Duties are very important but our sense of duty or our concept of duty has been made so that a person lives his life depending on others and looks after those who are dependent on him. It is as far as worldly life is concerned. But I think, any original discovery, either in the field of the material world or in the field of the spirit, has been made with a great deal of sacrifice. One cannot get something for nothing.
Sometimes, the callings of the Higher Reality, in some cases, are so intense that one might not look after these duties as much as somebody else would.
From the point of view of spiritual evolution, the greatest duty of an intelligent human being is to find the Truth. And, religions have made the duties of a human being so that we may stay together as a society.
Very often, when you go on the path, you might have to go alone, like a lonely traveler. And then, these things become less important. They cannot be dropped off as long as your mind is still on them because then you cannot cope. You cannot walk – half way there and half way the mind pulling. So, it is better to finish and then walk out.
Or, while you are doing your duties, go deep within and try to find your true Self; until your mind has become so mature and gone so close to the spirit, that even if you want, you cannot stay, in the same way as a baby cannot stay for long in the womb. You know how the womb’s muscles are? For nine months, they protect the child, looking after it in the mother’s womb. And then, when the nine months are completed – what do the muscles of the womb do, which were till now protecting the child ? They know it is time for the baby to come out so the same muscles turn around and push the baby out.
The better thing is to do your duties than not doing. But don’t neglect your spiritual journey; keep that up seriously, so that when you are mature enough, then you are out of it. Even if you don’t want, you will be out! That is nature’s law.
So, as long as that maturity does not come, it is a good idea to stay at home and do your duties. After all, nobody else is going to look after your things. But while doing it, remember that you are not doing a thing! It is the Supreme Being – what we call God, who is looking after us and the whole world. So, think of ourselves only as ‘agents’ – ‘I am an agent and I have been put here. That’s all’. If that is there, then even the subtle feeling of ‘I am looking after’ – will vanish. It is the Supreme, nevertheless, who is looking after us.
Personally, I have a family and I also function as a householder. I am not neglecting them. I do my duties as much as I can, as long as I don’t neglect my realm, which is to go and talk about spiritual matters and teach people. I also try to balance it with the other; so that I don’t neglect them. Deep down, in my heart, I know for a fact that today’s son may be tomorrow’s mother; today’s daughter maybe yesterday’s mother. Because, from my personal experience there is past birth. It is from my personal experience – I cannot prove it to you.
There is this great Buddhist chant of the Mahayana sect, which says, ‘At some point or the other, in our endless cycle of rebirths, every individual on this earth must have been our mother at some time! Therefore, I bow before all the individuals on this earth; help me to take them to Nirvana.’
We know this – it is true. Everyone you know is as important as your own so-called family. But they don’t know. So, you have to look after them. They don’t know so you cannot blame them if they react. You have to look after them. But don’t neglect your spiritual journey.
-Sri M
Sri M is in US from 29th April to 5th June 2022. For more information and the schedule, click here
