At this point, many of us have either been exposed to, if not tutored in, what it takes to SERVE while maintaining balance and equanimity. It doesn’t appear to be rocket science.
Yes, at first it may have seemed counterintuitive to how our lives had been before—the ‘me first’ generation among us know this—but as we had been schooled in, ‘Believe What You Experience,’ we soon felt first-hand the joy and sense of satisfaction brought on by serving others.
Not only were we able to get relief from the stress and tension from being too self-absorbed, but by seeing the value of waking up to the sound and feeling of, “How Can I Help, How Can Serve,” we got closer to life’s essence.
The opportunities for service these days are unlimited. The climate and its people cry out for assistance—sometimes without really knowing it—or at least acknowledging it.
At the core, at the very centre, it is Love. That’s why we do what we do. At times it may be disguised as ego or pride or some such lower energy, but in truth, it is Love, plain and simple.
It may come wearing a mask of compassion or empathy or concern. But just beneath the surface lies the force we have sought forever, knowingly or unknowingly.
Train our minds to react with Love under all circumstances. It’s that simple—and maybe not all that difficult.
There’s not much more needed to be said. But if, through Grace, we have discovered some tools that allow quick, undiluted access to the Love of which we write, best we shout from the rooftops.
We can begin with, “For all the joy and all the bliss, Agnihotra is the way.”
After nearly half a century for some of us, the tendency to take for granted the blessings of Agnihotra and Fivefold Path may occasionally arise. Alas, the next sunrise or sunset fire invariably slays that monster, and we return to our true selves. Hard to believe…but that’s our experience.
Besides, that of which we write is a monumental endeavour. That’s the ‘not easy’ component.
Perhaps that is why we’ve been told that Swadhyaya is a 24-hour job. Why might that be? The samskaras—old impressions on the mind—that beset us all—tend to effect our everyday thoughts and actions.
Why do I have such a quick trigger when confronted by an older man? Why do loud noises affect me so profoundly? Study of such may be a part of Swadhyaya.
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.” A tall order, it might be said. As Rome wasn’t built in a day, so does our self-study require some time.
Though perfection may prove elusive at times, as a goal and aspiration, it is indeed noble. That our imperfections should be greeted with a smile, gives an indication of how we best approach this task.
The bottom line is we are all in midst of a monumental task that requires as much attention, effort and tenacity as humanly possible. That task—evolution of self living in a world full of serious dangers and challenges—leads to the sense that in order for improvement to occur, all that we have been taught, all that we have experienced, all that we intuit, and all that we have faith in must be accessed and put into action.
The formula for many of us is the Fivefold Path. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Yajnya, Daan, Tapa, Karma and Swadhyaya are the way.
From the lyrics of “It Ain’t Easy:”
“When you climb to the top of the mountain, look out over the sea
Think about the places perhaps,
where a young man could be
Then you jump back down to the rooftops, look out over the town.
Think about all the strange things circulating around.
It ain’t easy, it ain’t easy
It ain’t easy to get to heaven when you’re going down.”