Intellectual Activity
The Creator has created man in such a way that he, from one perspective, is a physical being and from another perspective is a spiritual being. There is an indication in this that if you have no physical activity, then you should search for intellectual activity. Our Creator has given so much capacity to a human being that he can never think of what he should do. A person always has something or the other to do, some or the other activity to engage in. For example, I recently read about a person who gathers his family everyday and they discuss things which opens up new ways for work. This is also a kind of activity—having a meeting at a local level at home and doing discussion. I believe it can never happen that a person has nothing to do.
I understood that if today apparently we have many restrictions placed on us due to the current situation, I saw that everything is still going on normally—water, food, etc. is available. So the point is that we are in a new age. This is a new age in which there is communications, computers, etc. I know of a magazine which had to close down printing, so they made it available online. The magazine is still being published online. There are many tasks which are possible today due to modern communication.
The greatest point is that you should never close down your thinking process. You must continue your thinking process. This is the most important task. This means that at the level of thought your life should never experience stagnation. When there is stagnation at the level of thought, your life would come to a halt. If there is no such stagnation, life would continue. I believe that we don’t do several kinds of things on usual days. For example, teaching children. But when your other activities have been halted, you can do all those activities which you do not usually do.
If a person believes in the Creator, he always has something to do. According to our concept, our Creator is a living God. He never goes to sleep. There is no stagnation in His life. We should therefore pray, think about the bounties of God and how we have been given these blessings. This is also a task – enlivening our relationship with the Creator. For example, I read of an incident from Italy. A person had become old and had to be admitted to the hospital. He had to use the ventilator there. When the hospital bill came before him, he began to cry. The in-charge of the hospital asked him why he was crying. He thought that the patient did not have the money to pay the bill. But he replied that this was not so. He said that he had stayed in the hospital for some days and was asked to pay the bill. On the contrary, he had spent his entire life in nature, but the Creator had never sent any bill to him. So it is such a great blessing of the Creator that He supplies us with blessings day and night, and never sends bill. Everything is supplied on earth for free—sunlight, food from the soil, water in ample amount, and so on. The patient said he had to pay bill to the hospital, but he had used God’s blessings his entire life and had to pay nothing.
So thinking is also a task. The above patient thought and discovered the Creator as Benefactor, as One who had blessed him enormously. He was to date unaware of God. He realized that God had subjected the entire universe to him and made it custom-made for him. I believe that thinking is also a task. I can say that most of my writings are a result of thinking. For example, a historian reads and then writes what he has read. But a person who does creative writing, does not do so. He thinks and then prepares his writing. Every person has the opportunity to think and chart his course.
If in the physical sphere a person has become limited, then in the intellectual sphere he can search for activity for himself. There was a person who was born in the village and spent a part of his life there. He was not successful there. Then he left for the city to work there. He achieved great success there by setting up a business. There is a famous saying: “Think, think, think, there must be a better way.” You have no limitation when it comes to thinking. You should think and new ways will definitely open up for you; you will find tasks to perform.
I believe that if we think and try to understand how it is possible for a person to not despair in life but stay happy, then this is also a task, on which a person can write a book. Every person has a sphere of thinking. I believe that every person can think. Keep your thinking process active. And surely, you will emerge as a successful person. It is known that John Milton was blind, but he continued his thinking process. As a result, he thought and thought, and was able to write a book called 'Paradise Lost', which is today considered a masterpiece. If you cannot do anything else, then think. Think, awaken your potential, and realize your own self.
For example, these days we are under a lot of restrictions. But whomever I see is eating and drinking normally. There is no person who does not have anything to eat or drink. The reason is that the concept of government has changed in the present age. It is called a 'welfare government', which is why it undertakes several initiatives for us. You should know what your government is doing for you. Also you should not create problems for the government. You must follow the guidelines set by the government. This is also a task. Speaking or thinking against the government is not any work. Follow the instructions given by the government. This is also a task.
I believe that all of us need to adopt the formula: ‘Think, think, think, there must be a better way.’
I pray to God to guide all of you to the right path. May He help you to aid others. May you become good companions for your fellow human beings.
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