GREETINGS

Swamiji:

Ego an Illusion

Egoism is the most dangerous illusion that has to be destroyed. Arjuna too suffered this ego. One day when Krishna brought the chariot back to camp, Arjuna wanted that like all charioteers, Krishna should get down first and open the door of the chariot for him. Krishna refused and insisted that Arjuna should alight before He does. At last Krishna won and Arjuna got down. As soon as Krishna left His seat and touched the ground, the chariot went up in flames! The fact was that the various fiery arrows that had the power of burning the chariot had actually hit the target, but due to the presence of Krishna, their igniting powers could not manifest themselves. Realising this, humbled Arjuna; his egoism had a rude shock. He also realised that every action of Divinity is full of significance.

Magic of Sweet Words

In a story, Birbal tells Akbar, “Sweet talk is the sweetest thing in the world; nothing else, not milk, honey or jaggery comes close to it. A sweet word is the most valuable thing; through it one we can win a person over, give great joy and even attain a higher status. When crows caw at us, we throw stones at them. Whereas, when cuckoos sing, we respect them. Neither is the cuckoo going to give us a crown, nor will the crow punish us. When one’s speech is good, one earns a good name. Hence, a sweet word is indeed the sweetest thing in the world.” You must always talk to others in a manner which would give them contentment and joy. It is the essence of all scriptures.

Work is Worship

You should realise that for every action there is a consequence. The results of each action depend on the nature of the action, just as the nature of the tree depends on the seed which is sowed. The consequences of one’s actions are inescapable and it is for this reason that the Emperor Manu laid down that all should observe Dharma. The consequences of actions may appear sooner or later but they are bound to occur. When you constantly think of God and perform all actions with Divine feelings, you will experience the full blossoming of the human qualities. Consider every action as dedicated to God. You cannot avoid actions. You must transform work into worship. You have to perform work in this spirit. You cannot substitute prayer for work. You have to combine both work and worship.