– Always think of me!
What a call – God-awareness! Can we ever succeed in keeping someone constantly in our thoughts? This is nothing short of fanaticism, loss of self, obsession and enchantment. Perhaps being in love comes closest to this call. When you do not summon the image of your beloved by force, by will, by design, but, involuntarily, even against your will, in a spontaneous outpouring, you can think of no one else. Seeing God means never losing sight of him. This unbroken turning of thought towards him can come about in no other way than through love. Water splashes when you pour it – the thought of an inattentive man flits about. Oil flows thickly – the thought of an aware man, too, streams on without flitting. Honey positively pours, slowly, thickly, all of a piece – the thought of a loving man is an unbroken outpouring.
– Or follow the commandments!
If you lack this unbroken outpouring, this spontaneous ardour, then strive with discipline, fidelity and perseverance. The prohibitions and counsels are like the roots and the trunk: they nourish and uphold. Without a root there is no fruit. Be strict with yourself, be understanding towards others. For man does not exist for the rule, but the rule for man, to lead him to the source, though it is he who will have to draw and drink.
– Dedicate your deeds to me!
Discipline is not easy. If there is one rule, that is the rule a man breaks, and if there are a thousand and one, each of them will probably have its turn. The rigorous keeper of rules, however, may be a bitter man, while one who stumbles may be very dear to the good Lord. If you are sincere and willing to offer your two hard-working hands in service, that is worth a great deal. Life is meant for service, that is a fact, and divine service is the ultimate calling. See how you have received the strength, the drive, the intellect and the talent alike, and give some of them back to the source. The Ganges is worshipped with its own water. Will the Ganges be less if water is drawn from it? It will not be less. Will it be more if its own water is trickled back into it? It will not be more. What changes, then? You yourself…
– Be selflessly helpful!
If you do not see God, you can see the trace of his hand. But if something keeps you away from him, and you dare not take a single step towards him, then try to move away from self-interest and selfishness, by one step at least. Be selfless, share the results of your work. Everyone can give. If you have no means, give yourself! It is a fundamental law that if you give, you will also receive – goodwill flows through the world. You have received so much in any case… keep the unpleasant, that is your burden, and try to share the good, or spend it on others too.
– Meditate, meditate!
If you are at odds with action and selflessness, because every deed has some consequence and so you weave an immensely tangled web around yourself, then do not act, but meditate. At first your meditation is selfish, you want to improve your own situation, but never mind, carry on! Soon you see that in this too you must become selfless, must serve the bliss of others. If you step further still, you can serve salvation itself, and this is the illuminating meditation. Finally, in centre-meditation, you can reach the joyful recognition of fullness. Then the tangled web hangs in shreds, and your meditation spurs you to practical deeds.
– Set about cultivating knowledge!
If you cannot meditate yet, then think. Is everything well as it is? Are you content with your life? Where is the world heading, and where are you yourself drifting within it? What is outside and what is inside? Who is it that thinks? The grains of sand on the seashore can be counted, the world can be known, but the secret…? Knowledge slowly leads to love, and love blesses you with wisdom.