Message:
As we embark on a New Year let us pray for peace of mind and comfort from knowing that The Creator, Paramatma, is always with us. A Sangi once said to Param Sant Ram Singh Ji that he was discontented with life and wished to renounce everything, embrace spirituality, and become an ascetic. Param Sant Ram Singh Ji replied and said that avoiding the world and our obligations can not provide us with the harmony that we seek. We must seek harmony from within ourselves. Running from our responsibilities is not the path of spirituality because spirituality itself demands even more rigour, responsibility, and dedication. We need to change ourselves and not make society and our environment an excuse for our suffering. A true ascetic is one that let’s go of desires not duties.
Reflection:
The katha of the King demonstrates that progress on the path of spirituality is not measured merely by our external actions; it is representative of our state of mind. The king felt that he and the Saint were equally spiritual because he had built the Saint an ashram and therefore his contribution owed him spiritual progress. In reality however, the King was deeply attached to his materialistic wealth and was not able to detach from it. As soon as he was away from his royal life and comforts, he was distressed and overwhelmed.
If we could learn to go about life without being vested so deeply in materialistic or worldly gains, the fear of losing them or not having enough would not cause us so much grief. We would be able to remain more stable, more balanced and at peace. Let us try to adopt this message into our thoughts and actions this year so that the new year can bring us more peace, wellbeing, and happiness.