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Last night in the satsang I was primarily talking to S from United States and U also from Delhi about the secret of spiritual life and spiritual sadhana. I would like to say it is a secret because it is never known. Even when known, it is not recognised and acted upon. See, normally our mind is activating the senses and all interactions and activities take place only because of the mind part, the mind propulsion behind it. The mind’s propulsion is generally guided by two forces or two urges, of desire and hatred. The third one is fear. The desire and hatred are also referred to as attraction and repulsion, love and resentment. Now these are motivating only actions normally. So what happens in the course of our life in this world is, every day the number of attractions and repulsions is increasing. Not only number, they become stronger and deeper. The strength as well as the depth of the raga-dveśās, attractions and repulsions, go on increasing. As much as they increase, so much the mind also becomes tense.
Now spiritual life clearly implies one structural change in this. What is that? Do not do anything at all out of attraction or repulsion. On the other hand, you should try to do everything without attraction and repulsion.
Somebody came to the ashram, wanted to see me. I asked him ‘Why you have come?’ He said, ‘I listen to you’. Then I pursued the conversation and told him whatever is necessary. In doing so, is there any attraction or repulsion? I may come to my own judgement if I have the ability to do so as to what is the inner nature of this person? Why is he asking this question? Will he make use of my reply? Like that I may come to an assessment. But in treating him there is no attraction or repulsion.
The workers of the ashram come and then they say, ‘We have this need, please tell us, please do that.’ We listen to them and give. Sometimes in so giving, we say that, ‘You are not the only person, other people are also there. We have to strike a uniformity. This uniformity is what we are looking for. So we may not be able to do everything that you ask for, but at least a part of it.’ Sometimes, like that, we would say. Now whenever a point arises we have to help. We had to help for the marriage of a daughter of K. She was asking for something like 60 to 80 thousand rupees. Ultimately we had to give. I said, ‘How can you ask for so much money? It is not possible. We will give some 10 or 15 thousands of rupees. ‘But I will not be able to marry’, she said. I consider the marriage of any girl, anywhere in this world as a social institution and a need.
Then finally we called all the others and said, ‘This girl is asking for so much money, what shall we do?’ Finally we decided some gold will be given and the remaining money also will be given. We gave. So we called the other workers, asked them, ‘This is what we are doing. You should not make it a precedent. We may not be able to do it in another case’, etc. Finally the other workers also agreed that she should be helped. It makes no difference, but doing it in a better manner.
In all these things, I am very sure that we don’t act upon any attraction or repulsion. Another point characteristic of us is, we don’t do any thing with a view to use a man or getting anything reciprocally from him.
These workers are negligent about many matters. Even in their negligence, I always tell Ma, particularly, our helping them should not be affected by their negligence. Some times I call them and tell them ‘You work in a place. Is not your success dependent upon your being able to please your master? By pleasing the master what purpose you are going to gain?’ So there is a lot of talk. What I wanted to tell you is that, out of attraction or repulsion, we never do any thing.
Normally the mind is given to attraction and repulsion alone. So here, now, you should decide ‘From today onwards I will not work on attraction or repulsion.’ Naturally you will be obliged to find some other level of work, some other motivation if at all there is a motivation, what is that? By that process you will find, you will develop an insight into life, an insight into activity, an insight into interactional outcomes, the art and process of facing them. Naturally the intelligence will start blossoming. Arey! What is this! I cannot act on attraction! I cannot act on repulsion! But that is what I have been doing all along! Now I cannot do it. So what should be the level of work? What should be the centre or the platform from which I will start doing my work? I think that is the time the intelligence begins to blossom. One point.
Second point. Every action that you do, it is meant for an external outcome, external productivity. Very good. Very good. You look after your child, bring the child up, send the child to school. Get her or get him married. All these things you do. The external outcome, let it go on. But besides this there must be constantly an internal outcome called enrichment of your mind, maturity and sublimation of your mind everyday.
So please listen to what I say. In addition to the outcome our interactions produce in this world every day, in addition to them, there must be a regular enrichmental process taking place in your mind. Some times you will have bitter outcome. Some times you will have painful outcome. It is just like the women undergoing labour pain. Labour pain is a pain. But only by undergoing it, a woman becomes a mother and it is enriching. Modern science says that without labour pain if you deliver a child you may not have fondness for that child. So that is an enrichment.
So, every time whatever be the outcome, plus, minus, favourable or unfavourable, it must always bring enrichment for your mind. This enrichment is not interfering with your external activity, interactions and their outcome. If at all, the mind being enriched every time you will be able to perform your interactions in a better and more effective manner. That microscopic personality, inner personality, where the individual likes and dislikes alone motivate your work, in place of that you will find an expanded, enlarged platform, personality will be there within you.
Can you imagine? The same life you are living, but you will live with a much loftier, much expanded, much, much broader mind. This is the difference. I think the entire spirituality can be summarized in this.
When I read the sloka from Bhagavadgeeta years back, may be some 55 years back,
Thinking about me – manmayā,
māmupāśritāh - depending upon God, thinking about God.
Many people have purified their mind. How? Veeta rāga bhaya krodhā - they have transcended rāga, dvesha and bhaya. Rāga, krodha and bhaya. I see! This is the secret! The entire devotion should be purity of the mind. And what is the purity? Dropping attraction, repulsion and fear. So every day this process should take place.
So instead of intensifying, multiplying and deepening attraction, repulsion and fear, your life and activity should start reducing them, thinning them down, making them vaporize every day.
My dear souls, this is one thousand percent possible. Not one hundred percent! One thousand percent this is possible! Provided, you absorb it and your perception and evaluation change. This is all what I have to say. Attraction, repulsion and fear are there within the family circle, within the social circle, within the professional circle, within everywhere. Look for them and constantly sublimate them by your actions. Don’t do anything because of love, but do everything to sublimate your love. Do not do anything because of hatred and resentment. But do it with a view to sublimate it. Do not do anything because of fear but to sublimate fear. This one formula and watch word should be there. Then it becomes interactional sadhana and the real secret spiritual life in progress.
Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru.