Baba says, ‘Become serviceable. If you have the arrogance of any of the vices, Maya does not allow you to rise.’

Brahmin life is a life of service. Brahmin souls cannot survive without service. Service not only makes my life elevated but it also offers a great protection from Maya. It also makes me yogyukt. But which service? One type of service is to relate what I have heard through the mouth. The other type is the service of speaking through my mind, to become an embodiment of the sweet words I have heard, to serve through my form- this is altruistic service, service through renunciation and tapasya, service that is beyond limited desires. This is called Godly service, spiritual service. The service of simply serving through the mouth is called service to please oneself. In order to please everyone, service through the mind and mouth has to take place simultaneously, teaches Baba. To serve with the mind means to serve with words while in the state of Manmanabhav.

When I am simply serving without renunciation and tapasya, then I am still operating based on one vice or another. For example, I sulk thinking: “I am doing everything, but my name is not mentioned, whereas the names of those who earn fame in service is mentioned a great deal.” However, it is not like that, explains Baba. Service, by definition, means giving without expecting a return; it has to be altruistic. This is why service cannot happen without renunciation of limited desires first. “True service is a true diamond“, says Baba. Just as the sparkle of a true diamond cannot remain hidden, the sparkle of a true server also cannot remain hidden; it is visible in their face and form. “Continue to do service and don’t think about earning a name“, He teaches. “Think about accumulating.” There is greater importance in doing incognito service. Such a soul would always remain full within themself; they would be a carefree emperor and not be concerned about name or fame. They would always be seated on the throne of their self-respect, on the everlasting throne– not on a throne of limited respect. They are seated on the throne of eternal and infinite attainment. This is known as being serviceable, a world-benefactor server.

When I get arrogant about ‘all that I’ve done’ or angry about ‘not having got my due’ then, I am moving backwards, explains Baba. “Maya has made everyone’s intellect like stone”, He explains. “She surrounds even good children in such a way that they don’t realize that every step they take is taking them backwards. Never move backwards in attaining success by having ordinary thoughts in the task of world service“, He teaches. “Constantly attain success with renunciation and continue to move forward.” Even on the path of devotion, those who are incognito donors, charitable souls, always think that there should be benefit for everyone. They don’t think that there should be something in it for them or that they should receive some fruit. “No, let everyone receive the fruit“, says Baba. “Continue to surrender your service to world benefit.“

Service doesn’t always have to be grand, in fact, it is often simple. Someone makes a mistake, let me serve through the power of accommodation. If someone is rude or hurts me, let me serve through the power of tolerance. If someone betrays me, rather than be bitter and resentful, let me serve through the power of forgiveness. And so to serve, what I need is power. I don’t have to look for a physical stage to serve from, I already am on stage! I am on stage every moment! Let me remain beyond limited thoughts of ‘what they did to me!’, ‘I deserve better!’, ‘It was my idea, I should receive credit for it’, ‘but what about me’ etc. etc. and become an unlimited server, a carefree emperor seated on the Father’s heart-throne and continue to celebrate in the happiness and pleasure of the confluence age. Service is something that should make me fly because I receive blessings from the hearts of those that are served and from the Father. It shouldn’t feel like a burden or become an obstacle. Service should make me the emperor of the land without sorrow.

The Father says: ‘I want serviceable children.‘ He Himself comes here to this impure world, to serve. He makes impure ones pure and into masters of heaven. Most of my brothers and sisters still don’t know this. For them to know, I need to have that power. That power will only come through yoga. ‘Very few of you make that effort’, says Baba, ‘you become trapped in one thing or another.‘ This is a study, not a spiritual gathering where I listen to a guru speak and continue to say ‘True, true’ to everything I hear. I have to make effort to stay on the pilgrimage of remembrance and build enough power to bring about transformation in myself. Only then will there be that attraction that pulls others. If I explain about being sweet to others but have within me the vice of anger, then my words won’t bring change. ‘Children need power’, points out Baba. ‘In order to receive power, continue to remember the Father.’

“Renounce the vices“, He says. “There is upheaval because of this. Examine yourself: ‘What defects do I have?’ Businessmen look at their accounts every day to see their profit and loss. You too should keep an account of how long you remembered the extremely beloved Baba who makes you into masters of the world“, He explains. “Those who are committed to becoming elevated would keep such a chart“, He says. If I see that I’ve been remembering the Father for very little time, then I would course correct. The Father comes and raises me up from the bottom. When my intellect has this firm faith, then I will not allow anything- no vice, no limited desire- to get in the way of being lifted up, that is, in the way of my claiming my full inheritance from the Father. This, is being serviceable, it is the greatest service I can do.