Discourses-----Day
2
October 9, 1939
In
the evening a gentleman from Calcutta
came and desired to know how to make progress in business.
Sri Sri Thakur said, “Yajan
(self-exaltation), Yaajan (the exaltation of others), and Ishtabhriti (the
maintenance of one’s Ideal) are the foremost duties of man. One must exert
oneself for one’s becoming, and at the same time convince the environment to do
the same. Man cannot get by, ignoring his environment. That is why it is to a
man’s interest to serve his environment. At every turn Yaajan and service are
required. Say, for example, you have a cycle shop. You start thinking how to
supply everyone with a cycle. Perhaps you think to supply even a poor man by
letting him pay in installments. You do Yaajan with him about how convenient it
would be for him to have a cycle. When he goes in for a cycle and enjoys its
advantages, he will express a heartfelt gratitude for what you have done,
saying, “Such and such a man has considered my financial position and has made
it possible for me to have this cycle. Had he not given me special
consideration, I would never have had it. He made it very easy for me.” Hearing
his words, many pour into your shop, and thus your business begins to thrive.
If instead of this you had looked for greater profits by cheating him, he would
probably have detected it and said to others, ‘Look out, don’t go ever to that
man’s shop. He is a cheat.’ If you have a thousand customers and you get a very
small profit from each of them which they know about, is that not better than
taking a greater profit from a hundred? The Sanskrit word for business comes
from a root meaning, “That which truly saves from death.”
“But whatever you do, have love for your Ideal at the
root of it. Passions then remain in your control. Serviceable attitude arises.
Work becomes flawless. Whoever comes in contact with you sticks to you like
glue, enchanted with your Ideal-fulfilling service and attitude. Human wealth
increases. And progress becomes inevitable. Man becomes eligible for good out
of this attachment for Ideal. That is why Guru is called man’s Supreme Good.
Only by following him can man have good.”
Post a Comment