Q. I AM UPSET IN FULFILLING THE EXPECTATIONS OF FUTURE. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

May be you are not able to see what you have. If you will look at it properly then you will realize that you have got so much without asking for it. Then a deep satisfaction will dawn on you. Tension of tomorrow will disappear by itself. The person who is satisfied with present, his ambition towards future gets reduced. Be little aware about present. You have not estimated whatever you have received. You are alive. Your breath is going on. Your heart is beating. Have you ever thanked existence for this? You have got such a beautiful life and remember you have got without asking for it. You never made a request in God’s office that you want to take birth on earth. Suddenly one day you found that you have taken birth on this beautiful earth, what is your contribution in this? One day you started breathing without any effort. Did you take breath? No, breath started by itself. Your heart started beating, food began digesting. Do you know how this miracle is taking place? Medical science has progressed so much, but till now it has not been known how does this miracle happen? And it will not be known in future also. We have received this magical vehicle in the form of body. An amazing mind has been fitted in this brain. No such amazing computer has been created and will not be ever created. We never have a look on what we have received and always desire for what we don’t have.

                I have heard a young boy jumped into river to commit suicide. A saint was sitting there. He stopped him and asked why are you doing so? The young boy said, ‘I am fed up of my life, this world, because I don’t have anything. I am very poor and I want to die.’ The saint said, ‘Don’t say that you are unprivileged. I can see that you owe a big treasure”. The boy said, ‘I don’t have anything, I want to die.’ The saint said, ‘Just wait for one day, if this does not suit you, you can die tomorrow. You have certain things which could be sold out. The king of this country is my friend. We will go to him. I will ask him to buy your precious things. You will become rich, your complaint will vanish. If you want to die, you die tomorrow. Don’t hurry. Why do you want to die today itself?’

                The boy could not believe it. He was badly disappointed with life. But saint pushed him and took him to the king. He whispered something in the ear of the king. The king said, ‘Alright ask this boy how much will he take for his eyes? We will get his eyes removed. Is he ready to give them for 1 million rupees?’ The boy said, ‘Eyes, no, no, I will not get my eyes removed.’ The king said, ‘Okay, take 1.5 or 2 millions. How much amount will you quote? I liked your eyes; I will get your eyes removed. As it is, you are going to die. It won’t make any difference if you die with eyes or without eyes. I am ready to buy your eyes.’ The king further said, ‘I am ready to buy your both hands also. Get your hands cut and take 5 million rupees.’ The boy said, ‘Neither I will get my hands removed nor will I get my hands cut.’ The Saint said, ‘It is surprising. You said that you don’t have anything. Now you are getting so many rupees, take it. You were going to jump in the river just like that.’ The boy said, ‘You opened my eyes, thank you. Now I understood. I have lot of things. I have 2 lovely eyes with which I can see this world. I have two hands with which I can do any act. Now I have realized my value.’

                 Look at what you have, then you will be filled with gratitude, not with complaint. Then definitely the desire and expectation of future will be gone. Future means which is not here. Present means which is here. The person who enjoys the present is filled with contentment. He becomes free from desire.

– Swami Shailendra Saraswati