One day Hasan of Basra saw Rabi’a al Adawiya near the riverside. Casting his prayer mat on the water, he stepped on to it and said, “O Rabi’a, come let us pray together.”
Rabi’a said, “O Hasan, why have you set yourself up like a salesman in the bazaar of this world? You do this because of your weakness.”
With that she threw her prayer mat into the air, flew up on it, and said, “Come up here, Hasan, so that people may see us.”
But that was more than Hasan could accomplish, so he was silent. Rabi’a, wishing to gain his heart, said, “O Hasan, a fish can do what you did and a fly can do what I did. The real work lies beyond both of these; that is what we must occupy ourselves with.”
Direct Your Energy
Through her actions Rabi’a said many things. Each One of us has an individual path to grow in consciousness. There is no need to follow anyone. At the same time in the end we need to drop the path also.
Why did she say this? Go Beyond Both. As she and Hasan both of them were on the same journey. But their paths were different. Both of them had arrived. At the same time Hasan needed a last push. He was thinking his path was right at the same time he wanted to know how Rabi’a travel on her path.
How can we find out what is our path? With very simple awareness where you need to put the least effort. You are flowing with the current. Flow and you will know what is true or right for you. It will give you direction to live your own life. Which is not following someone or imitating someone, but living through our own wisdom.
In other words you will act only what is required by this moment. From your side there is no effort or you will be weightless, you will be empty. Like Rabi’s who can float on the water or in the air.
Recollect from your own life how much effort you are putting where is is not needed. Say for example you are talking to someone. You need to speak only one word or gesture is required. In that moment you have said so many words, so many unnecessary thoughts are passed through your brain. It is a question of observing yourself. In unnessaccary thoughts and words you will find a lot of resistance in yourself.
If you can observe this you have got the key. Now you have to work on yourself.
If you will start observing yourself you will know how much more energy you are wasting instead of creating something. This realization will tell you how and where you need to put your energy. You will become your own creator.
Only through your own self-realization will you turn your energy towards creativity. With that you will find joy in you, satisfaction in you.
Learning from the story Beyond Both: Direct Your Energy
Experience Learning
To Direct Your Energy first you need to understand the law of least effort.
Law of Least Effort:
If you observe nature at work, you will see that least effort is expended. Grass doesn’t try to grow, it just grows. Fish don’t try to swim, they just swim. Flowers don’t try to bloom, they bloom. Birds don’t try to fly, they fly. This is their intrinsic nature. The earth doesn’t try to spin on its own axis; it is the nature of the earth to spin with dizzying speed and to hurtle through space. It is the nature of babies to be in bliss. It is the nature of the sun to shine. It is the nature of the stars to glitter and sparkle. And it is human nature to make our dreams manifest into physical form, easily and effortlessly.
In Vedic Science, the age-old philosophy of India, this principle is known as the principle of economy of effort, or “do less and accomplish more.” Ultimately you come to the state where you do nothing and accomplish everything. This means that there is just a faint idea, and then the manifestation of the idea comes about effortlessly. What is commonly called a “miracle” is actually an expression of the Law of Least Effort.
Nature’s intelligence functions effortlessly, frictionlessly, spontaneously. It is non-linear; it is intuitive, holistic, and nourishing. And when you are in harmony with nature, when you are established in the knowledge of your true Self, you can make use of the Law of Least Effort.
Least effort is expended when your actions are motivated by love, because nature is held together by the energy of love. When you seek power and control over other people, you waste energy. When you seek money or power for the sake of the ego, you spend energy chasing the illusion of happiness instead of enjoying happiness in the moment. When you seek money for personal gain only, you cut off the flow of energy to yourself, and interfere with the expression of nature’s intelligence. But when your actions are motivated by love, there is no waste of energy. When your actions are motivated by love, your energy multiplies and accumulates.
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