gentle gurgle of his and teased everyone for fretting about his health. Keeping up a bold front for the sake of his disciples, he pepped them up. He assured them that he was well and told them they should not let anything come in the way of their spiritual goals. To him, the shibir was paramount. Because it was the path to his disciples’ true liberation.
Indeed, Bhaishree’s commitment to his disciples is always more important than anything else because he wants each one of us to reach where he is. In spite of his debilitating weakness, he would take three-hour discourses every day. He would wake up before 5 am to flag off the first meditation of the two shibirs, and walk from his kutir to the dining hall three times just so that he could eat with us- it was Br. Vikrambhai’s insistence that finally worked in persuading him to at least use the car for commuting to and from the dining hall.
Here’s a Guru who expects nothing but the best for you, and for that, he is willing to forego and sacrifice not just his personal comfort but whatever comes in the way. His boundless compassion accompanies an iron will.
With his primary focus always being on enabling seekers to achieve speedy progress along the spiritual path, Bhaishree takes tremendous efforts to prepare for the monthly spiritual camps held at the Ashram. He listens patiently to the problems of his disciples and guides them appropriately, taking full responsibility of his mentorship. Bhaishree can see and sense the finest of feelings in people. That is why his sermons automatically resolve issues faced by seekers.
For a long time, administrative authorities of the Ashram were trying to persuade Bhaishree to raise the charges of accommodation and food costs at the ashram. Shree Raj Saubhag Ashram charges are among the lowest. As a result, the Ashram was suffering considerable losses by offering the rooms at subsidised charges. However, because Bapuji had desired that staying at the Ashram should not be burdensome to mumukshus, Bhaishree has carried forward that line of thought. He has been determined that charges should not be increased steeply. Bhaishree remains firm in his determination and compassion to ensure that no mumukshu feel deterred by the cost from coming to the ashram.
Mother Teresa once said, "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." By judging people, one tends to miss recognising the Godly soul that dwells in each and everyone. Only when the entire universe is understood as soul-form can the virtue of compassion be developed. Param Pujya Bapuji always dwelled on the good virtues in people - no obstacles could therefore ever hamper his flow of profound love and compassion.
Compassion entails tolerance and patience - virtues that come naturally to enlightened Masters such as our Bhaishree. It also gives birth to forgiveness. Jainism recognizes their saints as role models of the virtue of forgiveness. Bathing in the pond of eternal happiness, these tender-hearted saints, who have renounced the world, welcome even gross sinners with love and compassion. The way the sun, the moon and the rivers treat everyone in the same way, these compassionate enlightened souls are always ready to offer forgiveness.
If we, truly and with simplicity, dedicate ourselves to the profoundly compassionate enlightened Master, then the karmas that have attached to our soul from infinite lifetimes would get detached in just one lifetime (termed as nirjaraa). By living under the shelter of pure love and boundless compassion of the enlightened Master, a soul can permanently liberate itself from pretence, deceit and self-indulgence. The compassion of the God-like enlightened Master empowers the disciple to smoothly traverse the spiritual path.
Trapped, since infinity, in this vicious cycle of life-and-death, I am in deep sorrow. I, a pure soul, am locked in this body that carries innumerable diseases. How will I ever liberate myself from these sorrows? Compassion for one's own soul is called 'nirved.' When compassion for our soul reaches its full potential, it leads to renunciation (originating from true knowledge). Renunciation guides the soul in achieving liberation.
It is thanks to Bhaishree's profound compassion and empathy that one steadfastly experiences fearlessness, safety, deep peace and unconditional love. The valuable jewels of his amazing virtues, shining bright through his enlightened soul, simply eliminates the darkness of our vices. One truly experiences Godliness in his divine shelter. He just gives, even without being asked. Under his grace, even the grossest sinner gets to soar in the sky of divinity.
