Live Life As Life Lives Itself

A satsang given over forty-five years ago by Mr. H. F. Weekley, then Master’s Representative for the Eastern USA, began with this phrase: “Live life as life lives itself.” The satsang pretty much went over my head at the time. I don’t remember any of it, but the phrase stuck with me over all these years. I remember it from time to time, and each time I do, the meaning of this simple statement becomes deeper and more profound. To me it has always meant that our lives are predetermined. Our past karmas have influenced the events of our current life. The movie of our life has already been made and is simply being played. We cannot influence the events of our lives any more than we can change the events taking place in a movie we are watching.

So how do we react to such a realization? The saying “go with the flow” is applicable. Life will live itself so we must accept that and live our life accordingly, as best we can. Basically, don’t worry. Try to improve matters for yourself, but accept that there are things you cannot change. Maharaj Charan Singh said:

Well, brother, we have to see what keeps us tense. What is there to feel tense about in life? Why not relax? Whatever has to happen, will happen. Why create tension in our mind? Meditation always relaxes you. The more the mind is scattered towards the senses, the more tense you are. The more you are able to withdraw the mind to the eye centre, the more you will feel relaxed within yourself. When you are relaxed within, automatically you relax others also. If you are able to build happiness within, you will radiate happiness wherever you go.

We must accept the events of life. You cannot change the course of the events of life, but you can always adjust to them. Adjusting to the events of life will always make you happy and relaxed. If you swim against the waves, you will drown. If you swim along with the waves, you will get to the shore easily.¹….

If you keep the planning in your own hands, you will live miserably. If you leave it to him to plan your life and go on accepting what comes to you, you will be happy. Because planning is in his hands, and you just have to adjust to the events of life. You are just adjusting, going along with the waves.²

There is really nothing more to add, except to ask ourselves, how do we live our life? What should be our attitude, our perspective, and our general outlook? Actually this is painfully simple. In two short sentences, as recorded in the Bible, Jesus put in a nutshell what our attitude in life should be:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.³

This is exactly what the master keeps telling us, to keep our spiritual practice as our main focus and priority in life and be kind and loving to others. Treat them as we would want to be treated. In other words, be a mensch, a Yiddish term meaning a real human being. It suggests someone with integrity, an honourable person. How hard is it to be non-judgmental, to be forgiving, to be compassionate? Mark Twain wrote: “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” About anger, a not so uncommon trait we all possess, Mark Twain wrote: “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”

We have it in our power to go through life happy or sad, to accept the events in our life and to appreciate that the master is watching out for us. These are difficult times for many people, without a doubt. It is sometimes hard to maintain a joyful outlook on life. After all we are in the process of developing these ideal attitudes. We are a work in process. So, if at times people and events try to rob that joy from your heart, just remember this advice from Mark Twain: “Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.”