As much as we would prefer otherwise, conflict seems woven into the very fabric of life. On a daily basis, we find ourselves dealing with difficult people, facing unhealthy relationships, or suffering marriage problems. We might say that some of our relationships are the very definition of conflict! While asking ourselves how to adjust in these circumstances, and how to handle conflict, we remain confused and perplexed.
In this free book, Gnani Purush (embodiment of Self knowledge) Dada Bhagwan offers ultimate conflict resolution skills in the form of spiritual conflict resolution strategies. His spiritual teaching on how to resolve conflict - or to avoid it altogether - is offered in the context of common and everyday relationship challenges.
Whether seeking relationship tips, marriage advice, or simply to learn how to stay healthy and to cultivate happy homes, this book will prove an invaluable resource.
Excerpt:
Life Without a Goal
What is the goal of this life? Do you understand it? Surely, there has to be some goal for this life. A person is born, grows old and is later is carted away to the funeral pyre. The name that was given to him at the time of birth is taken away at that time. The{ are quick to give you a name the moment you are born, to facilitate the worldly interactions and dealings. This is just like naming characters in a play, buv once the play is over, the name is no more. Just as tje name 'Brahtruhari' is given to the king in the drama, the name no longer exists once the play is over. Similarly, you are given a name to carry out your daily living and under this name you acquire your wealth, your hooe, your cars, and money etc. but upon your death it is all taken away. People go through life and then thgy die. Therefore, these two words, 'life' and 'death' mean that every event is a passing circumstance. What is the goal of life? Is it for personal enjoyment, or to serve humankind? Is life for marriage and taking care of your family? Marriage is mandatory and preordained. A person cannot get married if he is not destined to. However, do people not get married even if they do not want to? This is because marriage is preordained for them. Is making a name for yourself the ultimate goal of life? Women such as Sita, Lord Ramas's wife, have made their mark in this world. Their fame stayed here but what did they take with them to their next life? They took their mistakes and entanglements (causes; karmas).
Whether you want liberation (moksha) or not, at least come here and obtain clarification of all your entanglements. You will find all the solutions here. Lawyers will charge you a fee to solve your worldly problems, whereas the solution you get here is priceless. You cannot put a price on this solution. Life is full of entanglements. You are not the only one with entanglements; the whole world has them. The world is a puzzle itself.
Religion comes after true understanding. First you have to learn the art of living. One has to become certified in parenting, before getting married. Life is like an engine but it is pointless to keep putting gas in the engine and running it without getting any useful work out of it. There has to be a goal in life. An engine will continue to run in vain but you have to get some work out of it. Unfortunately people live their entire lives, with nothing to show for it, without an achievement. Rather than accomplishments, they create entanglements, which carry forward to their next life.
People's lives have broken down; they have no clue as to what they are living for. They have no awareness about the reason for a birth in the human form. They are not aware that there is a purpose of a human life. What is the goal of the human life? The birth as a human being gives one the ability to choose any future life form, or the choice to attain liberation from further births. No one is aware of the essence of human birth and that is why one continues to wander life after life.
Who Will Teach Us The Art of Living?
Today people are unaware of what is beneficial and harmful in life. The ones, who do have such awareness, have made adjustments according to their intellect (buddhi). Their
awareness is worldly in nature because it is for attaining only worldly happiness. In reality, even that is not correct. Correctness comes only when one learns the art of living. One becomes a doctor or a lawyer and yet he does not learn anything about the art of living. He learns and masters all kinds of arts except for the art of living.
This art is learnt by approaching the one who is living his life well. Ask such a person to teach you the art of living. Ask him how you should conduct your life; only then will you learn that art. You need to seek out someone who has mastered this art. Unfortunately, no one seems to understand the need to do so. They have totally discarded the importance of the art of living, haven't they? Those living around me will learn this art. However, I cannot say that absolutely no one in this world knows this art.
If a person learns the art of living completely, his life will be easy but he will definitely need religion along with it. Religion is the base for the art of living and it is a necessity. By religion, here I am referring to the code of conduct as prescribed by God. One need not pursue the path of liberation. You must understand the prescribed commands of whomever you have faith in, be it Lord Mahavir, Lord Krishna or any other God. If you cannot practice all of their directives, then at least practice some. Now if celibacy is one of their directives and you get married, then that would be contradicting their directives. In reality there is no contradiction; all they are saying is that you should adjust to the commandments to the best of your ability. Just because you are not able practice two of their commandments, does that mean you discard them all? What do you think? If you are able to abide by only two of their commandments, it is still more than enough.
It is equally important for people to receive a high level
of relative religion (vyavahaar dharma). This is the code of conduct for life's daily interactions. This is the art of living. You cannot learn this art through penance, fasting or renunciation of the worldly life. Fast if you develop problems with indigestion.
He who masters the art of living acquires the whole vyavahar dharma, but the real religion, the knowledge of the Self ( Atma dharma, nischaya dharma) will be attained by the one who comes into this world with prior spiritual development. In the Akram path (the short-cut, step-less path to Self-realization), one attains the Self through the grace of the Gnani Purush. The Gnani Purush has the capacity to grace one with both infinite knowledge and infinite worldly wisdom; both are so wonderful that they abolish all kinds of miseries.
