Practise Nama with Complete Self-effacement
Spirituality consists in doing nothing with a sense of doership, not feeling that you have yet something to do. However, a man does not feel happy if he is asked not to do anything whatsoever; in fact, this is considered the direst punishment to a prisoner. We have a habit always to be doing something or other, mentally if not physically. To prevent the body from doing anything is difficult; to keep the mind idle is still more so; while most difficult of all is to keep the mind inactive while the body is doing something.
What the mind really needs is a state of repose; but, for this, one must make a conscious and conscientious effort. Let us see what disturbs peace of mind; first, happenings which go counter to our desire; the second, recurring memories of past deeds and happenings, good, bad and indifferent; and thirdly, worry for the future.
Regarding the first cause, we should remember that everyone in the world wants things to happen as he pleases. Then how can we expect them to do only what we want? Some of them are bound to go counter to our desire. The best remedy against this, therefore, is not to entertain any desire whatsoever. Give up expectation from others. Go about your duty with complete pridelessness. We become upset and unhappy if we do not succeed in an undertaking, in spite of having taken pains for it. But there need be no unhappiness if we forego doership. After having done our best, whatever result follows should be ascribed to Rama's ( God's) will. To ascribe everything to Rama thus is equivalent to being in His constant awareness. This attitude can be built up by ceaseless repetition of His nama (name). Whatever has happened, is happening, will happen, is God's doing, and must be in our ultimate interest; we are not the doer; this thought will become ingrained only by constantly chanting nama. So we should not fret for yesterday, nor worry about tomorrow, but live in the present in remembrance of God. If there is any real rest in worldly life; it is while we are practising God's nama.
Not to be contented in the existing circumstances is a feature of corporeal consciousness, and we look on everything from that angle. Let us stabilise our mind in God, while we let the body do its worldly duties.
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