Baba says, ‘don’t give or take sorrow‘. We understand the first part better than the second.

We take care not to give sorrow to others. We were taught by parents, teachers, leaders not to give sorrow and so we do our best to be kind. We ourselves don’t like to consciously cause sorrow to anyone and yet, more often than not, we find that we end up hurting someone anyway.

When I take sorrow, that’s what I end up giving…even when I don’t choose to.

For half a cycle, we forgot who we are. We fell prey to Ravan and found ourselves looking for a little peace, a little love, a little kindness, a little belonging. And often they were hard to come by. We were left feeling like we had ‘lost’ the game, that we didn’t ‘fit’, that somehow we always ‘fell short’. Why am I not like the others? How come they are more talented than me? How come they are smarter than me? I wish I had a special skill..I wish I had that degree, I wish I looked different, spoke like that….

Somehow I was just never enough. Then Baba came…

He said, ‘You are My child, you are perfect’. Do I believe Him? He is God after all! More often than not, I want to but it’s hard when the reality that I see before my eyes does not match what He tells me. ‘Baba, if I were so perfect, how come they don’t promote me? how come I didn’t win that project? how come I am not as successful as all of them? how come they don’t approve of me?’

That’s the classic sign of body consciousness. Looking outside rather than inside for happiness and satisfaction.

I am constantly assessing my self-worth by how this old world perceives me- through fame, through possessions, through approvals, promotions etc. Baba says, none of this is yours, it won’t go with you when you leave here. The only thing that will go with you are your sanskars…pay attention to them.

Let me give up the bhakti sanskar of sabotaging myself.

Often we make the mistake of thinking that it is my duty to not give sorrow but Baba teaches us that it is an equal mistake if I am taking sorrow as well. Why? Because that is the trap that Maya sets up for me to fall into. When I am in sorrow, I shut down and can’t receive the love from Baba, I can’t study that which He is teaching me. I lose time in shame and regret and then it takes a lot of effort to stand back up.

Baba says, turn your face away from the old world and face the new world. And the new world are based on purity and happiness. I have to become pure and happy here in the midst of impurity and unhappiness to be able to usher in the new world.

Rather than be the victim that is spending time thinking about and taking sorrow from the way the old world works, let me take charge and work on establishing a new world order. I have been enlisted by God Himself as His helper in this highest task. I have taken on the most elevated task of transforming the self and this whole world. This is no mean feat- let me remember this.

Let me learn to spin the cycle of self-realization and see my whole story through the entire cycle rather than focus on the last few scenes of the Drama. Let me learn to be content with my part in the Drama rather than compare and contrast with the part of others- I don’t know their journey. Rather than focus on how to be someone here in this old world, let me focus on how to be someone in the new world.

Let me spend my time touching base with my Father, with my own elevated destiny. I have God with me, I know Him when even sanyasis are still searching for Him. Let me remember, let me be aware, let me be happy.