Noblest Deeds in the Eyes of Baba
What is in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name will smell as sweet. All names are His. It makes no difference by whatever name we may call Baba.
What is the noblest deed in the eyes of Baba? To return good for evil; To abide by His will; Not to tell lies; To love Him. Just imagine that when our heads and hearts are filled with His thoughts, it is natural that our attachments to everything else will fade away. The result will be that there will be no heartbreaking separations. So, we will never consider any imaginary object or transitory existence to be real. Our minds will, therefore, acquire strength and stability. We shall be able to see realities of life in their true perspective without internal attachment to them; heart-breaking separations will automatically cease.
Life in the world is nothing but play and entertainment. The world is only a drama, and we are all actors in it. In a drama the gains and losses are all unreal. Every actor in a play must naturally accept his share of gains and losses as a part of the play. But having once known it to be a part of the play, he keeps himself detached from the effects of these gains and losses. ‘The actor in the play knows that both gains and losses are temporary exhibitions on the stage, and his real purpose is to please his MASTER with his acting. If we begin to look upon these losses and gains as real and consequently start crying seriously or getting elated unduly, and if we decline to further play the part allotted to us with due attention, the result will be that the MASTER will be displeased and may use other forms of compulsion to make us play our part properly.
All gains and losses are imaginary because the inner meaning of this drama is something quite different. Human life or death is like putting on or taking off theatrical dresses. Our relations are not real; our attachments are merely imaginary; the gains and losses here are meaningless. Surrounded by these thoughts, our minds can live and act in the same surroundings without being affected by painful incidents and without excessive exultation, in a state of balance or poise. When we strive to discharge our duties thinking that this is in obedience to the will of God, we shall be mentally free from the results thereof. Then our mind will acquire purity and stability. This does not mean that after knowing the real character of the world to be merely a stage drama, we are free to spoil our part in it. On the contrary, just as an actor performs his part with zeal and energy, we should continue to play our part in this life and should at the same time remain unaffected by the gains or losses of life, free from the fear of death, just as all good actors remain unaffected by the pre-arranged incidents in a play.
There is only one Reality in this world, and the rest is all illusion or play. This thought gives us unlimited peace of mind. Pride or egoism is the greatest enemy of man for another reason also i.e., through it man establishes a world of his own, apart from that Reality. For example, when a man says, “I am learned”; “I am powerful”; “I am descended from a great family”; then with these thoughts he separates himself from that Reality, because we are either atma (soul) or nothing at all. If we are atma, then we existed before any qualities appeared, consequently we are distinct from these attributes. These attributes or qualities will by subsequent association with us generate in us feelings of pride or egoism, which are all perishable and are far away from the essence of atma. If we are “nothing”, then to whom do these qualities or attributes belong?
Moreover, it is not proper for us to brag of our greatness in the presence of a very great personality. On the other hand, if we acknowledge our qualities to be gifts of God, and then own these qualities as our own a thousand times, and even if we go so far as to say that we are made up of these qualities, there is no real harm done, because in the affirmation of these qualities, there is negation at the very core of one’s heart.
In the divine Court of Baba, the most acceptable action is doing good to one who has done evil unto you, for returning good for good constitutes no real merit. This merely is an exchange on equal terms. But to return good for evil is the starting point of spiritual life. When we learn to love Baba’s men for His sake, by suppressing our wounded feelings, Baba will love us more. By learning to abide by His will, tranquility of mind is attained. We feel pain when something that we like goes away from us, or the thing we like is not gained, or when something we dislike stays on with us. When the all-pervading Reality—Baba and the desire to abide by His will permeates through our head and heart, that very moment we will be released from all pains and troubles for then there will remain no `likes,’ or `dislikes’, acquisitions or relinquishments, because there is no individual will be left in us. Then apparent poverty or misery or destitution and want will not exist for us and we will be ever happy under all circumstances because there is no `opposition’ left in us for anything.
Someone asked a Faqir (ascetic) “Are you happy?” He replied, “How can I be unhappy when the entire Universe is functioning in accordance with my will.” The questioner felt annoyed at this answer and asked him again, “You were born only a few years ago, whereas the entire universe is functioning since eternity, then how can it be working in accordance with your will?” The Faqir replied, “Why, then, under whose command is the universe functioning?” The reply came promptly, “In accordance with the will of God”. The Faqir then explained, “I abide by His will; His will is therefore my will; the entire creation is functioning in accordance with His Commands and my will is one with His will, that is how the whole creation is working in accordance with my will.” The questioner marveled at this explanation and said, “This is a wonderfully simple way for a drop of water to become an ocean. There is no attempt here to force His will on our wishes; but we should try to work in accordance with His wishes, when our mental opposition disappears by these thoughts, then the ocean of peace and bliss will flow within us.”
By refusing to tell lies, purity of tongue and purity of mind is gained. We should feel grateful for the innumerable kindnesses of Baba and should gain mastery over egoistic feelings.
In truth all praise belongs to that Great Source of Light, and also to all those names and forms through whom He manifests Himself who become worthy of respect to the same extent. Just as a bubble is never separated from water, in the same manner these personalities (prophets, saints, seers) are also internally connected with that one Great Source of Light. We shall endeavor to see the virtues and greatness of the founders and prophets of others so that the sphere of our love may be widened. In truth all praise belongs to Baba, from whom alone all this life emanates and exhibits itself. Dispersion is death and Unity is life, Dislike is thorn, Love is flower. Separation is darkness, Union is light. Therefore, we should refuse to see small differences in religions, arising from difference in the place of birth, the need of the time, and surrounding circumstances. By thinking of our essential unity in God, we should enjoy spiritual exultation. Just as a common thread passes through all the beads in a rosary, we find that Baba and His love is common to all religions. All desire Him, some try to reach Him in one way, others in another way. All lines from the circumference reach the same center. We should try to pursue our journey on one path and should feel happy in seeing others also proceeding on their own path. The result will be that our sphere of spiritual life will become universal, and an ocean of love and divine intoxication will naturally flow in our minds. Human bloodshed resulting from petty quarrels will disappear. Gita also teaches us that:
(Gita VII 21-22)
(21) “Yo-yo yam-yam tanum bhakthah Sraddhaya ‘rcitum icchati tasya-tasya `calam sraddham tameva vidadhamy aham.”
Whatever form any devotee with faith wishes to worship, I make that faith of his steady.
(22) Sa taya sraddhaya yuktas tasya ‘radhanam ihate labhate ca tatah kaman mayai ‘va vihitan hi tan.
Endowed with that faith, he seeks the worship of such a one and from him he obtains his desires, the benefits being decreed by ME alone.
Therefore, on seeing a temple we should picture Rama and Krishna, on seeing a mosque we should think of Khuda, on seeing a church we will imagine God, in front of Gurudwara the presence of the Almighty. It is my prayer that Baba may infuse real love in all men for each other so that all may be threaded like beads in one large rosary of love. And the time that is lost in quarrelling, debating, may be utilized in remembering the Creator and in furthering the material prosperity of His children. Thus, we should realize that God exists, and this world is His creation, and that we all are brothers and sisters. Realizing this principle, we should spend our time in peace and joy, loving all Baba’s creation.
~S. D. Khera, Calcutta
Source: Sanathana Sarathi, April 1968
