In plain words
Ah, in how many ways they go on describing! This is great Ajñāna. Why this description? Merely by saying, "You alone are mother, You alone are my father", it is only a small satisfaction; it is not the satisfaction of the Ātma. Rather than saying so much, how easy it becomes if you think, "You are I, I am You"! They say, "Ahaṃ brahmāsmi, ahaṃ brahmāsmi; I am Brahman, I am Brahman." In this too there is a kind of fault. To say "Brahman, Brahman", the word "I" must be there beside it, must it not? I am Brahman. Who is that I? If one understands that word "I", one becomes Brahman oneself. Uttering all sorts of words we do not understand, thinking of them as mantras, as tantras, as yantras, we are wasting our lives. But for a first level it is necessary. But little by little we must not stay at that same level for ever. Our life has been divided into three classes. One is the primary class. The second is the higher secondary class. The third is the college level. In the same way, first of all we must enter the path of karma. Then we must join the higher secondary school of upāsana. When we pass out from there, in the college called Jñāna we must crown our whole life with the degree. Many of us try to study straightaway in college and receive those degrees. That is a great mistake. To receive the degree in college without studying in the primary school and without joining the higher secondary school: this is not possible at all. So first of all we must enter the path of karma. In that karma itself lies the right. In karma itself is Dharma. In that Dharma itself is the secret. Birth has come only to recognise that secret. Only to make that birth blessed must we experience the principle of the Ātma. So we must begin in karma. That karma must take shape as niṣkāma-karma. We must enter selfless service.
Today you have entered here as active workers. Active workers: what does it mean? That is, it means spending our life ceaselessly in work alone. But what work are we doing? Is he doing his own work for himself, or is he doing it within society for the sake of society? But today those who have the view of society are very few. They serve in this society with a selfish intent alone. But in our organisations that kind of view must not arise. Society is my very own; these two are one. Whatever I am doing for society, I am doing it for myself. Only when we serve in society with that feeling does society rejoice. That joy is given to you as well. Giving up the feeling that says "I", we must develop the feeling of oneness that says, "All is mine." But this is not so easy. But we must not give it up because it is not easy. Try as far as is possible. By this effort you may succeed in it.