Baba says, ‘you children are like the Father, the Remover of Sorrow and the Bestower of Happiness. You must not cause sorrow for anyone through your thoughts, words or deeds. Give happiness to everyone.’

At this time the whole world is in the bondage of Maya, says Baba. This is called the devilish bondage. But you, He reminds me, are in a Godly relationship- one that is full of love, security, joy, care, happiness and contentment. There is always sorrow in a bondage and happiness in a relationship. This is why it is said: ‘Cut the bondages of sorrow and take us into the relationships of happiness’.

Devotees call out to God but not a single devotee actually knows God. Sages and sannyasis too pray in order to meet God. But I, Baba reminds me, not just know God but having recognized Him as my Father, I receive my unlimited inheritance from Him. I may receive an inheritance from my physical father too but that inheritance gives me sorrow because it ties me into bondages with people or possessions, only the unlimited inheritance brings me happiness because it breaks away my bondages. This unlimited inheritance makes me who I really am– a pure, peaceful soul full of powers, a child of God. I remember, I realize and I become.

‘The Father is personally sitting in front of you in order to cut your bondages. This is why He is remembered as the Remover of Sorrow and the Bestower of Happiness’, He explains. He gives everyone happiness. He first liberates me from the prison of Ravan and then shows me the path to liberation-in-life. To remember who I am and remain in that consciousness is liberation-in-life.

At this confluence age, I have experienced both a life of bondage and a life of liberation from bondages. I appreciate the contrast. And so I also appreciate what my brothers and sisters are living through. I was there not too long ago- hustling, fighting, elbowing, screaming, begging….all in an attempt to fit in, to be someone. The Father showed me mercy- despite the sins I was routinely committing, despite the sorrow I was causing to the self and others, despite the utter selfishness in my attitude, He still saw the best in me. He still saw His long lost and now found child, He still saw the original deity soul, He still saw a bestower. In other words, He saw me as the opposite of what I was and He never let go of that vision. His steadfast acceptance of me, His undying faith in me, His pure, non-judgmental love for me worked as the alchemy that broke those iron-chains, those bondages of the vices and liberated me. It made me worthy again.

Can I do for my brothers what my Father did for me? ‘You are the children of the Remover of Sorrow and the Bestower of Happiness. You must give happiness to everyone.’, says Baba. What He gives to me, He expects to see flow through me to others. In fact, this is also how what I have increases as well. So, check yourself, says Baba. Are you the ones who bestow or are you the ones who take?

Often, I think the fact that I know God makes me ‘holier than thou’. I forget how I used to be not so long ago and start to judge others. I become dismissive and aloof, and all-in-all, the opposite of what God was to me. In fact, I use my relationship with Baba to complain to Him: “Baba, did you see what they did?, did you see how they are?’ or if someone says or does something even the tiniest bit hurtful, I immediately sulk about it with Baba: ‘Baba, why did this happen to me?’, ‘Baba, why didn’t you do something to stop them?’, ‘Baba, you should tell them to…’. All the while, I don’t mind taking from God for myself- all His mercy, His love, His patience, His respect, His sustenance, His tolerance, His accommodation, His everything,….but then, I don’t feel anyone else deserves it.

Here’s the thing I forget: I don’t deserve it either! Didn’t deserve it then, don’t deserve it now. No one can ‘deserve’ or ‘earn’ God’s love. I can only be grateful and receive it. There wasn’t a single thing I did when Baba found me that made me qualify for His love, but He loved me anyway. Why? because that’s Who He is. He doesn’t show me love as much as He is love. He is an Ocean of Love and I, He reminds me, am His child, a master ocean of love. ‘You too should be merciful and loving to your brothers’, He teaches. Enough of the selfishness, He tells me. ‘Are you still caught up in your own story- of what happened to you and who did and said what?’ The moment I receive a signal from Baba to forgive someone, immediately my reaction is: ‘but what about me! what about how I feel? what about what they did to me!’. Baba says: ‘why don’t you have mercy?’

As heirs to God Himself, there should be nothing lacking in your treasure stores. Those who are to claim the inheritance should have mercy for those who are yet to receive their inheritance. There should be unlimited disinterest and mercy. Don’t give time to the queue of waste thoughts of ‘why’, ‘what’ and ‘want’. Sing the praise of your fortune and remain cheerful. Let your cheerful and happy demeanor, your smile, your vision and your attitude serve, He teaches. Now, let your merciful and compassionate form of being a remover of sorrow and bestower of happiness emerge. Hear the sorrow of the unhappy ones, they are your brothers, He reminds me. They are not your enemy, your enemy is Ravan. Defeat him, reject him and accept your brothers.

Now, says Baba, each of you young and old world transformers should consider yourself to be responsible for transforming the sorrow of the world and bringing about the world of happiness. That’s how I become Lakshmi and Narayan- by serving the world. Only when I give a lot can I receive a lot. And so Baba says, ‘Only those who are such world benefactors will be able to become the world emperors.’