Actions Express Priorities

The Master tells us that the sole purpose of our coming into the human form is to liberate the soul and achieve God-realization. Meditation is the way to develop that deep love so that we can achieve our true objective. When that is the case, then isn’t it true that every action we take should be an expression of that love and lead us to that single goal? As Maharaj Charan Singh explains in Die to Live:

Meditation is a way of life. You do not merely close yourself in a room for a few hours, then forget about meditation for the rest of the day. It must take on a practical form, reflecting in every daily action and in your whole routine.

Looking at our lives from this perspective and then seeing the things we really do each day, will reveal to us where our priorities actually lie. As Mahatma Gandhi said: “Action expresses priorities.” Will our actions take us toward our home? We can all talk a good game, we can make big promises to ourselves, but do we fulfil them? The aphorism, “Words beget words and actions beget actions” is a salutary reminder that words are cheap and easily given, but it is the actions that we take that will shape and guide our lives. We know in which direction we are to travel; therefore our actions should reflect that direction, both to ourselves and to the world around us.

The truth is that none of us really knows how much time we have left in this life. Yet we plan ahead even into the distant future. We behave as if we have all the time in the world. Living in this illusion, we compromise our spiritual fulfilment by focusing too much on the road to worldly success and not enough on the path back to our true home. Having prioritized our worldly endeavours and given them all our attention, we eventually realize that they do not lead to any lasting happiness; worldly success is fleeting and we remain miserable in this world. Our desires and worldly ambitions are never ending. When we are led by them, then no lasting end point will ever be achieved. All we will attain is a brief respite from the cravings and demands of the mind.

On the other hand, if we can focus on what we should be doing, we will find the peace that we crave, which has so far eluded us. The Master has often said that if we do what the Lord has asked us to do, then he will take care of both our spiritual and worldly needs. This is also echoed in the words of Christ when he says:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
_{Bible, Matthew 6: 33}

He says, “seek ye first” – not second or third, but first. And when we do this, “all these things” will be given to us. He means that we will then be with the Father, and when we are one with him, then we will have everything. We will have our heart’s desire.

When we consider these points for a moment, why do we delay, what are we waiting for, where is the place for our constantly shifting priorities? When we prioritize our worldly endeavours above our true purpose, then we sell ourselves tragically short. Our precious time is squandered on cheap trinkets when the jewels of devotion could be had if we only put our efforts in the right place. On the other hand, when we live in that atmosphere created through our meditation, then we can be in the world but not of it.

If we choose to make Sant Mat a way of life, it must be reflected in everything we do. We are not just satsangis for two and half hours a day – we need to be satsangis the whole day.

Throughout the day, our actions should flow from that fundamental appreciation of life’s purpose and be an expression of our love and devotion for our Master.

Maharaj Charan Singh says in Spiritual Perspectives, Vol. III

We shall have to try our best for our living in the world, and then if we don’t achieve it, we should leave it to the will of the Lord. The results should be left to him. That does not mean that we should not try to do our best for our promotion and work hard to earn all that. We have certain responsibilities and duties which we must do in the world. At the same time, we should not get so involved in these things that we forget their real purpose. They are just means to a certain end. That end should always be kept in view, and we should try to achieve that end.

Where Would I Go?

Never could my heart
  be separate from you –
  nor could I worship
  anyone else.

If I forget your kindness
  then whom could I love?

If I pass by your street,
  then where would I go?
_{Najm al-Din Kubra}