Am I on the right path or not?

I want the ultimate truth. But, is it really necessary to make so much effort, put the body through so much pain? Isn’t there someone somewhere who can answer all my questions? Something is wrong in all the spiritual practices that are being promoted throughout the world, somewhere there is a missing link.

The primary aim of man is to attain and be established in the original state of being and then operate from that state. Only those answers which serve this purpose are of any value, no matter how many times they are heard or read.

Answers to all questions are available at the very place from where the questions originate. When this secret unfolds, you will be able to get to the core, the source or the centre of your being. Then you will say to yourself, ‘No question has remained a question anymore. I can now get all the answers from within myself.’ Hence, you access tejgyan. Until you can do that, a true spiritual master can provide you the answers or the tejgyan. The purpose of tejgyan is not to impart intellectual knowledge, but to help you access the Self, the existential experience.

Tejgyan is that wisdom which is beyond knowledge and ignorance — the source of all knowledge. Knowing and understanding tejgyan leads to a perfectly integrated life. Tejgyan is that state of wisdom where nothing is concealed, everything can be seen clearly.

People assume that Meera sang the praises of the Lord and attained wisdom. But it was the attainment of wisdom that made her sing with so much devotion. Jesus attained a particular wisdom and acts of kindness automatically followed. Not the other way around. This particular wisdom is tejgyan.

Many truth seekers feel apprehensive about their quest: ‘Am I on the right path or not?’ Often there is a feeling of vacuum inside; something that makes one think, ‘This path that I have chosen is inadequate, there has to be something more to it.’ At times one may ask oneself, ‘Is it really necessary to make so much effort, put the body through so much pain? Isn’t there someone somewhere who can answer all my questions? Something is wrong in all this, somewhere there is a missing link.’

The answer to all these doubts and questions is tejgyan — the truth that is beyond knowledge and ignorance, the truth that can only be experienced. And the missing link is that of ‘understanding’. Understanding leads you to the final truth.

People think freedom means the liberty to move around at will. This is not freedom. True freedom is exercised only when you become free from the whims of your mind, so as to be able to choose your response at any point of time. This is freedom of choice of response. Where exactly can one find such freedom? Where is this space of freedom for choosing the right response? This is the interval of freedom for the choice of response.

One gets to know this interval of freedom for the choice of response with regular practice of meditation and that is the biggest benefit of meditation. You need to be seasoned in meditation to understand the interval of freedom for the choice of response. With meditation you get control over your mind and one becomes free from the tendencies of the body which otherwise create hindrance in attaining freedom.

Are you aware of the greatest corruption of all? This is a corruption that goes on throughout the day. This is a corruption that almost all people indulge in. This is the costliest corruption of all. So, what is the greatest and all-pervasive corruption going on from time immemorial? The greatest corruption of all is that the inner mind does not allow self-realisation to occur and continue. The outer mind allows the inner mind to indulge in whatever the inner mind wants to, the consequence of which is that the Self or consciousness does not manifest. Let’s try to understand this deep truth.

Most spiritual seekers focus on giving wisdom to the outer mind. That is not enough to be established in the Truth though wisdom is definitely the starting point. Because the starting point of corruption is not known, the Truth does not manifest in one’s life. Let us see how the greatest corruption of all is perpetrated through an example.

There is a great treasure trove in a forest that has been built over the years. Tribals keep adding to the treasure because of which the treasure has grown. Since there are thieves trying to steal the treasure, a team of father and son have been appointed to guard it together. The father is blind while the son is extremely naive. The blind father has been trained to guard the treasure by using one of the four responses. He can either fire his gun or clap or mouth expletives or shout stop. The problem with this system is that the father, being blind, does not know when to shout stop or fire and when not to. When tribals arrive to add to the treasure, the blind father scares them away by firing or shouting. There are times when thieves arrive and the blind father begins to clap allowing the thieves to rob the treasure. And the son who can see does not even notice all this. All that the son has to do is tell the father to wear his special glasses that helps the father see and give the right response. But being naive, he continues to be ignorant. The result of this blind father and naive son combination is that the treasure has stopped growing and in fact has begun to diminish. This is the greatest scam of all.

The reason it is the greatest scam of all is that the treasure being referred to here is the treasure trove of consciousness that is accessible to one and all, but has begun to diminish. This is the costliest price that humanity is paying because of the blind father and the naive son. The blind father is indicative of the unconscious mind — the inner mind. The naive son signifies the conscious mind — the outer mind.

The outer mind develops much later than the inner mind and that is why the inner mind is more aged in this example. The inner mind begins to develop the moment one is born. It is programmed with fixed responses. Whatever the inner mind learnt as a child, it continues to react accordingly for the rest of the life. That is why it is said to be blind in this example. The outer mind that develops much later is unaware of the workings of the inner mind. The inner mind has to be taught to see. The wisdom of the outer mind has to be increased so that it can help the inner mind to see. Meditation done in the right way can help achieve this. Meditation results in tuning between the inner mind and outer mind. The key is to provide the right meditative practice to the inner mind and the right wisdom to the outer mind. When an improper meditation is taught or when incorrect wisdom is given, it actually adds to the corruption. Ask yourself whether the inner mind and the outer mind are getting the right training. With the right training, it is possible to prevent the greatest corruption and add to the inner treasure.

हम सब पृथ्वी पर अपने-अपने विशेष उद्देश्य लेकर आये हैं| कुदरत हमें अपना लक्ष्य पाने के लिए सदा मार्गदर्शन दे रही है| यदि हमारा चरित्र बलवान होगा तो हम बिना विचलित हुए कुदरत के बताये रास्ते पर सीधे चल पायेंगे वरना हम हर छोटी घटना में लालच, सुस्ती और अज्ञान की वजह से डगमगाकर गिर जायेंगे|

यदि चरित्र मजबूत हो तो जब भी कोई सकारात्मक चीज लक्ष्य अनुसार हमारे पास आयेगी तो हम उसे सही तरीके से और खुले मन से ले पायेंगे| अगर आपने कुदरत से यह प्रार्थना की है कि ‘जो मेरा है, वह मुझे सही दिशा और सही तरीके से मिले’ तो कुदरत की तरफ से आपको वैसा ही प्रतिसाद मिलेगा| आपकी यह प्रार्थना ही आपकी नींव की मजबूती को दर्शाती है| आइये जानें कि अपने चरित्र को कैसे सबल बनाया जा सकता है

न किसी से दबें न किसी को दबायें

चरित्रवान इंसान न दबता है, न किसी को अपने अधीन करता है| अविश्वसनीय होने के कारण लोग दूसरों से दबते हैं या दूसरों का शोषण करते हैं| जो लोग दबते हैं, वे तो अप्रशिक्षित हैं ही मगर जो दूसरों को गुलाम बनाना चाहते हैं, वे भी अप्रशिक्षित हैं क्योंकि जो गुलाम बनाना चाहते हैं, वे नहीं जानते कि किसी को बिना गुलाम बनाये भी उनके काम हो सकते हैं|

दूसरों को गुलाम बनाने की चाहत का एक मुख्य कारण यह है कि हर एक अपने काम का नतीजा चाहता है | इस नतीजे (आउटपुट) पर ही उनकी योग्यता का स्तर आँका जाता है| अपने कार्य का परिणाम दिखाने के बाद ही लोगों को पदोन्नति (प्रमोशन) मिलती है|

लोगों को अपना लक्ष्य प्राप्त करने का यही एक रास्ता दिखायी देता है कि यदि वे सामनेवाले पर दबाव डालेंगे तभी उनके काम समय पर संपन्न होंगे वरना नहीं| जो लोग दबते हैं, वे भी अप्रशिक्षित हैं| वे खुलकर किसी को बता नहीं पाते कि किन कार्यों को करने में वे सक्षम हैं| वे सामनेवाले को स्पष्ट रूप से ऐसा बोल नहीं पाते कि ‘आप सिर्फ हमें जिम्मेदारी सौंपें, हम काम करके दिखाते हैं|’ जब वे अपने दिल की बात कह पायेंगे तब वे लोगों के विश्वसनीय तथा आत्मनिर्भर बन पायेंगे| जो इंसान आज़ाद होना चाहता है उसे यह सोचना चाहिए कि ‘मुझे आत्मनिर्भर बनना है, मैं जो कार्य कर रहा हूँ, अपने बलबूते पर कर पाऊँ, मुझे अपने काम में इतनी कुशलता हासिल करनी है कि मेरा काम देखकर लोगों को लगे कि अब इन पर दबाव डालने की जरूरत नहीं है|’

लोग कई बार बिना प्रशिक्षण के ही ऊँचे ओहदे पर पहुँच जाते हैं| ऊँचे ओहदे की वजह से वे लोगों पर दबाव डालकर अपना काम करवाना चाहते हैं क्योंकि वे दिखाना चाहते हैं कि ‘मैं कितना कार्यक्षम हूँ|’ अपनी कार्यक्षमता को प्रदर्शित करने का यही एक मार्ग उनके पास होता है मगर वे नहीं जानते कि इस तरह लोगों पर दबाव डालकर काम करवाने सेे एक समय ऐसा आयेगा कि उनका पद चला जायेगा या वे वहीं रह जायेंगे जहॉं थे| उनकी कंपनी जहॉं की तहॉं रुकी रहेगी या डूब जायेगी|

अपने आपसे पूछें, ‘मुझ में क्या कमी है, जो लोग मुझे दबा रहे हैं या मैं दूसरों पर दबाव डाल रहा हूँ?’ अपने अंदर की कमियों को पहचानकर उन्हें दूर करने में लग जायें| शिकायत करते न बैठें| कमजोरियों पर काम करना श्ाुरू करें| शायद इसमें साल भर लग जाय तो भी कोई हर्ज नहीं| यदि आप आज से काम जारी करेंगे तो एक साल में आपका उद्देश्य पूरा हो जायेगा|

डर या लालच की वजह से लोग गुलाम बनते हैं या बनाते हैं| डर लगने के बावजूद भी आपको काम तो करना ही है| डर को अपना काम करने दें| डर आपके शरीर द्वारा आपको दिया गया फीडबैक है, जो यह बताता है कि ‘तुम कोई नया काम करने जा रहे हो, जो पहले कभी तुमने किया नहीं है|’ यह कितनी अच्छी बात है कि शरीर अपने अंदर सारे रेकॉर्ड रखता है कि वह कौन सा काम पहली बार कर रहा है, कौन सा काम नया कर रहा है तथा कौन सा काम पुराना है? शरीर द्वारा दिये गये फीडबैक को धन्यवाद दें और खुद से कहें, ‘इसके बावजूद भी मुझे अपना कार्य करना ही है|’

नये प्रयोग के साथ अब आपको अपने मस्तिष्क में नयी फाइल (जानकारी) डालनी है| फिर अगली बार शरीर कहेगा, ‘यह काम तुम पहले भी कर चुके हो, यह कोई नयी बात नहीं है, यह तो तुम कर सकते हो, इस स्थिति को तुम सँभाल सकते हो|’ इस तरह आपका आत्मविश्वास बढ़ता जायेगा|

किसी भी मुकाम पर, कितने भी बड़े शिखर पर आप पहुँच जायें, फिर भी सीखना बंद न करें क्योंकि यही नयी संभावनाएँ खोलेगा| जो निर्माण हो चुका है, पहले उसे समझने पर काम करना है, फिर जिसका निर्माण अभी तक नहीं हुआ है, उसके लिए शरीर को तैयार करना है| चरित्र को मजबूत करने का यह लाभकारी उपाय है|

संतुलित रहें

तबीयत और परिस्थिति के हिसाब से आपको हमेशा संतुलित रहना चाहिए| शरीर को जो आदत आप डालेंगे, उसे वह आदत पड़ जाती है| उसे सुस्ती की आदत डालेंगे तो शरीर सोचेगा कि ‘कैसे मैं काम से बचूँ, कौन सा बहाना बनाऊँ|’ शरीर को सुस्ती की आदत डालने से आप अभिव्यक्ति में कम पड़ जायेंगे| इसलिए यह सोचें कि कौन सी आदत आगे मेरे काम आयेगी, काम न करने की या काम करने की? अपनी तबीयत का खयाल अवश्य रखें| यह एक सूक्ष्म बात (फाइन लाईन) है कि कब तक काम किया जाय और कब आराम किया जाय| दोनों अतियों में जाने से बचें| थकने से पहले आराम करें, सुस्ती आने से पहले काम शुरू करें|

बहुत आराम की आदत पड़ने लगी तो धीरे-धीरे चींटी की रफ्तार से यह आदत बढ़ती ही जाती है| एक साल के बाद आप पायेंगे कि आपके शरीर में तमोगुण पहले से बहुत ज्यादा बढ़ गयाहै| पहले आप जितना काम कर पाते थे, अब उससे आधा काम भी नहीं कर पा रहे हैं| यह आदत आगे जाकर आपको तकलीफ देगी| फिलहाल आप अपने शरीर को इस तरह से प्रशिक्षित करें कि उसे ज्यादा से ज्यादा काम करना अच्छा लगे| अगर आप काम को बोझ समझेंगे तो वह काम आपको थकावट देगा| फिर काम से बचने के लिए कपट शुरू होगा| कपट अपने चरित्र की नींव को हिला देगा| इसलिए काम को बोझ नहीं, अभिव्यक्ति समझकर करें|

स्वप्रशिक्षण लें, ना कहना सीखें

स्वप्रशिक्षण पाने के लिए सदा तैयार रहें| अपने आपको प्रशिक्षण देने का कोई भी मौका न गँवायें| कान को यह प्रशिक्षण दें कि वह कौन सी बात सुने और कौन सी बात अनसुनी करे| आँख को प्रशिक्षण दें कि वह कौन सी पुस्तकें पढ़े, कौन सा साहित्य न पढ़े| जो पुस्तकें हमारी नींव को हिलाती हैं, उनकी तरफ रुख न करें| कंप्यूटर या टी.वी पर ऐसे कार्यक्रम न देखें, जो हमारी नींव हिलाते हैं|

यदि आप गलत लोगों को ‘ना’ नहीं बोल सकते हैं, उन्हें यह बता नहीं सकते हैं कि ‘मैं आपके साथ नहीं आ सकता, मैं यह नहीं कर सकता, मुझे क्षमा करें’ तो आइने के सामने खड़े होकर ‘ना’ कहने का अभ्यास करें| आइने के सामने खड़े होकर वे पंक्तियॉं बार-बार दोहरायें, जो आप लोगों को कहना चाहते हैं लेकिन हिचकिचाहट की वजह से कह नहीं पाते| आप कपटमुक्त रहने और अपनी बात पर अटल रहने का अभ्यास कर अपने चरित्र की नींव मजबूत करें|

All of us often encounter minor or major upheavals in life, whether in our professional, financial, social, emotional, or even spiritual aspects. When confronted with these unexpected events, we unknowingly adopt a victim mindset, attributing our problems to others, external circumstances, or even ourselves. Most of us can relate to this in our own lives, but what we truly seek is the resolution of the problem and a return to a problem-free, happy state of life.

Would problems still be called problems if we could easily cope with them? This implies that how we handle them is what really matters. If we focus on handling the problem, what mindset would be best to cope with it? Would it be a mindset of despair that drains our energy, or one that opens us to all possibilities and aligns us with what we truly want? When we operate from a state of happiness, we open ourselves to a spectrum of possibilities, which in turn allows us to make healthier choices to resolve life’s challenges. This may feel counterintuitive, as it is not our usual approach to dealing with unwanted events.

Let’s explore this with an example from everyday life. Imagine a friend or family member falling ill, and we visit them. We tend to sympathize with their state of health, believing it to be an empathetic expression of love and care. However, this temporary comforting act may unknowingly reinforce a feeling of weakness, low energy, and helplessness in the sick person. What would we truly desire in this situation? That wellness be restored, isn’t it? Yet here, our conditioned response is not aligned with our true desire.

To correct this misalignment, we need to view such events from a positive perspective and respond differently, thus aligning with our ultimate desire for happiness. Can we look at these events from a happy and positive state of mind? The happy state from which we view the problem helps us to cope with and resolve it. In fact, if being positive and happy is not our default state, adopting such a state becomes even more important in order to handle these challenges. This counterintuitive approach is akin to doing a favor for ourselves and others around us. So, let us harbor feelings of happiness while seeking to resolve these so-called problems of life.

Practically speaking, empathizing with the sick or suffering person is comforting, but it shouldn’t lead one to succumb to self-pity or a victim mindset. When we maintain a happy state of mind, even if we don’t overtly express it, it helps others remain open and allows the best outcomes to emerge. Happy people are the ones who find the best solutions to life’s events.

Our attitude in life is very important. Happiness is our innate state, but untoward life events disrupt it. Our journey toward regaining this state is to use happiness itself as the means to return to it! Thus, this state is both the path and the destination. Hence, be happy as you face a problem—that’s the magical way to resolve and dissolve it.

Seeker: What is the definition of spirituality and how far is it required in life?

WHAT IS MEDITATION?

Meditation is a gateway to the source of love, joy and peace within you. In meditation, you just need to be present in the state of beingness. The real essence of meditation is beingness that transcends all states. The real goal of meditation is to permanently abide in the experience of pure consciousness and express the divine qualities of unconditional love, boundless joy and peaceful stillness through the human body.

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Our mind indulges into negativities in the external world and constantly pulls our attention away from the source of love, joy and peace, which is within us. We need to quiet our mind and shift our focus inward on the Source of love, joy and peace within us.

You would have seen toddlers who play with their toys, scatter them, or even break them. They make a mess all around the place. However, when the child goes to sleep, the child’s mother neatly puts everything back in order. How did the child help the situation? The child helped by keeping quiet and sleeping. It allowed the mother to step in and restore order.

In the same way, you can help the universe to restore the divine flow of love, joy and peace in your life by quieting your mind through meditation. Thus, learn the art of meditation. Meditation is a gateway to the source of love, joy and peace within you.

When you watch your attention through meditation, you reach a no-mind state, an experience of pure consciousness. This is the inner source of love, joy and peace. Your outer world only reflects your inner world. When you connect to the Source through meditation and abide in its experience, your life automatically reflects it through the expression of health, wealth, loving relationships, abundance, creativity, compassion, simplicity and ease in the external world.

When you are in meditation, the states of mind may alter or various experiences would occur on the body, but meditation has nothing to do with that. These experiences are temporary, illusionary and they shall pass. If this is the case, then what is that which is true, permanent and remains unchanged?

The real essence of meditation is beingness that transcends all states. At Tej Gyan Foundation, we understand that we simply cannot conceptualize this formless experience with words or thoughts, as the experience of our being transcends the realm of mind to which thoughts and words belong.

Your experience of ‘being’ never changes, yet it is ever fresh and new. It never goes anywhere. Actually, meditation is not separate or distinct from you. This state of beingness is who you truly are. That state is meditation. In other words, you are meditation (though, at first, this may sound strange). Meditation is the experience of the real Self, the real ‘I’. This may also be referred to as the Source, Consciousness, God, Allah, Christ, Self-witness, or Pure Awareness. Whatever name we use, meditation is our essential nature.

Source or Consciousness is the living, sentient principle that dwells within and around each and every living being. It is only due to the presence of Consciousness, the knowing principle, that our eyes can see, ears can hear, and tongue can taste. Consciousness is equivalent to the electricity lighting a bulb. There is no use of a bulb without electricity. Similarly, the body-mind mechanism comes alive due to the presence of Consciousness. Consciousness enlivens the mind. Thoughts arise due to the presence of Consciousness.

The purpose of meditation is to experience the real ‘I’, the universal Self, which transcends all concepts, words, thoughts and forms. When you meditate with this purpose, you realize your oneness with the universal Self through the direct experience of your true nature.

If you believe that whatever is inside your skin is “I” and everything outside your skin is not “I”, then meditation breaks this false belief.

The real goal of meditation is to permanently abide in the experience of pure consciousness and express the divine qualities of unconditional love, boundless joy and peaceful stillness through the human body.

One may ask, “How can I experience this state of beingness? How can I meditate?” The answer is ‘by doing nothing and not doing nothing.’ It is beyond ‘doing’ and ‘non-doing’ where we just need to be present; nothing else. However, for many people, even doing nothing seems very difficult. They ask, “How can I do nothing?”

This is like asking, “How can I fall asleep faster?” Of course, other than just lying down, we need to do nothing to sleep. If we try hard to sleep, it will simply elude us. In the same way, during meditation, we only need to be present and witness everything that arises. ‘Meditation’ may sound like a process or an activity, something we have to ‘do’. However, meditation is not separate or distinct from our true nature, since the essence of meditation is ‘beingness’ that exists beyond thoughts.

A Healthy Mind, a Path to Salvation Lessons from the Life of Saint Ravidas

There was once a cobbler who lived in the holy city of Kashi, who not only cobbled shoes but also guided people in cobbling their life together onto the path of salvation. Saint Ravidas. Born in the 15th century to Santokh Dass and mother Karma Devi, a poor family of cobblers, Saint Ravidas had a very humble beginning. As he grew up, he mastered the craft and started helping his father in the business. This made his parents very happy as they hoped their son would help create a better life and future for himself and the whole family. However, in time, they also observed that Saint Ravidas had a strong inclination to serve people, including the numerous pilgrims passing through the holy city of Kashi. He would often repair their shoes for free and sometimes even give away new shoes if their old ones were beyond repair. These acts of generosity and impersonal service barely left money to make their ends meet, leaving his parents worried about their future.

Hoping that the responsibility of married life might teach Ravidas to become pragmatic about money matters, his parents arranged for him to be married. Unhappily for them, his wife Lonadevi turned out to be equally kind and devotional and joined Ravidas in his generous service. Both husband and wife were happy in this minimal existence. His parents impelled to teach Ravidas responsibility, used their last resort of forcing the couple to move out and find shelter of their own. Ravidas and his wife began living in the corner of a street while continuing their generous ways of serving people. Despite not having a roof over their head and barely enough to bring home two meals a day, Ravidas and his wife were happy and content. Just as Lord Ram and Sita happily embraced their fate of exile to the forest and viewed it as a blessed opportunity to be in the company of hermits and sages. Saint Ravidas and his wife saw their fate as a blessing to serve people through their love and devotion.

Saint Ravidas’s life shows us that one does not become superior by influence or by birth but by one’s actions. Our actions offer us the path to salvation rather than birth into an influential or spiritual family. Saint Ravidas showed us that we can make our life loving, devotional, and of impersonal service to others irrespective of our age, profession, or marital status. People often believe that the time for spiritual quest is after completing one’s professional career, but Saint Ravidas showed us that our progression in devotion to Self and God can begin right now. This is a clear message for us and especially for the younger generation. There is another common belief that one must renounce everything, wear ochre clothes, and live in a particular way on one’s spiritual journey. However, the true journey is the one that’s within and can begin irrespective of one’s age or profession. The sweetness of devotion and impersonal service brings a delightful harmony to life. It was this harmony that was established and reflected in Saint Ravidas’s actions. He said, “If your mind is healed and healthy, then the water in your bowl will be as pure and clean as the water from the holy river Ganga, you don’t need any external pilgrimage.”

What does the mind need to be healed from? The mind needs to be healed from its illness—the illness of the constant urge to gratify what it likes and constant aversion to what it dislikes. The mind battles to get rid of what it does not like. For example, when one eats something delicious, and even if the stomach says enough, the mind says – “let me have some more.” And this happens unconsciously. This is an example of the unhealthiness in the mind as it continually vacillates between craving and aversion. This becomes even worse due to a lack of awareness. Therefore, the first step is to become aware. One has to examine the mind with utmost honesty, just like we would check the temperature of the body. We check it thoroughly and leave no room for error. Once we become aware of the state of this illness, we have to sanitize the mind and help it settle down through meditation. Meditation, even for a short duration, is like a healing quarantine treatment. We must bring a clear and unwavering understanding to our mind about this game of craving and aversion, especially for objects, people, and experiences that are ever fleeting. Why must so much energy be invested in something that is short-lived? Can we remain present with the experiences that unfold in our lives? If we are able to stay in the present with what is, we restore health to the mind. Otherwise, we risk being endlessly stuck in an unhealthy state.

This is an internal journey as we help our subconscious mind understand the reality of this unhealthy state. Saint Ravidas’s life shows us the magic of a healthy mind’s actions through the incidents of his life. We can use these incidents of his life as a yardstick to examine our lives and become aware of the state of our minds. Allow your mind to heal with the following understanding: “I am prepared to let go of things and accept the present as it is.” Are we ready to approve the present and give ourselves acceptance and love? This allows the mind to heal. Can we carefully examine the question – what will we lose by letting go of this craving and aversion? As the mind becomes healthy, we allow the mind’s full power to manifest in our daily exp

Saint Ravidas worked with a healthy mind while carrying out his simple profession as a cobbler. What does it mean for us to carry out our daily activities, personally and professionally with a healthy mind? Firstly, we must understand that no work is menial or too simple, whether mending shoes or sweeping a floor. The question for us is, what attitude do we maintain as we go about any activity? If it is a simple activity such as sweeping the floor, can we do it as an impersonal service, such that people who cross the floor can progress smoothly and enjoyably? In this way, we provide meaning to that action. Personal thoughts such as, “Is this too menial for me, or will I be stuck in doing such menial things in life?” can leave the mind in an unhealthy state. In every activity, can we honestly assess if we were able to do our very best with an attitude of selfless service?

Someone may think I am only a clerk and my work is just menial paperwork. Viewing the same work as an act of impersonal service can bring meaning to that work. Somebody may be a barber, cobbler, or a cleaner, professions that may be considered menial, but this new perspective can bring meaning to the work. Saint Ravidas did not forgo the work of mending shoes; instead, he used his profession to serve people to achieve their highest goal of salvation. This is an immensely valuable lesson for all of us. History is replete with numerous examples of different saints from different castes, professions and disabilities, where this was not an impediment to achieving the highest goal of salvation and guiding others.

An external dip in the sacred Ganges is not the goal; rather, an internal dip of the mind in this understanding is the real goal. The people who were touched by Saint Ravidas became firmly established in the path to salvation. They came to get their shoes repaired by Saint Ravidas, but were themselves repaired as their minds were healed. Such was the influence of this great Saint Ravidas, the disciple of Maha Guru Ramanand.