|| Shri Hari ||

Secret of Freedom

If a servant always works in accordance with the Master’s biddings,  then when occasion so demands,  the master also has to honor the word of his servant.  Thus if somebody makes another his slave, then he too will have to suffer subjection sometime -  this is the Law.  

The other person must obey my words,  act according to what I say,  follow my command,  become just as I want him to be -  the name of this very thing is ‘desire’.  Desire is the name of getting things done as per one’s disposition.  A man of desires will never have ‘peace’  -  

tadvatkaama yam pravishanti sarve sa

shaantimaapnoti na kaamakaam  (Gita 2/70).  

Renunciation of desire is at once followed by peace -

tyaagaacchaantiranantaram  (Gita 12/12).  

But today things are fast moving in opposite direction :  people want peace but at the same time,  they so desire and want that their wives, sons, parents,  even they Guruji should do as they want them to do.  Not merely this,  even God should do as per their asking.   Since we are God’s devotees,  God should act according to us.  Even Sage Naradaji said thus -   

karahu so begi dasa maim tora (Manasa,  Baal. 132/4)

I am thy servant.  Please speed up my work.  

All want that others should obey them;   who will then do as biddings ?   Someone tells that he should ‘follow my command’;   the other says that he should ‘obey my orders’;  then both are ‘thagas’ (cheats).  There is no thuggery (cheating)  between two ‘Thagas;,  The best and brave one is he who acts on other’s saying .  ‘ I should obey all, should act as he tells me’  -  these are the characteristic features of the good and the worthy ones.  God is the best among all;   how then will God say that one should do this, and in that manner ?  

If there is a good thing,  then why should we want it to be done by others ?  Does not the other one want to do a good thing ?  Let that thing be placed before others with the submission that if they wish they may do,  if they don’t then they may not.  Even God has said :   

sunaha karahu jo tumhahi sohaai  (Manasa,  Uttara 43/3)   

He may or may not do - therein we have to remain equanimous -

 sidhyasidhyoh samo bhootvaa  (Gita 2/48).  

It is our job to place the best things before others;  it is not our concern to get things done by others.  If we want the work to be done by another person,  then we will have to be dependent on him.  He may know it or not.  It is a joyful thing if he does or does not do our work.  Why is it a joyful ?  It is so because we will have to be under an obligation if he does our work and we will be freed from that if he declines to do as we bid.  We will not be bound to him.   The saints and seers, the great souls who are unconcerned and desireless recluses,  spiritually free and great one - and God -  Who never tell, never even wish - if somebody acts in accordance with their selfless words of wisdom, then they too have to be bound, to be dependent on others.  

to be continued......

From book 'Be Good'  by Swami Ramsukhdasji from Gita Press, Gorakhpur