Our Foremost Duty

Sun, 16/03/2014

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Today let us do a small exercise.

Look at the person sitting next to you and tell them, 'I do not trust you at all'.
(Everyone in the audience does the exercise)

What did you all feel? Did you see that it is so difficult to even say that to someone else? You feel hesitant to say something like this.
I am not saying that you tell the other person, 'I trust you so much'. Instead I am telling you to say, 'I do not trust you at all'. But we are feeling so uncomfortable in even saying that. Isn’t it so?

When you see all of life as a leela, then nothing in this world can shake you, or bring any sort of negativity. When you have this feeling, then nothing will ever be able to dim the light within you.

So today, you all did something that you have never done before. You told another person that you do not trust him or her. And what happened? The moment you said that, you started laughing and the other person started laughing as well.
Has something like this ever happened in life earlier? No, it has not.
Why is this so? It is because you all took this as a game, nothing more. In the same way, you should also see all of life as a game. That is why we have the word Leela (meaning the pastimes or games of the Divine).
When you see all of life as a leela, then nothing in this world can shake you, or bring any sort of negativity. When you have this feeling, then nothing will ever be able to dim the light within you.

Okay, now let us all do another short exercise. Close your eyes and just imagine a world in which no one trusts you at all. Everyone suspects you and thinks you are a cheat.
Now open your eyes. How did you all feel? Did you feel bad, did you feel lonely? Yes, you suddenly felt everything became so depressing. Isn’t it so?
You know, many times we do not have to say everything out loud. People around us understand many things about what is going on in our mind just by our vibrations.

If you go visit someone, and they may welcome you smiling on the outside, but from inside they are thinking, 'Oh, why has he come unnecessarily?' Are you not able to recognize this instantly? How many of you here have felt this? (Many raise their hands).
Are you not able to sense the vibe that comes from the other person? So you all do have a certain level of sensitivity about this, isn’t it?
Our vibrations convey much more than what our words do, and we convey our deep feelings and emotions through our vibrations.

You may go on talking about love for two hours, but all that conversation will not be able to convey the essence of love that one glance from a baby can convey. What a single glance can convey, even a thousand words cannot.
So we convey our true feelings to others through our vibration. This is why we must have purity in our feelings. We must keep our heart clean, and free from negativity. This is the significance behind burning the pile of sticks on Holi.
Burning the pile of sticks on Holi signifies that, we keep on having some cravings or aversions with the people around us, but at this time (Holi), let us surrender it all and burn it along with the fire. Let us just move ahead in life, ever fresh and pure once again.

There is saint hidden within each one of you. To bring out that saint within, all that you have to do is be contented. When you become content from within then a great power dawns from with you.

'God is with me, He is present right here, right now' – just having this deep faith within us, is all that we need. There is nothing more needed to be happy. Then you will see that everything you want will simply go on getting fulfilled.

When you become content in life, you gain the power to bless others. This is the law of Nature.
In our country we have a tradition of always seeking blessings from the elderly. Why is this so? It is because they have lived their life and are content. They have reached a stage in their life when they not want anything more.
When you are stuck with cravings and desires, then you do not get the power to bless others. But when you become so content from within and feel that ‘I do not want anything’, then a great power dawns from with you, and you become able to fulfill not only your own desires, but the desires of others around you as well.
There is saint hidden within each one of you. To bring out that saint within, all that you have to do is be contented.

India is home to seven important and unique traditions. The first is Yoga and spirituality. India is the origin of Yoga, meditation and great spiritual knowledge. The second is Ayurveda. Today all over the world, Ayurveda is being hailed as the medicine of the 22nd century. There are many beneficial and powerful medicines and techniques in Ayurveda, which not only protect your health, but also give a lot of strength to the body.
Ayurveda is the science of overcoming the disease even before it arises to affect your body.
The third is the Indian Food. We have such a great diversity of dishes in our country.
We decided to showcase this diversity in Ahmedabad. We had an event called Annambrahmam in which 5700 different kinds of vegetarian dishes were made, using seven tonnes of cereal and food grains. The dishes were prepared in 265 kitchens and the food was distributed to 30,000 poor children on the occasion of Diwali. People today are completely unaware of the great food diversity of our country. We have become accustomed to fast food today, like pizza, etc.
Do you know how the Pizza was born? In Italy, they made the pizza by using all the left over dough and vegetables. People in Italy after finishing their meals used to give pizza as food to the laborers. Food that was left over from the night meals was fermented a little, and then used with dough made from white flour to make Pizza. Unfortunately, a lot of people have Pizza as part of their main diet today in India. We must promote our Indian cuisine and encourage it.
The fourth area of excellence for India is its Information Technology (IT) .
The next is Indian dance and music. We have so many types of dance in our country.
We have such beauty and diversity in the ornaments that are used for dressing and decoration.
Then we have Indian tourism. India has so many wonderful tourist and heritage places. Unfortunately we have not worked well in these seven areas. This is why there is poverty and lack of development in India. If we pay proper attention to these seven areas alone, India will surely rise and progress.

We have to bring a strong undivided government in India, we need to strengthen India. Only then can we rid India of the widespread corruption.

I always say that love for the country and love for the Divine are two sides of the same coin. If someone says that I love God whole heartedly but I do not love this Creation, this Earth, then that would be a false thing to say.
This is like saying that you love the gardener (God) but not His garden.
If someone truly loves the gardener (God), then wouldn't he also love his garden? We must not forget this.
You all must become Volunteers for a Better India. Devote one hour daily for the country. You can keep the remaining 23 hours for yourself, but one hour everyday you should be dedicated for the country.
If we all do this together, you will see how much we can do to make India shine with glory and pride. I definitely believe we can do this.

Corruption begins where belongingness (with one another) ends. You will never behave in a corrupt way with those who belong to you. No one gives or takes bribe from his own brother, cousin or any family relative. This is why it is very important that we bring about a wave of oneness, of happiness in society.
We have started a Happiness Survey recently and we have asked all our volunteers to go door to door and have it filled by the people. Go and talk to the people and ask them whether they are happy or not.

Many times we are not connected with our neighbors at all. We do not bond with them, and we stay in our own world with our limited wants and problems. We are constantly stuck in 'Me' and 'Mine'.
When we talk to others and get to know their problems, then a huge change comes in us and as well as the others. So the least we can do is talk to people and ask them whether they are happy or not, and if not, why are they unhappy. Can we all not do this?
If we all walk together, then we can do so much. You all should form groups and go from house to house, talk to the people, get the survey form filled and also understand their problems. By doing this, we can bring about a huge transformation in society.

When good people choose to remain indoors and not cast their vote, that is when criminal elements get elected into the Parliament.

There are two more things I want to tell you. You know, burning one plastic bag produces dioxin that is sufficient to cause cancer in a 1000 people. We all have to be careful about this. We need to be aware about the plastic waste that is being dumped. It is very important.
Another important thing I want to share is very relevant to today’s context. The elections are around the corner now. It is very important for every one of us to vote. It is our foremost duty. Choose the right experienced candidate and give them your vote.
I know it will be very hot and sunny in many places, and you will have to stand in a long queue. But just remember that it is the same for everybody, and cast your vote. I have always said that if the society is suffering today, it is because of the silence of the good people, and not because of the few crooked ones. When good people choose to remain indoors and not cast their vote, that is when criminal elements get elected into the Parliament.
So who is responsible for keeping the criminal elements out of the nation’s politics? It is ours. I urge you all to go and vote, and if you find someone who is hesitating from doing so, take them by their hand and ensure that they too cast their vote.
Now do not ask me, 'Whom should I vote for?' This you have to evaluate for yourself. We have to bring a strong undivided government in India, we need to strengthen India. Only then can we rid India of the widespread corruption. If we again have a divided coalition government at the centre, then it will not help in any way.

(Note: The discourse was given in Hindi. Above is a translation of the original talk.)

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