SadhanaOriental Meditation and Christian Prayer
Contemplation in action
ーIn relation with othersー
[3] With righteous and noble motivation
It would be great if we can work in various ways, dispatched by Jesus for the prosperity of the kingdom of God.
To make contemplation bear fruit during activities, we need to have righteous and noble motivation consistently from the start of and during an activity.
In our daily life, our motivation is exposed to various temptations such as not wanting to be inferior to others, wanting to be respected and loved by everybody, wanting to attract people’s attention, wanting to make profit, and wanting to eat, live, and wear more comfortably and conveniently. Therefore, it is important to maintain righteous and noble motivation.
When an activity is conducted for our own satisfaction, we stray from the path to God. Likewise, when we seek our own prosperity, we depart from God. When we blindly follow somebody, or when we are tempted by sybaritic instinct, it is impossible to pursue contemplation.
We are required to have righteous and noble motivation, being fully aware that we are dispatched by God, and channeling our attention towards the prosperity of the kingdom of God. At workplace, we fulfill our duties with righteous and noble motivation. At home, we keep friendly relations, kind heart, and caring attention to people surrounding us. It is not enough to make it look good from outside. What is important is our internal attitude.
――This is not a kind of task that directly appeals to God, but I do my best to join God’s creative work and to generate public good in the society.
――I do this so that God is happy about it instead of showing it to people.
――This is quite disadvantageous for me, but I choose this method because of my desire to seek the path to God.
――Nobody knows what I am doing, but I keep doing this without being noticed by people because I want to devote this to God.
――I have to work harder than anybody else, but I do this because the entire thing would collapse if nobody did this.
Such righteous and noble motivations serve as an opportunity to receive the blessing of “contemplation.”
If we constantly renew such motivation, control ourselves calmly and silently, and conduct activities, then the entire activity will start resonating with God’s work.
And whenever chaotic and confusing movement of mind like above appears, we refuse it and regain righteous and noble motivation.
When we live with the consistent motivation to aspire for God, God will visit us. We will be able to work with God and our activities will be incorporated in God’s entire work, and we will be able to pursue our activities with fulfillment, warm contentment, happiness, hope, joy, and quiet excitement.