Living in His Will

Saints teach us to live in His Will. They advise us to bear the fruits of our past Karmas willingly and smilingly. Pain and pleasures should not upset us and we should accept them both as His Will. It is a fact that we cannot escape our Karmic obligations. We will have to pay the account, whether we pay willingly or unwillingly.

Once the people of a nearby village came to Baba Farid and said, ‘O man of God, the river is eating away all our land and if this is not stopped, we are sure to starve.’ Sheikh Farid went with them and addressed the river: ‘O mighty river, ‘Why are you committing a great sin by swallowing the land of these poor people. Do you not know that you will have to pay dearly for all that you do?’ The river humbly replied, ‘Sheikh Farid, I am doing nothing by myself, I merely carrying out the commands of the Lord.’ On hearing this, Sheikh Farid took a spade in his own hands and began to dig up the land, throwing the earth into the river, saying if it were God’s command, he would like to obey it too and do his humble bit towards the fulfillment of His Will.

One of the Muslim seers once said : ‘I have chosen four things to know, and have discarded all other knowledge in the world.’ He was asked what are they?

‘One, he replied, is that I know that my daily bread is apportioned to and will neither be increased nor diminished. Consequently I have ceased to try to augment it. Secondly, I know that I owe to God a debt which no other person can pay on my behalf. Therefore I am occupied with paying it. Thirdly, I know that there is one (death) pursuing me from whom I cannot escape. Accordingly I am preparing myself to meet him. Fourthly, I know that God is observing me. Therefore, I am ashamed to do what I should not do in His presence.’