|| Shri Hari ||
Prison - A School
(A discourse given in the Nagpur Prison)
continued.....
The time that goes by without worshipping and remembering God, is all wasted and worthless time. Therefore, one should beware, and remain alert at all times that our time does not get wasted away ! The work that has to be done, the duties that have to be performed, do them with great enthusiasm, and the moment you are freed up from that work, do Naam Japa, Kirtan, Gita recitation, or reading of various spiritual books.
(2) Second point is very easy for you; and that is ‒ lead your life with simplicity, your personal expenses should be minimum. Let your habits be such that you eat basic food, wear modest clothes, and live in a modest house. On cultivating such habits, when the time arises, you can even consume great food, wear very nice clothes, live in a magnificent house, and at other times, have the most ordinary meals, wear most ordinary clothes and live in a very basic house. You have received this opportunity, in which you can personally reduce your spending, and practice to live this life in a very simple and modest way.
On leaving this place too, do not live a life of luxury and relaxation. Maintain simplicity in life. By having such a nature, you will be able to live very comfortably anywhere. All the great saints and great souls, have spent their lives wearing very ordinary clothes, using minimal and simple beddings, residing in ordinary houses, and eating very simple meals. Those of you who have money, do charity, engage in virtuous causes, spend on the family, on those who do not have any protection, on those who are those invalids, on the poor and suffering ones. Reduce your personal expenses.
(3) Third point, in whatever work you do, in that increase your skill, proficiency, cleverness, prudence. When you learn this skill, it will remain with you forever. It has been said that if Brahmaji gets angry with his mode of transport the ‘hans’ (swan), and tells him to go away, then without doubt he will be released, but the skill of separating milk from water, is retained by him forever, even Brahmaji cannot take it away from him. Wherever he goes, that knowledge will remain with him. Therefore, in every work, go on increasing your proficiency, workmanship, prudence, and knowledge.
(4) Fourth point ‒ Never take what rightfully belongs to someone else. Stealing and robbing is very far fetched, we must be extremely careful on this subject, that other’s entitlements do not come to us, If you eat the food from your real earnings, then the ‘antahkaran’ (mind-intellect) will become pure, and if you eat food from earnings that are stolen, cheating-manipulation, then the inner-senses will become extremely impure.
‒From the book in Hindi ‘Vaastavik Sukh ’ by Swami Ramsukhdasji