The listener requested of the speaker, "Please explain the importance of keeping the company of saints. How does one attain liberation and in how many days?
By keeping the company of sages, how long does it take for liberation? Please, give the understanding by which a poor person like me may gain conviction."
The speaker said, "One becomes liberated at the very moment that one has full faith in the explanation. If the mind is restless and skeptical, one is at a loss."
The listener asked; "When there is attentiveness, and then suddenly the mind becomes restless, how does one make it quiet?"
The speaker responded, "The mind should be cut off from the many distractions (desires, fears) and one should sit attentively listening to explanations with interest and alertness making the time worthwhile from one moment to the next."
The meanings of important principles from various texts should be sought out, understood, and retained within oneself. If the restlessness or confusion returns, then listen to the explanations again and again.
One who listens but does not see the meaning, is not really a listener, but is a stone, disguised as a human being.
Understand that the life of a human being with a restless mind is like one who is deaf, dumb and blind, or one who is possessed by a ghost (their ego).
Even though he is awake, he does not comprehend, and although he is listening, he does not hear. He has knowledge, but he is not able to understand the thought regarding the Eternal and the ephemeral.
How can one who is restless and lazy, in whose life laziness resides day and night attain that which is beyond this world?
Even if the restlessness may disappear, there is still some laziness remaining. Because of laziness, the lazy person never seems to have any time.
Laziness obstructs the power of inquiry. With laziness the appropriate behavior gets drowned, and with laziness nothing that is heard is retained.
Because of laziness listening is not possible, and there is no understanding of the explanation. With laziness the ability to recognize the signs of spiritual life becomes blurred.
With laziness the daily discipline is not followed, one's study gets washed away, and laziness itself increases beyond imagination.
With laziness mental focus and patience is lost. With laziness one's mental attitude becomes tainted and the power of discrimination becomes dull.
Giving explanations to one with a restless mind is like giving a jewel to a monkey, or putting treasure in the hands of a ghost.
Let this be enough of this explanation about restlessness. The original question was, "In how many days does one become liberated in the company of saints?"
Now, listen to the reply, and with the explanation become cleared of doubts. The effect of keeping the company of saints is like this.
For the one who is attentive, observant and thoughtful, liberation is immediate. For others it is out of sight, and there cannot even be any talk of liberation.
Here, the intelligence of the disciple alone is important. The one who is intelligent does not require any time. Being one with the Self, liberation is immediate.
Without intelligence, the meaning is not understood, and without faith Reality is not understood. With faith and intelligence together, one is able to discard the misidentification with the body.
With the ending of the misidentification with the body, there is effortless realization of Reality. In the company of saints, there is no delay in realization.
In order to ensure the abandoning of negative qualities it was necessary to use harsh but just words. The listeners are asked not to hold on to any anger about such statements.
Dasbodh. Chapter: 8, Sub-Chapter: 6
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