More, More, More
My dad, a man of many sayings, used to talk a lot about needs vs wants. He would say, “Do not get too many of your wants because when times get hard you won’t be able to get your needs.” We have always wanted things since we were kids and if we look back at our lives we can see that this list is clearly never ending. Similarly just getting to the next thing in life, be it school, career, etc, has never made us content either. We tend to think that once we finish this one thing we will be done, yet oddly enough something else comes up and we repeat this cycle over again. We want to sieze the day and live in the moment, yet our minds are always focused on what comes/to do next. So we need to sit back and ask ourselves when will we have enough that to say we have all our needs?
What Has Been Given
His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj speaks about the endless pit of wants and desires. He explains that in the world the things we want and yearn for are endless like a bottomless pit. No matter how many of your wants you place in this pit it will never be filled and thus we are never fulfilled. His Holiness goes on to explain that to be forever content one should unite their minds wants with that of God’s. That whatever God has given is enough, and should he give more or less that is fine. It is when we accept this as an absolute truth do we find peace in all that we have and all that we are. He continues by saying, that we do not try to achieve things. Pramukh Swami says we should do everything in our power to achieve a goal, but in the end the result is up to the Lord and we should be content with that result. It is logical, yet our minds have difficulty with it. Why? Because we compare. Because we believe that we know what is best for us. And because we want what we want! With that being said we can see that God gives us what we need and we only ask for what we want.
Taking What I Need
In my life at the moment I am going through a change. I am being guided towards a career change and honestly it is really difficult. I have to put myself out there and seek help from friends who could put me in touch with companies that are hiring. I hate asking for help. Then there is the fight with my mind to let go of my wants and accept what Bhagwan and Sant were asking me to do, that is driving me crazy. My friends, who honestly are the greatest, are helping me overcome these feelings and guiding me towards finding peace in what God is giving me. He knows better than me in what I need. I can’t see the future I know that but I seem to not be able to accept it. His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj wrote to me to reflect on Satsang Diksha verse 152: “One should understand that all which has happened, which is happening, and which will happen is solely due to Swaminarayan Bhagwan’s will and only for my benefit.” Doing this reflection is helping me understand that he knows what I need and when I need it. Similar to when a doctor knows what the patient needs and when. Allowing myself to be a patient in this world rather than being a doctor will get me where I need to go and ultimately guide me toward that which I seek, peace of mind and closeness with God and Sant.
