Preceptor's Work
Let us not do this work like work. It must be something which we cannot
help doing. It must be something, which we have to do, which must be our existence.
When we separate work from our existence and say, "I have work to do," or
"I have to study," then I and my work are separate; I and my study are separate.
Therefore, we suffer because where there should be one, there are two. We
should not even be conscious we are working. And when there are no abhyasis
we should feel a sense of isolation, loneliness, and long for company, that
is called satsang, you see. So I wish that such a situation will develop in
all your lives, and that service will become a joy, and the absence of the
opportunity to serve will become a desolation. Then only can we be said to
be true preceptors. Until then we are like any other worker, you see.
The more they take over the work of the Master, the more the Master is
relieved to take over yet higher work. Isn't it? And that is how growth
comes. Such a man has to be promoted, you see. You want to wait until promotion,
to do the work. Here, you do the work, and even God cannot deny you that
promotion. That was my experience in my company life, too. Even when I was
the junior-most salesman, I was doing the wok of my boss and inevitably,
you know, I got his job. Do you know, in three years I was my boss's boss,
in my company. So all comes by work. Work teaches, work gives, work elevates,
work makes you grow. Work is its own reward. By doing work, you work
more. The more you work, the more you get.
Every time you give, you receive much more than you give. It is the philosophy behind transmission, it is truth behind transmission: that the more you work, the more you receive from the Master. Every preceptor, even the best, who transmits almost continuously, keeps back 20 percent. He cannot do more than that, you see. And this is his commission, as Babuji said jokingly, "In no business do you get 20 percent commission. Here you get it." And that is from the Master. And how much you receive in terms of reflected love, reflected light, reflected growth, satisfaction of seeing other people grow and evolve under you. We should think of these things and not think of work as some sort of drudgery which is imposed upon us by a so called benevolent Master who uses us for His purpose. We should not even be conscious that we are doing some thing. The highest work is done when there is no consciousness of the being involved and of the work being done and of somebody being helped.
Master has, for the first time in the annals of human thought, introduced the concept of power-grossness, which results from power given not being used. This idea of power-grossness is powerfully illustrated in Sri Krishna's statement that even He, the Ultimate Being, the Purushothama Himself, cannot remain idle for one moment. The explanation he offers is that such idleness on His part, even for one moment, would lead to the destruction and collapse of the manifested Universe. Looking at this from the Sahaj Marg point of view of power-grossness taught to us by my Master, we see why the Divine Himself cannot remain idle without work. As Master jokingly explained creation to me, God had to create the Universe and keep it going, so as to ultilise His powers, as otherwise He Himself would lose His powers!
You never keep powers. Powers are for work. But we want power without working. What will you do with it if you are not working? It is like money when we do not want to spend it. What is the use of keeping it? The most essential thing is that, when I need it, I should have it. Thus, if you go in conformity with the laws of nature, in obedience to your Master's work and principles, you get what you need.
When you are permitted to do something, you get the ability to do something, side by side. When He gives the work, He gives the power to do it. And when you ask for power, it is crazy, you know, because all the power in the world that you need for that work, you get. When it is finished, you are again powerless. In the sense, it is only a man who is working continuously for Him who retains the powers, and gets more and more as he needs, you see. What would we do with power without work? It is power grossness.
The Bhagawad Gita once again gives us a clue to this important and universal
truth, when Yoga is defined as "Skill in action" or in other words, skilful
performance of one's work. The true Yoga, or sadhana is therefore, nothing
but the right performance of work bestowed upon us. This is true yoga,
or yogic sadhana at the highest level. This implies that there can be no
Yoga where such "skill in action" is not developed. Master once told me
that all who participate in His work, are really performing the work of
Nature, that is, they are participating in Divine work.
Here it is important to bear in mind that physical rewards, in material form are things of which we can be deprived by men or by circumstances. Power and abilities developed by us by right performance of our work are within us, are non-material, and therefore remain ours forever. We can never be deprived of them as long as we continue with the right performance of our duties. Such are the indestructible, undiminishable fruits of work properly done.
So do the work in such a fashion that the wealth that you accumulate is
yours alone; nobody can touch it; nobody can taste it; nobody can smell
it; therefore nobody can covet it; therefore nobody can rob it and most
important of all, you will take it with you when you leave this life. So,
my Master's message was, is and will always be eternally the same: "Look
for that wealth, work for that wealth which is eternally yours and which
will help you to go further on the path to Divinisation."
May my Divine Master make it possible for each and every one of us to work
for Him, and thus enable us to grow to the Ultimate limit of growth offered
us by the Sahaj Marg system of yogic sadhana.
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