But for taking shelter purity of mind and action is required
Others can be partial shelters only. Additionally, these partial shelters may get tempted to take advantage of/exploit those who approach them for various reasons. The following examples will illustrate this point. We go to someone, who is not competent for the purpose we are taking shelter. The most glaring example is of those bogus gurus, who don’t practice what they preach. For them, being a guru is a profession to earn money, gain importance, etc. This does not mean that they are not genuine spiritualists, but even they can be partial shelters only. They can guide us to seek the ultimate or real shelter, which is God. Then, whoever we seek as a shelter may not be available to us. An appropriate example is that of a super-specialist in the medical profession. Even if one is able to approach him, he may not be always able to help us; only God really can. Many doctors honestly declare: “I treat He cures.”
The third instance is that of lawyers. Unfortunately, a vast majority are bent on getting dates in collusion with advocates of the other side. And one gets more and more frustrated as the case drags on. Then, the usual practice is to seek loans from others when in financial difficulties. This is where cheating is most prevalent. You go to a zamindar and he takes away your land papers, which are not returned even though you have paid all the installments in full along with interest. This is not as bad as getting sexually exploited when a girl or a woman seeks some favour. In short, taking shelter from others is fraught with danger. The best one can hope for is give and take, and not be deprived of one’s rights, get humiliated, etc. Because human beings are not the best shelter, even though many are very helpful; only God is the real shelter. Read on.
There is a joint family, in which three members, unfortunately, have different psychiatric problems. One suffers from mood swings. Another gets depressed frequently. And the third has bad relationships with others. The one with mood swings needs to see a psychoanalyst for help. The one with depression requires a psychiatrist. And one who cannot get along with others can be helped by a family counsellor. But all three can be helped by God. In a verse, the Lord instructs, “Practice equanimity in pain and pleasure; self-situated (not disturbed); neutral towards pleasant and unpleasant; steady; and poised in criticism and appreciation.” (14.24)
In another family, one person gets afflicted by lust, and greed and becomes a great egoist over a period of time. These problems have generally no solutions, but God has; one just has to follow God’s instructions. God is available 24x7 to all of us, being omnipresent. We just have to take His shelter. Whenever a problem appears, God is there to guide and help; one just has to turn to Him, God is omnipotent and omniscient. God knows our past, present and future. God is of another level; human beings are very lowly placed in comparison. God is so powerful that He can help with our fate also, both the ‘prarabdha’ (what has manifested) and our obstinate nature. No one else has this right. In spite of all these, God never misuses His unlimited powers. And God punishes but never condemns anyone; He is that considerate and forgiving.
A question may be asked as to why more people do not take God’s shelter in spite of what all have been detailed earlier. Most of us are afflicted by greed, lust, and ‘ahankar’ (ego) to various degrees. These faults in our natures don’t allow us to take shelter from God; they overpower our intelligence. Then, for taking shelter purity is required in what we do with our minds, words and bodies. In order to achieve that, we need to be detached; must do lots of ‘tapasya’. A modern man, in spite of being proud of his knowledge, is terribly ignorant about spiritual truths. One rejects anything else or is too impatient for results to turn to God because spiritual progress is both subtle and slow. But those fortunate souls, who do, are rewarded handsomely by God, as experienced by them; I have.
(The writer is a spiritual teacher)