As the first blog entry got exhausted. My second book |
In the course of Her everyday talks in the shape of smiling suggestions and parables, She expresses ideas and thoughts about life and religion, that, if collected, would make a wonderful volume of spiritual treasure. Mother chooses the tiny incidents of everyday life as vehicles for expressing lofty truths and principles of human conduct. That our small social unit is a part and parcel of the great family of mighty worlds, that all beings, dwelling here below are, through all the storm and stress of life, moving onwards in quest of the Infinite Master of creation, are truths that always find expression through Her words, smiles, songs, kirtans, hymns and psalms as well as in all Her sweet ways of life. What She says or does is full of hints for our guidance and is applicable to our conduct both in the worldly and religious life. If we make even one of Her many-sided virtues the ideal of our life, it will be sufficient to lead us to Self-realisation. To those who have a great desire for spiritual uplift, She appears to have put on this physical body for the welfare of man to help him in his struggle for freedom from the miseries and distress that chain him down here for ages. The central theme of all Her words and expressions is this: Life and religion are one. All that you do to maintain your life, your everyday work and playful activities, all your attempts to earn a living, should be done with sincerity, love and devotion, with a firm conviction that maintaining one’s life means virtually perfecting one’s spiritual existence in tune with the universe. To bring about this synthesis, religious culture should be made as natural and easy, as taking our food and drink when we are hungry and thirsty. Mother says,—“With earnestness, love and goodwill do life’s everyday duties and try to elevate yourself higher and higher, step by step. In all human activities let there be a live contact with the Divine and you will not have to leave off anything. Your work will then be done well and you will be on the right track to find the Master. Just as the Mother nourishes her child with all possible care and affection and makes him grow up into a healthy boy and a handsome youth, so you will come to find the subtle touches of the Divine Mother shaping your inner life and making you reach your full height and stature. Whatever work you have to do, do it with a singleness of purpose, with all the simplicity, contentment and joy you are capable of. Thus only will you be able to reap all the best fruits of work. In fullness of time, the dry leaves of life will naturally drop off and new ones will shoot forth.” We have often heard from Mother that when She used to attend to Her household duties She was fully absorbed in the work and had not the slightest thought of Her dress, food or even Her body. She would devote Herself wholly to the tasks assigned to Her and carry out the orders of Her seniors in the family with scrupulous care. Her neighbours would always say,—”This newly married girl lacks usual common sense.’’ Mother says,—”Just as there is a definite time-table for work at the office, school or the shop, so should we set apart for divine contemplation a few minutes out of the twenty-four hours of every day, preferably in the morning and evening. One must form a fixed resolve that this little time shall be dedicated to God throughout life. During this period no worldly activity should be allowed to encroach upon the contemplation of God. A fixed time must be allotted to all the members of the family including the servants. If this practice is continued for long, divine contemplation will became a part of your nature. Once the habit is established, the future course of your life will be made quite easy. You will feel the flow of the mysterious divine grace feeding all your thoughts and actions and giving you new strength. You get a pension or bonus after years of hard work, so that you need no longer earn your livelihood. In the spiritual realm the reward for good, sincere and selfless work is even far greater and can be obtained more easily. “Your earthly pension expires with your life, but the Divine pension continues long, long after death. Those who would amass money, store it up in a hidden chamber of their house, add to this store what they can save from time to time, keep a constant watch over their treasure. So also reserve a little corner of your mind for God and always steal an opportunity to add to your stock in the shape of the invocation of His name or some pious work or Divine thought.” |