Secrets of Spiritual Happiness

Secret #35 -- Uplift Your Motives

 

    

 

By Sharon Janis

 

What is the best way to go beyond self-interest and obsession with personal demands, needs and disappointments?  
The answer is: Whatever you do, may it benefit everyone.

- Gurumayi Chidvilasananda

Let's be honest.   Anytime anyone does anything, it is for a reason, and with a motive.   Even if you are the most altruistic person in the world, selflessly helping people wherever you go, there is still some subtle motive.   Perhaps it is the motive of feeling good about yourself, or of pleasing God, or creating good karmas or merits for your future.   There are millions of possible motive configurations.   Each person carries within themselves a unique mixture of pure and impure motives.  

Once we've recognized that our actions are ultimately motive-based, then, instead of always struggling to rein in our outer behavior, we can focus more of our efforts on improving our knowledge, understanding, and spiritual vision in ways that will uplift our motives, thereby naturally purifying and clarifying our actions.  

For some, their primary motives may be as simplistic as materialistic greed or a desire for power over others.   We all know how that kind of movie eventually ends.   Others may be motivated by a wish to have as good a time as possible, without harming others.   Still others may dedicate their lives to serving humanity, and will receive a sense of fulfillment from that.   Then you have the extremes of Buddhist Bodhisattvas, some of whom take vows to keep reincarnating into human form until every single other soul has reached enlightenment and freedom from the cycles of birth and death.

Most of us are somewhere in-between the corrupt and greedy executives who have wrecked their companies, resulting in misery for many innocent investors who lost their life savings, and the saintly Bodhisattvas who vow to uplift every soul and stay to clean up after the whole "party" ends.

Just notice and observe where you are on the mixed-motivations chart.   As you go through your day and through the events of your life, pay attention to what is motivating you to do whatever you are doing.   Why are you extra nice to certain people, and perhaps less so to others?   Why are you more generous in some situations than in others?   Is your inner satisfaction from doing good enough to keep you doing good, or does there have to be some obvious payoff?

One great step we can take toward purifying our motives is to look for ways to help those who would apparently never be in a position to return the favor.   Through this kind of selfless giving, we get to relish the pure and naked joy of being helpful.   We learn to be a willing instrument of God's grace upon this earth.

 

The best index to a person's character is (a) how he treats people who can't do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can't fight back.

-- Abigail van Buren ("Dear Abby")

Then you have the Siddhas . These are rare beings who have transcended common motivations.   After attaining an enlightened view of life, they realized that there was no separate "I," and therefore no reason for worldly motivations.   Some of these beings have appeared to be strange or mad, but those who really got to know these Siddhas would find them to be filled with spiritual wisdom, and to be great bestowers of grace.  

 

One Siddha, named Hari Giri Baba, would often wear a big overcoat (he is pictured here without the overcoat).   Hari Giri Baba would fill his pockets with stones as he walked along the road.   He would enthusiastically pull out a stone and show it to someone, saying, "This is worth ten thousand rupees!"   You have to admit that this is a good example of having reverence for even a stone in God's divine creation.  

Many stories have been told of those who were healed of major ailments after receiving one of Hari Giri Baba's stones.   Hari Giri Baba was highly respected for his great wisdom and ability to bestow blessings, and today there is even a temple in India that is dedicated to Hari Giri Baba.

 

 

 

There is also a temple dedicated to another Siddha, Zipruanna, who would sit naked on a big pile of garbage, yet who was said to have always exuded a sweet fragrance, in spite of his immediate environment.  

This type of drastic detachment is a possible "side-effect" that could potentially come about if we were to become totally and completely free from all motivations.   But, don't worry, it is a rare accomplishment.   If any of us should be fortunate enough to become completely free of any self-interest or tainted motivations, it would probably feel just fine to sit anywhere at all. Zipruanna was also an ecstatic being who also had many powers, such as those that we would call psychic abilities.  

Here's an example of how someone who is free from motivation leaves this world:

One day Zipruanna knocked on the door of a family who lived in the village where he sat on his garbage pile "couch".   In spite of his external appearance, the townsfolk considered Zipruanna to be a great and wise sage, and this family was only too happy to invite him in.   Zipruanna asked to take a rare bath, and then requested some rice and vegetables.   After completing his meal, Zipruanna said, "Zipru is leaving.   You can cry now," and closed his eyes.   He was gone.

 

 

Those who are desireless have no fear; those who are desireless are always happy.

- Bhagavan Nityananda

Now, you don't have to go to such extremes in trying to purge yourself of all motivations.   Just pay attention to your motives, and look for ways to uplift and purify them.   See if you can find happiness just from doing something well, or from finding ways to give happiness to others.   Find your own methods for uplifting your motives.

Make efforts to enjoy doing what you know is right just because you know it is right, and not only so you can acquire more material goods for doing it. See if you can enjoy doing something well without even taking or receiving credit for doing it.  

When we act from an enjoyment of doing what is right in each moment, then our actions have a shimmer of purity and truth to them, regardless of what those specific actions are. It is a matter of keeping a greater intention while acting - an intention that blesses you, me, and the whole world.   Let's act in ways that honor ourselves and others.   Let our motivations come from a strength of spirit that is free from the lower-energy pulls of greed and other impure desires.  

With purified motives, life's inevitable disappointments also tend to have less sting.   After all, without a lot of motives, you can't really be too easily disappointed.   You'll tend to accept and welcome whatever comes with a more positive attitude.   You may continue to work enthusiastically toward your goals, but with an underlying sense of surrender to "Thy will be done."  

With the spiritual awareness of "Thy will be done," all news becomes good news - whether it is news of loss or gain.   Thy Will Be Done can never lose, because the Divine Will is always Done.   It is eternal, all-pervasive, all-knowing, all-powerful, and always perfectly contented and in harmony with everything, large or small, that exists in this entire creation.   Thy Will Be Done is an inherently winning hand, and a great hand up to the summit of spiritual happiness.

 

 

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