Words from the Master

We all continue to do things for getting praise and approval, but we do it in the name of love and duty. People tell me, “Swamiji, we don’t do things for praise or approval; we do because it is our duty.”

Be very clear: The moment you claim that you are doing your duty, you are doing it because if you don’t do it, your people will stop approving you. Your people will approve of you as long as you fulfill every small thing that is expected of you. Even one small slip in what you are doing, you will be able to see the change in their relationship with you. You know this and so you do your duty.

You will say, “Swamiji, I am their father. If I don’t provide for them, who will?” See, try to understand: I am not saying that you should not provide for them. You have given birth to them; you have to provide for them till such time they become independent and do things for themselves. But what you are doing, do out of no expectation whatsoever. Let it be an act, which is an expression of the loving Energy inside you.

Right now, you might claim that you are not doing it out of any expectation, but when reciprocity from the other side dips a little, you will know; you will be able to observe the tension in you, the agitation in you, the disappointment in you. This agitation, this tension, this disappointment is the result of the expectation that was inside you when you did your duty. The degree of these may vary with each person, but it is bound to be there at some level.

And when it is there, you are not doing it out of just an expression of the loving Energy in you; you are doing it out of a lesser, limited quality called duty or so-called love. It is not an expression of the Existential Energy in you; it is a mere outer world transaction, that’s all.

The Bhagwad Gita beautifully says:
Karmanyevaadhikaarasye maa phaleshu kadaachanah
It means, Your job is only to do the work, not to be concerned about the result.

You need to keep doing things because you have so much of loving Energy inside you. You can just exude Energy without any reason or any expectation. When you are like this, you are not bothered about the results.

When I say you are not bothered about the results, I don’t mean that out of a frustrated or cynical conclusion, you are not bothered. What I mean is, you don’t even know to expect results because you are continuously moving and expressing your blissful inner Energy, that’s all. So we can’t even say that you don’t expect results. You are just flowing joyfully, that’s all. This flowing Energy is real love.

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This excerpt has been taken from the book: Guaranteed Solutions.