PEACE OF MIND

If we call upon Shree Bhagawan regarding whatever happens to us with humility and cry of distress in the spirit of prayers and self narration, we will receive the peace of mind like no other.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Mandan
Edition 3; page 73.

EITHER ACCEPT OR OPPOSE WITH UNDERSTANDING AND LOVE

Kumbhakonam,

May 28th, 1951.

By the grace of God this soul had to oppose certain prevailing customs of my community in Nadiad. We have seen people serving communities other than theirs by separating themselves from their own family and community. These volunteers do not get a chance to deal with such situations (opposing the customs of your own community and family). I had the awareness to oppose these undesirable customs in my own community. It was not based on certain basic instinct to oppose it but on certain sense of duty (dharma, ધર્મ) and oppose it in that context. So I opposed these old customary traditions of my community with that perspective and sense of duty. In such circumstances community never accepts such behavior from a poor person* and either they are ignored or insulted. It is rather impossible to oppose unfair and undesirable customs when time comes to oppose it in your own family while living in the community and gain the goodwill and love from the community at the same time. So we should either accept such insults with true humility, love and understanding or oppose it. But when you oppose them there should be tremendous heartfelt goodwill toward them being expressed in your dealings with them.

Pujya Shree Mota

Jivan Mandan

Edition 3; page 194. 

*

My two cents -- There was tradition of not touching certain lower cast community members and not sharing the source of water with them. Pujya Shree Mota opposed this tradition. Because of that his community was against him initially but later some members were appreciative of his efforts. Pujya Shree Mota and his family was poor. 

TOLERANCE OF PEOPLE WITH OPPOSING OPINION.

Sabarmati Ashram
February 1st, 1940.

We must abandon our efforts to prove ourselves right at the cost of others. There must be an effort to understand others viewpoint with evenhandedness. Never consider others as stupid, ignorant and never develop contempt for them in the minds. Although it is difficult to keep a smiling face when somebody opposes our ideals or the ideals of people whom we admire and yet at the very same thing makes spiritual life superior to the ordinary life. Spiritual person does not rebel at the inconsistency between "what it is and what it should be". He accepts the life as it is. It does not mean that he surrenders to the circumstances. He never feels helpless and surrender to the circumstances. He evaluates and lets the situation mature appropriately. At the same time he accepts the people who do not handle the situation on hand well. He is not like the people who favor one kind of lifestyle against the other, so he does not have disappointment or shame. In other words he is not intolerant to circumstances or the people. He considers others as honest and selfless as he.

Our religion does not believe in God that favors one person against the other or extracts the revenge. We believe in God's love for universe. This religion expects us to have patience and act with humility and spiritual feelings towards the people who oppose us. We have developed this nature of opposing anyone who does not agree with our opinion and tend to believe them as stupid or something like that and tend to develop contrariwise feelings. It is very helpful to understand persons background, nature,  education and past history to evaluate and decide the reasons behind persons opinion and actions. We can understand the person by knowing his nature and vision. Not only that, we can estimate his understanding of the situation. There is always some goodness in a cruel person and we can experience that spark of goodness by such understanding.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sandesh
Edition 3; pages 250 - 251.

HUMILITY (2)

Sadhak will have to take a dip in his nature and study it deeply to develop the virtue of humility. There lies all kinds of traits of egoism and arrogance in the heart of his nature. This may take gross or  subtle forms deceiving the sadhak. Some times the ego itself takes the form of humility and keeps itself hidden from the sadhak. Who can understand the intricacies of ego? The soul that has realized to stay busy with his efforts in sadhana will always be saved from these various tricks of the ego.

The virtue of humility expresses itself in the life only when there is complete silence of all the senses, mind and prana. Steady and intuitive pursuit of this appropriate life developing humility transforms the life itself into sadhana. When that happens mind enters the regions of divine and deep energy and becomes tranquil.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sandesh
Edition 3; page 249.