 |
|
One should not ask for anything from God, but remain satisfied with whatever. He is pleased to give. If you ask God for anything, He will give you a gift which is like a double-edged sword. Real welfare lies in using things properly; wrong use of things brings misfortune. You are the complete master of your mind, and you can shape it as you like. When the mind is completely under your control, it will have nothing to exist on, except noble thoughts. Just as we know that pure and wholesome food is necessary for our physical existence - impure and contaminated food will only injure the body - so it is necessary to nourish the mind with noble thoughts and high ideals, refusing to provide it with evil thoughts and bad associations, which are like poison to the mind. What the westerners call fate or destiny, we characterize as the result of our actions in previous births. The river of time is flowing on. Will it only do to be drifting with the current? You have got to cross the river, and you can get across only when you swim with the help of that current. Never give way to despair and dejection. Without perseverance nothing great can be achieved. The aim of life is to realize God, and the task is not easy. You must steer clear of laziness and insincerity. Even when you are nearly across, you have to persist in your efforts and go on swimming or else you will be sucked in by the currents and get drowned. If you put your whole heart into it, God will give you immense, infinite strength, and you will reach dry land. What is true of personal life is also true of nation. Whatever situation one may be in, one can, to some degree, serve the motherland, serve the common people, and above all serve God. Always have the good of the universe at heart and let this become a part of your daily prayer. Selfishness has got the whole nation in its grip. But, again, without the pursuit of self-interest, the world would be at a standstill. Self-interest, however, should not be conceived in narrow and limited terms. Living for the little self is but death. But he who sacrifices his life for the good of the many is living truly. Compiled
and Edited by Swami Gambhirananada | Top | An introduction | The life story | |