Swami Shivapadananda on contentment
SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA
DAILY READINGS
From Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.
Day 500
Swamiji continues speaking on Niyama
Two: Contentment [santosha]. You must have this virtue. It does not mean that there can be no improvement. If you follow dharma [righteousness] it will not make you greedy, it will not make you a miser. You can improve.
Do not worry what the neighbours have. You must just be content with your lot and work from there. Every Hindu scripture encourages you to work first and then, when you go above work, you become sattvic [balanced, harmonious].
In the Bhagavad Gita Sri Krishna says, 'Arjuna, take the bow and arrow and fight.' First there must be effort. Then, when you can do everything you are above work, and laziness will not get you. You will not be caught in the clutches of duality – i.e. do this and do not do that. You can do everything and yet do nothing. Contentment means contentment here in your daily life. Improve yourself according to dharma, do not compare yourself with others and become competitive. Having said this, remember that Sri Ramakrishna said you should be discontented with your spiritual life if you are not making progress. Become restless to know God – that is the only place you must become restless. Even if you say, 'Oh, I saw Sri Krishna last night, I am the blessed one,' you are finished. You haven't even seen the Universal Form [vishwarupa] yet. Arjuna saw Sri Krishna, he lived with Sri Krishna and yet he still had doubts. Even after Sri Krishna showed him the Universal Form he still had doubts. Only after being shown his Ishta Devata's [personal or chosen deity] form did he say, 'O Lord, now I understand.'
Be discontented with your spiritual advancement. Do not think, 'I am the chairman now, there is nobody like me.' Sri Ramakrishna did not say, 'I have realised all the different paths of Hinduism so I am all right.' No. He went beyond the boundaries of Hinduism and that is what makes him unique. People practise this religion or that religion but he practised The Religion.
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