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3 On Doing Your Work September 9,
1970 It is all right if we sit without a chair in meditation? The best way is
that the spine should be straight. There should be no tension in the body. That
is the natural way, you see. In the yoga way you have tension in the lotus
(posture). That is a different, natural way. Just sit in any pose most
convenient to you. Only the spine should be straight, that is the all. No
tension in the body, in the neck or anywhere. You may sit on the floor, you may
sit in a chair; anywhere. But once you’ve adopted a position don’t change,
that’s all. If you get tired periodically and lean
back against the chair, that’s bad? The only thing
is you shouldn’t go to sleep, that’s all. Sometimes you sit –you’re relaxed
–you may feel drowsy . . . . . . Because you’re fully relaxed. Is there a better class of distraction during meditation? For example, if your mind suddenly starts thinking about Master and the Master work and what he’s said and so on during meditation, is that a better class of destructions than thinking about other things? Comparatively
it is a bit better, but not much. Why do you talk outside –why don’t you go in
and see? I am just talking, standing outside, talking about you, but when I
enter I see you . . . . . . Which is better of the two? His sweet remembrance
is all right, that will create a good atmosphere to start with. The mind has
very curious way of deterring this –he is that –well, already thought is there.
You must see him. Seeing is better than thinking. The only ting is sat with
single minded attention; he is all alone. He wants everybody to come all
alone . . . . . . . not to take all
worldly thoughts or even the body or the intellect. Leave them. Go straight in
to him. Go into his lap. By training you’ll be able to do this. That’s after a
while, of course. But the man who is lost in bookish knowledge is in
wilderness; there is no way out. We have to understand. “Well dear friends, he
is within you, go ahead within.” Intellect used for that purpose is all right,
but once you’ve understood, then the only thing remaining is to do, is it not? That’s the hard part. This is what’s
wanted. Time flies. The mind tries to evade you from the goal. It will try to
–in a very gentle manner he will come –say, “I've been talking of the Master”
–why don’t you listen to me? Remembrance of the Master is all right. When you
develop receptivity you'll have radiation –effect of the radiation. But that
will come only when there is receptivity. Receptivity develops when you only
are there, with nothing remains between you and the Master. Not even thought.
This is something practical. Kabir said, “Your Master may be living across the
seven oceans and you’re living on this side. Direct your attention to him.”
Your attention is between you and Him; nothing should intervene. Then you'll
receive relation from hundreds and thousands of miles. As you may know, we were here last year and then we went back home and now that we are back here I can say for myself 0i think for my life too- the meditations suddenly once again are better than they were back home. Of course the
only point is: we cannot underrate the atmospheric effect of the presence of
the Master. But from thousands of miles away, if you develop receptivity you'll
have that effect. Similarly, when you sit, there should be no other thought
even of your own self. Then you'll have receptivity. Here in the ashram we don’t have these outside thoughts pressing on us. We are in isolation. We don’t get the news of the world. We don’t have people coming in and grasping and things like that, so it’s much easier. What did Christ
say? “Shut yourself in a closet.” What did he mean by that? Well, going in here [points of forehead], I am sure. Either that or
–if you want to see that newspaper, we’ll give you once. For a while, you see,
it is like a sort of training. For a while, say a week, ten days, month or so.
If you’re devoted regularly the whole time, from day to day you'll develop.
When going to a Master anyway, the best thing for you is just to make the best
use of your time –put in more time by developing receptivity. You’ve a hundred
irons in the fire over there. Here I think you’ve not many. You might create
many, that’s up to you. But there are not many now. One should, I supposed, pull each of those irons out of the five gradually as life goes rather than leaving all of them in and including a few more. I tell you. If
you leave it to the mercy of the mind, that time will never come. The minds
work is to overboard. Some of us are more inclined to ward the mind, aren’t we? I mean, say astrologically people are more inclined toward mind things and have a bigger burden too start with Their further
progress will be retarded. If for a whiling you have to do something, do it and
see. Our work is to see God. For instance, I will tell you: go in and see Him
first, then do anything you like. We begin to do many things before we see Him.
That’s all. For awhile, maybe a day –ten days –each day we should reserve some
time for that purpose. That is a great helping factor. Reserve some time for
that. If it hoarse –just cut off from sell outside. Shut yourself in the
closest in the room and then nobody will disturb you. This comes from training
of course –there’s no high road to that. Must we sit perfectly still? Now I notice when, for example, Master Ji is singing for you and listening to you, talk, he sometimes sways back and forth. Is that permissible? I tell you, if
you think of the body, you'll feel rocking. If you don’t think of the body, you
won't feel it. Even if you're swaying? You won't feel
it. You’ll be rocking, but if you're not thinking of the body you won't feel. I
see, yes. That is why I
always say; just fix your gaze into the middle of whatever is before you and in
front of you. Not here [pointing inside his forehead]. There the body will
wake. By concentration man develops these things. So there is no high road to
concentration, but to concentrate, and then concentrate, that will come. Are there any exercises outside of pure doing it that you can work on in order to improve concentration? Doing one thing at a time, wholly and solely,
will help you. If you are at work, be fully at work. When I went I was in the
office I was sitting there and never knew who was sitting in front of me. I put
my whole attention into it, and the work was done [snap his finger twice] in
very little time. That requires training. When you are at prayer, learn to be
fully at prayer. That’s the answer. Prayer, saying prayers, etc., develops an
atmosphere for a while. When you have got the right atmosphere, just do your
work. You’d recommend
starting meditation with a prayer with a prayer then? Just think of
the Master – of the God in Him; not the Master but the God in Him, you see. The
God in Him. That will create a little pacifying effect, a boost. Pray – sit go
within. Once I put this question to my Master, very early in my discipleship.
“Master, if we are cut off from the outside, and you have not appeared inside,
what should we do in the meantime?” That was a very practical question. He told
me, “Well, look here, men think of their cattle, of their friends – it is bad
to think of the Master for the intervening period?” then again, after some time
I asked him, “What should a man do?” He answered, “If the Master whom you want
to meet is sitting inside – whether you think of Him or not, go in and you’ll
find him.” These two points were very much clarified, you see? First, pray.
When you can think of so many things, why not think of the Master? This is much
better. As you think, so you become. But is also not enough – go in and see
[Him]. You come to the door, enter – go within (you know how to), you’ll find
Him. You know, there’s a note of consolation in what you’ve just said – in that there was a period in your life when you couldn’t see your Master. In the
beginning, when I went to him, for the first two –three days, I tell you, there
was not very much radiance at once. He used to guide me within for seven years
before I met him. When he Sat there as a man and said, “go within,” that I did
seven years before. He was with me. Sometimes I put a general question to Him
just to solve the riddles for others. For me it was not so bad because I had
that experience. But I asked Him what should a person do in the meantime, those
who had just started. He said, “It is bad to think of the Master?” Well, it didn’t apply to you then. This was just a theoretical question? Yes, just a
theoretical question. From that moment seven years before you meet Him until you did see Him in the flesh, did you seek Him all the time for all those seven years? No, no. When I
Sat in my meditation I found Him- I could fly to other places with Him. The
Mesopotamian war was going on in those days. You see, 1914-1917. In the inner
flights –he was with me. In the outer life –I was guided also. Had you been with sawan Singh in a previous life? You see, that
Power works all through –not in the same from. But that Power is there. Of
course man is in the make. Suppose I had or not, will it help you? God Power
works, man is in the make; some have more, then again others are not yet ready.
But all have the same goal. Every Saint has his past and every sinner a future.
There is hope for everybody. The pity is, you see, a strong man revels in his
strength and the weaker man wonders how he got it. Question can be cleared up,
with very few words, very simple words. But for man who is on the way, well,
Master simply words. But for man who is on the way, well, Master simply leads
him, you see. Others say, “How can that be done?” time factor is a necessity. I
tell you, when I was a child, I was reading in the third primary. I saw one man
giving a lecture. “How he words it! Where do all his words come from, from
where is he speaking?” –I was just thinking from the level of a third primary
child. I thought, “very wonderful.” Now it seems very ordinary, doesn’t it? So
time factor is necessity. Those who are more are not ready will develop
quicker. As I told you yesterday, even those who are not ready, have only to
start now and remaining regular: obey the commandments of the Master, live up
to what he says, and he can go ahead of the man who has got background but is
not fully abiding by the words of Master, that is all. So there’s no hard and
fast rule for that. But this is the highest thing that we have to do. Main
ideal, highest idea is know God –to see Him. In man –body you can see God. Sacrifice everything for that? Put God first.
Other things follow. Do your best for the good of others. No selfishness, no
concealing. Self will expand. That will help you, thank God! If you help
others, you'll have consolation of it. If you won't let anybody die of hunger,
I think you will cared for. But I believe you said before that we are not in a position to help anybody until we break through. That is in the
spiritual way. In the worldly way do the best you can. A man should, earn to
give others something, you see. That has spiritual significance. When you’ve
got no money, (in the spiritual way) how levels. Sometimes the same words can
convey meaning at different things. First, maybe one percent, then ten percent,
then fifty percent, then one hundred percent. That is the ultimate goal. The
more you live for others, the more your self will expand, and more you'll find
peace. If everybody gives, there will be very little hardship. There are some
things Saints give directly, but sometimes they speak in parables. Christ also
sometimes spoke in parables, sometimes directly. So parables are for those who
were of average understanding. There is among the Hindus a parable like that:
Lord Vishnu invited all good and evil, the gods and others for a feast. The
feast was served. Lord Vishnu stood up, said, “Look here, dear friends all this
is for you. Eat to your heart contents, but there’s one condition –don’t bend
your elbows to eat.” Those who were of average understanding said, “What is he
talking about? If we don’t bend our elbow, how can we eat?” they were fed up,
you see; they got angry. “Lord Vishnu has simply belittled us. He would not let
us eat.” They went away. The gods remained there. They thought, “this is
something from Lord Vishnu –that must mean something.” –you see. They went into
it. “Oh very easy! All will be fed if we feed others; then who is left hungry?”
they realize they had to serve the food to each other. These are things to make
us understand. How many different levels should we understand you on? As a man first;
as a man to man. Then in the inner way, you see. First we are man. A man is
required for guidance of men. If he comes from above then how can we hear Him?
Master should be one who has passed through His man life. You see the
difference in Christ as the son of man and as a God in man? That is the first
thing. When I went to the West they said, “He has got a human Nature, the human
touch.” I am a man first, of course. We should, lovingly. These are things only
to be explained from the levels of man. If you make sure everybody to go naked
–you won't go naked. That is the only thing we have to learn. And for that,
right understanding is: God made man with equal privileges. He has got the man
body. He is not the man body. He is not the man body but is the indweller of
the body. He is a conscious entity: a drop of the ocean of all –consciousness.
We are all brothers and sisters in God. That is the and right thoughts will
come –then right speech will result and right action will follow. The big thing is in controlling those thoughts; everything else follows? What are we? We
are attention. God is attention, big attention. He was one and wanted to be
many. All things came into being. We are drops of the ocean of all that. When
we have become fully concentration, then . . . . . . If God can create the
whole creation cant you create even one town? You are big –great is man. You’ll
become that, you see. I wish all of you to become ambassadors, for love. Man
can develop; of course, time factor is a necessity. There is hope, definition
hope, as two and two make four. The pity is that we don’t live up to what is
given. You say you wish that all of us could come up to that stage. Well, what percentage of us will come up to that stage in this life? Look here, why
should you care further? Look at how far you have developed. The sooner you
reach your goal, migration will be over. You’d rather not talk about when this is going to happen? It is going to happened some day but you don’t care to specify? Everybody
should care, let God come forts. See God and then distribute. Don’t be contractors,
I would say, for others. You go and others will go –example is better than
precept. Example is better than precept! Don’t worry about the spiritual progress of others –just worry about your own? That will lay a
good example and they will follow of themselves. Even one word of yours will
help them. But if you don’t for anything yourself, you may give very long
talks, tall talks, but with no effect. That is the difference. A man speaks
from the abundance of his heart. His any words or expressions will go out
changed, and give the same effect to others. Like the air which strikes some
ice of snow clad mountains; it will become cooler, will it not? But are air
strikes fore, naturally the air will be hot. Any words spoken carry the same
effect of the condition of your heart. Wanted: reformers, I would say, not of
others but of themselves. And what will be their emoluments? They will get
Godhead. Big job. Big job? Big
revolution. And that we have to do only in the man body. The pity is that we
have not decided what to do. I decided this in 1912: God forts and world next.
I was very ambitious, you see. I was a voracious reader of books. I read three
libraries. I was won't to have ambition, this side, that side. I had to decide.
And that decision took me step by step . . . . . . . . . And this is for
everybody, what a man has done others can follow. Example is better than
precept. In other words at that time you decided you weren’t going to make a lot of money or worry about that? I wanted big
libraries to have at my disposal, for instance. All conveniences. I was very,
as I told you, a voracious reader of books. This knowledge dragged me to learn
all things here and there. I was not satisfied. I would take up at night and
not go sleep until it was finished. May be four o clock in the morning of five
o’ clock. And you wanted to purchase a big library in later life? No, that was an
early ambition, to help to know him. I wanted God and everything to help. That
will come. Everything comes to help you. This ambition for the big library disappeared as soon as you’d seen your Master? I saw my Master
even previously –but that was because of background. When I was just reading in
the seventh class I read one book –perhaps you have read about the life of
ramanuja. Ramanuja got something from a Master. He came and stood up on a
mountain, called all the villagers, “come on, I'm going to give you what I got
from the Master.” People said, “Have you got the permission of Master?” “No.”
they told him, “You'll go to hell.” “All right, I’ll go to hell all alone.
Others will be saved –never mind.” The thought struck me at the time: “if I
get, I will tell it to everybody.” People don’t give all these things, I tell
you. Very rarely will you find someone who gives service he has done. We don’t
live up to it. Even living one word will do, I would think. To give tall talks
–lip talks –there are so many congregations, lectures, and books –do they help
in elevating others? Why? The Saint say: “All right, dear friends” –do Simran.
Meditate. His changing helps. Charity begins where? You tell me. At home. If
you do that, you'll do a great service, I tell you- by radiation –by example.
Everybody coming in contact with you will guided. Some people say they feel
pace. I never tell them to do anything. They receive it. By they feel peace. I
never tell them to do anything. They receive it. By atmosphere radiation and by
receptivity you can have it. This is no new thing I've got specially in me. All
of you are endowed with that –simply you have nor cared to turn that way, that
is all. Lay up your treasures, where? What did Christ say? Yes, “Lay up your treasure in heaven.” We are to give
and take. We have to finish off gladly. God has united you. Some as brothers,
some as sisters or wives. God has united you, don’t sow any more seeds. Sow the
big seed –of God you see –that’s all. |