The best way of living
is to live a natural life.
Change
Life is what it is,
you cannot change it,
but you can always change yourself.
Each person is what he is,
you cannot change him,
but you can always change yourself.
Just by changing oneself
one can change the outer circumstances.
you cannot change it,
but you can always change yourself.
Each person is what he is,
you cannot change him,
but you can always change yourself.
Just by changing oneself
one can change the outer circumstances.
Character
There are some who have built a character like a cherry:
outwardly soft, but inside there is a hard stone;
there is another character which is like a grape:
it is outwardly soft and inwardly soft;
there is also a walnut character,
which is outwardly hard and inwardly soft;
and there is a character like a pomegranate:
outwardly hard and inwardly with hard pips.
outwardly soft, but inside there is a hard stone;
there is another character which is like a grape:
it is outwardly soft and inwardly soft;
there is also a walnut character,
which is outwardly hard and inwardly soft;
and there is a character like a pomegranate:
outwardly hard and inwardly with hard pips.
Heart
Man's ideal shows the height of his heart;
man's understanding shows the depth of his heart;
man's perception shows the length of his heart;
man's sympathy shows the breadth of his heart;
but the fourth dimensions of man's heart
is seen by all that it contains therein.
Overlooking
Overlooking is a manner of graciousness;
it is looking and at the same time no looking.
It is seeing and not taking notice of what is seen...
It is an attribute of nobleness of nature.
It is a sign of souls that are tuned to a higher key.
it is looking and at the same time no looking.
It is seeing and not taking notice of what is seen...
It is an attribute of nobleness of nature.
It is a sign of souls that are tuned to a higher key.
Peace
To attain peace, what one has to do is to seek that rhythm
that is in the depth of our being.
It is just like the sea:
the surface of the sea is ever moving;
the depth of the sea is still.
And so it is with our life.
If our life is thrown into the sea of activity, it is on the surface.
We still in the profound depths, in that peace.
But the thing is to become conscious of that peace
which can be found within ourselves.
Once peace is developed in a soul,
that soul feels such a great power
and has such a great influence upon those who approach it
and upon all upsetting conditions and jarring influences
coming from all sides,
that just as water makes the dust settle down,
so all jarring influences settle down under the feet of the peaceful.
that is in the depth of our being.
It is just like the sea:
the surface of the sea is ever moving;
the depth of the sea is still.
And so it is with our life.
If our life is thrown into the sea of activity, it is on the surface.
We still in the profound depths, in that peace.
But the thing is to become conscious of that peace
which can be found within ourselves.
Once peace is developed in a soul,
that soul feels such a great power
and has such a great influence upon those who approach it
and upon all upsetting conditions and jarring influences
coming from all sides,
that just as water makes the dust settle down,
so all jarring influences settle down under the feet of the peaceful.
Questions and Answers
It is man's limited vision
that makes him see the question
without the answer.
A question has no existence
without an answer.
The answer is contained
in the question itself.
The answer to the question
comes as an echo of the question itself.
No sooner has a question arisen in the heart,
than the answer comes as its echo
either within or without.
Everything all the time is answering his questions.
If we look in front of ourselves, the answer is before us;
if we look behind, the answer is behind;
if we look up, the answer awaits in the sky;
if we look down, the answer is engraved for us on the earth;
if we close our eyes we will find the answer within us.
The whole of life, everything he looks at,
is the answer to his question.
And if he does not wish to look at the objective world,
he has only to close his eyes and find with answer within himself.
The objective answer is waiting for him in the outer world
and the answer from the inner us waiting within.
The restless mind wants to find an answer somewhere.
As peace comes, questions become fewer.
The nearer, the closer to peace you go,
the fewer become your questions.
By finding peace, by finding light,
by finding harmony and joy,
questions are reduced to nothing.
There is no question then.
that makes him see the question
without the answer.
A question has no existence
without an answer.
The answer is contained
in the question itself.
The answer to the question
comes as an echo of the question itself.
No sooner has a question arisen in the heart,
than the answer comes as its echo
either within or without.
Everything all the time is answering his questions.
If we look in front of ourselves, the answer is before us;
if we look behind, the answer is behind;
if we look up, the answer awaits in the sky;
if we look down, the answer is engraved for us on the earth;
if we close our eyes we will find the answer within us.
The whole of life, everything he looks at,
is the answer to his question.
And if he does not wish to look at the objective world,
he has only to close his eyes and find with answer within himself.
The objective answer is waiting for him in the outer world
and the answer from the inner us waiting within.
The restless mind wants to find an answer somewhere.
As peace comes, questions become fewer.
The nearer, the closer to peace you go,
the fewer become your questions.
By finding peace, by finding light,
by finding harmony and joy,
questions are reduced to nothing.
There is no question then.
Ideals
The ideal is like the horizon.
Any idea or every ideal that you have before you
is the ideal for that moment.
There is great joy and satisfaction
in adhering to one's ideal.
The ideal is the means,
but its breaking is the goal.
You must have the courage
Any idea or every ideal that you have before you
is the ideal for that moment.
There is great joy and satisfaction
in adhering to one's ideal.
The ideal is the means,
but its breaking is the goal.
You must have the courage
to shatter your ideals on the rock of Truth.
The ideal life is in following one's own ideal.
If there is anything in the world of which you can say
"I live for it,"
it is only one and that is the ideal
and when there is no ideal there is nothing to live for.
If a man does not live for an ideal what else does he live for?
Every step one takes in evolution changes one's ideal.
Man must have a perfect ideal
towards which he directs his activities.
The true ideal is always hidden
behind a man-made ideal which covers it.
The higher the ideal,
the greater the life.
The greatness of man
lies in the greatness of his ideal.
The greater the ideal, the greater the person.
The wider the ideal the broader the person.
The deeper the ideal the deeper the person,
the higher the ideal, the higher the person.
The ideal life is in following one's own ideal.
If there is anything in the world of which you can say
"I live for it,"
it is only one and that is the ideal
and when there is no ideal there is nothing to live for.
If a man does not live for an ideal what else does he live for?
Every step one takes in evolution changes one's ideal.
Man must have a perfect ideal
towards which he directs his activities.
The true ideal is always hidden
behind a man-made ideal which covers it.
The higher the ideal,
the greater the life.
The greatness of man
lies in the greatness of his ideal.
The greater the ideal, the greater the person.
The wider the ideal the broader the person.
The deeper the ideal the deeper the person,
the higher the ideal, the higher the person.
That which makes us esteem
those whom we esteem
is their ideal.
The highest ideal of man
is to realize the unlimited,
the immortal Self within.
The greatest and highest of all ideals
is the God-ideal.
those whom we esteem
is their ideal.
The highest ideal of man
is to realize the unlimited,
the immortal Self within.
The greatest and highest of all ideals
is the God-ideal.
Value
The value of each thing in life
- wealth, power, position, possession -
is according to the evolution of man.
Things have no value;
their value is as man makes it;
and at each step in his evolution he changes their value.
Every object has its particular value to every individual;
and as a person evolves through life
so the value of things becomes different.
The value of everything exists for a man
so long as he does not understand it.
When he has fully understood, the value is lost,
be it the lowest thing or the highest thing.
- wealth, power, position, possession -
is according to the evolution of man.
Things have no value;
their value is as man makes it;
and at each step in his evolution he changes their value.
Every object has its particular value to every individual;
and as a person evolves through life
so the value of things becomes different.
The value of everything exists for a man
so long as he does not understand it.
When he has fully understood, the value is lost,
be it the lowest thing or the highest thing.
Desire, Wish, Will
When a person says, 'I desire it', 'I wish it.'
it is an incomplete will,
a will which is not conscious of its strength,
a will which is no sure what it wills.
In that case it is called a desire, a wish.
But when a person say, 'I will it', it is definite.
When an idea or a thought that one would like a certain thing
is not yet made clear in one's mind,
when ones' own mind has not taken a decision,
then it is a desire, a fancy.
When is is a little more developed then it is a wish;
then it stays there and is not dispersed like the clouds.
It is tangible, it is there.
It is a wish as long as it is still:
although it is there, it has not sprung up,
it is inactive.
When the wish develops into action it becomes will,
it becomes a command.
it is an incomplete will,
a will which is not conscious of its strength,
a will which is no sure what it wills.
In that case it is called a desire, a wish.
But when a person say, 'I will it', it is definite.
When an idea or a thought that one would like a certain thing
is not yet made clear in one's mind,
when ones' own mind has not taken a decision,
then it is a desire, a fancy.
When is is a little more developed then it is a wish;
then it stays there and is not dispersed like the clouds.
It is tangible, it is there.
It is a wish as long as it is still:
although it is there, it has not sprung up,
it is inactive.
When the wish develops into action it becomes will,
it becomes a command.
Wisdom and Power
The first thing that is desirable,
or that which is most desirable in life is wisdom.
The next is power.
When power leads and wisdom follows,
the face of wisdom is veiled and one stumbles;
but when wisdom leads and power follows,
then they arrive safely at their destination.
or that which is most desirable in life is wisdom.
The next is power.
When power leads and wisdom follows,
the face of wisdom is veiled and one stumbles;
but when wisdom leads and power follows,
then they arrive safely at their destination.
Will
Will is not a power,
but all the power there is.
No one can exist without will;
everyone has a will.
We could not have accomplished one single thing in life
had will-power not been at work.
Will is life itself.
Will is the source and the origin of all phenomena.
The will is the action of the soul.
One can also call the soul the self of the will.
The difference between will and soul
is like the difference between a person and his action.
Love is the will when it is recognized by its manifestation;
then it is called love;
but in the beginning it is will.
When once a person knows the value of will
he then recognizes that there is nothing in the world more precious than will.
The will-power governs the body and the mind.
The will can become so strong that it controls the body,
making it perfectly healthy.
but all the power there is.
No one can exist without will;
everyone has a will.
We could not have accomplished one single thing in life
had will-power not been at work.
Will is life itself.
Will is the source and the origin of all phenomena.
The will is the action of the soul.
One can also call the soul the self of the will.
The difference between will and soul
is like the difference between a person and his action.
Love is the will when it is recognized by its manifestation;
then it is called love;
but in the beginning it is will.
When once a person knows the value of will
he then recognizes that there is nothing in the world more precious than will.
The will-power governs the body and the mind.
The will can become so strong that it controls the body,
making it perfectly healthy.
Power
True power is not in trying to gain power;
Every kind of power lies in this one thing
that we call by the simple name: love.
There is no power greater than love.
Verily, spirit has all the power there is.
One discovers within oneself the same power
that makes the planets revolve on their axes,
and gravitate around the suns,
the same power that moves the sap in the trees,
and the power of the storms,
and of the sea and of the winds;
the same power inhabits the human being.
When one touches upon that power impersonally,
when one experiences oneself as the impersonal wave of that ocean,
as the instrument of that tremendous power,
one is able to accomplish things
that one could not do on one's own strength.
true power is in becoming power.
The sages, in order to develop personal power,
gave one key, and that is the key to the whole mystery:
the control of impulse, every impulse, whatever it may be.
Man is powerless in spite of the power which is hidden in him.
The powerlessness, the experience of being powerless,
is the ignorance of the power within him.
The sages, in order to develop personal power,
gave one key, and that is the key to the whole mystery:
the control of impulse, every impulse, whatever it may be.
Man is powerless in spite of the power which is hidden in him.
The powerlessness, the experience of being powerless,
is the ignorance of the power within him.
The power of the word is indeed great,
but the power of silence is still greater.
Every kind of power lies in this one thing
that we call by the simple name: love.
There is no power greater than love.
Verily, spirit has all the power there is.
One discovers within oneself the same power
that makes the planets revolve on their axes,
and gravitate around the suns,
the same power that moves the sap in the trees,
and the power of the storms,
and of the sea and of the winds;
the same power inhabits the human being.
When one touches upon that power impersonally,
when one experiences oneself as the impersonal wave of that ocean,
as the instrument of that tremendous power,
one is able to accomplish things
that one could not do on one's own strength.
Trinity
Intelligence becomes intelligible by turning into denseness;
that denseness being manifest to its own view, creates two objects:
the self, and that which is known by the self.
And then comes of necessity a third object,
the medium by which the self knows what it knows:
the sight or the mind...
It is these three aspects of life
which are at the root of the idea of Trinity.
The moment these three are realized as one,
life's purpose is fulfilled.
that denseness being manifest to its own view, creates two objects:
the self, and that which is known by the self.
And then comes of necessity a third object,
the medium by which the self knows what it knows:
the sight or the mind...
It is these three aspects of life
which are at the root of the idea of Trinity.
The moment these three are realized as one,
life's purpose is fulfilled.
Justice
Justice is a sense;
and when we recognize justice as a sense
we begin to see justice as a living spirit.
It is a sense of seeing the right proportion,
the right weight, the right measure.
and when we recognize justice as a sense
we begin to see justice as a living spirit.
It is a sense of seeing the right proportion,
the right weight, the right measure.
Wisdom is different from justice:
while justice is expressed in fairness,
wisdom is shown by tact.
Judgement
Those who arrive at a high stage, they never judge;
it is the person who stands at a low stage who judges,
not the one at the high stage.
It is the one who stands at the bottom who judge,
the one who is on the top of the mountain,
he judges no one,
and therefore is exempt from being judged.
it is the person who stands at a low stage who judges,
not the one at the high stage.
It is the one who stands at the bottom who judge,
the one who is on the top of the mountain,
he judges no one,
and therefore is exempt from being judged.
Music
Music is a miniature of the harmony of the whole universe,
for the harmony of the universe is life itself,
and humans, being a miniature of the universe,
show harmonious and inharmonious chords in their pulsations,
in the beat of their hearts, in their vibration, rhythm and tone.
Their health or illness, their joy or discomfort,
all show the music or lack of music in their life.
I arrived at a stage where I touched the Music of the Spheres.
Then every soul became for me a musical note,
and all life became music.
Inspired by it I spoke to the people,
and those who were attracted by my words listened to them,
instead of listening to my songs.
I have found in every word a certain musical value,
a melody in every thought, harmony in every feeling;
and I have tried to interpret the same thing,
with clear and simple words,
to those who used to listen to my music.
Now, if I do anything,
it is to tune souls instead of instruments;
to harmonize people instead of notes.
for the harmony of the universe is life itself,
and humans, being a miniature of the universe,
show harmonious and inharmonious chords in their pulsations,
in the beat of their hearts, in their vibration, rhythm and tone.
Their health or illness, their joy or discomfort,
all show the music or lack of music in their life.
I arrived at a stage where I touched the Music of the Spheres.
Then every soul became for me a musical note,
and all life became music.
Inspired by it I spoke to the people,
and those who were attracted by my words listened to them,
instead of listening to my songs.
I have found in every word a certain musical value,
a melody in every thought, harmony in every feeling;
and I have tried to interpret the same thing,
with clear and simple words,
to those who used to listen to my music.
Now, if I do anything,
it is to tune souls instead of instruments;
to harmonize people instead of notes.
Harmony
If there is anything in my philosophy,
it is the law of harmony:
that one must put oneself in harmony
with oneself and with others.
There are two aspects of individual harmony;
the harmony between body and soul,
and the harmony between individuals.
Harmony is brought about
by attuning oneself to all beings,
to all things, to all conditions, to all situations.
The best way of action is to consider
harmony as the first principle to be observed.
In all circumstances, situations, and conditions
try to harmonize with one's fellow-creatures.
A wise person harmonizes with his like,
and he harmonizes with his opposite.
The more one regards the feeling of others,
the more harmony one can create.
When a man is in harmony with himself,
he is in harmony with all.
At the back of the whole of creation is harmony
and the whole secret of creation is harmony.
Music is the miniature of the whole harmony of the universe,
for the harmony of the universe is music itself.
In the very depths of man's being
the harmony of the working of the whole universe
sums up in a perfect music.
Everyone shows harmony or disharmony
according to how open he is to the music of the universe.
The more he is open to all that is beautiful and harmonious,
the more his life is tuned to that universal harmony,
and the more he will show a friendly attitude towards everyone he meets,
his very atmosphere will create music around him.
The harmony of life can be learnt
in the same way as the harmony of music.
The ear should be trained to distinguish both tone and word,
the meaning concealed with in,
and to know from the verbal meaning and the tone of voice
whether is is a true or false not.
The attainment of harmony is life
takes a longer time to acquire and a more careful study
that does the training of the ear and the cultivation of the voice,
although it is acquired in the same manner as the knowledge of music.
it is the law of harmony:
that one must put oneself in harmony
with oneself and with others.
There are two aspects of individual harmony;
the harmony between body and soul,
and the harmony between individuals.
Harmony is brought about
by attuning oneself to all beings,
to all things, to all conditions, to all situations.
The best way of action is to consider
harmony as the first principle to be observed.
In all circumstances, situations, and conditions
try to harmonize with one's fellow-creatures.
A wise person harmonizes with his like,
and he harmonizes with his opposite.
The more one regards the feeling of others,
the more harmony one can create.
When a man is in harmony with himself,
he is in harmony with all.
At the back of the whole of creation is harmony
and the whole secret of creation is harmony.
Music is the miniature of the whole harmony of the universe,
for the harmony of the universe is music itself.
In the very depths of man's being
the harmony of the working of the whole universe
sums up in a perfect music.
Everyone shows harmony or disharmony
according to how open he is to the music of the universe.
The more he is open to all that is beautiful and harmonious,
the more his life is tuned to that universal harmony,
and the more he will show a friendly attitude towards everyone he meets,
his very atmosphere will create music around him.
The harmony of life can be learnt
in the same way as the harmony of music.
The ear should be trained to distinguish both tone and word,
the meaning concealed with in,
and to know from the verbal meaning and the tone of voice
whether is is a true or false not.
The attainment of harmony is life
takes a longer time to acquire and a more careful study
that does the training of the ear and the cultivation of the voice,
although it is acquired in the same manner as the knowledge of music.
Tone
When the mystics have said that every person has his note,
it is not necessarily the note of the piano,
it is the note which is going on as a tone, as a breath.
Every being has a different tone
according to his particular evolution.
Everyone feels in good health
when his own tone is vibrating.
Every expression of passion, joy, anger, fear,
which breaks the continuity of his tone
interferes with one's health.
Behind the thought there is the feeling
which sustains that tone.
When a person becomes sensitive
to every little thing that he comes across,
it changes the note of the tone;
it becomes a different note
to which his body is not accustomed.
However minute may be the difference in the tone,
once can bring it to its proper place by gradual tuning.
it is not necessarily the note of the piano,
it is the note which is going on as a tone, as a breath.
Every being has a different tone
according to his particular evolution.
Everyone feels in good health
when his own tone is vibrating.
Every expression of passion, joy, anger, fear,
which breaks the continuity of his tone
interferes with one's health.
Behind the thought there is the feeling
which sustains that tone.
When a person becomes sensitive
to every little thing that he comes across,
it changes the note of the tone;
it becomes a different note
to which his body is not accustomed.
However minute may be the difference in the tone,
once can bring it to its proper place by gradual tuning.
Keynote
It is the state of vibration
to which a person is tuned
that accounts for his soul's note.
Try and harmonize with all instead of one note.
Every note is fixed in its place,
so is every man fixed in his ideas and ways.
But the one who treads the spiritual path,
he is all notes and he is no note in particular.
Therefore he may rightly be called the keynote,
the note which makes a consonant chord
with every note that is played with it.
to which a person is tuned
that accounts for his soul's note.
Try and harmonize with all instead of one note.
Every note is fixed in its place,
so is every man fixed in his ideas and ways.
But the one who treads the spiritual path,
he is all notes and he is no note in particular.
Therefore he may rightly be called the keynote,
the note which makes a consonant chord
with every note that is played with it.
Spirituality
Spiritual means spirit-conscious.
Spirituality is not a certain knowledge,
spirituality is the expansion of consciousness.
To become spiritual means to purify one's spirit
from the foreign elements
which take away the natural feeling of the spirit.
Spiritual progress is
the changing of the point of view.
One belief after another comes to a person
as he goes further on the path of spiritual progress.
All things pertaining to spiritual progress in life
depend on peace.
Spiritual attainment is making the Spirit alive,
becoming conscious.
The definition of spiritual attainment
can be found in the study of human nature.
If there can be a definition of spirituality,
it is in the tuning of the heart.
Everything becomes spiritual
once this door of the chamber of the heart is open.
The spiritual path is easiest
if there is not something pulling one from behind.
The further on goes on the spiritual path,
the more will one have to learn to play a part.
If his soul can rise at will
from the lower planes of existence,
he can dwell in the spiritual sphere with mastery.
The spiritual evolution of each one differs from that of the other,
the knowledge of one cannot be the knowledge of the other,
nor is the understanding of one the understanding of another...
at every step in spiritual evolution a person's belief changes
until one arrives at a final belief which words cannot explain.
Spirituality is not a certain knowledge,
spirituality is the expansion of consciousness.
To become spiritual means to purify one's spirit
from the foreign elements
which take away the natural feeling of the spirit.
Spiritual progress is
the changing of the point of view.
One belief after another comes to a person
as he goes further on the path of spiritual progress.
All things pertaining to spiritual progress in life
depend on peace.
Spiritual attainment is making the Spirit alive,
becoming conscious.
The definition of spiritual attainment
can be found in the study of human nature.
If there can be a definition of spirituality,
it is in the tuning of the heart.
Everything becomes spiritual
once this door of the chamber of the heart is open.
The spiritual path is easiest
if there is not something pulling one from behind.
The further on goes on the spiritual path,
the more will one have to learn to play a part.
If his soul can rise at will
from the lower planes of existence,
he can dwell in the spiritual sphere with mastery.
The spiritual evolution of each one differs from that of the other,
the knowledge of one cannot be the knowledge of the other,
nor is the understanding of one the understanding of another...
at every step in spiritual evolution a person's belief changes
until one arrives at a final belief which words cannot explain.
Knowledge
If there is a kingdom of God to be found anywhere,
it is within oneself.
And it is, therefore, in the knowledge of self
that there lies the fulfillment of life.
The knowledge of self means the knowledge of one's body,
the knowledge of one's mind, the knowledge of one's spirit;
the knowledge of the spirit's relation to the body
and the relation of the body to the spirit;
the knowledge of one's wants and needs,
the knowledge of one's virtues and faults;
knowing what we desire and how to attain it,
what to pursue and what to renounce.
And when one dives deep into this,
one finds before one a world of knowledge which never ends.
And it is that knowledge which gives one insight into human nature
and brings one to the knowledge of the whole of creation.
And in the end one attains to the knowledge of the Divine Being.
it is within oneself.
And it is, therefore, in the knowledge of self
that there lies the fulfillment of life.
The knowledge of self means the knowledge of one's body,
the knowledge of one's mind, the knowledge of one's spirit;
the knowledge of the spirit's relation to the body
and the relation of the body to the spirit;
the knowledge of one's wants and needs,
the knowledge of one's virtues and faults;
knowing what we desire and how to attain it,
what to pursue and what to renounce.
And when one dives deep into this,
one finds before one a world of knowledge which never ends.
And it is that knowledge which gives one insight into human nature
and brings one to the knowledge of the whole of creation.
And in the end one attains to the knowledge of the Divine Being.
Truth
True and false are relative terms;
in reality all is true and nothing is false.
When we call something false
it means that it is less true
compared with that which is more true.
Truth is simple.
The more simple you are
and the more you seek for simplicity,
the nearer you come to truth.
Before you can know the truth
you must learn to live a true life.
Truth is the very self of man.
God is truth and truth is God.
There is one Truth,
the true knowledge of our being,
within and without,
which is the essence of all wisdom.
There is no greater religion than truth.
Then truth no longer is the object of his seeking;
then truth becomes his being,
and in the light of that absolute Truth
he finds all knowledge.
It is no use saying you know the truth;
if you knew the truth you would keep silent.
The bare truth alone is not sufficient;
truth must be made into wisdom.
And what is wisdom?
Wisdom is the robe of truth.
Truth is the light which illuminates the whole of life
it its light all things become clear,
their true meaning manifests to view.
The face of truth is open,
The eyes of truth are bright,
The lips of truth are ever closed,
The head of truth is upright.
The breast of truth stands forward,
The gaze of truth is straight,
Truth has neither fear nor doubt,
Truth has patience to wait.
The words of truth are touching,
The voice of truth is deep,
The law of truth is simple:
All that you sow you reap.
The soul of truth is flaming,
The heart of truth is warm,
The mind of truth is clear,
And firm through rain or storm...
in reality all is true and nothing is false.
When we call something false
it means that it is less true
compared with that which is more true.
Truth is simple.
The more simple you are
and the more you seek for simplicity,
the nearer you come to truth.
Before you can know the truth
you must learn to live a true life.
Truth is the very self of man.
God is truth and truth is God.
There is one Truth,
the true knowledge of our being,
within and without,
which is the essence of all wisdom.
There is no greater religion than truth.
Then truth no longer is the object of his seeking;
then truth becomes his being,
and in the light of that absolute Truth
he finds all knowledge.
It is no use saying you know the truth;
if you knew the truth you would keep silent.
The bare truth alone is not sufficient;
truth must be made into wisdom.
And what is wisdom?
Wisdom is the robe of truth.
Truth is the light which illuminates the whole of life
it its light all things become clear,
their true meaning manifests to view.
The face of truth is open,
The eyes of truth are bright,
The lips of truth are ever closed,
The head of truth is upright.
The breast of truth stands forward,
The gaze of truth is straight,
Truth has neither fear nor doubt,
Truth has patience to wait.
The words of truth are touching,
The voice of truth is deep,
The law of truth is simple:
All that you sow you reap.
The soul of truth is flaming,
The heart of truth is warm,
The mind of truth is clear,
And firm through rain or storm...
Self-Realization
At very step of man's evolution his realization changes,
but there is a state where man arrives at the true realization,
a realization which is a firm conviction
that no reason or logic can change or alter.
Nothing in the world can change it any more,
and that conviction is called by the Sufis Iman.
The realization which is attained is
that there is nothing to realize any more.
The soul, drawn by the magnetic power of the divine Spirit,
merges into it with a joy inexpressible in words,
as a loving heart lays itself down in the arms of the beloved.
The intensity of the joy is so great
that nothing the soul has experienced in its life
has ever made is so unconscious of the self;
yet his unconsciousness of the self
becomes in reality the true consciousness of Self.
It is then that the soul realizes fully, 'I exist.'
but there is a state where man arrives at the true realization,
a realization which is a firm conviction
that no reason or logic can change or alter.
Nothing in the world can change it any more,
and that conviction is called by the Sufis Iman.
The realization which is attained is
that there is nothing to realize any more.
The soul, drawn by the magnetic power of the divine Spirit,
merges into it with a joy inexpressible in words,
as a loving heart lays itself down in the arms of the beloved.
The intensity of the joy is so great
that nothing the soul has experienced in its life
has ever made is so unconscious of the self;
yet his unconsciousness of the self
becomes in reality the true consciousness of Self.
It is then that the soul realizes fully, 'I exist.'
A World Within
One learns to understand
that there is a world in one's self.
Externally we are a single being,
but internally we are a world.
As vast as the world around us,
so vast is the world within.
All can be accommodated in it;
heaven, earth, sun moon all are reflected in it.
It becomes itself the whole.
This world becomes as one chooses to make it.
If man only knew that!
that there is a world in one's self.
Externally we are a single being,
but internally we are a world.
As vast as the world around us,
so vast is the world within.
All can be accommodated in it;
heaven, earth, sun moon all are reflected in it.
It becomes itself the whole.
This world becomes as one chooses to make it.
If man only knew that!
Making a World
Many think that life is not interesting because they make nothing,
but they do not realize they are making a world,
either ignorantly or wisely.
If they make a world ignorantly, that world is their captivity,
if they make a world wisely, then that world is their paradise.
This world becomes as one chooses to make it.
If man only knew that!
but they do not realize they are making a world,
either ignorantly or wisely.
If they make a world ignorantly, that world is their captivity,
if they make a world wisely, then that world is their paradise.
This world becomes as one chooses to make it.
If man only knew that!
Slipping on the Mountain
A person who climbs a steep mountain
is always apt to slip.
It is nothing to be surprised at if a person slips;
it is natural.
It is a steep mountain,
it is natural that you slip.
The best thing one can do is to go on after every such slip,
without losing any courage,
without allowing one's consciousness to be impressed by it;
to think that it is natural and to continue the ascent.
If he slips and then tries to go on,
he will become more sure-footed,
and will understand how to avoid slipping.
is always apt to slip.
It is nothing to be surprised at if a person slips;
it is natural.
It is a steep mountain,
it is natural that you slip.
The best thing one can do is to go on after every such slip,
without losing any courage,
without allowing one's consciousness to be impressed by it;
to think that it is natural and to continue the ascent.
If he slips and then tries to go on,
he will become more sure-footed,
and will understand how to avoid slipping.
The Bubble in the Sea
Man does not know what he is.
He does not know
that he is a drop on the surface of the ocean,
and yet an ocean itself is his innermost part;
that there is nothing that is not within him.
Outwardly he is smaller than a drop.
inwardly he is larger than the ocean.
When I open my eyes the outer world
I feel myself as a drop in the sea;
but when I close my eyes and look within,
I see the whole universe
as a bubble raised in the ocean of my heart.
In the drop, the sea is as small as the drop;
in the sea, a drop is as large as the sea.
This life is like a bubble in the sea.
the bubble is existent and yet in reality non-existent
when compared with the sea.
And yet we cannot say the bubble is non-existent,
for it merges in the same sea in which it once appeared;
so nothing takes it away but its own source and original being.
There cannot exist two beings, God and oneself.
Oneself, as one knows the self, is a limited part of being,
like a bubble in the sea that has no existence of its own.
It is only a temporary condition.
The wave realizes "I am the sea,"
and by falling into the sea,
prostrates itself before its God.
The bubble does not last long;
it soon breaks, but with its break it joins the mighty ocean.
So with us.
When by warmth of heart we can break our limited self,
we merge in the One, the unlimited.
It is the surface of the sea
that makes waves and roaring breakers;
the depth is silent.
He does not know
that he is a drop on the surface of the ocean,
and yet an ocean itself is his innermost part;
that there is nothing that is not within him.
Outwardly he is smaller than a drop.
inwardly he is larger than the ocean.
When I open my eyes the outer world
I feel myself as a drop in the sea;
but when I close my eyes and look within,
I see the whole universe
as a bubble raised in the ocean of my heart.
In the drop, the sea is as small as the drop;
in the sea, a drop is as large as the sea.
This life is like a bubble in the sea.
the bubble is existent and yet in reality non-existent
when compared with the sea.
And yet we cannot say the bubble is non-existent,
for it merges in the same sea in which it once appeared;
so nothing takes it away but its own source and original being.
There cannot exist two beings, God and oneself.
Oneself, as one knows the self, is a limited part of being,
like a bubble in the sea that has no existence of its own.
It is only a temporary condition.
The wave realizes "I am the sea,"
and by falling into the sea,
prostrates itself before its God.
The bubble does not last long;
it soon breaks, but with its break it joins the mighty ocean.
So with us.
When by warmth of heart we can break our limited self,
we merge in the One, the unlimited.
It is the surface of the sea
that makes waves and roaring breakers;
the depth is silent.
Silence
Silence serves as a lock on the lips of the excitable,
as a barrier between two hearts severed from one another;
as a shield for wise amidst fools;
as a veil over the face of the unfettered before the well-versed.
What was it that came to use in the forest, the solitude?
In either case it was nothing else but the depth of our own life,
which is silent like the depths of the great sea, so silent and still.
It is the surface of the sea that makes waves and roaring breakers;
the depth is silent.
So the depth of our own being is silent also.
Soul
About the meaning of the word soul
many statements of thinkers differ,
though all mystics arrive at the same understanding
of the idea of the soul.
As the air, being caught by the water,
becomes a bubble for the moment,
and as the waves of the air,
being caught in a hollow vessel, become a sound,
so Intelligence, being caught by the mind and body,
become the soul.
It is only a condition of the intelligence which is the soul.
The intelligence in its original aspect
is the essence of life, the spirit, or God.
It is the soul's light which is natural intelligence.
It may be said that the mind is the instrument of the soul
and the body is the instrument of the mind,
but both mind and body are the instruments of the soul.
Although these instruments give the soul knowledge of things clearly,
these instruments at the same time limit the power of the soul.
The soul manifests in the world
in order that it may experience the different phases of manifestation,
and yet not lose its way,
but regain its original freedom
in addition to the experience and knowledge it has gained in this world.
In reality no sin, no virtue can be engraved upon the soul;
it can only cover the soul.
The soul in its essence is divine intelligence,
and how can divine intelligence be impressed with either virtue or sin?
Each human body has absorbed divine light
and shows it as a separate light;
and all these lights seen in many globes are called souls.
But we may call them the light itself,
for it is one spirit seen in different globes as different souls.
many statements of thinkers differ,
though all mystics arrive at the same understanding
of the idea of the soul.
As the air, being caught by the water,
becomes a bubble for the moment,
and as the waves of the air,
being caught in a hollow vessel, become a sound,
so Intelligence, being caught by the mind and body,
become the soul.
It is only a condition of the intelligence which is the soul.
The intelligence in its original aspect
is the essence of life, the spirit, or God.
It is the soul's light which is natural intelligence.
It may be said that the mind is the instrument of the soul
and the body is the instrument of the mind,
but both mind and body are the instruments of the soul.
Although these instruments give the soul knowledge of things clearly,
these instruments at the same time limit the power of the soul.
The soul manifests in the world
in order that it may experience the different phases of manifestation,
and yet not lose its way,
but regain its original freedom
in addition to the experience and knowledge it has gained in this world.
In reality no sin, no virtue can be engraved upon the soul;
it can only cover the soul.
The soul in its essence is divine intelligence,
and how can divine intelligence be impressed with either virtue or sin?
Each human body has absorbed divine light
and shows it as a separate light;
and all these lights seen in many globes are called souls.
But we may call them the light itself,
for it is one spirit seen in different globes as different souls.
Spirit
There is no more delicate machinery
that the spirit of man.
The more delicate the spirit,
the more delicate care it needs.
When once the spirit is disturbed,
then the whole universe is disturbed in that person.
We are as great as our spirit,
we are as wide as our spirit,
we are as low as our spirit,
we are as small as our spirit;
spirit can make us all that we are;
and if there is anything that is more necessary than all else,
it is to be able to tune one's spirit.
There is not sacrifice too great to keep the spirit in tune;
and there is nothing you can do that is too much
in order to keep the spirit in right condition.
that the spirit of man.
The more delicate the spirit,
the more delicate care it needs.
When once the spirit is disturbed,
then the whole universe is disturbed in that person.
We are as great as our spirit,
we are as wide as our spirit,
we are as low as our spirit,
we are as small as our spirit;
spirit can make us all that we are;
and if there is anything that is more necessary than all else,
it is to be able to tune one's spirit.
There is not sacrifice too great to keep the spirit in tune;
and there is nothing you can do that is too much
in order to keep the spirit in right condition.
Love
The word love misinterpreted is misunderstood.
We use it in everyday life without knowing what it means.
And when once a soul begins to know what it means,
it is a word too sacred to utter.
It is easy to use this word,
but it is most difficult to practice through life.
Love climbs the mountain of life step by by step.
Every kind of power lies in this one thing
we call by the simple name: love.
Charity, generosity kindness, affection,
endurance, tolerance and patience,
all these words are different aspects of only one thing: love.
Love can be always be discerned
in the thought, speech and action of the lover,
for in his every expression there is a charm
which shows itself as beauty, tenderness and delicacy.
For in every form of human love and affection,
the self is somewhere hidden,
asking for appreciation, for reciprocity, for recognition;
but the divine manner is above all this.
Love is its beginning loves only on reciprocity;
but when fully developed it stands on its own feet.
Love manifest towards those we like as love;
towards those whom we do not like as forgiveness.
The love quality must be deepened first before it spreads out.
The fountain stream rises in love for an individual,
but spreads and falls in universal love.
Love keeps back nothing.
To love is to give;
it is not to take at all.
Love is unlimited,
but it needs scope to expand and rise.
Love is when one loves for the sake of love,
when one cannot help but love,
cannot do anything but love.
Love has its own law,
it adheres to the law of no one.
Love is state of mind
in which the consciousness of the lover
is merged in that of the object of his love.
Can you really say you love a person
when you cannot bear he be loved by someone else as well?
If a person loves one and hates another,
what can he know of love?
Love that endureth not is heart's illusion.
We use it in everyday life without knowing what it means.
And when once a soul begins to know what it means,
it is a word too sacred to utter.
It is easy to use this word,
but it is most difficult to practice through life.
Love climbs the mountain of life step by by step.
Every kind of power lies in this one thing
we call by the simple name: love.
Charity, generosity kindness, affection,
endurance, tolerance and patience,
all these words are different aspects of only one thing: love.
Love can be always be discerned
in the thought, speech and action of the lover,
for in his every expression there is a charm
which shows itself as beauty, tenderness and delicacy.
For in every form of human love and affection,
the self is somewhere hidden,
asking for appreciation, for reciprocity, for recognition;
but the divine manner is above all this.
Love is its beginning loves only on reciprocity;
but when fully developed it stands on its own feet.
Love manifest towards those we like as love;
towards those whom we do not like as forgiveness.
The love quality must be deepened first before it spreads out.
The fountain stream rises in love for an individual,
but spreads and falls in universal love.
Love keeps back nothing.
it is not to take at all.
Love is unlimited,
but it needs scope to expand and rise.
Love is when one loves for the sake of love,
when one cannot help but love,
cannot do anything but love.
Love has its own law,
it adheres to the law of no one.
Love is state of mind
in which the consciousness of the lover
is merged in that of the object of his love.
Can you really say you love a person
when you cannot bear he be loved by someone else as well?
If a person loves one and hates another,
what can he know of love?
Love that endureth not is heart's illusion.
Love can heal better than anything in the world.
Love is the only power that has created or that can create.
As love is the source of creation
and the real sustenance of all beings,
so, if man knows how to give it to the world around him
as sympathy, as kindness, as service,
he supplies to all the food for which every soul hungers.
With love all that a person touches will be given light, life.
Love of form, progressing,
culminates in love of the formless.
True love is limitless.
Perfection of love lies in its vastness.
To express all the love there is,
he must love the unlimited God.
Love's expansion
and love's culmination
and love's progress
all depend on the God-ideal.
Love is the only power that has created or that can create.
As love is the source of creation
and the real sustenance of all beings,
so, if man knows how to give it to the world around him
as sympathy, as kindness, as service,
he supplies to all the food for which every soul hungers.
With love all that a person touches will be given light, life.
Love of form, progressing,
culminates in love of the formless.
True love is limitless.
Perfection of love lies in its vastness.
To express all the love there is,
he must love the unlimited God.
Love's expansion
and love's culmination
and love's progress
all depend on the God-ideal.
Love Harmony Beauty
Love is the nature of life,
beauty is the outcome of life,
harmony is the means by which life
accomplishes its purpose.
Love develops into harmony,
and of harmony is born beauty.
beauty is the outcome of life,
harmony is the means by which life
accomplishes its purpose.
Love develops into harmony,
and of harmony is born beauty.
Influence
Every soul radiates an influence
which charges the atmosphere all around.
The more powerful the influence the wider it spreads.
Each one has his circle of influence, large or small;
within his sphere so many minds and souls are involved;
with his rise, they rise; with his fall, they fall.
The size of a man's sphere
corresponds with the extent of his sympathy,
or we may say, with the size of his heart.
His sympathy holds his sphere together.
As his heart grows, his sphere grows;
as his sympathy is withdrawn or lessened,
so his sphere breaks up or is scattered.
The stronger the influence the longer it lasts.
It is not difficult for a sensitive person to perceive,
on coming into a room or a house,
what influence it has, or to perceive, on sitting on a chair,
who was sitting there before him.
The character of this influence is just like light or heat,
which silently spreads its warmth according to its power of radiance.
It is not that man's influence is felt in his presence only,
but even after he has left the place it remains.
which charges the atmosphere all around.
The more powerful the influence the wider it spreads.
Each one has his circle of influence, large or small;
within his sphere so many minds and souls are involved;
with his rise, they rise; with his fall, they fall.
The size of a man's sphere
corresponds with the extent of his sympathy,
or we may say, with the size of his heart.
His sympathy holds his sphere together.
As his heart grows, his sphere grows;
as his sympathy is withdrawn or lessened,
so his sphere breaks up or is scattered.
The stronger the influence the longer it lasts.
It is not difficult for a sensitive person to perceive,
on coming into a room or a house,
what influence it has, or to perceive, on sitting on a chair,
who was sitting there before him.
The character of this influence is just like light or heat,
which silently spreads its warmth according to its power of radiance.
It is not that man's influence is felt in his presence only,
but even after he has left the place it remains.
Without Words
The glow does not cry out
"I am burning";
it is the heat of the glow that is felt without words.
Silence in modesty speaks louder than bold words.
The cracker cries aloud, "I am the light',
and is extinguished in a moment;
the diamond, shining constantly,
never says a word about its light.
"I am burning";
it is the heat of the glow that is felt without words.
Silence in modesty speaks louder than bold words.
The cracker cries aloud, "I am the light',
and is extinguished in a moment;
the diamond, shining constantly,
never says a word about its light.
Prophet
All that the prophet comes to give to the world is not given in words,
but all that cannot be given in worlds is given without words.
It is given through the atmosphere;
it is given by the presence;
it is given by the great love that gushes froth from his heart;
it is given in his kind glance;
and it is given in his benediction.
And yet the most is given in silence that no earthly sense can perceive.
God
The belief in God comes to humanity like tides in the sea.
Every now and then it appears on the surface,
usually with a divine message given as an answer
to the cry of humanity at a certain period.
The prophets of all ages have given some ideal
to help man to form a conception of God.
It has been said, "If you have no God, make one."
That is the right way and the easiest way of realizing the unlimited truth.
The God-ideal was taught to man gradually.
There was a time when a certain rock was recognized as God.
People at one period considered certain plants as sacred;
at another, certain animals and birds.
For instance, the cow and the eagle were considered as sacred creatures.
Many worshipped the primal elements in nature,
such as earth, water, fire, and air.
People worshipped the spirits
of mountains, hills, trees, plants, birds, and animals,
until the God-ideal was raised to the Absolute.
And thus he perceived that God is a higher ideal than the sun, or moon,
or anything that words can ever express;
a God who is unseen and without form and without name,
altogether beyond man's conception.
That is how the ideal of one God began.
The God-ideal has been regarded by different men in different ways.
Some have idealized God as the King of earth and heaven,
some have a conception of God as a person.
Others think of God as an abstraction.
Some believe in God, others do not,
some raise the idea of the Deity to the highest heaven.
Others bring it down to the lowest depths of the earth.
Some picture God in paradise,
while others make an idol and worship it.
There are many ideas and many beliefs and different names,
such as pantheism, idolatry, belief in a formless God,
or belief in many gods and goddesses.
But all are striving after something in one way or another.
The God-Ideal is so enormous that man can never comprehend it fully,
therefore the best method which the wise have adopted
is to allow every man to make his own God.
By this he only makes a conception which he is capable of making.
He makes Him the King of the Heavens and of the earth;
he makes Him Judge, greater than all judges; he makes Him Almighty,
Who has all power; he makes Him the Possessor of all grace and glory;
he makes Him the beloved God, merciful and compassionate;
he recognizes in Him the providence, the support, the protection;
and he recognizes in Him all perfection.
This ideal becomes as a steppingstone to the higher knowledge of God.
The man who has no imagination to make a God,
and the one who is not open to the picture of God
that the other man presents to him,
he remains without one,
for he finds no steppingstone to reach that knowledge
which his soul longs for but his doubts deny.
The ideal of God is the perfect ideal, and in order to reach it
there must be a footstool, there must be a ladder,
there must be a steppingstone which leads to it,
be it a principle, be it a belief, be it an action, be it a position, be it a person.
God and the God Ideal may be explained as the sun and the light.
Just as there come times when the sun becomes covered by clouds,
so there come times when the God Ideal becomes covered by materialism.
But if the cloud for a moment covers the sun,
that does not mean that the sun is lost to you.
So if in the reign of materialism the God Ideal seems to have disappeared,
yet God is there all the same.
The condition of the world is just like the ever rising and falling waves.
Sometimes they seem to rise and sometimes to fall,
but with every rising and falling wave the sea is the same;
so with all its changes life is the same.
Man believes in God by making Him an ideal of his worship,
so that he can commune with someone whom he can look up to;
in whom he can lay his absolute trust,
believing Him to be above the unreliable world;
on whose mercy he can depend, seeing selfishness all round him.
It is this ideal when made of a stone, and placed in a shrine,
which is called an idol of God;
and when the same ideal is raised to the higher plane
and placed in the shrine of the heart,
it becomes the ideal of God with whom the believer communes
and in whose vision he lives most happily, as happily as could be,
in the company of the sovereign of the whole universe.
There are three aspects of worship:
the worship of God in heaven
by those who understand him as a separate being;
the worship of God on earth,
as a god or goddess, in the form of an idol,
or of some being who is considered as an incarnation of God
and who is worshipped by the multitudes;
and the worship of the God within,
the innermost self our being.
No one can give to another his own conception of God
because each one must make it real for himself.
And those who wait to see if they will be shown a God before their eyes,
or who want a proof of the Being of God, are mistaken.
That which cannot be compared, which cannot be named, cannot be shown.
In order to attain to God-consciousness
the first condition is to make God a reality,
so that He is no longer an imagination.
The work of the inner life is to make God a reality.
The aim is to find God within ourselves,
to dive deep into ourselves,
so that we may touch the unity of the whole Being.
The secret of God
is hidden in the knowledge of unity.
Before one comes to the real conception of God,
the first thing is to build Him in one's heart.
God is the highest ideal, as high as one can reach.
And one will find the perfect ideal in God.
The God-ideal is in reality a stepping-stone
towards the knowledge of spiritual perfection.
It is through the God-ideal that higher knowledge can be gained.
God is the ideal that raises mankind to the utmost height of perfection.
The ideal of God is a bridge connecting the limited life with the unlimited;
whoever travels over this bridge
passes safely from the limited to the unlimited life.
The bridge may be taken away, it is true,
and one may yet swim across the chasm;
but one may be drowned too.
The ideal of God is a safe bridge which takes you safely to the goal.
The limitless God
cannot be made more intelligible to our limited self
unless He is first made limited.
He is not God, because he is limited man;
and he is not man, because he is God-conscious.
No sooner is the God-ideal brought to life
than the worshipper of God turns into truth.
Then truth is no longer his seeking; truth becomes his being;
and in the light of that absolute truth he finds all knowledge.
By making God great
we ourselves arrive at a certain greatness;
our vision widens, our spirit deepens, out ideal reaches higher.
We create a greater vision, a wider horizon, for own own expansion.
Then man becomes God-man, God-conscious;
outwardly he is in the universe,
inwardly the universe is in him.
Outwardly he is smaller than a drop;
inwardly he is larger than the ocean.
And in this realisation the purpose of belief in God,
of worshipping God, and of loving God is accomplished.
Man is created out of the self of God;
therefore all that is in God is in man.
God is God and man is man,
yet God is man and man is God.
To the question, "What is God?" and "What is man?"
the answer is that the soul, conscious of its limited existence, is "man",
and the soul reflected by the vision of the unlimited, is "God."
In plain words man's self-consciousness is man,
and man's consciousness of his highest ideal is God.
By communion between these two,
in time both become one, as in reality they are already one.
And yet the joy of communion is even greater than the joy of at-one-ment,
for all joy of life lies in the thought of "I" and "you."
Every now and then it appears on the surface,
usually with a divine message given as an answer
to the cry of humanity at a certain period.
The prophets of all ages have given some ideal
to help man to form a conception of God.
It has been said, "If you have no God, make one."
That is the right way and the easiest way of realizing the unlimited truth.
The God-ideal was taught to man gradually.
There was a time when a certain rock was recognized as God.
People at one period considered certain plants as sacred;
at another, certain animals and birds.
For instance, the cow and the eagle were considered as sacred creatures.
Many worshipped the primal elements in nature,
such as earth, water, fire, and air.
People worshipped the spirits
of mountains, hills, trees, plants, birds, and animals,
until the God-ideal was raised to the Absolute.
And thus he perceived that God is a higher ideal than the sun, or moon,
or anything that words can ever express;
a God who is unseen and without form and without name,
altogether beyond man's conception.
That is how the ideal of one God began.
Some have idealized God as the King of earth and heaven,
some have a conception of God as a person.
Others think of God as an abstraction.
Some believe in God, others do not,
some raise the idea of the Deity to the highest heaven.
Others bring it down to the lowest depths of the earth.
Some picture God in paradise,
while others make an idol and worship it.
There are many ideas and many beliefs and different names,
such as pantheism, idolatry, belief in a formless God,
or belief in many gods and goddesses.
But all are striving after something in one way or another.
The God-Ideal is so enormous that man can never comprehend it fully,
therefore the best method which the wise have adopted
is to allow every man to make his own God.
By this he only makes a conception which he is capable of making.
He makes Him the King of the Heavens and of the earth;
he makes Him Judge, greater than all judges; he makes Him Almighty,
Who has all power; he makes Him the Possessor of all grace and glory;
he makes Him the beloved God, merciful and compassionate;
he recognizes in Him the providence, the support, the protection;
and he recognizes in Him all perfection.
This ideal becomes as a steppingstone to the higher knowledge of God.
The man who has no imagination to make a God,
and the one who is not open to the picture of God
that the other man presents to him,
he remains without one,
for he finds no steppingstone to reach that knowledge
which his soul longs for but his doubts deny.
The ideal of God is the perfect ideal, and in order to reach it
there must be a footstool, there must be a ladder,
there must be a steppingstone which leads to it,
be it a principle, be it a belief, be it an action, be it a position, be it a person.
God and the God Ideal may be explained as the sun and the light.
Just as there come times when the sun becomes covered by clouds,
so there come times when the God Ideal becomes covered by materialism.
But if the cloud for a moment covers the sun,
that does not mean that the sun is lost to you.
So if in the reign of materialism the God Ideal seems to have disappeared,
yet God is there all the same.
The condition of the world is just like the ever rising and falling waves.
Sometimes they seem to rise and sometimes to fall,
but with every rising and falling wave the sea is the same;
so with all its changes life is the same.
Man believes in God by making Him an ideal of his worship,
so that he can commune with someone whom he can look up to;
in whom he can lay his absolute trust,
believing Him to be above the unreliable world;
on whose mercy he can depend, seeing selfishness all round him.
It is this ideal when made of a stone, and placed in a shrine,
which is called an idol of God;
and when the same ideal is raised to the higher plane
and placed in the shrine of the heart,
it becomes the ideal of God with whom the believer communes
and in whose vision he lives most happily, as happily as could be,
in the company of the sovereign of the whole universe.
There are three aspects of worship:
the worship of God in heaven
by those who understand him as a separate being;
the worship of God on earth,
as a god or goddess, in the form of an idol,
or of some being who is considered as an incarnation of God
and who is worshipped by the multitudes;
and the worship of the God within,
the innermost self our being.
No one can give to another his own conception of God
because each one must make it real for himself.
And those who wait to see if they will be shown a God before their eyes,
or who want a proof of the Being of God, are mistaken.
That which cannot be compared, which cannot be named, cannot be shown.
In order to attain to God-consciousness
the first condition is to make God a reality,
so that He is no longer an imagination.
The work of the inner life is to make God a reality.
The aim is to find God within ourselves,
to dive deep into ourselves,
so that we may touch the unity of the whole Being.
The secret of God
is hidden in the knowledge of unity.
Before one comes to the real conception of God,
the first thing is to build Him in one's heart.
God is the highest ideal, as high as one can reach.
And one will find the perfect ideal in God.
The God-ideal is in reality a stepping-stone
towards the knowledge of spiritual perfection.
It is through the God-ideal that higher knowledge can be gained.
God is the ideal that raises mankind to the utmost height of perfection.
The ideal of God is a bridge connecting the limited life with the unlimited;
whoever travels over this bridge
passes safely from the limited to the unlimited life.
The bridge may be taken away, it is true,
and one may yet swim across the chasm;
but one may be drowned too.
The ideal of God is a safe bridge which takes you safely to the goal.
The limitless God
cannot be made more intelligible to our limited self
unless He is first made limited.
He is not God, because he is limited man;
and he is not man, because he is God-conscious.
No sooner is the God-ideal brought to life
than the worshipper of God turns into truth.
Then truth is no longer his seeking; truth becomes his being;
and in the light of that absolute truth he finds all knowledge.
By making God great
we ourselves arrive at a certain greatness;
our vision widens, our spirit deepens, out ideal reaches higher.
We create a greater vision, a wider horizon, for own own expansion.
Then man becomes God-man, God-conscious;
outwardly he is in the universe,
inwardly the universe is in him.
Outwardly he is smaller than a drop;
inwardly he is larger than the ocean.
And in this realisation the purpose of belief in God,
of worshipping God, and of loving God is accomplished.
Man is created out of the self of God;
therefore all that is in God is in man.
God is God and man is man,
yet God is man and man is God.
To the question, "What is God?" and "What is man?"
the answer is that the soul, conscious of its limited existence, is "man",
and the soul reflected by the vision of the unlimited, is "God."
In plain words man's self-consciousness is man,
and man's consciousness of his highest ideal is God.
By communion between these two,
in time both become one, as in reality they are already one.
And yet the joy of communion is even greater than the joy of at-one-ment,
for all joy of life lies in the thought of "I" and "you."
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