0:00 Introduction
0:29 Stress due to tug of war between worldly responsibilities and the spiritual path
4:35 A fear of a change of attitude as a result of acquiring wealth
6:26 Is it ok to claim ownership of our own properties and to defend it if necessary? If so how can we remain detached in the process?
9:08 Is it ok to come onto the path of spirituality no matter what the reason is?
11:57 If a person works hard to earn money to give to the poor and needy, will this action help them to spiritually grow and purify the mind?
13:14 How can we live happily in the material world while simultaneously being spiritual?
16:28 How to handle friends who do not understand the spiritual path
17:57 A heavy head after meditating for some time

Discourse: Thus Spake Babaji – online Q and A No. 59

How to Balance Spiritual and Material Life – Part 2
Recorded: 26 August, 2021 with Malaysian participants

Start of Questions and Answers

Question:   Babaji, the topic today is synchronizing material and spiritual life.  And this is a continuation from the previous session we had with Babaji.  The first question.  I want to progress on my spiritual journey as fast as possible, seeing the sufferings and impermanence of things, and the people in this world.  However, it is frustrating that I also need to look into earning to maintain my life and take care of responsibilities.  This takes up many hours of the day which I feel could be dedicated to doing more sadhana.  These responsibilities feel overwhelming at times and distracts me from the spiritual path.  The constant tug of war between the two stresses me out. What should I do Babaji?

Babaji Maharaj:   Actually, if you adopt the right technique then the very active life that you are leading, responsibilities that you need to execute, can turn into a spiritual sadhana for you.  See, spirituality deals with the mind and your real Self.  Whereas to be in this world you have to be bodily active and maybe often you may need to think or plan or imagine through your mind.  Simply imagining or being creative or planning itself is not a big problem.  When the mind jumps further uncontrollably into such imaginations, which gives rise to both the positive and the negative feelings. The negative feelings are the frustration, disappointment, and all these things that you feel.  Whereas, do not feel all these negative things. Consider whatever way of life that you are leading as a service to the Divinity, to God, to your Guru.  Even if you are looking after your family, consider that you are doing a service to your Master; try to see your Master, your God in your family.  As if God has given you a family, and wants you to look after them.  They all belong – God’s children, just like you are also God’s child.  All are God’s children.  Look after them without feeling frustrated – enjoy the duties that you have to perform. 

Just like you see, even now, I have done the meditation deeply, and I am able to keep the mind quiet and silent.  But when I have to look after all of you, listen to your questions, answer you, and then counselling, then pray for all of you – all over the world, people are in touch with us, I don’t feel frustrated or disappointed, or any such negative things that, “Why I have to do all these things, now I have achieved my peace and just I have to sit quietly in a corner and enjoy my life.”  No such thing.  I enjoy – even if I’m answering your question, even if you have a complaint I try to pray for you, I try to do counselling to people.  At all times I am at peace because mind is quiet.  I do not allow the mind to jump into any frustration or disappointment, nothing.  Because God is everywhere.  God is in everything, God as everything.  That is the important point if you remember. So while dealing with this world, always you remember God. Then just plan and do the thing, and then don’t start worrying.  Don’t allow the mind to jump into further disappointment, all such worrying.  That is all that is needed, then your life will also be successful.  And then you will be able to undertake the spiritual journey along with the worldly journey together.

Question:   Thank You Babaji.  Babaji, the second question.  Being a housewife and being in the path of spirituality, I feel contented with whatever resources I have.  However, I have a fear of seeking for more money and I fear of becoming rich because I’m afraid that it might change me.  I might change my path or my attitude.  Is this form of withdrawal from materialistic world correct?  Please advise Babaji.

Babaji Maharaj:   Remaining contented is the most important thing.  That itself will give you the spiritual heights always.  Suddenly you don’t have to be afraid that if money comes that you might change. You need to have your mind under control.  For that regularly you do sadhana, don’t give up.  Simply remaining contented for what you have now itself is not enough. All the time you have to do sadhana, remember, God, try to meditate in the same technique that we have been teaching.  Like today you sat for forty minutes.  Every day why don’t you sit for forty minutes like that?  Then if you sit down sincerely, understanding the technique, and just if you watch in between eyebrows, your mind will remain at peace and under your control. It will never go into any greed, or it will never take any wrong path, even if money comes also.  It comes or it doesn’t come, you just have to remain contented.  And that peace always.  Just go for whatever you need.  Don’t become greedy.  That is the important thing, then it won’t be harmful.

Question:   Thank You Babaji.  The next question.  Babaji, we understand that this life is temporary.  However, in order to live, we work and buy properties like house and car.  Is it okay to claim ownership of our own properties and to defend it if necessary?  If so, how to balance between claiming ownership, defending and at the same time being detached?

Babaji Maharaj:   You see, you can live in this world, you can buy a property, you can save some money for yourself.  Simply you need to be alert that everything is impermanent, including your own property.  When you die you must be sure, I hope you will understand that you are not going to pack up your home also and carry it with you to some other world.  Such thing doesn’t happen.  Nobody knows what happens after death.  You might simply go into next life.  But whatever you own in the previous life dissolves.  What do you remember about your previous life, if you were an emperor, and if you had owned a palace? It’s of no use now. If you go and claim, “I used to own this palace, I was the emperor,” so they will simply kick you out, thinking that you are only a madman coming.  That is what happens.  So thus, simply remaining alert about the impermanence of this world is important so that you remain contented.  Don’t become greedy.  Don’t become twenty-four hours all the time keep worrying about your property or your money.  Use it for the needs.  You need a shelter – use your house to to have the shelter and use your money for your livelihood.  That is all needed.  The rest of the time., remember that this world is impermanent.

   Bhaja Govindam Bhaja Govindam Govindam Bhaja, Mudha mate, Samprapte San hite kaale, Nahi nahi rakshasati dukhrinkarane.  When death comes to the body, none of your worldly properties, health, wealth, nothing will come to your rescue.  So, God will not stop, “Oh, you have a home, you can live for another ten years.” There won’t be any such discount.  Any moment the body has to go, it will simply go, whether you have a palatial building, whether you have a small home or anything.  This fact if you remember, is good enough for you.  And then you can live; you can own anything is no problem.

Question:   Thank You Babaji.  The next question Babaji.  People come into the path of spirituality for many reasons.  For some, it is for solace.  Some feel neglected and have nowhere to go.  Some seek motivation and others seek for answers or solutions.  However, I feel the best would be to come into this path for the love of God.  Is it okay to come into the path of spirituality no matter what the previous reasons were?

Babaji Maharaj:   Yeah, anything is no problem.  It is always good to come to this path.  Whatever was your past you don’t have to worry, don’t feel guilty for anything.  Forget about it, let go the things – that is important.  Otherwise your mind will become corrupted, it will be worried, it will be angry, it will be frustrated.  All these things are not needed.  Why should we?  Happiness is your existence right.  Just be happy – all is well.  That is all, forget about it.  And love God for sake of love.  Go in quest of knowledge for sake of knowledge only, not for anything else. Understand the need of peace – you don’t have to lose your peace.  If any wrong thing has happened in your life, why do you have to lose?  Be at ease and be happy all the time.  That is important.  If you understand these factors, then you won’t allow your mind to go into a frustration.  Suppose somebody has misbehaved.  And you keep holding your head and keep worrying all the time and you stop eating and you lose your life.  No need.  Everybody in this world is selfish.  Selfish means they exercise their choice. What they want to live, they live.  Like if you have children, they will live what they want to live.  So for that sake you don’t have to lose your peace.  Why do you lose your happiness?  It is your right.  You be at peace.  Whatever help you help others.  Whatever advice you want to give you advise others.  So just like, I always advise people to take up spirituality and love God.  If some people don’t want to take up and if they are annoyed with me, so what can I do?  I don’t want to lose my happiness.  I am happy always.  So, if somebody doesn’t want to talk to me, somebody doesn’t want to take up this path, and somebody doesn’t want to listen to me, no problem.  Wherever, whoever wants to listen, I will just come and I will talk to them.  So that is the important thing.

Question:   Thank You Babaji.  Babaji, the next question.  If a person works hard to make a lot of money in order for him or her to help the poor and needy, do we consider it as a spiritual seva?  And will this action make him spiritually grow and purify the mind?

Babaji Maharaj:   You have to be careful.  Always, whatever you earn, a portion you must serve others – serve the poor and needy.  After the money comes, suddenly you start thinking otherwise, “Oh now the money has come.  Why should I give to others? Let me enjoy”, if your mind changes.  So, if you have money, you serve.  If you don’t have money, no problem.  You can serve in other ways also.  Just for sake of serving, then you go on earning money and then you pick up other wrong, bad habits.  That must not happen.  For this, you must do sadhana every day, meditate, remember God, do bhajans, do agnihotra [ed. Note:   yajna, offering of ghee – a small fire sacrifice to be performed by those initiated in Gayatri Mantra.], do everything.  Be there, participate all spiritual exercises so that your mind remains purified.  That is important.  Then you earn or you don’t earn, it’s all the same.

Question:   Thank You Babaji.  The next question.  Spirituality has made me feel dull towards the material world.  And I’m unable to reconcile this.  How can I live happily in the material world whilst simultaneously being spiritual?

Babaji Maharaj:   You see spirituality – if you are performing the sadhana, understanding the right technique, it always keeps you happy, whether you have material or not.  If the material is there, let it be, you be happy.  For that sake you don’t have to become dull.  If you are becoming dull, your sadhana is somewhere wrong.  It is you have not understood the right technique.  Like if you have to be just watching in-between eyebrows means, then the mind purifies, mind becomes quiet.  Whenever the mind becomes quiet, it is happy.  So, happiness is always there.  This happiness does not depend whether you have materials or you don’t have materials, it is all the same.  So doing sadhana in the right way, understanding the right technique is important, then there won’t be any dullness.  If you eat too much and feel sleepy, that gives you dullness.  That type of thing you have to avoid. Wrong company, bad company, wasting the time in gossips and in unnecessary fight, all these things. Criticizing others, belittling others, bullying others.  So many people pick up these habits also, because all round the world I keep traveling, we see around everywhere also.  They spend the whole day bullying others so they don’t learn anything. So you must be careful that you don’t pick up any such a wrong habit, unnecessarily.  If you do the spiritual sadhana you’re always happy, no question of any dullness at all.

Question:   Does that mean that being a spiritual person if we are doing it correctly, it should not disconnect us from the people in our lives and the other parts of our lives?

Babaji Maharaj:   Not at all necessary.  Any way you live in this world is a way of life that you would have adopted, and that is your choice.  So once you adopt, live it fully.  If you are a grihasta, if you are a householder, live it fully.  Try to see God in everywhere, everything, as everything, that is important.  Love people.  Loving itself is not materialistic attachment.  You love people as if you love God. Just like I love all of you so I don’t feel dull or I don’t lose, I don’t become attracted to materialistic thing.  Just for sake of love, I love.  Sometimes even when you criticize, you get annoyed with me, still I love you all, I bless you all, I pray for you all.  Like that you also live.

Question:   Thank You Babaji.  The next question.  When we follow the spiritual journey, we tend to lose many friends in a natural way.  We tend to minimize talking to others.  Like for example, I don’t like going for outings unnecessarily.  But at times people don’t understand.  They think that we are being proud or stuck up.  How do we handle this Babaji?

Babaji Maharaj:   You don’t have to bother such friends who are not really friends and who don’t understand you or appreciate you.  A real friend is when they take you as you are, understand and appreciate.  If not appreciate at least they should understand.  So they are the real friends.  So they will also get attracted towards you if they are real friends.  So only look for such friends.  If some friends don’t want to be friends anymore it’s okay, it’s their choice, you don’t have to worry.  Because if you keep worrying about those friends then you cannot do any spiritual sadhana.   You will lose spiritual sadhana and you will run away towards them.  You get attracted to wrong path and wrong things.  That’s what happens.  You have to be careful.

Question:   Thank You Babaji.  Babaji, there is one question in the chat about meditation.  This devotee has asked, “After I have meditated for some time, I feel my head is heavy.  What shall I do Babaji?

Babaji Maharaj:   You have to take care that when you close your eyes …, that’s why I keep repeating, “Remain relaxed.  Forget about the outside world.  And gently close your eyes.  Gently watch in-between eyes.”  Don’t try to push or rush.  Don’t feel irritated if the meditation is not happening, it will come.  You need to have enormous patience.  So that is what is important.  Otherwise if you’re in a rush, innike sakshatkaara aayindu thale adchikita [Tamil transl:  …if today itself realization occurs then the head will break (get hit (literal))/explode], then these types of things happen.  So, you just be careful, avoid such things.  Just do it in a gentle way.  Don’t be harsh on yourself.  Be gentle to yourself, then it will be all right.  No headache should happen.  Because when you are actually watching, slowly consciousness gets delinked, detached from the brain’s reflections. The load decreases, then actually it will be pleasant and peaceful and no headache.  No such things do happen.

Facilitator:   Thank You Babaji

End of Questions and Answers

Babaji Maharaj now concludes the session.

   We appreciate all your participation and some very good questions were asked giving me an opportunity to share my opinions, my experience with you all, what my Guru taught about the spirituality and the worldly life.  I hope you will remember the answers that I have given and ponder over, contemplate such answers.  You can live a beautiful life of both spirituality and worldly together, collectively.  So, in the world, you just have to work for your need, not become greedy.  Then you are always happy, you are contented.  How much do we need as a human being?  A little bit.  So that is what is important.  So, you work, whatever you want to earn, more money is no problem.  It is up to you.  But whatever comes, just be contented, that is important.   Otherwise you will lose peace, you won’t have happiness.  So that is important, right?

   May you all be blessed by Swamiji, our Guru bless you all to be most fortunate.  And let us all pray that we’ll be able to see each other physically soon.  Pray for the COVID to go away.  May the Divine protect the whole world, people from violence, from COVID, from illness, from this, that, all type of problems.  May everybody achieve their Supreme Peace for themselves, and may they be able to give peace to others, inspire others.

   All my love and blessings.

End of Session