Dharma

Everyone has many commitments but the most important and necessary commitments can be of two types. One type is taking care of the children and parents. These are a must. Giving a good life and creating a good future for the children are necessary commitments. The next type is as per one’s own desire, people create additional commitments. For example feeding horses can be a commitment for someone. For another, because of bad habits, may need to spend money. This will also become a commitment. If someone has bad habits that affect their budget, the bad habits will become a commitment via their monthly budget.

Does making a commitment mean that you are making commitments as stated by law? No, it is from your own wishes. You are creating these commitments. It is not from anyone else. If someone says, “I have lots of commitments,” it is their commitments. They are making the commitments. It is not from the law or from some other pressure. If they choose that something is very important for them, then they will decide and make that as a commitment. If someone feels that something is very important to them, then it will become one of their commitments.

Once you decide certain things are commitments; it means that whatever struggle you may have no longer matters. You will always fulfill those commitments. Once you’ve decided that you have to do something, your heart will be in it and you will be ready and you will definitely be successful. You will not postpone it or stray from it. Sometimes even some worries may come from your commitments. If you have a commitment that you want to fulfill, to satisfy, sometimes to fulfill it, you need to make a big effort, and this may create some worries. Even then, you will still remain committed.

Everyone does not have the same commitment; it is different for each person. For example, spending money in nightclubs may be a commitment to some, one which you know they have created. They can’t stop that. For some, bad habits are their commitments. They can’t stop that. Once you decide that you can’t live without something or say, “I cannot stop,” then definitely you will not be able to. When you decide that something is very important to you then you make it a commitment.

When you speak about dharma and about good deeds, how many people are doing good deeds as a commitment? Very few are. When people talk about doing good deeds, instead of making that commitment they talk about their problems. “Oh, I have a crisis. I have a problem. I have this or that.” These statements are not true. When you can spend money on unwanted things in the name of commitment why can’t you make a commitment to do good deeds?
Once you create the commitment, you will definitely do it. Everyone tries to fulfill their commitments. They sometimes worry and struggle to keep their commitments. Even with the worry and struggle they satisfy their commitments. In this situation, why can’t you choose to do good deeds as a commitment? Say to yourselves, every month I must take some amount from my salary for good deeds. If you wish this and you feel that it is very important, definitely you will do it. Once you make it your commitment, “I have to do this. I need to do this”; then definitely you can. There are many of Amma’s devotees here who all make a commitment for all of the good deeds that are going on here at Peedam.

As Amma said, when you make commitments, it is in two ways; one which is really necessary and others that are more like habits. Sometimes it may be good, sometimes it may be bad. Amma need not tell you what it is. Everyone knows what commitments are really not necessary. Still, you make those kinds of commitments because you like them and can’t leave them. When you choose to make good deeds a commitment and you decide that from today onwards, every month you are going to feed ten people, when you make that a commitment then definitely you will fulfill it.
As Amma already said, the strength is not from outside. It is from the heart. When you are ready, when you have a strong wish to accomplish it, definitely you will succeed. Two days ago Amma gave a discourse that the human birth is a gift. Only in that birth can you use the phrase “I am that” which means “I am divine” Aham Brahmasmi. Aham means “I am” Brahmasmi “I am nature. I am divine”

How is it possible? For example, look at today’s program. There were so many people. Some did not have legs. Some did not have hands. Some cannot hear properly. We can simply say that the reason for all of this is because of their karma. If it is their karma; who can change it? Only one force can change karma. What is that force? It is the Divine. The Divine is the only force that can wipe out the karma.
Today, all of Amma’s devotees had the opportunity to wipe out their karma. For example, the person who came today without a leg, for him, until yesterday, he felt that he was not going to walk in this world at all. He feels lost because of it. When he was given a cycle today, that tricycle for him is a leg. Maybe for others it’s a cycle worth fifty dollars but for him it is a leg. Is it possible for a human to replace a leg for someone? No, but you did that today by way of serving them. Just by giving the tricycle, for them it is not iron or metal. For them it is a leg. There were other people who received artificial limbs. For them it is like their hands and legs.

When you have this good heart, it creates so much happiness. With the fifty dollar cycle, you must paint the fifty dollars in several ways. Today it gave life. Today it gave meaning to a person’s life. In this way you are all blessed to have this opportunity. As Amma said many times, having the opportunity is the biggest gift beyond anything. Many people may have wealth and many people may have will, but how many of them will have good opportunity? You need divine blessings for that. Only then is it possible.

So those people who all benefited today, is a big day in their life. For you it may be about fifty dollars or one hundred dollars? But for them, they received a useful hand. They regained the use of their legs. They got back their ears to hear. Amma has started another program in connection to Amma’s thirtieth birthday celebration. Amma asked the doctors in Sri Narayani Hospital to do three hundred free cataract operations for the poor people. Who is doing all these things? Is Amma doing all of these things? No, you are all doing these things. You have received the opportunity. Many people do not get this opportunity. It is because of your good karma you are receiving these blessings and opportunity.

There may be many commitments and in that some may be important, and some may not be so important. Decide for yourself which is really necessary and which is not. When you feel that there are some commitments which are not really necessary, replace them with commitments to do good deeds which will create more joy to you and which will bring more happiness and peace to the world. Then life will be full of worth. For example, when we give a tricycle it may be worth about fifty dollars.

Someone may think,”Why? Why can’t I keep the money for myself?” When you keep the money, it will just be paper. It will never have life, but when it given in this form, it moves to others with love, unconditional love and then it has life. So it is in your hands to make your life with meaningful or not. Take a pledge from this day, “I will commit to doing good deeds.” It could be anything but make the commitment. “Yes, I have to do this,” and definitely you are not going to struggle to fulfill it. When you compare all of your commitments, it’s going to be better than most. It will definitely bring more peace and harmony to your life.

Instead of just listening to Amma’s discourses, take the next step and move further ahead. Implement. Implementation is a very important part. Try to do that, not just listen. Listening is only one stage. It’s nice to be in kindergarten but you should not have the wish that you should be in kindergarten forever. You need to mature and become wise. Think broad and feel that you are blessed to have this opportunity. Utilize this opportunity. Very few are blessed with the opportunity. Whenever you find a good opportunity, feel that you are blessed to find it.
Don’t feel that you are going to give. You are going to do. Just feel you are blessed to do it. This will bring humility. If you feel that you are doing, it will create ego; pride. Feel that you are blessed whenever you hear that there is a need for help. Just be the friend. The opportunity is there as the result of being with Amma. When Amma always says, “You are special,” what does being special mean? Being special means that you’re not just listening. You should be special in your way of life. Whenever there is a need, whenever you find the need, be the friend.
Whenever you hear that there is an opportunity for service, do it. It doesn’t matter how big it is. Try to do what you can. It’s not by force that you have to do this much. It may be up to your limit but try to utilize the opportunity. Amma said many times, that the human birth is gifted. It’s a blessing to do good things. For that you need the opportunities, which are not possible for everyone. Very few are blessed with that opportunity. When you are connected with the divine, when you are connected with a spiritual life, you are blessed to do these things. Utilize the opportunity. You will feel joy. When you feel joy definitely it will create good energy in the world, the energy of peace and love.

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