All humans strive for happiness, this is a commonality amongst everyone. Even those who have self destructive behavior, if you go deeply enough into their motivations you will see there is some anticipated payoff. In a very real way this world is an experimental laboratory in which every person is testing each one’s theory on what will produce the greatest amount of happiness.

Even for one who is ruled by fear, you might say he is miserable, and that would be true–however the need to guard against some perceived threat is thought to be preferable to living life free of the fear. The masochist gets perverse pleasure from his own suffering, the sadist from the suffering of others–all seek happiness in one form or another.

Those of us who seek out God-experience have come to the conclusion that there is nothing in this world that can give complete happiness, for anything that is born must die–death being the end of things must necessarily take happiness with it. Therefore, only that which is eternal can give fulfillment to one’s heart’s desire. But eternality alone is not enough, for life without abiding joy is hell; so ongoing bliss must be part of the equation. The other required element, that may seem self-evident but is also necessary, is that one must be a conscious participant in this experience of eternal bliss. The combination of an eternal self, consciousness, and bliss–sat, chid, ananda–must all be present for real and lasting happiness. There are other elements of course, such as truth–no one would be satisfied with a life based on lies–expansiveness, purity, openness, the happiness of others, connectivity, etc.

Happily, these elements or qualities are all met in our conception of a Divine Life, or God–fulfilled happiness is a reality when all of these aspects are realized in one’s life. Inspired by saints and realized beings around the world you enter into the experimental laboratory of spiritual practice. You meditate and pray, you chant and sing to the Infinite, you serve others, and you indeed get a taste of happiness. In the beginning of discovering your deepened spiritual practice you may have a honeymoon phase in which happiness comes so easily, but like all honeymoons this is a stage, not the mature fulfillment.

This is because you are not one hundred percent of one mind. A part of you seeks God, other parts are ruled by passions and fears. Like adding green wood to a fire, if the heat is not intense enough the green wood can dampen the fire. I have watched green wood stream water out of one end of the log furthest from the intense flame. If the fire is too weak, the green wood will only smolder and even kill the flame. Therefore the fire of spiritual practice must burn brightly in order to consume all the green wood of conflicting desires.

Association with realized souls and those aspirants with burning zeal adds to the flame of enthusiasm and makes you burn bright. Reading or hearing inspired wisdom adds dry seasoned wood. Making God-contact in deepened meditation and singing His name throughout the day inflames the soul and makes it mad for God. Love for God radiates a luster of Divine Light in you and helps others to burn brightly. The ego-mind of separation is consumed in this flame and the Divine Goal of Satchidananda–the eternal Self, full consciousness and bliss are now enjoyed, fulfilling your deepest heart’s desire. The experiment is proved–QED–you now know from your own experience that realizing God alone is the source of true and lasting happiness!  

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Since God has not arranged for me to give a talk this Sunday, I wish all Canadians a very happy Thanksgiving. I am also including this most perfect song/poem from the Gospel of Ramakrishna, a song that Bhupati sang for the great master and his devotees when Ramakrishna was suffering from advanced throat cancer.  

Hallowed be Brahman, the Absolute, the Infinite, the Fathomless!
Higher than the highest, deeper than the deepest depths!
Thou are the Light of Truth, The Fount of Love, the Home of Bliss!
This universe with all its manifold and blessed modes
Is but the enchanting poem of Thine inexhaustible thought;
Its beauty overflows on every side.

O Thou Poet, great and primal, in the rhythm of Thy thought
The sun and moon arise and move toward their setting;
The stars, shining like bits of gems, are the fair characters
In which Thy song is written across the blue expanse of sky;
The year, with its six seasons, in tune with the happy earth,
Proclaims Thy glory to the end of time.

The colours of the flowers reveal Thy sovereign Beauty,
The waters in their stillness, Thy deep Serenity;
The thunder-clap unveils to us the terror of Thy law.
Deep is Thine Essence, truly; how can a foolish mind perceive it?
Wondering, it meditates on Thee from yuga to yuga’s end;
Millions upon millions of suns and moons and stars
Bow down to Thee, O Lord, in rapturous awe!

Beholding Thy creation, men and women weep for joy;
The gods and angels worship Thee, O All-pervading Presence!
O Thou, the Fount of Goodness, bestow on us Thy Knowledge;
Bestow on us devotion, bestow pure love and perfect peace;
And grant us shelter at Thy hallowed feet.

There have been an extraordinary call for prayers in the last little while, indicating that the world is going through a transition. Even as this world goes through seasons of the year, and today we stand on the cusp of the fall equinox, so too there are times in life when there are intense changes and transitions that affect us all.

To the sensitive yogi, Master said that there are four times of transition each day. Of course we are all familiar with sunrise, sunset, noon and midnight as common markers of the day. However, the meditating yogi will notice special times of the day that are propitious for going within, 4-6 a.m., 11 a.m.-noon, 5-6 p.m., and 10-midnight. One can take advantage of these subtle but powerful tides of energy by using these times for prayer and meditation.

I was so charmed when travelling in Islamic countries when the call to prayer came at different times of the day. Around sunset and the sinking sun radiating deep orange was one such time; the very warm day cooling a bit, the call to prayer coming from different towers around the city, shop owners retiring to the rear of their stores and bowing to the Creator of us all on their magic prayer rugs, the whole city becoming quiet for some minutes while the world acknowledged the One who makes it all possible. Such a lovely feeling.  

Other transitions may not make it so easy to find peace, for there are times in life when health, prosperity, work conditions, family life and friendships can all go through transitions, sometimes going our way and other times not. And yet finding peace, inner assurance, a solid foundation in a constantly changing world is at the heart of our spiritual practice. Even Mother said she could have an initial shock of when something first happened. So we too may feel, at first, an initial disturbance, but like a compass needle that always finds north, so our minds go directly to God. Other times we may find no disturbance at all when something untoward happens, we simply are feeling the great divine peace from start to finish.

Naturally, from a human standpoint we like to have things go easy. For some, when a transition takes something away and makes life more challenging, we can feel betrayed. Somewhere inside we feel that if we are making spiritual effort, then everything should go perfectly smooth in this world. However, we do live in world of duality, and the alternating currents will always be at work bringing both, from a human standpoint, good and bad situations. While it is true that leading a spiritual life will avoid many a painful trap in life, no one may avoid all difficulties, and at times hardships seem to come bundled up and delivered all at once.

To find lasting happiness we must rise above this world of duality, for this world will never be able to deliver it. There is a Source of serenity and joy within that cannot be eclipsed by dualism. Avatar Buddha said that life is suffering, then he gave the formulae for transcending it. Attachment to the things of this world makes us blind to this innate Source, so we must remove our full attention from this world and through deepened meditation become established in the ever-abiding Presence within–Nirvana.

Being established in such peace you now have an unshakable foundation for entering into any and all circumstances of life, and the things of this world do not make you over-glad, or over-sad–they simply are. Your real source of joy comes from your oneness with the Infinite Beloved–Sat, Chid, Ananda–eternal existence, consciousness and bliss. As the great Lahiri Mahasaya said, make acquaintance with God in the springtime, for elsewise you may Him elusive in the winter of life. Seek Him out daily, and learn to make the Divine Presence the unmovable core for you being.  

The constant rehearsing of problems that might happen, that have happened, an underlying anxiety that drains our energy—what is this all about?

Being prepared for when things go wrong is a prudent thing to do—having a filled pantry, working flashlights, first aid bandages all are good things to have around, just in case…. However, the conscious and unconscious minds take this to an exaggerated degree and makes warning sounds in our bodies and heads 24/7. Far from useful, it becomes destructive as it produces false warnings, skews our judgment, can make us over-function or withdraw from life, and burns up life-energy without benefit—wearing us out and robbing us of joy!

As I have often said, “It has been a rough couple of thousand years!” Our history is filled with the lack of food and starvation, wars with its pain and miseries, lack of justice and stability, extremely difficult working conditions and little medical care, limited opportunities—it has not been uniformly bad, but a large share of the world’s population have had it very difficult. While there are definitely difficult lives in the world today, there are also great advancements on so many fronts and increasingly a great number of lives are so much better off; statistically better than ever before. However, the echoes of traumatic experiences can resound even when surrounded by relative peace and prosperity.

I worked with a psychiatrist who was making a study of WWII holocaust survivors and their children. The survivors of these death camps oftentimes got about their lives, not talking about or seemingly devastated by past experiences. However, their children and children’s children exhibited post-traumatic stress, seemingly for no apparent reason—until you considered that the un-grieved horrors that the parents and grandparents went through were passed down to their progeny. Their holocaust surviving parents did not have the time or energy to grieve for their devastating losses; they simply had to get on with their lives to build something better for themselves and their children. But, the emotional charges from those losses were passed down to new generations, waiting for the day that they should be worked out.

We have all come from tough stock, and the many losses and difficulties of those previous generations can be passed down through families—it can explain much in what may seem unexplainable symptoms. Then you add on the layers of past lifetimes a soul has experienced during this dark Kali Yuga, the emotional charges of past life experiences lurking deep in the subconscious mind—This complex weave of the psyche reveals why unexpected challenges can seem to occur from thin air, as well as unexplainable strengths and talents we simply come with, fully intact from birth.

Some can look at that list of atrocities and problems and think, “How can there be a God?” Others can look at that same list, see how well we all do in general, how much kindness and caring there is in the world, how much healing happens daily, and think, “It is only by the Grace of God that decency is as prevalent as it is!” I, of course, come down on the side that God’s Grace—always active and present—making us yearn for a better world and a desire for growth. Along with Grace is human free will, which can choose horrible actions, creating a daily testing field for right action for every individual and group. Family history, past lifetimes, and of course the environment we live in interlace their influences, both positively angelic all the way to demonic. Like the immune system fighting off toxins, germs and viruses that threaten our health from within and without, so we need a superb mental and spiritual “immune system” to create and maintain total health and happiness.

Although you may strive to maintain a positive environment to live in, you may freely admit there are many things outside of your control, and if those negative things beyond your influence are given preeminence in your mind, they will bring you low. The greatest boost to your physical, mental and spiritual immune systems is God remembrance. Through God remembrance the first thing that happens is that you take your mind off of the merry-go-round of the mind that feels overwhelmed or powerless and it aligns you with the supreme power and divine intelligence of God. God is positivity itself: hope, faith and a doorway to all things possible. Remembering the attributes of God: Oh Lord, You are all-powerful, wisdom and light itself, You are peace and love without limit—You are my all and all in all; chanting God’s name, meditating upon Him, listening to inspiring talks and music; it elevates your mood, changes your thinking, stimulates smooth life-energy, and purifies the mind—both your conscious and subconscious minds are uplifted through your contact with the super-conscious mind.

Of course you may have legitimate concerns in your life, but you no longer turn these into a worry machine. Now you see those possible problems in the light of God. He is working out His will through you, His willing instrument—in fact it is for this purpose you have taken incarnation and there is no place you would rather be than here and now—because this is where He has placed you.

Recently a devotee went through a serious operation. She said that while in recovery she felt that she was in the hospital for some greater reason—she had deep conversations there with a young man with addiction problems, visited many on the ward and was a bright light, and in fact the nurses gravitated to her room due to her calm and positive manner. When I was in the hospital I too felt that this was my opportunity to pray for all those there, including the care givers. With the mind so busily engaged in bringing the Light of God to a situation, there was no time for worry!

This world is on an evolutionary climb out of the Dark Ages, and yes there are challenges, however, with God in your heart this is a new day, a bright day full of promise and glory. God is on the move, and whether the world around you seems to reflect that or not, it is certainly true for you as you lead the way into the path of joy, light, abundance—Grace operating within, without and all about. Put your mind on God, put you mind on God, put your mind on God and your life is changing already—feel the peace and joy of His ever-abiding Presence right in your own heart and soul.  Learn what it is to live a life without fear, always aware of His ever-abiding Grace residing in your heart, mind and soul. Be it so!

This weekend we are taking time to come to Loon Lake Retreat for intensive study of the liberating methods for Self-realization. For all those who come there are many more who would like to be there, but we may all share something of our time together in satsang through our connection in Spirit.

There is much written by saints and realized masters as to what the goal of spiritual practice is, however, no matter how perfect the words for its description,  there is no replacing actual God-contact and having direct experience of those realized states of consciousness.

To live in divine consciousness is the greatest accomplishment of a lifetime, because it does the greatest good for the individual, and it has the most powerful uplifting effect upon all creation. If someone is starving, they must of course have food, and if someone is in excruciating pain they should have some relief. But in meeting such immediate needs, a temporary solution is given to a temporary problem–no matter how great the need in the moment and how good it is to be able to offer relief. The deeper, longer lasting suffering of humanity is found in the mind and soul. Identifying this suffering is the first step in the recovery of the consciousness that leads to long term happiness.

After identifying that it is separation from divine consciousness that is the cause of this suffering, we must go about how to get relief from this mental and spiritual pain. Deep analysis shows that so much suffering comes about due to the attachment we have to the things and situations of this world. Attachment makes us think that our happiness is dependent upon having certain situations or objects, and if we do not have them then we are miserable (or if we have them and they are taken away then we are unhappy). Real happiness is to be found within and is not dependent upon these outer conditions. If happiness is thought to stem from something that is temporary, and what in this world is not temporary, then happiness will always be followed by pain when that temporary situation changes.

This understanding makes us know that only by finding an unshakable source of happiness within, that transcends the things of time and space will make for a solution to suffering. Great saints and spiritual masters who have gone into the laboratories of their own deepened experience tell us that there is an eternal fount of joy and bliss to be found within. This fount does not run dry, is not dependent upon outer conditions, and makes us know the truth of who and what we truly are. This truth is known through direct experience–it is portable, going with us wherever we go, and transcends the limited human mind.

One might well ask, “If this is true, why is the whole world not running after unending happiness? And really, that is a most poignant question, but the answer is in what was said earlier about attachment; it acts as a screen that hides this simple truth. A child has a toy, then sees another child with another toy. At first the child is happy with their own toy, but when he sees the other child with a different toy he cries such tears at the thought of not having the other toy. We must give up attachment first, then the truth is revealed, but we do not like to give up our attachments having come to believe that our happiness lies in having certain things or situations.

However, when you have a ready and simple faith, you find the truth is not far away. Having the willingness to open your heart and mind to the radiant Presence already existing within reveals the doorway to this most wonder-filled and exciting experience that can be had by all. You do not need to build complicated creeds and beliefs, in fact that is contrary to the prime simplicity that gets you entry. Let go of all thoughts that happiness lies out there somewhere, and open your mind and heart to the divine revelation that is seeking out an opportunity for awakening you now. Let us join together, if not in person then in spirit, and seek out this omniscient Presence that is also seeking you. 

I am God’s Grip, and there is no other place I would rather be. From my late teens God prodded me towards Him, and away from the world. I did not know it was He at the time; in fact I had no faith in any concept of God I knew of then, only that I was restless, and definitely not content with what I saw in the world. That restlessness grew into a deep spiritual pain, and finally in my extremity I turned to God, and He lifted my pain; though later it came back—the shepherd’s dog nipping at me without respite.

Then began the long journey of sadhana in which I had further glimpses of God’s Light and bliss; a training of the mind to stay focused on Him through the techniques my Gurudev had instructed me. Those creaky doors yielded, a bit at a time, opening then closing tight, then opening again, always with the shepherds dog driving me on when I would have rather gone back to sleep. I even resented the shepherd’s dog, thinking why could I not be happy, as others seemed to find happiness in this world? But, thankfully it drove me on, for what I sometimes thought of as a curse then I now see as my greatest blessing.

And many a time I fell, many a time I made mistakes, and suffered the consequences. Unfortunately, not only I suffered, by those around me suffered as well. Even through the Dark Night of my Soul, even through the many mistakes and missteps, Grace found a way through my ignorance, my vanity, lower human desires and indifference. What endless patience God and Guru gave me, never giving up on me, transforming base metal of humanness into gold of Spirit—God and Guru being alchemists extraordinaire.

However many missteps on my part, I never wavered in my desire for God, and gradually that transformation took shape, a new being was born; something far beyond my ability to enact. So, while I was an active participant in the process, I was increasingly very much the witness to the extraordinary forces at work in me. God experience went from very occasional glimpses, then to a most of the time Reality, culminating in an every moment state of being.

Now I live in His grip, God’s power and intelligence flowing through me, and I am witness to what He does in and around me. And I am more humbled than ever before, for the witness in me is in awe of what He is about. There is no life more fully lived than when in Him; His bliss, His grace is ever at work. And what He has shown me, what I most definitely know, is that same spark of Divinity, that same seed of Grace that has grown into a tree, is in every living soul that walks the earth.

Not all will awaken to this transformed life in this lifetime, but there are those destined to live in Him, and shed His qualities to all the earth. As one or two awaken, so that quickens the lives of others, and one or two awaken over there, then there, and on and on it spreads as the world is lifted into greater heights. When a significant minority transforms—not that large of a percentage actually—it will spread all over this earth. Suddenly it will not be about money, power and fame, but about recognizing the Light in one another and in the world itself. Even though the world may be no great support in living a spiritual life at this present time, there is no greater opportunity to be in the vanguard of what is to come—to help lead the way through your own example. For I can tell you from my own experience, there is no greater way to live this life than to be in the grip of God.

Traditions around the world speak of a deepening relationship with God, a marriage with God. This feeling for God as your all and all, your Beloved, is both dual in nature, of being lover and beloved, and also holds out a promise for complete mergence of two who become one.

Human love of one for another has so very many variations, but a romance includes physical chemistry and deep emotions of the heart. One of the great challenges of human love is to separate out chemistry (lust) from real love. Chemistry can be a powerful imitator of love, at least in the beginning. Chemistry can make you feel that you cannot live without another, you can only think of another, and in intimate moments that you are merging one into another. However, chemistry can be had with someone with whom you are not compatible on any other level. When the chemistry subsides, as it always does, and there is no friendship, no alignment of interests or purpose, then there is a sense of betrayal of “love.”

Real love endures and is based on respect and  friendship–it is a feeling that resembles the patina of wood. Patina is created through years of usage, and even those things that can be not good for the finish, sunlight, dust and scuffs all add to the patina that give it a rich glow that cannot be created in any other way except through time and usage. There are times when love has to endure much, but in the end it creates a deepening glow that shines all the more with kindness, care and usage.

This human love, whether in romance, friendship, work or familial relationships is all preparation for our marriage with God. God is the consummate lover, ever attentive, giving and keen for your welfare. However, even as God gives all, so does He demand all. The principle of, “As you give, so shall you receive,” is never more true than with God. Human tendency is to withhold from another when hurt and disappointed. This tendency must be overcome, not only in human relationships (this is part of the preparation for the Divine Romance), but most especially you must learn not to withhold from God. There is a mathematical preciseness–exactly the way you withhold equals blocking out the flow of God; not because God is withholding from you, but because you have built a barrier through your withholding.  

When you learn to surrender, to give your all, then the floodgates open and you receive the infinite nature of God–unending love, ever-new bliss, life, wisdom thoughts, expansive consciousness, unending gifts of Spirit. Now, as you receive, so you give. You give all that God gives to you back to God, God as Spirit, God as creation. The more you give, the more you receive, the more you receive, the more you give. The patina of Spirit grows and glows, and you are infinitely enriched as God gives to God. You give without thought of what you will receive, only knowing that it is God giving through you, and you giving back to God in whatever way He directs.

In that direct relationship with God, giver and receiver merge and are ultimately consumed, one into  another. One becomes two, and two become One, a play of Spirit, not to create separation but enjoy the giving and receiving in its unending variations. Think what a dismal life of playing it alone results in, when compared to the wonder and beauty of being God’s expression and beloved. God, being the senior partner, is not unmindful of the wishes of His beloved, however His will is far reaching, wise beyond counting, and takes into account the good of all. Therefore, God is not going to cater to every wish of His beloved, but definitely compensates for every lash that may be received for His Name’s sake.

To enter into this Divine Romance you begin with giving, surrendering, serving, and loving. If you cannot find it in you to know how to do these things, then pray to your Infinite Beloved to show you how. If you stand back in indifference or fear, then you are withholding–with predictable results. Love can only be known through free will, love can never be compulsory. We ever stand on the threshold of a new beginning, and even now you may enrichen the patina of your Divine Romance and explore the infinite nature of your Beloved by stepping through that doorway.