A washerman was carrying bags of salt on his donkey’s back. The donkey, trying to ease its burden, made a lot of noise. As they crossed a stream, the animal deliberately fell into the water, and much of the salt dissolved, making the load lighter.
Realising this, the washerman decided to teach the donkey a lesson. The next time, he loaded it with cotton instead of salt. When the donkey tried the same trick of falling into the stream, it was surprised to find the load much heavier as the cotton absorbed the water.
When a child falls and finds no one around, they get up and move on. But if someone is present, the child starts crying for attention. This is called a racket.
As we grow up, we continue playing manipulative games. We show anger to avoid getting hurt, cry to win sympathy, or use attractiveness to gain attention, only to reject it and feel powerful. However, we must be aware that these games ultimately don't serve us.
How can you avoid these mental patterns of creating rackets? You should be clear about the goal of your life. Are you committed to transformation or merely seeking ego gains? If your life stands for transformation, then when your cunning mind plays tricks, refuse to participate. Distance yourself from these games by not engaging with them.
Mentally say “No” and cultivate the joy of being honest. Life is a choice between pursuing personal agendas and ego games or embracing transformation. Choosing transformation frees you from the hidden agendas of the ego.
When you understand your true nature, you’ll stop engaging in these rackets that offer only pseudo-happiness. Happiness is our natural state. Unhappiness requires effort, while happiness is innate.
When you expect something and it isn’t fulfilled, you feel unhappy. But have you observed that when you have no expectations, you’re naturally happy? Expectations cloud your happiness. In deep sleep, we experience happiness without desires or expectations, don’t we? I’m not telling you to stop having expectations, but don’t fall into the illusion that “I’ll be happy in the future, but I’m not happy now.
” Let your expectations arise from happiness, not for happiness. Cultivate this clarity through meditation and by being with your Master. Ego creates the delusion that fulfilling expectations will bring happiness.
A wise person, however, has neither the armour nor the shelter of the ego. They are not protected by it. Instead, a wise person remains open and true to their pure being, discovering a joy that goes beyond logic.
For example, many people believe that money will bring happiness. While money is useful and necessary, it should not become your Lord. Learn to use money wisely without being used by it.
Be its master, not its slave. Even in poverty, find value, for poverty has a richness that wealth lacks, and wealth has a poverty that poverty does not. When you are rich, enjoy it and help others.
Money is called currency because, like a current, it must flow. An economy where money circulates freely is prosperous, while one where wealth is hoarded, like black money, is not. Everyone is seeking, searching and wanting, but rare is the person who has stopped seeking but starts seeing.
When you expect something and it isn't fulfilled, you feel unhappy. But have you observed that when you have no expectations, you're naturally happy? In deep sleep, we experience happiness without desires or expectations, don't we?.
