In plain words
Not for prizes, but for Swami's satisfaction
Students! I have been watching how hard you have worked this past week to make this sports and cultural festival a success, giving up food and drink, sleep and meals, and in how many ways you have been training. There is a great difference between the work students outside do and the work our students do. Students outside, wanting to carry off some prize or other, wanting to carry off medals... hanker after name and fame. But our students labour only for Swami's satisfaction. If you would give Swami satisfaction, you must first fill your heart with good qualities. You must not change, one way today and another way tomorrow. You must foster a mind that does not waver and a vision that does not stray. You must strengthen the faith that God pervades everything. Only then will you have achieved everything. Where there is faith, there is Prema; where there is Prema, there is Satya; where there is Satya, there is Śānti; where there is Śānti, there is Ānanda; where there is Ānanda, there is God. It is from the seed of faith that the fruit of Ānanda comes. When a seed is planted in the earth, it grows little by little into a great tree and yields fruits and flowers. In the same way, when you plant the seed of a good resolve in the field of your heart, it takes shape as a great spiritual power and yields the fruits and flowers of Śānti and Ānanda. You long for Śānti. But Śānti is not to be found in the outer world. It is from our faith that Śānti comes to us. Man today has no firm faith. When they come face to face, people put on a show of having faith. Today everyone acts the devotee, but they do not become true devotees. You must become steady of mind. Then your faith too will stay steady.