The Hearts Intrinsic Nature

There is intrinsic goodness within everyone. We do not have to think how to be good. It just happens. When someone asks, what is your name, you do not have to think. It spills out. Does it require effort or imagination to speak the truth? Only lies require effort. Goodness…comes naturally.

Some perform their daily rituals, whether spiritual or religious, out of fear. They think that if they skip their rituals, they may be condemned to hell. Some others perform their rituals out of temptation for the heavenly abode, offering prayers to God to allow for their safe passage into the Brighter World.But to seek a return on an investment of love is a sacrilege. This is the reason that “love for the sake of love” has been highly praised. When our input is tainted with desire or ego, the bond between the Lord and the devotee suffers. Bribing the Lord with prasad, coconut or incense sticks, in order to receive crores (not to mention a happy, healthy, wise and eternal life): can this be just? You do not have to be a sage to figure this! When a person has a transactional relationship with the Lord, they will naturally learn to behave the same with other people—to take advantage.

Suppose that a milkman wants to boost his profit and decides to dilute the milk with water. But then rethinks. It occurs to him that he might get caught and lose him customers. So he decides against it. Does that decision make him virtuous? Although he did not cheat his customers, it was for the wrong reason he decided not to: his reputation. However, in so doing, he has compromised the intrinsic goodness and morality of his own heart.

If we refrain from doing wrong—but only because we are afraid of being discovered—it proves that we still require rules and policies to avoid straying from the path of dharma, the path of righteousness. But if we allow our intrinsic goodness, decency, to manifest and prevail, automatically and justly, in the natural outcome rules and policies become redundant. The more the rules and policies, the further we stray from our intrinsic goodness.

If our acts are righteous—but only in so far as to look good in front of others—we still compromise our intrinsic goodness. Our community may reward us for our virtue, but though our acts may be just, they are not pure. We still are not expressing our true goodness. We are only wearing masks of goodness and morality. It is an imitation—a counterfeit of virtue. To burnish our reputation by doing good work only because others are watching, increases our burden of ego, which then disturbs us at the subconscious level.

Allowing our innate goodness to manifest is not complicated or difficult. It is in the heart’s nature to do so. When the mind is at rest, the heart automatically responds to the universe. For example, it is our duty to support our family, and it is the heart that responds to that call of duty. When the mind interferes in the process, it only creates layers of complexity. But an evolved, or meditative mind, naturally and effortlessly aligns with the heart. When the mind is but a witness to the receptive heart, the two attain perfect synchronicity and the conscience remains clear.

In life, we have many duties. Whether our duty is towards an organization, our society, the nation, or the universe, our heart should innately respond to each one of them as appropriate.

We must also be responsive to our own need—to prepare, refine, and sensitize our heart, which is accomplished through the sincere practice of meditation. This allows us to easily capture the waves of inspired creativity that arise from the heart. We take advantage of those inspirations to change ourselves and, ultimately, to transform ourselves.

Thus, the process of meditation fosters our transformation into better individuals. It is then that we are more and more responsive in our duties, to ourselves and towards others, and discharge them with pointed and charged effectiveness.

We should not compare our effectiveness or skill with that of others. That is not a useful utilization of ego. Competition is only healthy when it is against oneself, where we attempt to continuously improve by being better than we were the last time.

When we look upon others, it should be for the sake of inspiration. This is the correct utilization of ego. Then, we are able to set higher and higher goals for ourselves. Like peaceful warriors, we battle our own imperfections, performing each act with greater skill each time. This enables us to take on greater and greater responsibility. By manifesting the heart’s intrinsic values, we thus awaken to the call of duty.

The whole process of transformation takes on a different meaning when we advance from the understanding that, “I belong to this world,” to the idea that, “the world is mine!” This may perhaps sound egotistic, but without the feeling of ownership, of belongingness, without apanapan, we’ll always shortchange ourselves in an enormous way. It is one thing to say, “God is for all and hence He is for me as well”; entirely different when we can proudly say: “He is mine.” When He is mine, so is everything in the universe.

When there exists a sense of belonging, we build relationships; and where there ceases a sense of belonging, we break relationships. But when we are able to say that the entire universe belongs to us, we automatically accept everything and everyone inside it.

This heartfelt acceptance now allows us to surpass the need to tolerate or surrender to anything.It is the intrinsic goodness of the heart that can make me accept all that is, as mine. By the same token, it also makes me become Theirs. Henceforth, all that can happen will always be for all of us. Thus, together, we build our united destiny.

General hints for Preceptors and Abhyasis

Pertaining to sadhana:

• One should aspire for the highest. Peace and other things should be secondary. The abhyasi aspiring for the Highest can be said to be the true member of Shri Ram Chandra Mission.
• One must be regular in the abhyas. If interest in meditation is created, half the work is done.
• After finishing Puja one must look to or brood over his condition. This helps him develop sensitivity.
• One should not worry about the thoughts that rise during meditation or at other times. They rise for the sake of fall. It is not possible to become completely thoughtless.
• It is generally seen that I go on cleaning the abhyasis and they go on spoiling their condition.How, then, can they progress? They will get maximum benefit if they cooperate with me.
• One should develop craving for realization.
• Abhyasi should follow Master with wisdom.
• It is not possible to eradicate anger completely, as it is a thing bestowed by God. One should make right use of it. But greed is our own creation. It should be eradicated completely. One should not have greed even for spirituality. It is seen that some abhyasis are very greedy for taking sittings from Preceptors.
• Transformation can be brought about in two ways – firstly by desiring for it and secondly through force. But in the latter case there is no lasting effect. So, every abhyasi should intensely desire for his transformation.
• One should control one’s freedom of action. The Ten Maxims are meant for this purpose only.
• Abhyasi should have control over little things of the daily routine. If not, how can they expect to have control/command over big things?
• Chaste life should be preferred at all cost. There should be moderation in all matters.Chastity and moderation bespeak the character of a person.
• One should be able to discern between good and bad. Having no discernment is the characteristic of an inferior man.
• Abhyasi should not entertain the idea of becoming a Preceptor. If anybody has the idea of rendering service for the Mission, there are other ways by which he can serve the Mission.
• It is not possible to attain a perfect balanced state, because perfect balance brings about death. But one can reach nearer to it, when one becomes almost balanced.
• Liking something means egoism. So one should rise above likes and dislikes.

Pertaining to moral discipline:

• One should see that no curvature sets in.
• Every abhyasi should develop morality and discipline.
• One should avoid laziness. Great empires in the past saw their decline due to the laziness of the rulers.
• Some respectable distance should be maintained between male and female abhyasis. They should not mix very freely as they mix with the members of their own sex.
• One should avoid drinks. In intoxication there is the effect of matter which obscures the brain and spirituality suffers.
• Abhyasi should try to maintain economy in all matters. Whether one spends five rupees or five thousand, it matters little; but it should not be spent unnecessarily.
• Simplicity is the life of Nature. Everyone should imitate it. The charm in this Mission is that there is no charm. This is the main distinguishing feature of our Mission. It is pure and simple.
• Abhyasi should not engage himself in false propaganda.
• Greatness lies in humility and meekness. So every abhyasi should develop these qualities.