The Secret Is Love

The bane of every disciple’s existence, laziness is perhaps one of the biggest obstacles facing the seeker on the spiritual path. Haunted by the desire to take the logical approach to overcome this weakness, failure is the persistent outcome of most genuine attempts. And it is precisely these failures that multiply and fester into a nagging source of guilt. They leave the individual helplessly trapped in a weary state of mind, because he knows that it is the unspoken truth, the undeniable answer to the age-old question, “Why am I not progressing on the path?”

It’s difficult to admit but the bottom line is that it’s true. And there is ample evidence. It explains why one falls asleep in meditation, but not during a movie. It accounts for why showing up on time for business meetings is a natural way of life but being regular and punctual at meditation continues to be a struggle. And it justifies perfectly why during meditation one can ponder, think, analyze and contemplate upon everything under the sun except do the one thing that one is supposed to – simran. So, perhaps the question that really needs to be addressed is: why do we succumb to laziness?

The mystics explain that the problem is the mind. And ironically, we are led astray by both its weakness and its strength. Its weakness comes from having been enslaved by the senses. Hence, when faced with a choice, the mind pays allegiance to the famous five. It picks the easy way, the fun way, the lazy way and the way that coddles and pampers the self. It chooses to make the senses feel good rather than take an objective decision. Then, it uses its strength to convince, to make excuses and to justify its choices which, while on the surface may appear rational, conceal a lifetime guarantee of remorse and regret. And this whole routine repeats itself over and over again until finally, ambushed by this modus operandi of the mind, one turns into the proverbial spider caught in its own web.

But there is a way out and the perfect Masters in their supreme kindness offer us their advice. Precious and perfect, it is as simple as it is profound and they give it ever so lovingly in two short words. They tell us just to ‘do it’. To convert all our thoughts into action, all our emotion into devotion, all our concepts into reality and just do our meditation – sincerely, devotedly and with single-minded purpose, following the instructions given at the time of initiation.

They make it perfectly clear. Wholehearted obedience is the first step towards freedom from this inertia and all it takes is this singular act of submission to start the process. For in this sublime moment, when the disciple turns over his cup to receive the Master’s grace, he develops the strength and the will to work diligently at his spiritual practice. Then, just as a labourer earns his wages by virtue of his hard work, so too does the disciple who works hard at his spiritual practice earn wages of love from his Master.

And eventually it is this love that becomes the disciple’s ultimate driving force. It is this love that annihilates the mind’s lethargy, transforming it into a fervent desire to please the Beloved. It is this love that propels us to focus at the eye centre in loving remembrance of our Master; and it is this love that we hear from the depths of our being in the form of the Shabd, relentlessly calling out to us, urging us to hurry, for time is passing and the Beloved is waiting …

I once asked the Master how one could attain such a love. “By meditation,” the Master answered. Therefore, the time of meditation is the most precious time of the day for the disciple – even if he is not always aware of it – because, as a gift of grace, it awakens the love within us and makes it grow. It is the time that a disciple spends with his Master or, at least, in awaiting his coming. Once, the Master confided to us the secret – his secret – of successful meditation; it is the repetition of the holy words, done with love and devotion. The Master said, “One has to put one’s whole being into the words. One should not think of anything else, but just give oneself to the Master through repetition.”
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