Finish Something Daily February 22,
1971 When the whole
house is in order, then you are free to think who you are, what you are. Now
you're dragged here, there everywhere. You are to work regularly, that is the
poet; it is not a question of accomplishment in a day. a strong man revels in
his strength and a weaker man wonders how he got it. every Saint has his past
and every sinner a future. There's hope for everybody . you're not a sinner
–you're besmeared with sins. You are gold. . . . . gold ore, you might say.
When we are cleansed of all foreign impurities, we are gold. You are great!
Great is man. That will be a very good story to write. All these days you have
been told how to meditate. Keep your whole attention in the seat of the soul in
the body, that’s all; all faculties will be controlled. It is you who gives you
something to stay on –something substantial. We are not to visualize anything.
you have some light and something to stay on; let your small c be merged into
higher consciousness. This is what is meant by spirituality . That does not
required drawing inferences or assumption –no; you see. Even though I
look to the middle, the mind fantasizes? Mind? Mind. . . I don’t know where it comes from. It comes
and it doesn’t relate to anything in my daily life. it is just like fantasies,
coming and going like a motion picture, and I have trouble stopping it. Do you look
intently? No. these only intervene your attention is slackened. If you look
minutely, intently, and penetratingly to find out what is in there –
continuously without a break – then no thought will intervene. That’s all. If
you see wide, that brings all this trouble. Our subconscious mind is already
overflowing with all these thoughts. I have many thought in meditation. You have many
thousand? About what? Everything! Well, do one thing at a time. do one thing at
a time. when you sit by me, sit by me, all alone, with nobody else. When you
think of your mother, no other thought should come. When you are at work, be
fully at work; no other thought will come up. Do one thing at a time. There is no
problem. Do one thing at a time. Now you are here; forget everything; sit by
me. Do one thing at a time. when you're at work, be fully at work. It is not
difficult. That will train your mind, that’s all. Why so many things coming up?
An incident in Napoleon Bonaparte’s life illustrates this. The waterloo fight
was to begin at nine. It was eight O’clock. Napoleon Bonaparte was walking in
the garden. The minister was running here, running about, “ The battle is at
nine; why are you here?” “on, the battle is at nine. It's now eight now.” You
see? When you die, die; finish off, that all. So as I told you before, there is
no problem. It is difficult to do one thing at a time? attend fully to the one
thing before you just as you do your study work. When you don’t do one thing at
a time what happens? One friend comes to you. you don’t attend to him fully,
only see him for a minute or two. Then you attend to another man, and he stands
around you. you attend another man, although not completely. Then you go to the
third, fourth, fifth; all are standing hanging around you. finish off. So that
is why all those unfinished things hover around your mind when you are doing
something. Each point should be finished off in one way or the other. Then, no
point should be finalized, finished off in one way or the other. Then, no
trouble will arise. What is wrong with you? Just a little negative today, Master. It will pass. What’s the
trouble? A cold? [Initiate: yes] Did you take anything any medicine? It's just a
depression because I keep trying to do what you say and I don’t seem to succeed
so . . . Never mind;
just do what you can do and leave the rest. Why worry? It will go away. What you cannot
do, leave the rest to him. “I have done my best, now I leave it to you.” what
you do, do buoyantly, freshly with no burden on your head. What you do, do
honestly. That’s all. You’ve done you best. There is nothing more that you can
do. Pray now. Leave the
results of what you have done to him. Do your best and leave the rest to him.
You're all right physically? Initiate: yes. That’s all right. I was afraid. So
you know – one thing at a time. when you worship, worship. I think it is
easier. Instead of having one thought, you have three, four, and five. How many
thoughts, new thought comes up? New jobs? Only one, two, three. How many? I am
not talking Greek to you. [Chuckles] Quite understandable. Do you understand
me? Not quite well. Just make her
understand please. [translated into another language] She’s got so many new
points to be considered and none attended to properly. Now do you follow?
[Yes.] all right, thank God for what you get. Thank God for what you get and
hope for more. Yes, please, you? going strong? There was a circular three or four years ago which said our lives were mapped out according to the Divine plan in the minutest detail. And the other day we were talking about free will, but I wondered if in reality there is any free will whatsoever for human beings. Our present
life, present life – so far as life and death is concerned, so far as wealth or
poverty is concerned, richness or poorness, so far as your trend of mind is
concerned –these are all fixed. But you are free within certain limits to lay your
lines further. You may decide that the discrimination or by right reading
(scriptures ) or in the company of awakened people . all scriptures say man is
the highest in all creation next to God. he is of the same essence as that of
g. so you are to make the best use of the man life. That is why you are to
decide what to do further by discrimination. What you have done in the past,
you are reaping. What you do now, with ego within, you shall have to reap. “As
you sow, so shall you reap” –that wheel will go on. Action, reaction, action ,
reaction . . . . until you become a
conscious co writer of the divine plane, conscious that he is the doer, not I.
He decides our further trend of mind. Some are more ready to begin, others are
less ready. Some are more intellectual, some are not begin, and others are less
ready. Some are more intellectual, some are not so. So these things are a reaction. You can develop further, but
within that area of freedom line anyway you like. During the Great War here,
the government used to pay a learned man fifty-seven dollars for his corp. I
have seen this. Then there was an unlearned man who could not even sign his
name; these grain people, gave him one hundred fifty dollars. So when two men
do the same job, one gets profit and the other loses; these things are already
fixed. But you can have the freedom to lay further wherever you like. That can
also be decided be discrimination or reading scriptures or in the company of
the awakened people . I sent another circular yesterday about meditation,
diaries. I asked them to give you copies. Yes? I think there
is less freedom than we think, than we imagine . . . .that it is more fixed. Present life is
fixed –further, you're free. If you continue in the pattern of “As you sow, so
shall you reap,” you'll go on sowing and reaping, sowing and reaping good or
bad. That will continue, as you sow, so shall you reap, but if you become a
conscious co-worker of the flowing pen of God, conscious of how it runs, you
are free from further action reaction. All grain which comes between the two
parts of the grinding machine are ground like anything to follow? If you become
conscious of the hand moving and you stick to it, then you won't be ground;
you'll be free. So in manbody we have one concession: we can go back to our ego
–and ego will be lost only when you see some Power is working through you. When that Power
works through a person who is not awakened, when the Power works through a
person that doesn’t realize it, who is still under the illusion, does it means
freedom for that person to do this and that within the limits you described? Trend of mind
goes on as a reaction of the past. You see. But if you use decimation or go
deep down into the scriptures or sit by some awakened man, you can see. Even
the dacoits will become very saintly. There was one dacoit who would punder
away, take away everything from a man first, then kill Him. He would then carry
on his family affairs. Once he met a Saint. He was just going to rob him
cloths, rod Him and killed Him, but the Saint asked Him, “Why are you doing all
this, dear friend?” “this is my job. I have to earn money, you see. This is the
way I have to do it.” do you think it is all right? Is it not a sin?” “I do
realize it is a sin.” If a man knows what he does is not right, and he stilled
does it . . . .”but I have no other
occupation, no other way of earning a livelihood.” “All right, I will just
request one thing of you.” he told him, “go and ask your family members, your
wife, your children, if they will share with you in this sin you are
committing.” Each man looks from his own angle of vision. The dacoit thought,
“this is a very strange man; if I go home he will run away.” This Saint told
him he is very strange man; if I go home he will run away.” The dacoit thought,
“this is a very strange man; if I go home he will run away.” The Saint told him
he wouldn’t run away, to just bind Him with a string tied to a tree –a strong
rope –and go so that he might ask his people . he bound Him to a tree, went home,
and asked his wife, “Well, do you think what I do is not right?” she said the
same thing, “it is not right.” “Will you share in this sin with me?” and she
said, “Why ! you have married me; it is your duty to bring the food.” He then
asked his children; they also replied in eth same way. So he came back and he
loosened the Saint, wept, and begged his forgiveness. Eventually he became a
Saint, you see. A man can turn. There are many instances like that. Once we
went to a place. Pili bhit, and in the morning we had to heart talk. One
dacoit, head of the decoits, was there sitting in the front. I repeated these
things. I said, “There's hope even for decoits, I tell you.” what he knew he
would tell to other decoits?” “Yes” I told Him. Next day was initiation day. he
came up, “give me initiation.” So I gave Him initiation. What happened? He got
the highest experience . he brought others, those decoits under Him, to be
initiated, to get the same thing. He is now earning his livlihood by selling.
So man can change you see. A strong horse is required. An unruly horse will run
like anything, but one direction is required. An unruly horse will run like
anything, but one direction is required. So man, a strong man, (in whatever
way), will work wonders, only if direction of his line is changed, rearranged.
Idlers are nowhere. Idlers are
nowhere. There is no place for those who procrastinate. Procrastination is the
thief of time on, there is no progress. You must be decisive. One wife used to
be very worried. The husband asked her,
“Why are you worried?” she said, “I've got one brother, the only man in the
family and the only earning family members. He says hell leave the world and go
away and become an ascetic.” “How long has he been saying that?” the ment he
will go and never come back.” “if for three or four years he has been talking
like that and he has not gone as yet, he will never go.” His wife said, “We are
worrying and you say he will never go.” His wife said, “We are worrying and you
say he will never go.” He replied, “do you want to see how man can go?” “Yes.”
By way of a joke, he said, “All right, I'm going.” He left the house, went out
one door, and on the other side he sat. the wife said, “All right, come back
now.” “no, I am gone.” You see , there is no place for idlers; no place for
those who have procrastination. Procrastination is the thief of time. those who
put off, “Well do later, we’ll do later, we’ll do later” and that later never
come up. Have you read,
John bunyan’s progress? John bunyan used to write something daily; pilgrims
progress is the book he wrote. He finished it by writing something daily. His
motto was that. There was one man, Stanley , who used to finish something
daily, you see? This I learned from Stanley –finish something daily, you see?
This I learned from Stanley –finish something daily. When I go up, I finish
everything. I may go until twelve, one, two, three O clock, never mind. So when
I lay. Down, I am fresh and have no burden on my head. I know what to do. You
learn from greatness, great men, you see. It is easier to finish something
daily. The gurmat sidhant is a big voluminous work, with over 900 pages in
inner volume and 1,100 pages in the other, I used to wrote on some subject
until maybe five or six O clock in the morning. So this is what I learned from
these men. John bunyan was a good man. pilgrims progress is a very good book.
You learned many things from great men’s lives. Finish something daily, finish
off. Sit in meditation and unless you're satisfied, don’t leave it. “now half
and hour has passed, now one hour has passed.” You are watching the clock. You
won't die, I tell you. in this attempt you won't die. You might have heard of
rama Krishna paramahans told him, “this is one plate full of honey. Well
vivekananda, it is a sea of immorality. If you were a bee, from which end would
you eat?” “sir, I would eat only from the margin so that my wings would not
become besmeared with the honey.” The Master said, “Look here, it is a sea of
immorality, plunge headlong into it; there is no death.” You see? So your
attention at meditation is into the sea of immorality. You won't die. Finish
something daily. Doing something daily is also good but I think it is still better to finish something daily. Go on.
Do it until you get fully satisfied. Then go. You won't die; it is a sea of
immorality, you see. I have learned
many things from a great men’s lives. I have read more than 300 great men’s
lives from the East and West both. Biographies
pay. When I was studying in seventh
primary, I read one book about Saint ramanija who got something from his Guru.
He came out, stood on a mound and called for all the villagers of the place.
“Look here, I'm going to give without permission of your Guru? You will go to
hell.” “Well, dear friends, I alone will go to hell; you will be saved.” So at
that time, it struck me: if never I will get order of my Guru, but still, that
had struck me at the time; it is free, all free. These are the things possible
for you to get. Don’t do
something daily; finish something daily. That is actually much better. To do
something daily is also good, but if you take up the other motto, I think
you'll be much better off. I've got so much correspondence to attend to, more
that one thousand lattés a month, from all parts of the world for all reasons,
for guidance. That is why I do one thing at a time. some days I finish at three
at night. I've got no letters on hand today; finished –you see? If I leave one
or two, I finish them the next morning. In this way you're always buoyant,
fresh , nothing burdening you. this is not spirituality –this is a general
helping factor in life which makes you fit for everything. When I was
writing that book gurumat sidhant, one writer came to visit and was sitting by
me at night. I started at nine O clock, went on writing , writing as fast as
possible. He was sitting watching me. it was ten, it was ten, it was eleven O
clock, it was twelve midnight, one O clock. “from where are you writing?” he
said. “There's nothing before you to copy.” I told him, “my Master dictates to
me. I'm writing so fast because I cannot keep up to Him.” [chuckles] whatever
thoughts come up without thinking ate always perfect. So these are the things
to be adopted and lived up to; that will make you a success in any line you
take up. In my official career I tell you, the job of comptroller was very
intricate. I had about forty two officer in the whole officer in the whole
office, working under me. I would just
open and set them in order. So this habit worked wonders in all my affairs.
When I retired , the military attorney General came up, “Well we had a
wonderful man like you in our department.” I've got it recorded in my report.
Generally when officer are there, bosses are there. Sometimes those who work
under an officer are not pleased, those under are not pleased. In my case, both
were pleased. So these are things which make you fit for everything, you see. I only read
three novels throughout my career. On which I would recommend: Ivanhoe, perhaps
you might have heard of that. The other was The last
Days of Pompeii, and the
third one, Westward Ho . . .. . That’s all. All the rest were biographies or
life stories. So God teaches, you see. Just do one thing at a time wholly and
solely and finish something daily; that will be all right. That will give you a
very good subject for your story, will not? Yes. Master, I copied out the talks you gave the other night about Gods complaint. [Master chuckled, “All right,”] Most wonderful topic. And some people want to copy that talk. They want to make a copy of that copy that I made. Is that all right? I would say so,
but show it to me before passing it on to anyone. In places, it might not have
been interpreted correctly. Put it into a manuscript if you life and send it to
me. I’ll find time to God through. With all I’ve got to do I’ve still more
time, you see. Yes? Should I give it to you exactly the way it came off the tape and then.. . . . Whatever is
there in the tape, write out exactly. I’ll see to it. put it in a manuscript
and give it to me. There were certain, at certain points because I was writing it for my own self, I changed . . . . . . No, no, no,
exact words, exact words. The “morning talks” were given to me from the tapes.
I went through them. You know, all those talks you have got will make very
wonderful books for you, on all subjects. Yes? I have taken
exactly words for word the talk you gave on “Ojas” (January 27, 1971) and I've
given it to - - and she’s going to go
over and type it neatly to be submitted to you. Yes, that’s all
right. I know what I'm talking, but put it in writing. So the other men who
came here have had a hundreds and one questions, very valuable information on
all different subjects. You got something. So why do upon give all this to you?
why don’t I keep it reserve with me? do you know? I whish each one of you to
become like me and even more than that. I wish you progress even more than me.
I wish you, each one of you, to become ambassadors. Master, when we
get discouraged a little, is this the ego involvement that I am doing it? Again keep one
thing in view. Rome was not built in a day; you cannot do everything in one
day. a wrestler becomes a wrestler by working day and night for months, for
years, not in one day. I will tell you my ignorance when I was reading in third
primary. I heard one man talking very fluently, giving a lecture and thought,
“from where is he reading?” I was a very
voracious reader of books. I read on full library of my college –one full
library on all subjects. I have to work for it; you'll become that. These
things should become an incentive to you to work for, not discourage you. I
won't tell you that I fell down from heaven direct. I was born as a man that.
If you see. So man is made; he is in the make. Regularity pays, mind that. If
you do something daily like John Bunyan, even then you'll give to the world a
pilgrims progress. If you finish something daily, then still more wonderful.
I'm not talking to you about spiritual matters now; this is daily living. Is it
not? I told you the other day when I was, I read not one but two, three, four
historic of the same country by different authors. All don’t agree in detail.
Some give more, the other less. The teacher gave notes on the main points,
facts, then the examinations was given. There was a maximum of 55 marks to be
given out . I replied from reference I had read in my own language. Another man
gave out word for word from through he notes dictated to him by the teacher. So
he gave me 54 marks out of55 and gave that man 35 out of 55. he complained,
“I've given every word from the notes dictated to me. Why did you give him 54
and not me? “ “because you have given
word for word what I dictated. He [kirpal Singh] has said what all historians
say.” Teachers love you when you do work for them. Parents will love you. your
Guru will love you. yes, in my official life too, in my student life too, I was
loved. The teachers were proud of me. the teacher would even leave the class
and asked me to teach them. In my official life they were also confident. “Any
new thing that come up?” the officer said, “Go to him [Kirpal Singh]. He will
open all parts of the bayonet and then reassemble it and tell you how it
works.” This was through the greatness of Him, of course. So your parent
will be proud of you, your teacher will be proud of you. would you not like
that? But all phases have to be developed. All right, God bless you all. Go
wiser to your beds. God bless you. |