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1.1.1 FNS

I will speak about the worldly desires on the spiritual path. In this world there are so many activities. Some are very pleasurable, others are somewhat difficult, even painful. So worldly activities are of two types, those that are pleasurable and those that are painful. So when in the world a human being experience very pleasurable activities. They will enjoy them very much, but likewise they will create great suffering from their worldly activities. It is true that in the lives of most people there are the time of pleasures and the times of pain. So it can be said that life is altogether unbearable. There are time when a human being may think, I am riding on the top of the world. Nothing can stop me, I am enjoying the life to the utmost, it is so pleasurable. I wish it will go on for ever. But some years later that same human being may be weeping and saying: "Oh Lord, save me, save me. My eyes are . . . painful. I can not go on any longer(?). Everyone knows that such experiences may come in the life of a human being.

So it must be said that the worldly life is very pleasurable and painful. And so it cannot be the source of eternal joy. It will be joyous at times, but that joy is fainting. So joy that comes from worldly activities may be very pleasurable, but will be fading and at some point there will be pain. It is the nature of existence in the created universe. Now when riding at top of the world, a human being may not think when "What will I do when it is painful"? They may put it out of the mind and think, "I am only enjoying all activities I am doing". And so at that point they may say, "Who needs a God, who needs to know about the spirituality, who needs these things"? I am having so much fun, just living my life. But then when the day comes, when painful events have happened, when love ones have died, when great losses have occurred, when suffering has piled under the person, illness has taken the body, then they will weep, "Oh Lord, oh Lord, where are you, where are you, I need you now!" So you see, to be caught in this type of mentality is not good. Because when the person is crying, "Oh Lord, oh Lord, where are you"? Lord has been there all along, but the person has ignored him and so has not cultivated a personal relationship. Therefore when pain and suffering come in the life, they do not have the personal relationship to God, to fall back on. And so then they are trying to establish, but it is not the proper time. They do not feel the presence of God. They have not learned to trust that presence. And so not knowing how to perceive Him, not knowing to trust Him, they weep and weep and say, "Why does He not come, why does He not come"?

In fact He is with you, but you have not learnt how to experience Him. So it is better if one cultivates this capacity at an earlier stage of life, before the weals and woes of life come upon one in such a manner, so that in pleasure and pain one sees the hand of the Divine. In sorrow and in joy one perceives the Presence of the Divinity that is the guiding force of all created beings. One perceives that that Entity is very good, very near, guiding, working in your life,

both in the joy and in the sorrow. If one does not come to see His movements in the world, in your life and at the same time cultivates trust in the Divine, then when the time of trouble comes in the life, you know you are not alone, you know you are not helpless, you know you need not be afraid for trouble also is very temporary. It will come and it will go and even if the life is lost, it is only a fleeting experience in the annals of time. But to be able to comprehend this one must cultivate a relationship to the Supreme. And to cultivate a relationship to the Supreme there are certain efforts which must be put forth. There are certain methodologies that may be used to cultivate this relationship.

First and foremost is ideation upon the Great. Time must be taken each day to ideate upon the Great, to contemplate, to meditate, to think about the Divine. Each day a little time put aside to contemplate the Great, that which is beyond the scope of time and place. So first and foremost is to cultivate ideation upon the Great.

Secondly to serve living beings. If service is done to others, the egocentric tendencies of the mind subsides. So one does not get caught in the small world of "I, me and mine." Because one sees the pain in the life of another, the joy in the life of another and one sees the human condition and that in fact what I am that one is also and their life is equally important to mine. When this awareness . . . one's small ego becomes expanded through service to others, then the egocentric mind becomes subdued into a much more balanced perspective. So service to others is second point which cannot be ignored if one will to cultivate a relationship to the Divine. First is ideation upon Him, second is service to all living beings, be human beings , plants, animals, to even the smallest creatures. Service to these is service to God, because they are part and parcel of Him. They are His manifest expression in the world and when you begin to see the Divinity in all the beings, all the people who surround you, you will know you are never alone, you are never needing to be fearful, for He is always with you expressing in this multifarious Universe and He will be with you in your time of need. So these two points are very important to remember if you want to cultivate the knowledge of the Divine.

And there is a third point also. That is to remember always the Supreme in your daily life, in your functioning in the world, to cultivate a kind of remembrance of the Divine nature of all beings and the workings of God in your life. This kind of remembrance is also important if one will establish a relationship to the Divine. So through these three kinds of actions one will enhance one's awareness of the Divine Entity, so that Great Entity is always thinking of you, always ideating upon you, always looking to you. But when you are looking to the toys He has created and not to the Creator of this manifest expression, then you cannot perceive Him, though He is right next to you. So if you would like to be able to perceive, not only the delights He has created in this manifest world but the One who is the Creator, you must cultivate relationship, cultivate capacity to perceive Him. And this is done through these three points which just have been made. So cultivate this relationship, cultivate this knowledge of the Divine. Look to Him for He is looking to you and if you turn around, if you look to Him, if you open your eyes and perceive His presence, then you will be greatly rewarded for the small efforts you are making. And He will do the rest, for you ever loved and cared for by you Divine Progenitor. There is abundance of love and abundance of compassion that is directed to you. But because of the bounds of ego, the feeling of I, me and mine, the shower of that love is kept away, like the person who opens the umbrella and holds it above the head, cannot feel the rain.

So the rain of His love is kept off of you by the ego. And when through this service to humanity, ideation upon the Great and remembrance, one removes the umbrella of ego then the gentle shower of His great compassion can be felt. And the knowledge that you live in love and the direct perception of that love will be with you. It will be with you through thick and thin, in adversity and in times of joy. There will be a kind of shimmer in your life, a deeper dimension which will sustain you through all even through death. So go to your Divine Lord, through your sadhana, through your service and through your self reflection and keep Him ever in your heart, ever in your thoughts, ever in your mind and surely you will come to know that Great Entity who is always with you.