The Beatitudes - Matthew 5:1-12 Part II Swami Prabhavananda

Conquerors who try to become masters of the world by force of arms never inherit anything except worry, trouble, and headaches. Misers who accumulate huge wealth are only chained to their gold, they never really possess it. But the man who has given up his sense of attachment experiences the advantages which posse-ssions afford without the misery which possessive-ness brings.

Many people dislike this saying of Christ because they think that the meek can never achieve anything. They think that no happiness is to be had in life unless one is aggressive. When they are told to give up the ego, to be meek, they are afraid that they will lose everything. But they are wrong. In the words of Swami Brahmananda: "People who live in the senses think that they are enjoying life. What do they know about enjoyment? Only those who are filled with divine bliss really enjoy life." But arguments will not prove this truth. You have to experience it; then only will you be convinced.

If a spiritual aspirant sincerely follows Christ’s teaching of meekness, he will find it very practical. He will find that anger and resentment can be conquered by gentleness and love. The Chinese mystic Lao Tzu expressed this truth by saying: "Of the soft and weak things in the world, none is weaker than water. But in overcoming that which is firm and strong, nothing can equal it. That which is soft conquers the hard. Rigidity and hardness are companions of death. Softness and tenderness are companions of life." By sincerely giving up the ego to God, by being meek, we will gain everything. We will inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

© "The Sermon on the Mount according to Vedanta" by Swami Prabhavananda, published by The Vedanta Society of Southern California, 1946 Vedanta Place, Hollywood, California 90068, USA. Part I of this article appeared in Splendour, August 2006 issue. Reprinted with permission.

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