Baba says, “If you do not get a chance to serve because of the circumstances, do not then let your stage fall or allow upheaval to enter you.”

In the final result, marks will be for who I have become, not for all the things I accomplished. Top marks will be for being a practical embodiment of dharna, not for giving lectures or conducting workshops or getting a book published. No one will care about how many people attended my workshops or how well I spoke at that interview. The only thing that will matter is who I have become. Did I change from a beggar to prince or did I simply become a slightly better beggar? Did I go all the way and become a self-sovereign, or did I allow a couple dependencies to remain? Is my praise full of all virtues, 16 celestial complete, completely viceless, righteous and completely non-violent or did I only imbibe a couple virtues, get rid of only a couple vices, am only partially pure? That, and not the lectures or workshops, will determine when I will come into the new world and to what extent I will experience it.

“If you wish to receive high marks, then check whether your have in you the values that you lecture about“, says Baba, “there is one mark for service and ten marks for being an embodiment of dharna. If you are not able to give knowledge, but are able to create an impact with your dharna, you accumulate marks for service.” Many people think that they receive very few chances for service, that they want to do more service: “I should receive a chance first. Others are given a chance, so why not I?” And actually it is good to do service, because, otherwise when the intellect is free, it creates a lot of waste. So service is a good way to keep the intellect busy. However, Baba teaches, if according to the drama or the circumstances, I don’t receive a chance, then I should be okay with that. But instead, if my stage goes down or if that service brings upheaval, then neither did I serve nor did I accumulate.

In Ravan’s world, I am taught to strive– to hustle for opportunities, to strategize, manipulate, to do what it takes to get that job/that contract/that project etc. because getting it is what’s deemed as the means to climb up the ladder, to be somebody. But in Baba’s domain, He teaches me not to strive in that way. I don’t have to hustle, in fact, I mustn’t. It’s not about what and how much you do, it’s about who you are, He teaches me repeatedly. To see someone else get that project that I was hoping to get and still be okay with it, to wish them well- that is the effort, that is imbibing Baba’s teaching. To not let my attitude turn sour, to not allow my feelings to become impure and to continue to enjoy my own life, to be happy- that is effort. It is my stage that matters at any given moment and certainly at the end, nothing else. Sometimes, the soul becomes weary and wonders: “I am always happy for others. When will the time come when I am happy for myself? When will I too get the chance?” But the longer I walk this path with Baba, the more I realize that it is He who is the gift; it is being able to spending every waking moment with Him, to be able to consult Him for everything, to be able to do life with Him- that is the greatness of this age. It might sound unglamorous, routine even, no one applauds me for it. But when I am soul conscious, I realize how great my fortune is. But if I don’t spend time with Baba and spend all my time striving, strategizing or sulking, then I miss the point. It shows that I have simply transferred my old world sanskars, the body consciousness into Brahmin life and am now treating this life too as a career.

When I hustle and get service chances, then such service is not true service. True service, Baba explains, is service done with love, with everyone’s blessings and such service yields instant and practical fruit of happiness. Perhaps I am a home-maker and I haven’t been called to deliver any lectures anywhere. That’s okay, it means that’s not where God needs my help. He needs me right where I am, that’s where He wants me to serve. Taking care of the home, of the family- that’s not small service. It’s easy to get angry when the spouse is angry, to be frustrated at the kids, to complain about the maid being late etc., to gossip about the neighbors etc. but if what I am doing is following God’s directions- showing mercy when confronted by anger, showing love and acceptance rather than frustration, then I am teaching tolerance and forgiveness through my behavior, I am receiving blessings from the hearts of souls and from the Father. They may not say it but my behavior which is a result of my purity cannot go unnoticed. It changes lives, it brings people closer, makes relationships strong, draws souls closer to their Father. This, is service. This, receives marks. This, receives blessings. This, is all that matters.

“You are images of support not just for your own lives but you are images of support for all the souls of the world“, Baba reminds me. “The atmosphere of the world is being transformed with your elevated attitude, both matter and souls are becoming pure with your pure vision. The world is changing with your vision, the world is becoming righteous with your elevated actions. So you have such a huge responsibility.” Sometimes, when someone talks to me angrily, I might keep quiet but my eyes and face show anger. That doesn’t work, teaches Baba. I have to have genuine mercy and love. If I simply suppress my anger and pain, then the crown of responsibility will feel heavy. I will fee like a lamb being taken to the slaughterhouse. When I use my power of discernment, understand the other’s pain that’s causing their anger, and feel feelings of mercy and love, the crown feels light. Purity is light, impurity is very heavy.

“At every moment, throughout every day, you must constantly be great donors and bestowers of blessings.”, teaches the Father. “You don’t need a chance to do this service. Simply be great donors and give to all those who come into contact and connection with you, the donation of some power, knowledge or virtue. No day should go by without making one donation or another. Don’t say that you did not get a chance for this. It is up to you to take a chance.”