Time, is the strongest, the greatest - and time is the thing that should be appreciated. All your Pounds, Cents, Rands, if you calculate, you will find that strength invested at the right time, at the right figure [interest percentage], multiplied abundantly. But after that, when it was late, the opportunity was missed. They say, ‘a stitch in time, saves nine.’ But you people it looks like, no, you’re not going to save nine, I don’t think you’re going to save anything.
Truly, I was just now standing outside and thanks to God that I came inside a little early and I didn’t catch the others. I actually stood outside to embarrass people. Because this is my cry from the beginning of all services [satsangs] that you are Hindus – and punctuality matters. You are so great that punctuality does not matter? Alright, you yourself must become your judge. If one day you were late you can forgive yourself. Even if you are late on another occasion – twice, or three times, you can forgive yourself. But sincerely ask yourself the question, truly, is there any lethargy, is there any lack of concern hiding in me for the appointment with God? Or should I just treat the [religious] service just anyhow or just as any other services. That I should arrive here once the service has begun. We are people without principles. We want to just let it slip by.
Now you may say, ‘Oh! What is Swamiji thinking, we have no time, we are busy.’ Forget it! For your business you’re not busy. If you want to bribe a client you’ll go there two hours earlier with a gift. If you want to bribe your boss you’ll carry his briefcase, if he has a briefcase that is. You know that - you know that. If you want to bribe the [school] Principals you know what to do. You know if there is an inspector [of schools] coming to pass something, what to do.
Let’s be a little serious. Even if there is ashram work or other aspects, any other aspect – it must be given up. Service time is service time. Out with this bad habit. Now you must not think that Swamiji is scolding you - I’m not scolding, I’m abhorring this thing. I hate it. Because it must stop. There comes a time when you must stop something. A pandit can’t be waiting at the katha and janda altar while you’re doing your own thing and he’s waiting for you and all the people are waiting around.
Time, time, time must be kept. Time is very important. And I hope and pray that from today onward until my grave-day, I’ll not have that trouble of telling devotees over and over, ‘come at least five minutes early and be seated’. In Gurudev’s [Swamiji’s guru, Sri Swami Nischalananda Puri] time I remember – when Gurudev used to walk in here, everyone used to be seated. No sooner Gurudev walked in you’ll find everybody just standing up. What a beautiful sight it was!
But here in this ashram, in this period I see, the Swami will come and take his seat and you great swamis will be walking in after him. It’s a very funny kind of a turn that the ashram has taken. And I would like to draw your notice, that if you do it once or twice – you can forgive yourself - and I’ll tell you honestly, in front of Master [Sri Ramakrishna], ‘you are a good man’. Then your conscience is clear. Is your conscience clear or are you treating the Master so lightly? That you do just what you feel like? There are certain times I myself get late. That is one of my worst habits that I’m always worried about. Late. And I don’t want you to be embarrassed some time. Rather I tell you that service time is service time and God’s time is God’s time. If it’s hawan time you give the hawan. If it’s prayer time you give prayers. Evening time you eat. But please, even people in the offices here, there is no excuse that you will say, ‘Oh all week I didn’t have a chance and now I must sit [rest].’ No, you must make up your mind to discipline your mind. That time is set and you must show the younger ones.
Now please, I beg you to keep this in your mind and whether here or anywhere else, keep to time. And again, to make myself clear, if you can forgive yourself, then well and good but you know what a lax mind you have. And it’s thanks to the Muslim people that I see it, really, truly, it is so. Because yesterday I sat right next door [to a mosque] and I found that their prayer time is the prayer time.
