'Oh Divine Mother, you are the Mother of all. I bow to you again and again. You are otherwise known as Vishnu Maya. You play with us with doubts and confusion. I love you and through that love I will be free from confused state of living and through your grace I will be free from all doubts and ignorance.'
Maya is the Mother. One who knows this and knows that the whole creation is the play of the Mother is free.
In the Narada Bhakti Sutras we find the Sutra
kastarati kastarati maayam - Who indeed can cross maya?
And the answer is given as,
Yah sangam tyajati, yo mahaanubhaavan sevate, nirmamo bhavati - one who leaves attachment, one who serves great beings and one who is free from the attitude of mine ness.
Let us look at this mine ness and how to get rid of that attitude.
Think of a baby, may be a few months old. Take a toy and give it to the baby. The baby holds it very tight. Try to bring it back. It will hold it very tight. Try to bring it back forcefully the baby will cry. Why? Is it just the play of the baby or does the baby have the attitude of attachment? The answer is it is not really play - it is the attitude of the mind. Especially as the baby grows and becomes nearly two years old. At that time the baby tries to establish - my toy, my dress etc. This mine ness develops from the age of two.
It is said the first five years of a baby's life are very vital. What you can teach a child within the age of 5 you cannot teach later on. If you can train the baby in those years you have nothing to be worried in future. But usually we neglect the baby. Especially in the West, when a child is a few years old we have taught, "this is your room, this is your bed, and this is your toy". With this the baby develops the attitude of this is mine. This attitude of mine ness is really bondage. Then should one not say "mine"? One can say it for the sake of identification but should not develop possessiveness.
A wandering monk in his travels came to the entrance of a palace temple. To the gate keeper he said, "I want to stay here this night". The gate keeper said, "No, look for a guest house". The monk said, "But this is a guest house and I want to stay here to night". "Are you crazy? This is the palace of the king", said the gatekeeper. "No this is a guesthouse," insisted the monk "and tell your king that I want to stay in this guesthouse." The message was sent to the king. Hearing that a monk was insisting the king came himself and greeted the monk. Then he asked the monk, "Why do you call this a guesthouse?" The monk said, "Is it not?" "No, It is my palace," replied the king. The monk asked, "Did you construct this?"
The king said, "My great grandfather did."
Then this conversation followed.
"Is your great grandfather here?"
"No, he has gone."
"Is your grandfather here?"
"No, he is also gone"
"Is your father here?"
"No, he is gone"
Then the monk said, "Do you think you will be here permanently?" "No" agreed the king. "Then is it not a guest house that you have been using?" asked the monk again.
In this world when in the house we say this is my room. When out of the house we say my house. When out of the city or the state my city, my state and so on. This is how the keeps expanding beginning from my room. Can we not have the attitude that the entire world or the entire creation is mine? If we have that can we divide only the Americans are yours and not the Europeans or the Asians? Can you divide when it is all yours? You do not own the world, but just as you say my house referring to the parent's house, being the child of God, who is the owner of the entire creation, you call it my world. There is a beautiful prayer in Sanskrit
ayam nija paraa va iti ganaanaa laghu cetasaam - this type of consideration - dividing this is mine, that is yours is the nature of the narrow minded people.
udaara caritamnaatu vasudahika kutumbakam. - Broad minded people consider the entire world as one family.
Let us think? Are we not all the children of God? If we are, are we not all related to each other? If we are related and with the relationship of God's creation how can you be a stranger to me?
During my travels when I stand in front of the immigration officers in many air ports of many countries sometimes I inwardly smile at the play that is going on. Is not the entire world god's world? But we have to play this, so let us play but when you personally want to grow as a part of it, we are all related and connected and your joy gives joy to me. I will not think of only my comfort and my security but I will think of every one and I will pray for everyone. Sarve bhavantu sukhinaha - let all be happy, healthy and peaceful.
What can I claim as mine? I came to this world empty handed and I have to leave this world empty handed. In between during this play, I have a family, I have friends, I have relatives, I have house, I have money, if a monk I have an ashram - it is all part of a play but nothing belongs to me. It is all god given.
I repeatedly tell about an incident from Baba's life as many of us have passed through this situation. In the family of gurudev the eldest son was a medical doctor, who died in his early fifties. When Gurudev got the news he came from the Puri ashram to visit the family and give them some consolation and strength. When he reached home the father only said, "go and comfort your mother, she is heart broken." Gurudev did what he could to console her and was staying at the house for few days. In all those days the father went about like nothing has happened. One day the father called him and enquired why he was staying for so long and advised him to go back to the ashram to attend to his work. Gurudev asked a question, "Are you not sad about the death of your eldest son?" Then the father looked at him and catching hold of his beard said, "You are not married. You do not know what family life is. You do not have children. You do don't know the love of the parents towards their children. Do you know that your eldest brother gave fatherhood to me? I experienced that love through that child first. You cannot measure that love. But what can you do? I will give you an example. Suppose you have some money and you deposited it in the bank. After a couple of years if you go to withdraw the money, will the bank officer cry? During the two years the bank has invested the money and got some interest but when you want to with draw the bank has to give it back. God deposited that child with us. In these fifty years we got the interest of being the parents and getting joy out of it, now God wants to with draw why should I cry. God has given and God is taking back." Great are this balance and this practical teaching.
God has given you childhood, has he not taken it back? God gave you adulthood - Did he not take it back? He then gave you old age. Your beautiful skin, teeth and hair are all taken back. God has given everything and will take everything back.
So what is really yours? When you want to be free from the clutch of the elusive power of nature, if you want to be free from your confused mind or ignorance have the attitude of trustee ship. We all are trustees in this world; we cannot say anything is mine.