PRIMARY DUTY
This world is full of variety of people of varying ages. Everyone has their own views about life and their duties in this lifetime.
As one’s age increases, one’s interests and worldly duties also change. In one age of his life, human being says that running businesses or going to jobs is his chief work.
In other period of his life, he believes that bringing up his children and taking care of his family is his main work. In this way he changes his primary duty time to time.
However, according to the views of Enlightened Saints, all the worldly duties which one performs are not primary; instead these are secondary.
A worldly man due to lack of the true knowledge misunderstands his secondary duties as primary, but a devotee should never make this mistake. He should always remember that his primary duty is to follow the commands of his Lord.
There are some people in this world who delay their primary work of seeking sanctuary of Divine Ones and contemplating on the Lord; instead they say that they have to finish their other works first.
They give excuse that they can chant the Lord’s Name later on as well because now they are young, and they have to perform other worldly duties first. Divine One Shri Guru Ramdas Ji Maharaj advises in His wonderful teachings:
II Bani
सभि मिलहु सतिगुरू मेरी जिंदुड़ीए जो हरि हरि नामु द्रिड़ावै राम ।।
कउ हरि जपदिआ खिनु ढिल न कीजई मेरी जिंदुड़ीए मतु कि जापै साहु आवै कि न आवै राम ।।
(Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji) Meaning: Go everyone and meet the True Master; O my soul, the True Master implants the Name of the Lord within the
heart. Do not hesitate for an instant and meditate on the Lord; O my soul, who knows whether he shall draw another breath or not?
The Divine Ones illustrate that one has no idea about how long he will live. Everyone has obtained his own unique timecard from the abode of God.
Therefore, instead of spending the entire time in doing worldly duties only, one should work for one’s true self, that is, for the soul as well. It is one’s primary duty and all other duties secondary.
are if someone argues what is the benefit of chanting the Lord’s Name and devotion to the Lord? Why devotion of the Lord is primary work whereas all other activities as secondary?
Our Shri Shri 108 Shri Parap Master enlightens us:
Daata Dayal Ji, His Holines More options
नाम रह जायेगा बाक़ी, बस ख़ुदा-ए-पाक़ का ।
नक़्श वो मिटकर रहेगा, जो बना है ख़ाक का ।।
जुज़ ख़ुदा-ए-नाम के, चैन मिल सकता नहीं ।
अगर हो तलब दुनिया की, ख़ुदा मिल सकता नहीं ।॥
साथ तेरे जायेगा, बस प्रभु का नाम ही जिस दुनिया पे तू है फ़िदा, वो दर हक़ीक़त है नफ़ी ।।
(Santon ke Paarmaarthik Vachan)
Meaning: Only the Sacred Name of the Supreme Lord will exist forever. All other structures made of dust will certainly have to vanish.
Except the Name of the Lord, nothing can impart rest and peace. And one cannot meet the Lord if one has desire for the world and worldly materials.
Only the Lord’s Name will accompany you. The world, over which you have sacrificed yourself, is nothing in the reality.
Great Enlightened Saints throw light on the reality. The teachings of the Divine Ones were true in the primal beginning, remained true throughout the ages, are true now and will remain true forever.
Devotees obey the sacred teachings of the True Ones alone instead of following the worldly people’s advice about the primary duty. Hence, they reach their destination. They obtain true happiness, peace and bliss and finally the pleasure of their True Master.
Divine Ones don’t dissuade devotees to perform the worldly duties. However, They enlighten human beings about their true goal as well as the path to reach that. If someone still worries, he should ponder upon the beautiful teachings of Our Shri Shri 108 Shri Paramhans Satgurudev Daata Dayal Ji, His Holiness the Fifth Supreme Spiritual Master:
II Doha 11
पाँच नियम जो नित करे, दिल में श्रद्धा धार । लोक और परलोक के, सतगुरु ज़िम्मेवार ।।
(Santon ke Paarmaarthik Vachan)
Meaning: The one who follows the five golden spiritual disciplines designed by the Supreme Master with reverence in his heart, the Supreme Master takes complete responsibility to take care of that devotee in this world as well as in the next.
So, if our Spiritual Master Himself is taking responsibility of our well-being in both the worlds, we should not delay in obeying His divine commands.
We pray at the Holy Lotus Feet of our Divine Master to bestow His blessings and wisdom upon us so that we always remember that our primary duty is to obey the divine commands of the True Master and all other duties are secondary.