The Transformation
Once our hearts have been touched by Sai, then slowly but surely our way of life gets transformed. We also start noticing that others are not the same any more; they appear less cantankerous than before, and more likeable. The real reason is that we have changed! We all change in our habits and attitudes once we have experienced the Sai touch!
The first thing that happens is the discovery of the joy of the dawn of a new day. We never knew before that dawn could yield us sublime delight, the morning star, the golden sky! We learn to get up at 4 a.m. and recite silently in bed a prayer Swami has taught us:
“O Lord! I am now born from the womb of sleep;
I am determined to carry out all tasks this day as offerings to Thee,
with Thee ever present before my mind’s eye.
Make my words, thoughts, and deeds sacred and pure;
Let me inflict no pain on anyone; Let no one inflict pain on me.
Direct me, guide me this day!”
What a beautiful prayer this is! It is more a pledge than a prayer. It does not ask for material boons. If we are determined to carry out our tasks with Baba ever before our mind’s eye, He will help us to make our thoughts, words, and deeds sacred and pure. The practice of the constant presence, learning to remember Him in whatever we do, is the very essence of making ourselves pure. And this is the key to make every act we attempt successful, since it becomes His. When thoughts, words, and deeds spring from a pure heart, they will never be divergent; when selfish thoughts dominate, we speak and act differently.
The prayer has some unusual undertones. We pray to Baba to make us aware of the feelings of others so that we will not do anything that might pain them. And we pray that we might not be affected by anything that usually is painful. We pray for a change in our attitude to pleasure and pain, praise and blame! Finally, we place ourselves in His hands and surrender ourselves to be directed by Him. It is interesting to find that all spiritual efforts are summed up in this little Morning Prayer.
Baba says, “Work is worship; duty is God.” Unfortunately, our work now is as shoddy as the way we offer worship to God! Work and worship have become routine, mechanical; our heart is not in what we do. If only we remember that whatever we do, we are doing His work, then we will carry out our tasks more sincerely and also derive joy. “Who granted you the chance, the intelligence, the success?” asks Baba, and He answers, “The Lord.” We forget that every time we cheat the ‘boss’, we are cheating ourselves. We may believe that we have escaped unnoticed, but how can we escape the eyes of the one within?
Another problem arises because of our prevalent attitude to our work, which we somehow do not like, whatever we may be doing! We do it as a chore, and this is a wrong attitude. If it is Baba that has given the job to us, how can we do it shabbily, more so because it is His worship? Baba has us in His mind when He says, “Happiness lies not in doing what one likes to do, but in liking what one has to do.” This is a profound maxim of life. If every mother were to abandon the child because it is irksome to bring it up, none of us would have grown up. It is childish to think that in life we can always do what we like to do. There is hardly anything that comes our way that we can welcome joyfully. After some time, everything becomes boring. So we have to learn the art of being happy whatever the work we have perforce to do; the best way is to do it as worship of Sai!
All our life we are afforded opportunities to serve. If we do our work properly, and use the God‑given gift of intelligence to help one and all, we are actually serving the Sai in others. The question may arise: Will this not mean our being exploited by others? No. Baba’s advice is not to do the other man’s job for him. We should help to make others work, so that they also enjoy the work as worship offered to God.
Daily life affords opportunities to learn things such as controlling our anger and spreading love. Whatever we do to others has to be elevated into seva. We should not ill‑treat official subordinates; we must treat them with respect. We need not also demean ourselves by overdoing, being obsequiously respectful to an official superior. We need not be afraid of any person or situation. “Why fear when I am here?” says Baba.
“Spend the day with love,” says Baba. “Fill the day with love,” is His mantram [sacred formula]. How can we function effectively if we have to love everybody, it is often asked. This problem arises due to the mistaken concept of love. Loving does not mean that we ignore our duty as laid down; wrong-doers have to be punished. Even government regulations stipulate that we impose punishment only after every other method to improve the individual has failed. The real problem is that those who have been charged with the responsibility of punishing the wrong doers lack the objectivity, the tolerance, and the compassion to correct a person. Punishment does not necessarily improve a person! Nobody would like to change his habits, unless he is convinced that it is for his good. Discretion applied at the proper time by one who has built up a reputation for high integrity is very important for instilling discipline. The trouble is that the hand that wields authority itself is generally undisciplined. How can we expect to change others unless we are willing to change when our mistakes are pointed out?
What Baba says about teachers, in the following words, applies to every profession: “We fight for rights, while functioning on wrong lines. Our right is the fulfillment of the duty devolved on us. Discharge your responsibility without demur or deviation to the best of your ability. That is your right. No one should hinder you while doing that duty.” But teachers do not work as sincerely and as fully as their salary demands. They are demeaning themselves “by this negligence of duty.” Baba is very clear on our attitude to our work when he says, “Plunge into work wholeheartedly. Is it ‘work’ to lounge under a fan, in an air‑conditioned office, without damaging the crease of one’s coat? The only justification for accepting remuneration is hard work with bone and muscle, sweat and blood, hard work to bring peace and happiness to the country and the world.”
~ Dr. M.V.N. Murthy, From: The Greatest Adventure
Source: Sanathana Sarathi, Sept. 1986
