Our theme for the April 2016 newsletter is The Cycle of Worldly Attachment and Desire.  Materialistic or worldly attachment and desire are the instigators of all evil that plague our mind.  As Swami Mukundananda ji says, the desire for worldly fulfillment is endless and a mental trap that impedes spiritual progress.  If our desires are fulfilled, it leads to greed but if left unfulfilled, it leads to anger.  Anger in turn leads to disillusionment, a disease of the intellect.  The ultimate outcome is the lack of mind control.

Contrary to this destructive cycle, a more constructive approach is where the mind is attached to God instead of worldly desires.  Attachment to God cleans the heart and allows us to rethink our priorities in life, that is, karmayog or union with God through actions.  Dedicate each action to God whether it is mowing your lawn, writing a report or helping your child.  The ultimate outcome is love for God for His sake and formation of vivek or discrimination between real (e.g., soul) and unreal (e.g., body).

The other features in this newsletter focus on the outcome of controlling or indulging in constructive versus destructive desires.  The Bhakti Ras story shows how Tulsidasji instantly transferred his attachment and desire from his wife to Lord Ram.  Overcoming maya is a one-time job but an ongoing process.  In Inspirations for Living, we share a story about how change in fate changes a person's desire.  We then share a story of Krishna and Arjun to inspire our Bal-Mukunds.  In the Wellness for Life feature, we share the steps for performing Paschimottanasana.  Finally, we share the various exciting community events to uplift yourself and others.

One beautiful spring afternoon, a man was taking a walk in a community park.  He was absorbing the beauty of the flowers and butterflies and appreciating how fortunate he was to be able to experience such natural beauty.  When he was done walking, he ambled towards his parked car - a beautiful convertible with leather seats and plush interior.  He noticed a poor beggar sitting on the sidewalk by the parked car.  The beggar sat there with his head lowered, singing a stuti in Sanskrit, asking the Lord for his grace.  The wealthy man heard his voice and with a lot compassion said, "How did you get to this state?  Anyone who knows Sanskrit must have been educated."  The beggar said, Yes, I am educated but have been jobless for a very long time.  None of my job applications have been accepted brining me to this point of homelessness.  You appear to be very wealthy so if you give me a job, I could stop begging and use my knowledge and skills."

The wealthy man smiled and said, "Alright, I will help you.  I will do better than just giving you a job.  I will make you my partner on a new business."  The beggar was stunned and could not believe his ears.  He just stared at the man and asked, "What do you mean, Sir?"  The man said, "I own an apple orchard.  You can sell the apples in local outlets.  I will pay the rent for the stalls and cost of transporting boxes of apples to the stores.  At the end of each month, we will share the profit."  The beggar, still in disbelief was overwhelmed with emotion and profusely thanked the man by folding his hands in reverence and crying with joy.  He then thought that he would probably get less than half the profit by asked, "Sir, how will we divide the profit?  What percentage will I keep?"  The man smiled and said, "You can give me 10% and you can keep 90%."  Seeing the total disbelief on the beggar's face, the man said, "I am already wealthy and do not need more but do need to do good for the society."
 
The beggar worked very hard day and night to sell the apples and live up to the expectations of his benefactor.  On the first day, he sold many boxes of apples and was so thankful and fortunate to have such a kind business partner.  At the end of the month, when he started counting the money, he was thrilled to see that it was beyond his expectation.  He was very pleased that all his hard work had paid off.  Then he started day-dreaming about how he would spend the 90% of the profit to improve his life.  His thoughts gradually moved from gratitude to greed.  He felt that he had done all the hard work and he should not have to give even 10% of the profits to his partner.  Very quickly he was overcome with all kinds of kleshas (afflictions).

Samarpan readers, how would you help the former beggar to feel gratitude instead of greed?  Please contact us at [email protected] to share your thoughts.  We would love to hear from you.