Baba says, ‘you need courage for your intellect to have faith‘. When there is no courage, you leave.

A faithful intellect leads to victory but how does one develop faith? I develop faith in something or someone when I have an experience, when I see results.

For half a cycle, I had been looking for a sense of belonging and purpose. Baba comes and reminds me of who I am and my sovereignty. My eyes light up hearing Him describe my elevated destiny and the new world that He is here to establish. I raise my hand and say I want to be part of this. I enroll myself into the Godly University.

Just as with any university, here too there is a code of conduct – a daily itinerary that I have to follow, dietary recommendations etc. Then, there is Shrimat- elevated directions that covers everything from how to think, speak, act, to developing manners, to protecting my attitude…all I need to mold my character and make me into pure gold i.e. help me reclaim my lost self-worth, my self-sovereignty. Sounds straightforward enough, so I get started with the curriculum….and the test papers arrive.

I try to wake up during Amritvela (early morning hours of nectar) for meditation and it seems I disturb family members or it’s too cold or I had a late last night…I try to follow the diet and it offends family and friends, it’s inconvenient to prepare two meals – for myself and for the family…I want to go to Murli everyday but the demands of work and home are too much, the kids need me…

It takes courage and determination to follow through. If I don’t follow through, I don’t see results- no experience of peace or power, no contentment or happiness. Fair and square…

He says, ‘don’t let your senses deceive you’…yea, I get it but no harm in watching one movie, right? He says, ‘don’t fall into the trap of I and mine’…but to live in the real world, I need to be and do things – I am an engineer, an award winner and this is my home, my car, my family…- the more I can actually show, the more power I have. Baba understands that…surely, one needs to ‘adapt’ Shrimat to the ‘real world’.

Yes, that’s how the old world works but didn’t I raise my hand and tell Baba that I wanted to help Him establish the new? Don’t I have enough experience already of how the ways of the old world leave me feeling unfulfilled? When I come to Baba, I die alive from the old world. I receive directions for a new way if living but it takes courage to change course, to want a different way of life now.

After being on the path for sometime, I start to become careless out of a sense of entitlement. I think: I am an old student of Baba’s, I am His favorite, I have learnt the knowledge and even teach it, I do so much service…if He doesn’t help me, whom else will He help! So I start to expect Him to simply do everything for me- make the situation go away, make my waste thoughts go away…I lose courage to bring about transformation because I become lazy and careless, because I develop arrogance of the intellect.

He is telling me what to do every day but unless I actually do it, I will not see results or have an experience. Unless I see results, it’s hard to have faith, it’s hard to stay interested. Then, when we see ourselves not moving, not feeling better, still discontent, we ask God for mercy. This is the deep rooted sanskar of bhakti where we aren’t really required to work or take any accountability…we had concluded that it was all up to God. So we begged…

But God helps those who help themselves. ‘This is a study‘, He says, ‘there is no question of mercy here‘. When you show a step of courage by studying, by making effort, I match it with a thousand-fold of mine- that is the law, that is the method, He says. It doesn’t matter if someone is a 50 year old child or a 1 year old child, whether they live at the center or in the household, I have to show courage.

But to take that step of courage, to be able to follow Shrimat, I need surrender – in every thought, word and action. Then, I am not afraid of what someone will think, I am not looking for credit or fame, I am not caught up in senior vs. junior, I just want to do as Baba guides me. Then, I am His responsibility, I have nothing to worry about. I don’t question or battle sanskars or a situation, I don’t run from pillar to post asking other souls for advice, opinions and further confuse myself. Instead, I make Baba my one trust and support and remain carefree. He is my Protector and Benefactor.

Many have a false understanding of what God’s role is- they think He should just be able to wave a magic wand or say the word and make things happen. They think He can do anything He wants. Baba says, ‘I am the Purifier, the Liberator’. I come to show you the way back to your original purity, to your freedom. I need a surrendered intellect to find the courage to follow His path. When I don’t understand and follow the method, I start doubting the study and the Teacher instead…I might even leave. But when I do follow the method, I see results and build up faith. And where there is faith, victory is guaranteed.