My Divine Master has bestowed upon us the task of continuing the work of Spiritual Development of mankind. The responsibility for this auspicious work may perhaps be considered to be that of his representative alone. The work has, however, to be shared by one and all. This is fair and just because each one of us, in performing the task allotted to us by my Master, is working upon himself or herself and that too for one's own spiritual growth and development up to the highest level of divinisation. What is the reward for this work? It is not a crown, one does not work for honour or glory or recognition. My Master worked for results and results alone. This, if one ponders over it for a minute, is what work is really undertaken for. When we work for recognition or glory or other things like that, we miss the real result that work should be blessed with, namely progress and growth. Growth involves change. Can there ever be progress without change? Can a baby become an adult without changing? Can a seed become a tree, and yield fruit, without change? Change is thus perceived to be an integral part of the growth process. In fact it is change which brings about the desired result, and what we really work for is to bring about such change. My Master has stated categorically that there can be no progress without change. When things cease to change, a stage sets in which can be justifiably called death. Looked at in this way, death can be said to be a cessation of the process of change. That is, death is the cessation of growth. Spiritual progress, spiritual growth, involves change. Progress, after all, is nothing but a change for the better in our condition. The sadhana is the process created by my Master to bring about continuing change for our spiritual betterment, from moment to moment. If we ponder over it, we shall see that a resistance to change is a resistance to our own growth and progress. Can we stop change? Is there anyone capable of arresting change? No! Change is inevitable. It is a law of Nature that things must change, must evolve. Change is thus seen to be inescapable. My Master has said that the only permanent thing in the universe is change. We must be grateful for this because if it were not so, progress, all growth would cease. When we accept change, we accept the Master's will. Where we accept it totally and unreservedly, with the faith that it is essential for all progress, the stage of surrender sets in. Surrender, looked at in this way, is a humble submission to the process of change that my Master "initiates" in us for our growth to the highest levels of spirituality available to mankind. Resistance to change is caused by fear and prejudice. Prejudice is the resistance to a change in values. We resist the change in others; rather, we refuse to perceive such change. Since our views become fixed, our own progress is adversely affected. My Master has cautioned us that prejudice is one of the most harmful things on the spiritual path. Why is this so? It is because prejudice is a mental phenomenon. The power of the mind, thought power, is the highest power, the most potent power, available to man. When we use this power in a negative way to oppose change in others or ourselves - that is, when we yield to prejudice - we are using the power of thought in the wrong way. The greatest alertness is therefore necessary to avoid prejudice. My Master has made available to us, most graciously and benevolently, the Sahaj Marg sadhana to bring about spiritual change in each and every one to help us to attain the goal. It is our solemn duty to practise it assiduously with faith and love for all so that our goal can be achieved in the shortest possible time - which, as my Master has emphasized, should be within one's own lifetime. May His benediction ever be upon humanity. May His Divine Grace ever flow to one and all through eternity. May He bless us eternally with His Divine Presence. Amen! Message at Yogashram, Hyderabad By P. Rajagopalachari December 29, 1983 | 
