During a casual discussion regarding an organisational matter, Mohanji responded with great intensity about the need to focus on one’s purpose in life and steer clear of all kinds of emotions and emotional entanglement. He reiterated the need to use the clarity based on our purpose in life to respond to situations, people, and so on. This is a very valuable perspective that we believe is applicable to all of us who are on the spiritual path. Mohanji’s words follow…
When we get closer and closer to our soul, divisions do not exist. We only see the purpose. What is purpose? Our purpose in life. It’s not about people (read: minds swayed by emotion). When we concentrate on people, purpose is lost. When we concentrate on purpose, people (and their fluctuating minds) lose importance. That is how I’m operating.
The world operates in only two ways. They either praise us or they criticise us. We don’t have to entertain both. The moment we get involved in either of these, we have to use our mind. Then we have to do a balancing act. What do we lose in the bargain? Purpose!
Someone called me yesterday and said that she was feeling down. I asked, “Why are you feeling down? You don’t have to feel down. During my work for this mission, many people have come and gone. Many people tried to put me down and pull me down but I always kept my focus on my purpose. I never based my life on people or their fluctuating minds. They are here today, gone tomorrow. When we focus on purpose, it gives us immunity, it gives us clarity, it gives us momentum. Otherwise, whenever somebody praises or criticises us, we can lose our track.”
Lack of alignment is connected to emotions. Minus emotions, alignment is perfect. When we do spiritual practice, we get aligned at some level. Then, we get into emotions and get entangled in the associated drama. It is like pouring water in a bucket (through spiritual practices) and then punching holes (through emotions) in the bucket that drain the water away.
Understand the world. Look at how the world operates between praise and criticism, between acceptance and condemnation. They will either say we are great or we are bad. We have nothing to do with all this. What is our purpose? My purpose is very clear. My purpose is to elevate people’s awareness, to raise their consciousness to the level where they can become one with the Ultimate Reality or get close to that state. All my activities are connected to this purpose. If I have to give food, I give food. If I have to give awareness. I give awareness. If I have to give a meditation, I give a meditation. Whatever it takes, I give it.
We have an inherent interest for praise. We become very happy, when people praise us. What gets happy? What part of us gets happy? Ego gets happy. Ego is always waiting. Ego says, “If somebody is praising me, I’m happy.” Thus, we make sure that praise happens, just to satisfy your ego. Understand it’s a trap. When people praise me, “You’ve done a great job. You rescued somebody from death.” Is there a change in my face? Do I get excited? Never. I surrender the praise at the feet of the Ultimate Reality. I have nothing to do with it. Similarly, if ten people say, Mohanji is very bad. I am fine with that too. It is their opinion and they are welcome to have it. I don’t have to buy into it.
The world is full of opinions. It’s up to you whether you should take it or not. That’s what I told the person who called me, “People can talk anything they want. Would you take it? Would you accept it? Would you believe in it? If you believe you are bad, then you’re finished. You’re neither good nor bad, or you’re both. Accept it that way. Otherwise when somebody says something, you will have to change yourself to suit their opinion When will you stop? Finally, you won’t have anything. Your whole life gets wasted endlessly satisfying others.”
We should look at the world differently. That’s the bottom line. People bring emotions. Why should we buy it? It’s like a vendor comes to us and says, “I’m going to sell you old rotten fish.” We say, “Oh, poor guy”, feel sympathy and buy it. What happens? The whole house stinks. People can bring stinking stuff. We don’t have to buy it. They can keep their stink. Let us keep our house clean.
I only have a problem when people become vicious and they obstruct my activity. That’s the only time I have to do something because I have to complete the activity to fulfil my purpose. If my path is blocked, the block has to be removed. It’s not about people. I don’t focus on people. I look at the result. It’s not for my personal comfort. Every situation should be handled this way. Purpose, purpose and purpose. Not people, people and people. That’s why when people complain about other people, I try to play it down, tell them to let it go and end that discussion.
That is why I told the person who called me, “Don’t get involved in this emotional drama because you delay your progress inside. You fall for these kinds of things. You tend to put everybody on your head and pamper them. What do you end up with – a lot of asses on your head. Look at the world and see how it works. Then it’s your choice whether you want to fall into these traps or not.”
Today in the internet age, we have many options on the spiritual path and a lot of information. There are people who are always posting about various Masters and their quotes. It only suggests that they may be intelligent or know a few things. But that is only for the outer world. What about their inner world? Nothing is happening – same insecurity, same fears, same old baggage. How does inner world change? When one’s integration with one’s Master is firm. When you are plugged in, the electricity comes. When you do not plug in, you don’t get electricity which means internally, no alignment. It is easy to see. Very easy. I only deal with those people who have that intensity. If there’s nothing to do, why should I bother? Unless there’s something to do, why should we waste time? It may sound rude but this is the truth.
Some people cannot accept destruction of their comfort zones. What will they do? They will go, because, getting out of their comfort zones is a violation for them. Let them go. The path of Liberation is a path of fire. Not everyone can handle its fast pace and momentum. When comfort zones are affected, people who are not ready for change will leave us because this is not their cup of tea. They will go. What can we do? We cannot change our speed because of other people. The path of Liberation does not allow that. It expects things to be done when they need to be done. Not before. Not after. I have clarity. I have an agenda. I know where I’m going. I know what I am doing. I know why I’m doing it. Then if somebody says, “It disturbs my comfort zone. I want to procrastinate. This is my pace. I don’t want to do it this way.” I say, “Don’t do it. Who has said that you should be with me? I never said that.” If you are with me, then I have a responsibility to take you to the Ultimate Reality or take you closer to that state. If you’re not with me, I have no responsibility for you. That is less work for me. I am happy.
When one is plugged in, electricity has to come. When you’re with me, when you’re connected to me, when you are plugged into me, it automatically becomes my responsibility. So, understand this world is dual, happiness and sorrow, praises / contempt, and so on. How much do you want to get involved? There is only one knowledge and one wisdom. What is knowledge? Awareness of the soul. Knowledge is knowing there is a soul. Wisdom is being the soul. That is the difference. Knowledge means that there is some energy inside you which is operating you. Then how do you know that is operating? You get closer beyond all this emotional circus and then you get connected with your own soul and then you realise or you feel the soul. You experience it, then it becomes wisdom. Until then there is no wisdom. Experience becomes wisdom. Experiential wisdom is required. Mere knowledge is not enough.
The worst stupidity we have is the concept of sacrifice. Sometimes, we feel we sacrificed our life for another. We gave up our life for somebody. Yet, I have not seen anyone sacrifice. What is the reality of this so called sacrifice? When we can’t really make it with our life, we decide to make someone else’s life in the bargain. Nobody wins. We can’t walk so we help the other person to walk. So what happens? We fall down, the other person falls down and we claim that we made a sacrifice for them. This is the kind of world we’re living in. The word sacrifice is a very funny word. It has literally lost its meaning. First of all, we are stupid and now we are announcing our stupidity to the world. If we become stable that is the right thing to do for the other person. If we say, “I connected to myself, I attained myself and then I delivered that stability to the other person”, it makes sense. We did well.
There is nobody in the world who’s not selfish. We shouldn’t be selfish for the things outside – for something in someone’s pocket or in their yard. Anyways, we are all selfish. At least, let us be selfish to find ourselves. We use our selfishness and our time to find ourselves. This is a good way. Then what we give to the world is quality.
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