The first and foremost object of man's life is the attainment of the lasting peace and that lies within his own Self. So it is not to be acquired rather a man has only to turn himself towards it.
Peace of mind alone is the great wealth. Without this wealth, the ruler and his subjects, the rich and the poor, are all in impoverishment. So a person's main effort should be to keep his mind at rest. If the mind is in peace. there cannot be any paucity in the life and if there is no peace of mind, the very assumption of life is meaningless. Of what use is all the external ostentations?
Physical a activity is necessary for the sustenance of the body. It is also necessary to support those kith and kin, who depend on us. It is also our duty to do as much good to others as we can It is also necessary to teach others to tread the path of virtues. in this way, it is a great duty of a man to use his powers as for as possible in doing good to his own kith and kin and others, to the society, the country and the world. But with this. he should not forget that to gain the state of the Self-trance is his paramount duty.
The happiness of Self-absorption (trance) is the greatest happiness of life, Only a pure mind attains this state. That person alone deserves the gain of the Self trance whose fire of attachment and malice has been extinguished;. who thinks of the welfare of the living beings; who has no lust for sensual pleasures andl honour; and whose mind has become knotless. passionless and clean.
The very title of the book communicates the depth of the substance. My spiritual master, revered saint Shri Abhilash Sahebji, the author of this wonderful treatise in Hindi namely, 'Shashvat Jeevan' is replete with the treasure of the spiritual knowledge of the Self (Soul) has presented a bird's eye view of what the bigger volumes contain, thus yielding an immense spiritual benefit to the spiritual aspirants. The essence of the book is eternal life of the Self-knowledge which itself is the moksha, the liberation. This great spiritual master is an apostle of the serene simplicity bejewelled with the attributes of renunciation and dispassion coupled with the piety and compassion befitting to a real saint. His hermitage known as the Kabir Parakh Sansthan situated at Kabir Nagar, Allahabad has become a lively example of the great harmony, equanimity, love, kindness, compassion which keeps on perpetually flowing from every nook and corner of the hermitage and leaves a soothing effect upon the minds of all those who dwell therein and those who visit there. The mutual love, right understanding, discipline, harmony, a great sense of service to all human beings of all castes, creeds, classes and religions, etc. which reign supreme there is a great source of attraction and provides what an aspirant expects. Everyone there is a fountain of humanity, love and affection, service to all living beings and well versed with the codes of human conduct. Their arms are always found spread to welcome anyone who visits there. The whole atmosphere is pervaded with the spiritual gravity.
As directed, I have ventured to translate the original book namely 'Shashvat Jeevan' of my spiritual preceptor in English language under the benign blessings of the holy liberated soul. As we all know that any accomplishment requires the efforts of many people and this work is, therefore, no exception. I preserve a great sense of gratitude to all those who have helped and guided me in this work. To mention a few, I adore the efforts of my close friend of my childhood, Shri Gobind. B. Ramnani, a retired Dy. Secretary with the Rajasthan Secretariat who have contributed a lot in this holy task. Shri Sanmush Nankani, a senior English teacher also spared his valuable time in giving a final touch. Shri Prakash Narain Srivastava, M.A. (English), a retired Principal also blessed me with his enlightened spiritual understanding. Shri P.M. Advani, a retd. G.M. (Telecom.) also contributed his skills during the proof reading. I must also thank respected Shri Prem Prakashji of Calcutta for his contribution in the matter. Shri J.B. Singh a retired Principal of Rae Bareli translated the 1986 edition of "Shashvat Jeevan" but it was not published. In the year 1998, the author, revised the book and added a good many chapters. I have now translated the revised book which is before you. I express my deep gratitude to Shri Singh as his translation provided a base for me. I feel privileged to have been kindly blessed by the revered saint Shri Dharmendra Sahebji, the President of the Kabir Parakh Sansthan, in closely guiding me to alter and mould the translated script in accordance with the depth of the original script. I would have definitely failed in exacting the real meaning without his valuable guidance, which was bestowed to me during my recent stay at the sansthan from the 15th August to 25th September, 2000. I sincerely salute all such persons who have their services in this cause.
To be brief, I personally feel that this book is a repository of the spiritual eternity leading us to the path of benevolence by raising us above the pairs of opposites, ignorance and nescience, placing us at the top of the sublimity of the mind through self-continence, spiritual practices and by drifting us away from the yoke of the mind apprising us of the values of the meditation, spiritual trance, sense of the transitoriness of this mundane existence and finally establishing us in our own Self. The ultimate objective of this book is to emphasise upon the significance of the poised knowledge.
There are two fundamental elements in the world; one is sentient and the other is insentient. Both are beginningless and also endless. None of them has ever been created nor will they ever perish. The insentient, being changeable and perversive, in it take place the turmoils and destruction; whereby the process of creation goes on incessantly without any interruption. The sentient being is unchangeable, impeccable, eternal, indivisible and is ever pure consciousness.
If the insentient is the truth, the sentient is the supreme truth; if the insentient is the non-self, the sentient is the Self. But the sentient, owing to the beginningless ignorance, forgetting the Self, is attached with the not-self insentient. On account of the sheer ignorance, the sentient, taking the transitoriness to be the eternity, the pain to be the pleasure and the not-self to be the Self, is fastened unto them-this is the nescience. Nescience itself means the reverse understanding. Only on account of the nescience, the immaculate liberated Self Chaitanya, entangled in the bondage of birth and death, is wandering in this wilderness.
Every living being has been incessantly wandering in the quest of happiness, but he knows not where the happiness lies. Just to get happiness, man accumulates the objects of many kinds; he wishes to be constantly immersed in the sensual enjoyments. From these he gains no happiness; rather his sorrows increase. Happiness lies not in the gratification of desires, but in the extinction of the desires; not in the enjoyment of pleasures but in their renunciation; not in the subjugation of desires, but in the state of desirelessness.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
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