No liberation for the idle

There was a most sincere seeker who, right from his childhood used to pray regularly to God. When he was seven or eight years old he started praying to Mother Kali, because she was his family deity. He was very fond of Mother Kali.

He read and studied spiritual books, and he learned that Sri Ramakrishna was the dearest child of the Mother Kali. So he started praying to Sri Ramakrishna, and he became Sri Ramakrishna's disciple inwardly. He became friendly with some of Sri Ramakrishna's disciples but unfortunately he did not see Sri Ramakrishna physically, because Sri Ramakrishna had left the body long before. Later, this seeker began reading spiritual books written by other Masters, and finally he came to realise who his own spiritual Mater was, and he went to live at his Master's ashram.

His Master gave this disciple much affection. The disciple was extremely devoted to his Master, and he meditated for hours and hours every day. He was in his most fruitful years at that time. He used to write about his Master, and the Master encouraged him and appreciated his writings highly. He wrote hundreds of poems and many articles about his experiences. The Master always encouraged him, inspired him, and also deeply appreciated his experiences.

One day, the Master wrote to him in answer to some of his questions. "In this incarnation you will realise God," the letter said. There is every possibility that your physical consciousness will merge into the Transcendental Delight. The force that created Vivekananda has a spiritual connection with you. I want you to be like a banyan tree, under which many people will get shelter."

The disciple was delighted that he was going to be so great. Vivekananda had gone to America. He had become world-renowned. The disciple knew that Vivekananda wore a turban, so immediately he started wearing a turban and dressing like Vivekananda. He thought that he would be going to conquer America, as Vivekananda had done.

In spite of all this, the disciple continued praying, meditating, and getting high experiences. The Master was very pleased with him. He continued this way for twenty-five years. One day, on his birthday, he wrote to his Master, "Master, please don't forget about your promise that I would realise God in this incarnation, and that my physical consciousness would merge into the Transcendental Delight. Also, please do not forget about your promise that I would be like a banyan tree."

The Master wrote down on a sheet of paper: "There is no hope of liberation for the idle," and sent it to him.

When the disciple read the message, he nearly fainted. "Oh Master, I have been meditating most sincerely and devotedly for years and years, every day for six, seven, eight hours. Am I idle? O God! Are you not aware how hard I have been working for my realisation?" This was his inner cry.

He could not bring himself to tell his friends what the Master had written to him. He was utterly miserable for months and months. He said to himself, "The Master made promises, and now he has changed his mind." He was about to lose all faith in his Master.

Then one night he had a dream. In this dream he saw his Master, and said to him, "Master, how is it that you have changed your mind? You told me that I would have liberation, that my body would be transformed, and that I would be like a banyan tree and shelter many people. You said my soul has a connection with Vivekananda's soul. I have been meditating for hours and hours daily since I came to you. How is it that after twenty-five years you are saying that there is no hope of liberation for the idle? How do you justify your first promise, and then your rebuke?"

He could talk this way because, after all, it was only a dream. In the world of reality, he would never have dared to argue with his Master in that way. But a dream is only a dream. In the dream, the Master replied, "My child, you are such a fool. When I told you many years ago about your future, about your liberation, about the transformation of your body, about divinisation, did I give any date? I simply said, 'In this incarnation.' Are you not still on earth?"

"Yes," replied the disciple.

"Has your life ended?"

"Not yet."

"Then still there is every possibility for you. With regard to the rebuke that there is no hope of liberation for the idle, did I say, 'for the idle like you?' "

"No," was the disciple's humble reply.

"I completed the sentence with 'for the idle'. There is no hope of liberation for the idle. After 'idle' — period. Did I say 'like you'?"

"No."

"Then why did you interpret it that way? I said that for the idle there is no hope of liberation. What does it mean? It means that he who is idle will never have liberation. You have been working very hard, and you are still working very hard. You misinterpreted my message. It is your fault, and you have been suffering for your stupidity. You will have all kinds of disciples in the future, so I am cautioning you. You will have to tell your disciples what I have told you.

"Already you have quite a few admirers, friends, and well-wishers. These admirers live here in my ashram, I am their Guru. How can they accept you as their Guru? When I leave the body, there will be quite a few, even among my disciples, who will become your disciples. And there are many others who will also become your disciples. As I told you, like a banyan tree, you will have many growing under your protection.

"When I told you that there is no hope of liberation for the idle, you should have known that it was not you I was speaking about. The idle ones are those who are not trying to realise God in this incarnation. Whenever a Master says something, you have to see it from his viewpoint. When you see things in his light, through his eyes, you will be happy. The Master will never consciously hurt you. He will only perfect your nature, or give you more and more wisdom.

"The Master gives messages to the disciples, and they very often misinterpret them. The Master says things to you to give you more wisdom, more light, more illumination, but you do not understand him in his own way. You immediately give your own interpretations, your own judgement, and then you create problems for him and for yourself. So from now on, whenever I say something, try to feel that it is something to help you. Everything that the Master says is for your wisdom. I will never hurt you. I will only widen your understanding.

"When your inner knowledge has bloomed totally, when your inner sun is fully awakened and starts offering its light to the world at large, you will know that you are ready for outer fulfilment. You will know that your liberation has already taken place. So, from now on, when I say something, always try to get light from it, and do not feel that I am necessarily insulting or criticising you. Real Masters do not do that. Real Masters only correct and perfect their disciples so that the disciples can become choice instruments of the Supreme."