As good as it may be to be selfless, spiritual journey begins with a smidgen of selfishness. No, absolute selfishness. The golden rule of spirituality is ‘You’ (Inner Self), undiluted attention on the self.
If you are happy, it’s you
If you are sad, it’s you
If you are calm, it’s you
If you are angry, it’s you
If you are loveful, it’s you
If you are jealous, it’s you
If you are humble, it’s you
If you are arrogant, it’s you
If you are humiliated, it’s you
If you are appreciated, it’s you
It’s you…
…In the way you feel
…In the way you internalise
…In the way you respond
…In the way you create good or bad thoughts
…In the way you choose your next karma
Selflessness will emerge when it has to. Right now, the time (phase) is to be selfish.
Selfish, in introspecting every thought in your head
Selfish, in scanning the soul
Selfish, in watching how you feel when someone does good to you
Selfish, in watching how you feel when someone hurts you
It’s not, and will not, be an easy learning. But what comes easy in life, without the toil, without the pain, without the burning of the soul to purify the ‘Self’. What better day it can be than Durga Ashtami to invoke the ‘Shakti’ of Maa Durga and begin the journey of soul-cleansing. To ask for her blessings in giving you the inner strength and resilience to walk through this life in the purest way possible. To rebut every anger, hate, indifference, humiliation and failure with love, peace and compassion.
Let’s take a small step today. Let’s pray for ‘Maa Shakti’s’ blessings and grace to begin the spiritual journey. Let’s spread out our consciousness to attract pious, peaceful and powerful vibrations. Let’s watch our inner self with a smidgen of selfishness. No, absolute selfishness.
I wish you all a very happy Durga Ashtami!
Unselfishness: a man who does not know himself, to tell him to be unselfish is so outrageously idiotic. Socrates says, “Know thyself; anything else is secondary.” Knowing thyself, you can be unselfish. In fact, you will be unselfish; it won’t be an effort on your part. Knowing thyself, you will know not only yourself, but you will know the self of everyone. It is the same; it is one consciousness, one continent. People are not islands.
But without teaching people how to know their own being, we are playing a very dangerous game, and one which has appealed to people because they have used a beautiful word, unselfishness. It looks religious, it looks spiritual. When I say to you, “First be selfish,” it does not look spiritual.
Selfish?
Your mind is conditioned that unselfishness is spiritual. I know it is, but unless you are selfish enough to know yourself, unselfishness is impossible. Unselfishness will come as a consequence of knowing yourself, of being yourself. Then unselfishness will not be an act of virtue, not done in order to gain rewards in heaven. Then unselfishness will simply be your nature, and each act of unselfishness will be a reward unto itself.
Osho
(Credit: All pictures have been sourced from the Internet)