Inspiration to get started even into the fifties and Dreams

Very happy to see an aspirant enjoy the beneficial results that accrue from a life of Brahmacharya. Words fail to describe the immense merit and bliss one achieves further to a life of Brahmacharya. It is something that should be experienced and felt rather than discussed. It is truly a lifestyle meant for people who want to raise above the mundane limits of human existence and reach the realms of Godliness, bliss and peace at the physical, mental and spiritual domains. But for man to succeed in this path, one requires the will and blessings of the Almighty. Mere human effort will not suffice. HIS grace is what matters. So one should develop pure love, devotion and admiration for the Supreme. When we surrender to HIM, Brahmacharya becomes effortless and easy. As long as our individual ego is kept on high mast, Brahmacharya becomes an uphill task and eventually fails.

Dreams are essentially surface manifestations of past Vasanas (tendencies) stored in the Karana Sharira (causal body) accrued through past karma in this life or previous lifetimes. These tendencies manifest themselves in dreams while asleep when the scope and reach of the intellect is limited and the scope of the sub-conscious mind vast. Dreams could also be a result of one's present desires, aversions, fears and worries etc.. Sometimes, they are a combination of both these. We, in reality are the 'Shudhatma' (pure soul) and nothing else. It is the superimposition of the mind, intellect, consciousness and ego atop this pure soul along with past karma that results in our present mental state. So one should first get clear that all fears, worries, anxieties and all other deviations from the state of absolute peace and well being are the result of our karma and not really our default state. All of them are unfounded, for the pure soul is beyond the reach of occurance or non-occurance in the material planes or beyond. It is one's body, mind, intellect, consciousness and ego which are susceptible to the duality of human existence and not the soul.

All fear and faith in the negative which man experiences while being awake or in dreams is the result of Avidya (Ignorance) that has wound itself around the pure soul through the workings of the ego. This ignorance gets stronger and denser as man moves further away from his true self and reduces in intensity when man starts getting closer to the Atman. Brahmacharya is the boat through which man starts crossing the ocean of Samsara (finite, dual world) and starts getting closer to his default state of the Atman. So a man who is making progress in Brahmacharya will gradually find himself more at peace with himself and the world around him. He becomes much more capable of coming to terms with his life and the direction it is taking, for he slowly starts to realize that man is not the doer, God is. Brahmacharya results in increase of Prana (vital energy) within the body and increased Prana first bestows health and well being and next starts working out the hidden and embedded karma deposited within from time immemorial. As this happens, the person concerned slowly and very gradually starts getting closer to his true self, the Atman (soul). The Atman is the pinnacle of knowledge, existence and bliss and is infinite and all powerful, being the source of all things. This will explain your newfound state where there is lesser worry and anxiety and a greater sense of peace and confidence. It is an indication that the slow march towards realization of the absolute truth has slowly begun. The wheels have started moving.

Dreams which depicted you as being stuck in mud or lost in a big city are symbolic expressions of your Jivatma (embodied soul) which was caught in the mud of Avidya (ignorance). Mud here denotes the ignorance, inertia and slumber which comes further to being engulfed in Maya (cosmic illusion). The individual was caught and helpless and this lead to fear. The big city where you found yourself lost again represents the seemingly infinite and myraid world that is illusory, dangerous and full of peril to the man who is caught in his senses and has become a slave. The current dreams which show you as being able to pave your way out of the mud or the world shows that an ability to free oneself of this entanglement and slavery is slowly developing at the innate level through reduction in Avidya (ignorance). This is represented at the level of consciousness in the form of ease and cheer while dealing with the task on hand.

This entire existence of the finite world is God's cosmic dream drama where man is only an actor but not the doer. This body and the world are the Lords instruments to work out his 'Leela' (divine play) and hence there is really no scope for the individual ego to assert itself. Completely getting over the concept of one's individuality (ego) and realizing everything to be nothing more than the Almighty is what self-realization is all about. The self-realized man realizes that this world and the concept of himself at the individual level does not exist. He merges into the Supreme and realizes that the drop of water has merged into the infinite ocean of consciousness. He realizes that this entire world and the apparent reality was only a dream, just as a man who has dreamt while asleep realizes that all happenings in the dream were false and unreal as soon as he wakes up.

There is not the slightest need to worry, fret or ponder on one's future as long as one is true to one's Dharma (duty).  One's Dharma (duty) is the attainment of self-realization. This is why the human birth has been given to the Jivatma (embodied soul). Enough of indulgence in sense pleasures. Many millions of animal births have been spent in that pursuit. One is supposed to give his best at this duty which the Lord has bestowed by constantly being devoted to HIM and indulging in those actions which will lead to self-realization. These actions are what we call YOGA. This is the meaning of Yoga - "Those actions that lead to union of the individual soul with the universal soul or the Supreme."

The Almighty Lord imposes another temporary Dharma to each and every creature which is seen in the form of things such as one's occupation and marital status among many other things. The Dharma of a young student comprises of studying well, amassing knowledge concerning the subjects of study and performing to his best in the examination. He is also required to maintain health and help his body grow towards development. This is as much as he is supposed to do. If he carries these things out to the best of his efforts and ability, he has done his Dharma. The results of his actions need not concern him. It is one's efforts that matter, not the results. The results are showered by the Almighty or what one calls destiny based on one's present efforts, past actions and divine will. Just as an actor in a drama show performs at his best, the student is required to give his best. Whether the audience like the show or don't, whether the show is a commercial success or not is not the actors concern. His job is to give his heart and soul at acting and then watch silently as to what happens. This is all man is supposed to do. Lord Krishna has beautifully described this in the Bhagavad-Gita to Arjuna as follows:-

"Thy right is to the action alone never to its fruit. Let the fruits of action never be thy motive, nor thy affinity be to inaction"

What does this mean? It means one must try his level best to carry out the Dharma or path shown by the Almighty and then watch silently without any expectations to the fruits. One should work in his job or study as a student not with the intention of earning money or standing first for the university but with the feeling -" This is the path shown to me by the Lord. By honestly and sincerely striving in this path, I'm working out the Lord's Leela (divine play). I am offering these actions of mine as a token of devotion and gratitude to the Lord through the path he has shown. I will not worry myself over the fruits or results. That will be decided by HIM. But my efforts will always be sincere and honest." Such an attitude has the potential of giving the best outcome.

With this attitude, the student does his best at studying well and performing well in the exam and then watches silently, accepting whatever result comes forth. The Dharma of a married man is to provide for his wife and children (until they are old enough to earn by themselves) by striving to the best of his ability as regards making a living and devoting the rest of his time and energy towards God-thought and contemplation. He is to try to his level best to find some form of livlihood. Let his efforts in this direction be honest and sincere. Then, let him watch silently and accept whatever result comes forth. As long as there is an effort from his side to earn a living or try for some form of work, he has done his duty. He may or may not get a job immediately. These things are not in his domain or within his control, for in reality we are not the doers. We are only the mediums through whom the Lord works . At what point of time the man should get employment, what should be the nature of the job etc.. are controlled by the Almighty. Our purview ends at always trying sincerely and honestly to make ends meet through the avenues open before us. If we lift up our hands and say -" I will not try for anything, I will not work, the Almighty will make that which has to happen, happen", then we are making a mistake. We are no longer true to our Dharma because our efforts have vanished. We will have to suffer the consequences. This is why the Lord says -" Let thy affinity not be to inaction". So we should always try and never give in or give up, whatever be the task at hand. The results, we need not worry about. It might take a year or two years to get a job. Or, we might get a good job within a single day itself. These things are not of our concern and need not be the least cause of worry as long as our efforts have been genuine. Let us accept what he offers, for in reality, we were never the doers, we were only the mediums and so we have no right over the fruits. The Almighty always feeds and takes care of his children as long as their efforts are sincere and honest. Every creature including man is assured of some food and shelter by the Great creator. None go hungry. Our's is to strive and put in our efforts and nothing more. Based on our past actions, present efforts and his own divine will which is called destiny, the Lord decides the amount of fruit our actions deserve and sends them forth. Let us not worry regarding the fruits but constantly remind ourselves of the fact that this world and this thing called life is a drama by the divine in which we are actors. It is only an illusion, just as a drama is a stage performance and not reality. Let us constantly be devoted to HIM and think of HIM, offering all our actions to HIM alone without worrying about the results, but always applying our efforts at both self-realization and the temporary Dharma through occupation and responsibility. This is the correct mode of thinking and living. This is the greatest religion, call it by what name you may.

ॐ तत् सत्
(That Supreme being is the absolute truth)