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How to Put Obedience into Practice?
We are very happy to tell our friends the most important thing about
Sahaj Marg - there are no do's and don'ts, very convenient system, you
see! That is the most unfortunate and mistaken understanding of Sahaj
Marg, that there are no rules in Sahaj Marg, is not true. We have the
Ten Maxims. We are expected to live by them. That there are no do's
and don'ts, well, it only says that Master does not force you to obey,
but He expects you to obey and if you do not obey, your progress is
going to suffer.
It is only in the field of spirituality that obedience gives total
benefit. In ordinary rules and regulations, obedience prevents accidents,
saves lives, you see, something like that. It's a preventive thing.
"Don't smoke in a petrol station." Well! I only prevent a
fire. I don't get anything positive out of it. "Don't cross the
road when the red light is on." I only avoid an accident. "Don't
swim in the river when the water is polluted." Again it is an avoidance
of an accident. "Don't look out of the window from a train."
Again you save your head from accident …all negative benefits.
In the field of spirituality obedience gives positive results, positive
benefits. So, I recommend obedience as a start. And try to begin with
Ten Maxims, anyone of them, it doesn't matter. It is not necessary to
begin with number one, and then go to number two. Start anywhere. In
obedience the most important thing to remember is: don't think, start
doing.
I would like you to try it in your own personal lives, by trying to
obey implicitly, unquestioningly, immediately. There is no merit in
delayed obedience. If the doctor says, "My dear friend, you are
in serious condition! Take this medicine now," and you take it
tomorrow morning - perhaps you may not be there tomorrow morning to
take it at all! If a train must go at two o'clock and it leaves tomorrow
evening two o'clock there is no merit in it. Obedience means immediate
obedience. "Take this and put it there," must be now,
not tomorrow. I have known Babuji Maharaj giving instructions, "Take
this and put it there," and he goes to the kitchen. The abhyasi
feels he will do it later when the Master comes. Ten minutes later the
Master comes, and lifts up the thing and puts it there. This man is
a failure. Why? In a small thing like, "Take this and put it there,"
his obedience was lacking; he did not know the importance of the Guru's
instruction; he thought that it could be delayed. Now, when he thought
it could be delayed, he was putting his judgment against the Master's
judgment. The conclusion is very clear. Is it an act of arrogance? Yes!
Is it impertinent? Highly impertinent! How are we to judge what Master
wants, why He wants it?
Abhyasis who claim to be devoted must realise that obedience is the
first sign of devotion and where obedience is lacking, devotion cannot
be there. And where there is no devotion, I do not think there is any
large chance or great chance of rising to spiritual heights. It becomes
the duty of preceptors to explain to abhyasis that, without obedience
of the Master's instructions, spirituality becomes something which cannot
be practised by such persons. Friendship should not interfere in a preceptor
doing his duty to an abhyasi. Where friendship interferes with spiritual
growth, then such friendship has to be sacrificed in the interest of
one's own spiritual development.
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