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The Pastor's Sermons
In the suggestion box of a church a pastor once found a bitter note. It read, “Father, I have been attending your sermons for years, coming in week after week to hear your wise words.
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“But come to think of it, I do not remember even one of the thousands of sermons you have delivered. I feel it is a lot of time wasted on my part to have come here to listen to you and you too have spent plenty of time delivering them but of no avail”.
The pastor folded the letter and kept it carefully on his table. On the following Sunday after mass, he brought out the topic of this letter and asked the parishioners for their suggestions.
One old man stood up and asked permission of the pastor to say a few words. He said, “I have been married for forty years now. In the time, my good wife has cooked tens of thousands of meals for us. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall what the menu was for a single one of those meals. But I know this much – each one of them has nourished me and given me the strength to do the work I needed to do. If my wife had not given me those meals, I would be dead long ago.”
Such is the case with all spiritual disciplines be it chanting His name or meditation or singing bhajans or doing service.
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Daily practices of the subtler teachings help us to achieve a better and more balanced state of mind and body. Though the effects are not immediately evident, let us be sure that without them we would have collapsed long ago.
Daily practice of the simplest teachings helps build a good foundation for our future developments.
Bhagawan Baba says, “In order to master the mind, your impulses and desires have to be suppressed. Desires excite the mind to rush towards the senses, just like a dog runs behind its master. Repeat the divine Name and meditate, then you can develop your will, memory, and imagination along proper lines. Meditation is a great help to gain control over an unsteady mind.
It is not enough if one of the senses is conquered; all of them should be mastered. Of course, this is a very hard task and you might feel like giving up, but never lose heart. Do not stray from the path of discipline whenever you feel you are not making as much progress as you hoped to. That is not the road to victory - persevere, be patient, and you are sure to triumph in the end!”
So let us always practice the spiritual disciplines with zeal, enthusiasm and a positive frame of mind diligently assured that it is consciously and unconsciously definitely making us better. Does not matter if we may have faltered on some occasions. The Lord is ever ready to hold our hand one more time and shower us with His grace provided we are sincere and true to ourselves.
Illustrations: Ms. Lyn Kriegler, New Zealand
- Team Radio Sai
