How to Develop Good Samskaras
Man has taught the eye, the ear and the tongue, the luxury of constant novelty. Now he has to teach them the opposite tendencies. The mind has to be turned toward the good; the activities of every minute have to be examined from that standpoint. Each such deed is the stroke of a chisel, by which the rock of human personality is being shaped. A wrong stroke may spoil and disfigure the rock. Therefore even the tiniest of acts has to be done with great care and devotion.
For a drowning man, even a reed is some support. So, too, to a person struggling in the sea of samskara, a few good words spoken by someone might be of great help. No good deed can go to waste; no, not even a bad deed, for, that too has its consequence. So, strive to avoid the slightest trace of evil activity. Keep your eyes pure, fill your ears with the words of God, and the stories of Godly deeds, do not allow them to listen to calumny. Use the tongue for uttering good words, kind and true words. Let it always remind you of God. Such constant effort must grant you victory. It is to earn these holy samskaras that one has to maintain the flow of high thoughts and feelings uninterrupted.
The hands should be used to perform good deeds. Have the Lord’s name within, and the practice of swadharma (one’s own dharma) without. With the hand busy with seva [service], let your mind be engrossed in all this—there is no harm. When the rains pour on the mountain peaks and the water hurries down the sides, no river emerges therefrom. When, however, the waters flow in a single direction, first a brook, then a stream, then a torrent, and finally a flooded river is formed, and the rains reach the sea. Water that runs in one direction reaches the sea; water flowing in four directions gets soaked and lost. Samskaras are of this type. Of what use are they if they merely come and go, this way today and that way the next? The holy stream of good samskaras must flow full and steady along the fields of holy thoughts and finally abide in the great Ocean of bliss at the moment of death. Worthy indeed is he who reaches such a goal!
Prema Vahini, Pp. 34-36
Men are immersed in many activities and they are engaged in various undertakings. This is a well-known fact. They are so many in number that sometimes one may feel that the span of twenty-four hours is too short for his daily activity…. These activities are all intimately attached to the mind. This makes life a mere collection of samskaras (worldly existence, flux), which makes an impact on character and personality.
Prema Vahini, p. 30
