Karachi

We are not able to properly understand the meaning of detachment and equanimity. If Tom, dick and Harry are to understand what they signify, they can be told that freedom from submission to upsurges of thoughts, feelings, impulses, even over flowing aspirations, and aloofness from all of these can be termed detachment and equanimity. The latter is of a higher quality than detachment, and the still higher state is that of (mere) witness. All this does not mean that sadhaks should be more sticks and stones. (It is easy to see that no man can be so hopelessly dead at heart.) On the contrary, when detachment, equanimity, and witness-like attitude enter higher states of Life Eternal, unique qualities of liveliness and joy permeate the sadhak.

We intellectually indulge in high-sounding enumeration of the qualities needed for self-elevation, but please be good enough to find out actually how equipped we are with these qualities and what strength we possess to cultivate them.

The invaluable quality that we ought to have is love. And love, alas we do not have. In addition, we are lacking in other things which are also necessary for progress along the spiritual path. Even that is not enough. I don not see any of us itching to acquire those qualities which ensure our progress. Well then dear friends, how was it that you happened to come to me?

And, suppose you say, “In the beginning, when we entered the path, we did not know that some special qualities were necessary for entering the life of the spirit. We came to you without that knowledge.” All right, then you should at least now think of what you need. You can never proceed along this path automatically, like growing in age. Oh, how numerous are the preparations we have to make to take to this path and how large number of materials we must also have with us for the purpose.

Please, then wake up now and collect what is necessary for this journey. All our meaningless impeding thoughts and undertakings, scattered in profusion in our present way of living, have to hbe picked up and thrown into the dust-bin. Even now we hug to our bosom those encumbrances which ought to be totally scrapped. They are both useless and harmful. Is there any limit to our folly?

Suppose some person enters the spiritual field and after some time he discovers, to his dismay, the many weakness he possesses. If at such disclosure that person cries out, “Enough. Farewell to all this atrocious struggling. I quit. Leave it all together. I am absolutely unfit for this way of living.” Even then he cannot leave the path, however much he may with it. The reason is can he escape from the heart of someone else(his Sat-guru)? Take the instance of even a very earthly person. His heart in infatuated with someone else. If the latter’s actual contact is lost for some reason, will his existence be wiped out of the heart of the former? To say the least, the same is the case with me. We all should reflect on this point. (You may leave me, but I [Sa-Guru] will never leave you.) From the depth of my heart this is my prayer to you all. Since, by God’s grace, you have all met me, please give me real lively co-operation (in my task of your spiritual elevation).

One single supreme task has been ordained to me. In order to make it glorious, shining with splendor, please manifest unbounded enthusiasm, doggedness of spirit, and particular care as overflowing as the flood of a river. Only then will it mean your good service to me. And be sure that that service s not for my personal sake, but for yours, for your spiritual advance only.

By God’s grace I never let any debt conferred on me go unpaid. During our long association you all have experienced by the grace of God, an equally enthusiastic response to your feelings, for me. My dear lord, my God, has a thousand ways of helping me. He never lets me remain helpless debtor to anybody. This jiva (Pujya Shree Mota uses word “jiva” to address himself) has never had to bear the burden of feeling obliged to anybody for help or service. God enables me to give due return for any good turn done to me. It is simply a matter of give and take in my case.

This my serious declaration to all of you, dear ones, not in return for what I get from you but in response to your love for me. God the Almighty, is always alert in making me return to the same extent the love I receive from anyone. The extent of your affection is always equally matched by my love for you.

Suppose you are unable to render any service to me. I do not mind it. But what hurts me most is the fact that you are hearing your own self and bringing about your own fall in finding my fault. They will react toward you with vengeance and that is what deeply pains me. By the grace of God, I repeatedly rebuke you in order to arouse you, to warn you and to make you become alive again to the noble motive for which you have come to me.

Again and again I tell you all, “Be gracious to me. Deign to favor me. I pray for the good feelings of everyone who comes to you and me are all witnesses to this my art of opening my heart. I have explained to you the real meaning of such behavior. Will our boss, if we serve under him, allow us to serve him in indifferent manner? If he does so, he is no boss worth the name.

If we are careless in the service of our master, it is certain that it displays our want of sincerity. And even now our slackness does not give us deep pain. It should goad us, sting us, but it does not. That clearly shows how inert we are. What should be done when there is no awareness even of this serious blemish? My answer is: if we can discern the trends of our nature and analyze them, we will then understand its weaknesses and tricks. If we honestly try to probe into our nature’s workings, we shall assuredly succeed in finding them.

Everybody knows from self-experience that we attach great importance to the person whose help we wanti in our ordinary worldly affairs. Ther is in us a live consciousness of the man who comes to our aid. We have accepted somebody as our guide to help us in the development of our lives. It is a natural deduction that our minds will be very conscious of him and feel much obliged to him for his work for us, provided we have love and devotion for him. We will then set aside all our personal work and go on giving great importance to everything he asks us to do. Not only that, but we will, at the cost of our very lives, put our Sat-guru in the place of prime importance. The test of our love and devotion for him lies in our heart-felt readiness to follow his behest in the proper way, a way which suggests itself to us quite naturally.