In this 1961 letter, SHRI RAM CHANDRA of Shahjahanpur (BABUJI) reflects on the nature of desireless service, what truly qualifies a teacher, and what it means to encounter genuine simplicity—and why each of these matters for the seeker’s path.
I have gone through your letter. There is no harm if the remembrance of this swamiji comes to your mind. Thoughts of good persons must certainly come. Only I am left. Please consider me to be your servant, who sweeps the house and removes all the dirt. Please consider Swamiji as the Master and me as the servant. I have no hesitancy in rendering service to you, and I desire that the recompense for my service may always be paid to him. By doing so, I will be happy, and my service will be noted down in Nature’s ledger as done without any expectation of recompense as desireless service. But I must write this point: in any and every circumstance, keep your spiritual advancement in mind.
I have written in a straightforward manner. Why, you may say that it is a true rendering of my own condition. The servant’s thoughts are on service, while the Master’s are on the property over which he is the Master. Where there is service, property is non-existent.
Here is another point. Where there is service together with the thought of service, Reality will not be available. Then where is Reality? It is only found where service is rendered without any impressions of service being formed.
Brother, have you ever seen such a person? I think so, but in what guise? Have you seen him in the showy guise of a sadhu [holy man, ascetic] or in the guise of a householder? You may decide this for yourself. But if you ask me, I will put forward the lack of experience of my youth, and it is this: As long as there was colorfulness in my nature (not in any bad sense), I was searching for colorfulness in clothes and was always unsuccessful. Finally, I left it to God, and always my prayer was that one should come to me who would be his own example or symbol, without my making any search. Finally, God answered it. It is possible that by then the guise of colorfulness had vanished from my heart.
We have sometimes seen simplicity and peace in persons, but most of them were such that there was no hint of saintliness in them. Even if such persons came to view, this battered individual that is my self was so roasted, turned and roasted, that I could hardly praise the greatness of such ancients. For such purpose, I have no tongue.
So I think no one came into your view who satisfied your ideas, because if you had found such a person, you would not have searched for another.
Men certainly become available who are likely to help us be successful in our work. It is also possible that even then, we do not take their help. The reason is that we do not make ourselves deserving of such help, though we do go in search. Now, how do we make ourselves deserving? It is needless for me to write about this. You know it yourself. But each person knows it only in accordance with his own wisdom.
First, one must know the state of the teacher on whose form one can meditate, that is, the condition, position, or level. He alone is fit for this purpose who has achieved laya in Brahm [merger in God], and the difference between Master and servant remains only for speaking. Any person who is of a lesser state is not worthy of having his form meditated upon.
If we desire to begin meditation on a person merely because of their simplicity, in my opinion, Nur-Jahan is fit for this purpose. Once, Jahangir gave two pigeons into Nur-Jahan’s hands. Accidentally, one of them escaped from her hold and flew away. Jahangir asked her how the pigeon flew away. She released the other one and said that it flew away like this. Such an example of utter simplicity and innocence can scarcely be found.
Meditation on the form of a person who is in laya with Brahm should be considered to be amruth, meaning nectar. If such a person cannot be found, and meditation is done on the form of another person, you can only reach the level that this person has achieved. If a person like Nur-Jahan is found, and you offer your devotion to her simplicity, then such things will develop in you too.
This is not the age of Jahangir. If, by accident, our vision falls on a person of peace, but who is not free from dirt, fear, vikshep [fickleness], and showiness, and we begin meditation on his form, these things will form in us too, and the poison will spread inside us.
So it is best to try to achieve direct love for the Divine, and if anyone is found who can give you illumination, take his help, dive into your own waves, and enjoy the fun.
I write this so that you can read it and think deeply about its contents. I do not wish you to meditate on dry bones. For that, only such a person is fit who has allowed his character to be molded like mine.
FROM HEARTFULNESS INSTITUTE
The Heartfulness Institute is a global not-for-profit offering heart-based meditations for inner well-being and collective harmony.
Babuji
