Baba says, ‘Whatever you see and hear, understand the essence of it, and let the words you speak and the actions you perform, be full of essence and your efforts will then become easy.’

As I go through life, there are endless situations that come before me every single day. But I have the choice to either get to the essence of it or get lost in the expansion. Maybe the boss at the office is being rude to me, leaving me out of meetings etc. or maybe a friend didn’t smile at me today when I passed by or someone who had promised to do something pulled out at the last minute. It is easy to get lost in the expansion of ‘why is he doing this to me?’, ‘why didn’t she smile?’, ‘maybe someone told her something about me!’ ‘how could they do this to me?’. The expansion is like a jungle of thorns, says Baba, once you get lost in it, it is hard to find your way out. Once I go down the path of asking the questions of ‘why, what, when and how’, then it is hard to stop until I find an answer and the mind can come up with all kinds of wild imaginations – most of which aren’t true. These questions are how Ravan distracts me from pursuing the purpose for my life. As he leads me deeper and deeper into the jungle, I lose my zeal and enthusiasm, my inheritance of peace, joy and contentment and then when I finally realize that I am lost, I call out to Baba to come rescue me.

Baba says, ‘why do you allow yourself to get lost in the jungle when you can stay on the straight road?’

I stay on the straight road when I get to the essence. When that situation comes, rather than crowd my mind with questions, I keep my mind silent and in that silence, I view the situation as a detached observer – what is really going on here? what is really motivating this person to behave this way? The moment I do this, I separate the soul from the sanskar that is causing them to behave as they are. Sometimes it’s insecurity, a fear of losing their place or position, sometimes it’s something they are going through and they are taking out the anger and sadness they are feeling on others, sometimes there’s just a lot going on and they are feeling overwhelmed. When I am introverted rather than extroverted, I can know the secrets of everyone’s heart, that is, I grab a hold of the essence of what is really going on here. The more I understand the essence, the more I help resolve the situation in a way that pleases everyone.

Rather than get angry and frustrated- which would be the easy and ordinary reaction- I would instead be merciful when I understand the truth and say just the right thing that the soul needs to hear with love. No, they haven’t asked me for it because they are too much in the grip of our common enemy Ravan to know what they need. But I know, I was able to see and so I give. That breaks the spell they are under and frees them. Similarly, rather than think: ‘I won’t smile at them either the next time’, I might offer to help out with the workload that’s consumed them. Rather than pout and complain at being left out, I might continue to keep a good attitude and help out and make it evident through my behavior that I am not after their position or title. Only when I stay liberated, that is, only when I can stay out of the jungle, can I liberate others who are in it. If I myself am calling out to Baba to come rescue me, I am one more person He needs to tend to as opposed to being an instrument to help Him help others.

So now, create such an elevated stage, says Baba. Practice merging the expansion into its essence in a second and stabilize yourself in it. To learn to live essencefully in this way and stay out of the prickly jungle of expansion is to live a victorious life. It is to live obstacle free because I can never be influenced by any being, objects, atmosphere, vibrations, attitude or vision. I am therefore powerful because there is no wastage that comes from being battling obstacles. Only something that is powerful has the power to transform something else, teaches Baba. For instance, if a fire is very intense and powerful, then the form of anything put into it will automatically be transformed. In the same way, only when I remain introverted and powerful, will I be able to rise above all the drama and the emotions and do that which resolves and liberates. The wasteful aspects will be transformed into something powerful. Sinful thoughts will take on the form of pure thoughts. I will be able to transform the gross consciousness of the other soul and return them to soul consciousness, make them light again. Anything ordinary will be transformed into something extraordinary.