Dr. Sarkar on duty

DOCTOR: “There are two elements in duty: first, the ‘oughtness’ of a duty; second, the happiness, which comes as an after-effect. But at the initial stage this happiness is not the impelling motive. I noticed in my childhood the great worry of the priest at the sight of ants in the sweets offered before the Deity. He did not, at the outset, feel joy at the thought of the sweets. First of all he worried about them.”

M. (to himself): “It is difficult to say whether one feels happiness while performing the duty or afterwards. Where is the free will of a man if he performs an action, being impelled by a feeling of happiness?”

Pure love

MASTER: “What the doctor is speaking of is called love without any selfish motive. I do not want anything from Dr. Mahendra Sarkar; I do not need anything from him, but still I love to see him. This is love for love’s sake. But suppose I get a little joy from it; how can I help it?

“Ahalyā once said to Rāma ‘O Rāma, I have no objection to being born even as a pig. But please grant that I may have pure love for Thy Lotus Feet. I do not want anything else.’

“Nārada went to Ayodhya to remind Rāma that He was to kill Ravana . At the sight of Rāma and Sita, he began to sing their glories. Gratified at Nārada’s devotion, Rāma said:

‘Nārada, I am pleased with your prayer. Ask a boon.’ Nārada replied, ‘O Rāma, if Thou must give me a boon, then grant that I may have pure love for Thy Lotus Feet and that I may not be deluded by Thy world-bewitching māyā. Rāma said, ‘Ask something more.’

‘No, Rāma,’ answered Nārada, ‘I do not want anything else. I want only pure love for

Thy Lotus Feet, a love that seeks no return.’

“That is Dr. Sarkar’s attitude. It is like seeking God alone, and not asking Him for wealth, fame, bodily comforts, or anything else. This is called pure love.

“There is an element of joy in it, no doubt; but it is not a worldly joy; it is the joy of bhakti and prema, devotion to God and ecstatic love of Him. I used to go to Sambhu Mallick’s house. Once he said to me: ‘You come here frequently. Yes, you come because you feel happy talking with me.’ Yes, there is that element of happiness.

“But there is a state higher than this. When a man attains It, he moves about aimlessly, like a child. As the child goes along, perhaps he sees a grasshopper and catches it. The man of that exalted mood, too, has no definite aim.

(To the devotees) “Don’t you understand the doctor’s inner feeling? It is the prayer of a devotee to God for right purpose, that he may have no inclination for evil things.“I too passed through that state. It is called Dāsya, the attitude of the servant toward his master.

I used to weep so bitterly with the name of the Divine Mother on my lips that people would stand in a row watching me. When I was passing through that state, someone, in order to test me and also to cure my madness, brought a prostitute into my room.

She was beautiful to look at, with pretty eyes. I cried, ‘O Mother! O Mother!’ and rushed out of the room. I ran to Haladhāri and said to him, ‘Brother, come and see who has entered my room!’

I told Haladhāri and everyone else about this woman. While in that state I used to weep with the name of the Mother on my lips. Weeping, I said to Her: O Mother, protect me! Please make me stainless. Please see that my mind is not diverted from the Real to the unreal.’ (To the doctor) This attitude of yours is also very good.

It is the attitude of a devotee, one who looks on God as his Master.

“When a man develops pure sattva, he thinks only of God. He does not enjoy anything else. Some are born with pure sattva as a result of their Prārabdha karma. Through unselfish action one finally acquires pure sattva. Sattva mixed with rajas diverts the mind to various objects. From it springs the conceit of doing good to the world. To do good to the world is extremely difficult for such an insignificant creature as man. But there is no harm in doing good to others in an unselfish spirit. This is called unselfish action. It is highly beneficial for a person to try to perform such action. But by no means all succeed, for it is very difficult. Everyone must work. Only one or two can renounce action. Rarely do you find a man who has developed pure sattva. Through disinterested action sattva mixed with rajas gradually turns into pure sattva.

“No sooner does a man develop pure sattva than he realizes God, through His grace.

“Ordinary people cannot understand pure sattva. Hem once said to me: ‘Well, priest! The goal of a man’s life is to acquire name and fame in the world. Isn’t that true?’ "