Achariya Ajay Bauer
Speaks on "Sacred Duty"
Sunday, September 28, 2014
There is but one true Duty: to realize God and to manifest his divine qualities in our lives. At the same time, however, there are as many sets of duties as there are individuals in this world. Each person’s duties are in accordance with his or her spiritual unfoldment. Our duties in life are a sacred gift from God to aid us in our further spiritual unfoldment, and to help others in theirs. The secret to a happy life lies in the conscientious performance of those duties with the constant awareness and guidance of that highest Duty.
—Acharya Ajay
From the Gurus and Swamis: AUM
The greatest thing our soul can do in this world is to see it's ideal and follow it. Life involves both passions and poise; fears and courage; suffering and exultation; doubts and assurances. Unless one finds a spiritual philosophy which he can serve with devotion and loyalty he cannot realize his soul’s yearning, its quest for unity and peace.
-- Swami Kamalananda, “Reflections on Still Waters”
What is Karma yoga? It is Self-realization in action; liberation through work; freedom by service. It is commonly called the path of action. In whatever state of self-expression we engage, that is action. We think, we love, we work. These are all actions. Karma yoga is the regulation of all our actions in order that we may realize our innate spiritual perfection. The philosophy of karma yoga is the science of work. It teaches us how to perform all our activities that we may find peace and happiness in our daily life. Besides it opens our vision in wisdom whereby we may regain the full consciousness of our ever-abiding state of subject of freedom, or salvation.
—Swami Premananda, “The Law of Self-manifestation”
It is not the thing done that defines a duty. To give an objective definition of duty is thus impossible. Yet one can define duty from the subjective side. Any action that makes us go Godward is a good action and is our duty; any action that makes us go downward is evil and not our duty.
—Swami Vivekananda, “Karma Yoga”
Noble Thoughts ("Let Noble Thoughts come to us from all sides." —Rigveda)
"Always you have been told that work is a curse
and labour a misfortune.
But I say to you that when you work you fulfil a part of earth's
furthest dream, assigned to you when that dream was born,
And keeping yourself with labour you are in truth loving life,
And to love life through labour is to be intimate
with life's inmost secret."
—Kahlil Gibran, "The Prophet"
"Man's duty is to do unselfish service to others, and he should do such service not in order to do good to others, but rather because it is the very law of his being."
—Mahatma Gandhi, "Ethical Religion"
"Everything we do — all our work and activity —
is an honor to God if it comes from within self
and from within God, if it is born of our
breakthrough and rebirth in God.
Then the work and the Word become so closely united
that the work is accomplished 'divinely in God.'"
—Meister Eckhart in "Passion for Creation" by Matthew Fox