God's Masterplan works subtly and silently for each of us (Part 2 of 4 of my career story)

This is Part 2 of the story of how Bhagawan Baba helped me make my career choice. If you have arrived straight here, please take a few minutes to read the first part to ensure continuity and better understanding. Part 1 is posted here.

How Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba helped me make my career choice

When the Lord decides...

The Lord’s ways of working are indeed mysterious. Of course, there are times when He performs a miracle and gets things done. However, a miracle, by definition, goes against the ‘laws of the Universe’, the laws that He Himself created! Now since He created the laws, God definitely transcends the laws. But still, most of the times, He works well within the framework of these laws in a subtle manner. Thus, not only does He achieve what He has decided, He also sets an example to the world about right action. When the Lord decides on something, the whole universe conspires and begins to work in a manner to achieve it. And that is exactly what I saw happening in my life too as far as my career and living with Swami, in Puttaparthi were concerned.

And to show the mysterious and subtle workings, I would have to narrate some normal, everyday events that eventually added up in an unimaginable manner.

It was early in the year 2007. The year would mark the Golden Jubilee year of the monthly magazine started by Swami (that is how I address Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba) in 1958, Sanathana Sarathi. Plans were afoot for making a commemorative video for the occasion. Swami, on His part, showed great interest in the video and so, it became imperative to get it ready ASAP. Sai Prakash CG, who currently works at Radiosai Global Harmony was roped in to edit the video and get it ready for Swami’s viewing. He worked overtime on the project, throughout the night and got the video ready in 24 hours! (Only God can inspire such dedication I feel!)

Having completed the video, he showed it to the seniors and elders who were very happy with the work. As he planned to go and crash on the bed for some well-deserved sleep, he got a piece of news that made all sleep fly away. He was asked to present himself at Swami’s residence to be there when the video would be shown to Swami! What a piece of fortune!

Swami saw the whole video and was very happy with the effort.

“Who made this video?” was the question.

Sai Prakash was pushed to the front. Swami smiled at him and blessed him. At that time, Sri Chakravarthi, then the secretary of the Central Trust, said,

“Swami, there are a few students working at Radiosai. They want to induct a few more students so that they can do more work.”

At this point, Swami looked at Sai Prakash and told him,

“This is a kind of job which everyone cannot do. I want you to look out for someone, who in your opinion, is suitable for the job. Come and tell me your choice(s) and I shall appoint him/them.”

Sai Prakash was pleasantly surprised. He wanted to ensure that he heard right and sleep-deprivation was not making him imagine things. Sai was prodded him to do the ‘HR’ job for Radiosai! He just nodded. Swami repeated what He said. He was dead serious.

The ‘exam’ time which proved to be a testing time

There was barely a month left before the final examinations would begin. There was lots to study. However, my concern was not about the exams but about what would happen to me after I completed the MBA. My heart was decided that it would not be happy anywhere else. But my mind kept telling me,

“If you have to become a waiting boy after studies, what will you do? Instead of using your talents and skills to help Swami, will you simply allow them to waste?”

I knew that my mind was misguiding me. But the mind is very powerful when it starts taunting and creating fear. When it starts doing like this, it becomes like a rabid dog which will first growl at you, then bark before finally pouncing on you unless you show it who’s the master. And the master for this D-O-G is none but G-O-D. Thus, I started praying,

“Swami, you know my heart. You know I want to be here. But I cannot get a job here unless you give me one. I know you will not give me the job till the correct time comes but I fear that I may not have the patience to wait. Please do something.”

I pleaded from the bottom of my heart. I even told my mother,

“Mom! Please pray for me. I do not want to be a waiting boy because I lack patience. I am scared that my mind will overpower me and convince me to go away if I am made to wait. I am scared. So please, pray for me.”

I tried to reason out to myself,

“Don’t worry. If you have to wait for a few months, it’s no big deal.”

Immediately, another half of me protested,

“No way! Once I change from a student to an alumnus, I will lose all the ‘privileges’ that I have got accustomed to in the last 9 years. No more photography - unless you become a staff member. Will you be able to take that revoking of privileges?”

Tears streamed down my cheeks. I felt that I would not be able to take it. I could not imagine a day without photographing Swami. I wondered how Swami could do this to me - separating me from my camera and shooting Him? I just kept my fingers crossed.

The different pieces come together

One day, as I was walking back from class, Rangarajan sir, my teacher (currently the Controller of Examinations for the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning), accosted me. He said,

“Aravind, Prof.G.V (referring to G. Venkatraman, director at Radiosai) says that he wants to recruit some students. He is interested in recruiting you and asked me to speak to you about it. Would you be interested?”

The reader must be imagining that I dived at this opportunity that presented itself; that I told Rangarajan sir how grateful I was; that I told him how I pined to be with Swami all my life. Well, that is exactly what I did!

However, I did mention to him one small worry that cropped up in my heart. I always wanted Swami to give me a job. I wanted to tell all my life,

“I am was and am employed by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.”

I was hesitating to give that ‘employer’ status to Prof.G.V! When I expressed this to Rangarajan sir, he laughed and said,

“You talk as if Prof.G.V is going to appoint you tomorrow itself. It is not that easy. The professor cannot take you like that. He will definitely tell Swami and if Swami is happy with that, Swami will tell you.”

That satisfied me. Even if Prof.G.V wanted me, Swami would have to tell me to join the job. That would make Him my employer! (Swami is the employer always, irrespective of where people work in the world! However, in my childishness, I entertained these thoughts.) But again, that nagging worry came because it was not a surety that Swami would accept me!

The next day, I was told that I had a visitor for me in the hostel. It was a certain Sai Prakash from Radiosai I was told. He wanted to meet three of us from the final year post-graduate class. I got a feeling that something was moving along now. When I went to him, he spoke at length about the aims, goals and vision of Radiosai. He also spoke of his confidence in me being the right person to be employed at Radiosai. It was simply thrilling though I had no idea of the commandment which Swami had given him. Often, that is how Swami works in our lives - silently and efficiently. The evening soon grew late but we continued speaking. I was so eager and excited about being a part of Radiosai and spread Swami’s love in the digital dimension.

A shooting star streaked across the skies as
we finished the discussion. 

Even as we completed the discussion, a shooting star cut across the skies. I was aware of the practice of wishing upon a shooting star. Legend has it that wishing upon a shooting star makes the wish come true. Coincidentally, I had made my wish!

“Swami, I want to be with you forever.”

For a moment I felt disappointed that my wish had not been,

“Swami, I want a job in Radiosai.”

Immediately, I remembered the first time ever that I had spoken in Swami’s presence in 1997. Then too, instead of asking for admission in His school, I had asked Him the same thing,

“Swami, please keep me with you throughout my life...”

Though that was not foremost in my mind, that prayer was the basis for me wanting admission in His school and me wanting a job in Radiosai. The realization immediately made me feel so good and I thanked the shooting star for its appropriate appearance.

A note on the shooting star

Please forgive my little detour here. It is imperative that I do this because there is a beautiful message to be conveyed.

I have often wondered at the logic or wisdom behind the legend of wishing upon a shooting star. Googling for the same, one comes across many reasons and causes for the legend. However, my heart gave me an answer and I feel that is the Truth!

Wishing on shooting stars is actually somewhat of a challenge, since they disappear almost as soon as one sees them. Then, how is it possible for one to ensure that one is able the wish when the shooting star streaks across the skies? Simple! Keep making that wish every time - while eating, while playing, while praying, while working... even while sleeping. Even one’s dreams must be about one’s wish. Then, the timing of the shooting star does not matter. Whenever it comes, the wish will be made!

I feel that the legend of wishing upon the shooting star carries the message that the innermost desire of our hearts always finds fruition. It also inspires us to wish for the ‘most valuable’ because it is simply not possible to wish for more than one thing in this manner! It reminds me of another similar example that Swami often gives in His discourses. He says that the thoughts that one entertains during the last moments of life determines the next birth.

“If anyone thinks of God on the deathbed, one is assured of the ultimate - moksha.”

In fact, this is the message of the story of Ajamila too as mentioned in the sacred texts, the Puranas.

On the surface, that appears so simple. But the catch lies in the fact that unless one has thought of God throughout one’s life, one will not be able to think of God at the last moment of one’s life! A hundred other thoughts will come flooding the mind. Swami tells the story of a man who named his four sons after different gods because he felt that when he was dying, he would call out to his sons. That is exactly what happened. As he was dying, he called out,

“Rama, Krishna, Narayana, Shiva...”

All the four promptly rush to him. Seeing all the four of them together, he shouts,

“Fools! If all four of you come to me, who will take care of the shop??”

And the man died!

So, thinking of God while dying instead of one’s attachments is very difficult indeed. Unless, one has practiced.

A simple experiment  here-

As I go to bed at night, I try to think only of God. But is it possible for me to isolate only thoughts of God from everything else? If I am not able to do so while going to sleep, what is the surety that I will be able to do it when I am about to die? I get to sleep every night but I will die in this body only once! Is it not important to practice?

Surely a lot of food for thought there. And with that, I complete the little detour.

A step closer to the dream

It was the 28th of March, 2007. Only two more exams remained for me to complete and be done with my formal education. That was when, I had another summon. The three of us with whom Sai Prakash had spoken to were told that Sri Chakravarthi, then the secretary of the Central Trust, wanted to speak to us. It had to be something very important otherwise he would not be calling us a day before the final exams.

When we met him, he asked us whether we REALLY wanted to work in Swami’s institutions. My heart leapt in joy. I could not believe my ears. At the same time, I was thinking,

“I don’t want Sri Chakravarthi to give me a job! I want Swami to give it to me!”

He immediately cleared that doubt.

“I am not here to offer a job. However, let me tell you that working for Swami is not easy. There will be no Saturdays or Sundays. There will be no summer vacation or winter vacation. You will have to sacrifice all your other ambitions. It will be work, work and more work.”

He went on with this rhetoric for the next ten minutes. I would not be dissuaded by that! If it were true, why on earth did Sri Chakravarthi himself choose to give up a lucrative career in the Indian Administrative Service and stay to work for Swami? I knew there was something that he was not saying. While I was lost in these thoughts, he completed his rhetoric and then asked a question,

“Now, do you still want to work for Swami?”

“Of course sir. I know all that you have said. I have considered them and then only made my decision because being with Swami is more than sufficient compensation.”

He smiled.

“Working for Swami is not easy. But it is the most fulfilling thing in the universe - you can be assured about that.”

He got up and left. The meeting was over. We could now go back to our studies.

In the eyes of the world, it appears as though people have sacrificed a lot to be with Swami. But ask the same question of those very people and they will say that they have sacrificed nothing. That is the Truth. I too had thought that I would be sacrificing so many things to be with Swami. Today, I can confidently say that I have sacrificed nothing. I just decided to stay with Swami and everything has been conferred upon me. I am completely convinced that if one decides to choose God, everything else automatically comes along (unless the choice is done with the view of getting everything else by choosing God).

The three of us returned to the hostel feeling that surely something was brewing in God’s cauldron. And we couldn't just wait to finish our exams and find out what it was.

Proceed to the 3rd part:

How God changed my disappointment into appointment

For all readers:

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How Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba helped me make my career choice (Part 1 of 4)

Tell God about your plans for life - it is sure to make Him laugh!

A problematic transition

One of the most challenging transitions in life is from a student to a working professional. Everything changes in a span of few days - teachers change into bosses, friends change into colleagues, marks change into money, exams change into deadlines, vacations change into overtime and, worst of all, freedom changes into responsibility. It is, therefore, no wonder that a lot of thought and discussion goes on before one makes this transition. As is inevitable for everyone, I too had to make this transition in life as I completed my MBA from the Business School at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. However, I had one little ‘problem’ - I was deeply in love with my Master, my god, my best friend in life - Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

People use different terms to describe their love for God - adoration, devotion and dedication. It may seem funny that I was calling it a ‘problem’. Well, my love for my Swami (as Baba is known reverentially) was not a problem. The problem was that I wanted to stay in His presence and build my ‘career’ in Puttaparthi itself. In fact, it was only the strong urge to be with Him that had made me take up an MBA at the Institute after completing a Masters in Chemistry. There was not much correlation between the two fields but that did not deter me. I knew that the Institute is special because it conferred ‘Higher’ learning thanks to Sri Sathya Sai and that higher learning attracted me.

But ‘higher’ learning is a lifelong process and it is a rare few that are able to graduate with good grades within a single birth. And so, I wanted to stay near to my Master who is my only succour when it comes to grades in this field! That was my career choice - to be with and work for my Master. Without doubt it was a choice that He helped me make by bewitching me with His divine love - a Love, which I promise, experiencing which one will not find anything else more joyful in life. (That is why I use capital ‘L’ to denote it.)

The phenomenon of waiting

For those that are not familiar with the term, let me introduce the ‘waiting boys’. The waiting boys were students who had completed their studies from the University and sought to spend their life with their master and Lord, Bhagawan Baba. Sometimes, Swami would grant salaried jobs in the ashram itself to such waiting boys. Thus, some joined the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, some joined as teachers in His educational institutions, some joined as technical staff and managers at His hospitals and so on. However, in some other cases, Swami did not say anything at all to those who had completed their studies and wanted to be with Him. The students, on their part would continue to wait patiently for His instructions.

And I know a few of them who have spent seven full years awaiting His command! They would come in the morning to the mandir and participate in the Veda chanting, darshan and bhajans. Following that, they would spend time in satsangh, reading spiritual literature, service and doing their personal chores like washing clothes, cleaning etc. That would be followed by the evening session in the Prasanthi mandir after which would be dinner, satsangh and sleep. This schedule would repeat day after day. The waiting boys would go wherever Swami went - Brindavan or Kodaikanal. Their whole lives would literally ‘center’ around Swami.

They also serve who only stand and wait. - John Milton
(The waiting boys gave new meaning to this line.)

Now that you know the life of the waiting boys, you will be able to imagine the difficulties they faced. The fact that they were not earning a livelihood was the least of the problems. They faced tremendous emotional and psychological pressure from their peers, family, relatives and even random people.

“How long will you remain jobless in this manner?”

“Is it not your duty to take care of your family at home?”

“Why don’t you tell Swami what your problem is? Why do you not ask for anything when He passes by you in the darshan lines?”

Little did the questioning people understand the rich feelings of love that these waiting boys fostered for Swami in their hearts. That did not bother the waiting boys. They knew that He knew and that was enough for them.

My fear

In spite of knowing all this, I entertained a secret fear. I felt that I would not have the strength and patience to ‘wait’ in this manner for Swami though I wanted to spend all my life with Him! Paradoxical isn’t it? That was why I wrote letters to Him saying,

“Swami, I am ready for any test of yours except for the one of being a waiting boy.” You can understand how fearful I was.

This fear became more profound as I neared the completion of my education at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. I was in my final year of MSc (Chemistry) and I knew that when I passed out, within months I would lose my student badge. And with the badge would be gone my ‘privilege’ of walking into the darshan grounds ( Sai Kulwant hall or Sai Ramesh Hall) and occupying the prime seats. That was something I was very attached to and did not want to lose. So, my idea was, to get a ‘Staff’ badge even before I would lose the ‘Student’ badge.

But for that, I would need Swami to ‘notice’ me, give me attention and talk to me. In other words, I needed to get into ‘FORM’. (For those readers who are wondering what ‘form’ is, it would be a good idea to read the article on my first memorable interaction with Sathya Sai as His student.) And that ‘form’ seemed elusive to me.

A crazy idea but a solution nevertheless

A few months were left for me to complete my education and I had no idea of what I should do to quell my fears. That is when I came up with a crazy idea. As always, my idea stemmed from my observations.

I had noticed that a couple of years ago, when Swami built the magnificent Super Specialty Hospital in Whitefield, Bangalore, He had absorbed about a dozen students to act as technical staff and managers in that massive humanitarian project where thousands have been given tertiary medical care with love, totally free of cost. Those students who got jobs in the hospital had been ‘waiting boys’. Those waiting boys had a few ‘leaders’ in the sense that Swami regularly spoke to and interacted with a few of them. Those ‘leader’ students (alumni actually) always spoke to Swami on behalf of all the students. And therefore, when Swami gave jobs, He gave not only to those ‘form’ boys but to everyone as well. In fact, Vemula Praveen, whose story has been covered in three detailed parts, was also one among those boys.

My idea was to be a free rider!

Here was my idea. There was one student who was in heavy ‘form’ in my batch too. I was sure that Swami would definitely give Him a job in His institutions. (My assumption proved to be totally wrong as this alumnus is currently not even on Indian shores. The mind, when it tries to comprehend the Master, always turns out to be a fool!) So, I thought, I too would be in the group of students waiting for jobs along with him and he would surely represent our case to Swami. (Another mistake here because, as Swami says, He needs no agents between Him and the seeker. It is always a direct connection.) And my conviction was that when he represented our case, we would all get jobs!

Today, I look back at the stupidity of the idea. But I must confess that back then, it gave me lot of comfort and solace. I thus let go of my fear and was happy that a solution was at hand.

Unexpected twist in the plan

This apparently foolproof plan of mine was cut rather abruptly. Here is what happened - the student on whom I had pinned all my hopes of getting me to my job at Swami’s institutions, got into ‘super form’. Swami gave him the opportunity of dining at His residence. Many interviews followed through which Swami guided him to take up a job in the corporate world. Profusely blessed thus by Bhagawan, this boy went ahead with life. And I was stuck, without a plan!

That was when I decided to join for the MBA course in the Sri Sathya Sai University. If I succeeded in that, I thought, I would be able to extend my ‘Student’ badge for two more years during which I could plot to stay on with Swami throughout my life. While it was an easy decision to make, executing the same was no easy task. I knew that having been in the science-line all through my academic career, I would require some serious studying and preparations if I was to get an MBA seat in Swami’s college.

I put in my best efforts and even took a national examination, the MAT - Management Aptitude Test - and scored high there. By God’s grace, I did well in the entrance examinations also. The toughest challenge came when the no-nonsense-type vice chancellor, Sri A.V.Gokak, asked me,

“Why are you changing from a science stream, chemistry, to management?”

I knew that the true answer - So that I can extend my stay with Bhagawan for two more years - would simply be shot down. I quickly prayed and out popped the answer,

“Sir, I feel that rather than guide a few chemicals to a product, I should guide a few chemistry workers towards a societal goal. For that I need to learn man-management which is what our MBA is as Swami stresses. So, I am doing this as an augmentation rather than a career-changer.”

He was convinced and I got my seat.

But that was only step 1 of my ultimate plan. I had no idea about how I would be able to execute the rest of it.

A spark of hope

The two years as a student in MBA also seemed to fly by. Few months before I would pass out with the degree, came a ray of hope - an unexpected group interview during Ramzan in 2006! That was when Swami asked different students about where they came from. The various cities, towns and villages in India were named. I was also hoping to be asked. But Swami did not. Instead, He gave me a sort of ‘opening’. He said,

“Are there none from Puttaparthi here?”

Immediately, my hand shot up. I said,

“Swami, I am from Puttaparthi.” Swami smiled. He told everyone,

“This boy was born in Puttaparthi. He studied in Puttaparthi and he grew up in Puttaparthi.”

(On first look, that statement looks like it is filled with errors. But then, I can cross my heart and say that my ‘life’ truly began only after I came to know of Swami and came to Puttaparthi. What a difference He has made in my life! As for my ‘growth’ who can know better than Him?)

I was not satisfied with what Swami said. I added,

“Swami, I want to be in Puttaparthi always.”

Swami nodded to say yes.

“You will be in Puttaparthi always.”

The group interview during Ramzan which gave me hope to latch on to.

That statement gave me energy and enthusiasm to continue keeping my fingers crossed about getting a ‘Staff’ badge from Swami. Any time my mind gave rise to fearful thoughts and my heart palpitated about my future and career, I reminded myself of that single statement from Swami. Just meditating on that statement, I would feel so much at ease.

I must say that the Master’s words to us are like that. Let it be ANY word - it turns into a mantra because it has dropped from the divine lips. That is why, when anybody asks me as to which is the best teaching of Swami to follow to please Him, I tell them to follow anything that He said which resonates in our hearts. That will become a mantra for us without doubt!

Coming back to the story, I did not have the slightest idea that what I was considering as a very difficult situation to be in would be resolved so simply and superbly. That is the beauty of the Masterplan; when it unfolds you know that things just could not have gone better!

... Proceed to Part 2... Click on the title below God's masterplan works subtly and silently for each of us.

For all readers:

(If you enjoyed this and wish to subscribe to this blog, please go to the right hand side and choose the last 'box' which says subscribe. Another blog which I maintain with more than 200 articles on it is at http://aravindb1982.hubpages.com. You may visit that at your leisure. If you wish to be added to my mailing list, please email me via this page with the subject "ADD ME TO MAILING LIST".

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Do your best and God will do the rest

Involvement without attachment

That should inspire us to be completely involved...

There is no scarcity of people’s stories where hard work has gone in vain, unrewarded. There is also no scarcity of such stories where results and gifts are handed on a platter to people who do nothing at all. Amid these two extremes, we find a broad spectrum of people who get results disproportionate to their efforts. Thus, we find people of the first extreme getting frustrated with making efforts and people of the second extreme wondering why efforts have to be made at all when ‘luck’ seems to be ‘gifting’ people at random. And there is confusion on the efficacy of efforts in the intermediate area of the spectrum.

Blessed is he/she who is able to stay out of and go beyond the spectrum mentioned above! It is indeed a great blessing to be able to persevere with one’s efforts without getting affected, positively or negatively, by the results the efforts bring. This holds good for all kinds of efforts - at home, at the workplace, in school and generally in life (which includes one’s spiritual efforts as well). This ability to separate oneself from the results of one’s efforts has been described in the Bhagwad Gita by Lord Krishna as Karma Phala Tyaga  (giving up the fruits of efforts).

My Lord and best friend, my Swami, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba explains this beautifully. He says that one must have the ability of involvement without attachment. And that - involvement without attachment - is precisely what I feel is the meaning of this famous proverb:

Do your best and God will do the rest.

Two reassuring incidents with Swami come to mind at this point. They are similar in the way they panned out and probably that is the reason why I always remember them together. Thinking about them, I feel that also carry the same message in slightly different ways.

Goodness and Godliness

This incident is set sometime in the years 2000-2001. It is the experience of a student who joined the Sri Sathya Sai Higher Secondary School for his XI grade in 1986. He graduated in 1991 with a Bachelors degree in commerce. Let us call this student Govind for identity sake.

Govind had decided to spend all his life with his Lord and master, his beloved Swami. Therefore, he continued to be closely associated in many ways with different projects that Swami undertook. Then came the time when his mother told Swami that it was time for her son to get married.

Swami always stresses to the children and youth to consider their parents as God. Matru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava He says - regard and revere your mother and your father as God. He called Govind and told him to get married. Govind was hesitant. He feared that the girl who would become his wife would also take him away from Swami. He expressed the same to Swami and said,

“Swami, I don’t care what kind of a girl she is. She should be a Sai devotee.”

When he said so, Swami slightly reprimanded him. Swami said that he should not simply say that he didn’t care what kind of a girl he married. The girls should be virtuous and good. It didn’t matter it she wasn’t a ‘Sai-devotee’. Govind was adamant about his point of view. He tried to reason out with Swami. His heart pounded harder even as he thought of the possibility of him being pulled away from his Swami in case his wife did not ‘believe’ in Him.

Godliness attracts goodness naturally.

That was when Swami made a statement that reassured Govind. That statement continues to be such an inspiration for me. I always think of it in many different contexts. Swami told him,

“Ay! You just look out for virtues. Ensure that you select a good girl. I will ensure that her goodness is attracted to my Godliness.”

Wow! What a statement! What a reassurance! There is the obvious message that when one has put in one’s best efforts and done his/her best, God is always ready to do the rest. However, there is also a different, subtle message for me who claims to be His devotee.

I realize that I become Swami’s devotee only when there is goodness in me. I don’t become a devotee because of ‘knowing’ Him for 50 years or having got dozens of interviews/opportunities to touch His feet/have darshan. At the same time, I also learn that if anyone does not ‘accept’ my God, it does not matter. As long as they are good people, it is enough. Goodness automatically gets attracted to divinity/Godliness in due course of time. So, I need not unduly worry if people criticize or ridicule my Lord - as long as they are good beings! Nothing taints the Lord.

Is there a shortage of ‘goodness’ in the world?

Well, it is indeed heartening that goodness gets attracted to godliness. But again, in the ‘practical’ world as we call it, we feel that this is not happening. Bad seems to be proliferating at such a pace that there seems to be no ‘sufficient goodness’ to get attracted to Godliness! What do we do? It is here that the importance of being good oneself cannot be overemphasized.

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

Now that is a cliche that we have heard again and again from many places, at many times. One of the most beautiful expressions of this cliche can be found as the epitaph of an Anglican bishop buried in the crypt of Westminister Abbey in AD 1100. On the grave are the following words:

“When I was young and had all energies, I wanted to change the world. I found it difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I realized that the nation was too large a place, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t even change the town and so I decided that changing my family would be sufficient. Now, on my deathbed, I know that the only thing I can change is myself.

Suddenly I realize that if,long ago, I had changed myself, I could have impacted my family. With its support,  I could have made an impact on our town. That impact could have changed the nation and, who knows, one day I could indeed have changed the world!”

Once again, the inspiration and reassurance from Swami is wonderful.

Role models and inspiration

Time and again, Swami exhorts the importance of one’s efforts. In fact, in the summer course discourse delivered on the 28th May 1993, Swami said,

“There is nothing that cannot be achieved through man’s efforts. He can even bring the whole ocean into a glass and drink it up completely. When he was born, he knew no alphabet but he is soon able to write complete books. However, the problem comes with one’s mind.”

A little more insight into this can be gained from a student’s experience.

It was one of those memorable Trayee sessions in which Swami had stressed on the importance of one putting in one’s best efforts. A student who was thinking ‘practically’ raised his hand and raised a doubt along with it. He asked Swami,

“Swami, you tell us that you will transform the world through us. But isn’t that such a tough task. There are so many people in the world and the number of students are so few. How can it ever happen?

Swami smiled at the student and then said,

“You take care of following and practicing the ideals I have taught. That is all that needs to be your worry. When you are ideal, I shall make sure that the world notices you and gets inspired by you. That is my job and you don’t worry about it.”

Isn't that another beautiful reassurance? Again, it carries a subtle for me. When I put in efforts, my focus and energies must be only on the efforts. Keeping an eye on when the fruit is coming or why it is not coming does not help. At the right time and circumstance, God will deliver the fruit for He always knows best.

That is where I feel that the monk’s epitaph can be slightly modified. Yes, it is indeed true that changing oneself can change the world one day. But for that to happen, one should change oneself only with the focus on changing oneself. If one changes oneself BECAUSE he/she wants to change the world, there might be a problem! That is precisely the Karma Phala Tyaga that Lord Krishna spoke about. In view of that has been discussed so far, I would like to modify the famous proverb in this manner-

Do your best and then just rest. God will do the rest and, whatever that is, it will always be the best!

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