I am not alone, God is with me!
This, I believe, is the mantra for modern man, struggling with the problems of isolation, alienation and rootlessness that characterise life in the twenty-first century.
On the upper galleries of the cathedral of Milan, there are many statues of saints carved in exquisite white marble. The dedicated sculptor who created these masterpieces was busy at his work when one of his friends came to see him.
“I don’t see why you are wasting your artistic effort in such a place. High up here, in these unseen galleries, nobody will ever get to look at your statues. Therefore, your work will not really be appreciated. Isn’t that a pity?”
“It is enough for me that you recognise their value,” smiled the artist. “And what if I had not climbed up all those stairs to see your work?” countered the friend.
“My friend,” said the artist, “surely God and his angels would have seen it, and that is enough!”
Many people tell me: we work so hard, we work so strenuously, and yet we achieve nothing. We work for the good of the community, society, nation and humanity. We sacrifice our health, wealth, rest and leisure. Yet our work produces no effect: it gives us no satisfaction. The world speeds on, from danger to destruction, and our life is reduced to a never ending cycle of work, tension and frustration!
The reason for this is that our work is not in tune with the Divine Will. Our work is tainted with the self – desire for prominence, desire for recognition, or even thought of reward in the life beyond. We have not relinquished control to God!
The man who offers his life, his all at the Lotus Feet of the Lord, works with peace in his heart. He works as a servant of God and man. His work does not take him away from God: his work is God-guided. In his work there is no hustle or bustle, no fuss, no noise, no aimless rushing about. In his work there is no unrest – but peace that passeth understanding!
(Dada J.P. Vaswani is humanitarian, philosopher, educator, acclaimed writer, powerful orator, messiah of ahimsa, and non-sectarian spiritual leader.)
