RESIGNATION TO GOD

He who can resign himself to the will of the Almighty with simple faith and guileless love realises the Lord very quickly.

To live in the world or to leave it depends upon the will of God. Therefore work, leaving everything to Him. What else can you do ?

A shallow pool of water in an open field will soon be dried up, though no one may lessen the quantity of its water by using it. So a sinful man is sometimes purified by simply resigning himself totally and absolutely to the mercy and grace of God.

Q. What are we to do when we are placed in this world ?

A. Give up everything to Him, resign yourself to Him, and there will be no more trouble for you. Then you will come to know that everything is done by His will.

There is no path safer and smoother than that of Ba-kalama (power of attorney). Ba-kalama means here resigning oneself to the will of the Almighty and having no feeling that anything is ones own.

The young of a monkey clasps and clings to its mother tightly when she moves about. The kitten on the other hand does not do so but mews piteously, and the mother grasps it by the neck. If the young of the monkey lets go its hold of its mother, it falls down and gets hurt. This is because it relies upon its own strength. But the kitten runs no such risk, as the mother herself carries it about from place to place. Such is the difference between self-reliance and entire resignation to the will of God.

A father was once passing through a field with his two little sons. He was carrying one of them in his arms while the other was walking along with him holding his hand. They saw a kite flying, and the latter boy, giving up his hold on his father's hand, began to clasp with joy, crying, " Behold, papa, there is a kite! But immediately he stumbled down and got hurt. The boy who was carried by the father also clapped his hands with joy, but did not fall, as his father was holding him. The first boy represents self-help in spiritual matters, and the second self-surrender.

Blessed Radha was once called to prove her chastity. She was subjected to the ordeal of fetching water in a jar with a thousand holes. She succeeded in doing so without even a drop of water leaking out, and everyone applauded her, declaring that such a chaste woman never was and never will be. At this Radha exclaimed, Why do you heap praise on me ? Say rather, Glory to Krishna ! Glory to Him alone !' I am only a handmaid of His.'

What is the nature of absolute reliance on God ? It is like that happy state of relaxation felt by a fatigued worker when, reclining on a pillow, he smokes at leisure after a day's hard work. It is the cessation of all anxieties and worries.

Live here like a leaf cast off after being used for taking food. It is at the mercy of the winds ; it is blown here and there ; sometimes indoors and sometimes abroad in dirty places. Well, now you are placed here ; all right, remain here. And when He will take you away and put you in a better place, then, too, you should say ' Amen and resign to His will with perfect unattachment. Let things take care of themselves.