THE KEY TO GOD'S HEART ( 8)

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SEEK HIM WITHIN
(Chapter


In the entirety of creation, we have but one area in which we have total and complete free will and that is whether we choose to turn to God or not. That is our sole choice in life. The Lord, whose creation we are, can turn dust into gold, rocks into diamonds, the one who can turn the sky into earth and the earth into sky, will not impose on this freedom which He has bestowed upon mankind. He cannot turn a single heart towards Himself. Only if we take one step towards Him will He take ten steps towards us. Turn to the world and He will leave you alone to your devices to live life after life, to experience death after death, until you finally, weary of the world, and seek Him. Turn to Him and He is yours.


Most of us, when we interact with the world outside, unknowingly we close our hearts and shut out the Lord. This door is one that only we can open. He will not open this door. He will not guide you towards the threshold even. It is an inner urge that must emerge from you. It is a response that you must seek, must aspire for and be inclined towards. It is something that you must initiate. God will not force you to seek Him. He will not enforce you to yearn for Him. He will not prevail upon you to desire or need Him. He will not control this aspect. You are completely free to make your own choice. It is entirely the one and only department in which man has irrevocable free will. But once you take the first step, He will guide, He will be with you, He will take your hand and lead you along. It is like a child taking its first steps. No matter how difficult, the mother cannot take those steps for the child. Similarly, only you can coordinate this, you can acquire the knowledge and only you can experience and act worldly while being immersed internally in Him. It comes with practice, and it will depend on how much effort is made, how sincere you are.


We talk about the key to God's heart but what does the key to God's heart mean? It means that when you open that door and you enter in, He also enters into your heart, and therein begins divine communication, a divine telephone line and you are graced with the ability to discuss with Him anything that you may wish or He wishes to with you. Through this wonderful link, He will guide and guard you in every aspect of your life. This actually happens in stages. Initially, there has to be longing and the yearning for God and He will then bestow the grace. Once the actual experiences in the heart begin, the rapture of playing with and being companion to God will bring an indescribable joy and bliss. The relationship will then develop by itself to the highest level. He will guide and nurture it as it goes through various stages.


How to distinguish this voice? Where there are many voices, you can call it conscious, but not conscience. Conscious relates to the little self. It deals with the mind. In the mind, there will be many voices and differences but conscience is always one. It is unchanging. All the various phenomena, everything pertaining to the world can be called conscious. The supreme spirit, highest awareness is pure consciousness. Out of pure consciousness comes conscience that is the voice of truth inside. And conscience is a spark of the divine. On this path to win God's love, we go from the worldly level to the divine that is in our own hearts and then to the ultimate reality.


The conscience, or inner voice, is a very definite and practical device within each of us that will bring us quickly to our divinity : This inner voice is the voice of God Himself. This voice will give us definite directions in dealing with all aspects of our worldly lives, and will transform us, through our lives, that we may at last become God. Even beyond directing our daily affairs through right action, this inner voice speaks to us of our innate divinity. It supplies us with a deep flow of peace and contentment, and a knowing beyond words. It comforts us in our times of strife, and quickly puts us back on the proper road, whenever we deviate from the path. And when we follow its guidance without hesitation, not only are our lives transformed, but also the lives of those around us. The inner voice is more than something to be turned to when things get rough. It should become our closest of friends, one whom we listen to always. This inner voice is the voice of God within each of us. To be in constant touch with it, is like having a continual interview with God. However, each of use must find this inner voice within ourselves, for God speaks to each of us directly. This is the inner mystical conversation between the over soul and the individual soul. Only when we allow God to manifest within us and make use of us as an instrument can this take place.


The means for us to reach God varies from person to person based upon the individual. However, the destination is the same for all. Thus, taking advice from another's inner guidance can bring about the dreadful mistake of confusing their means for ours. This is why God only communicates with each of us directly, not through a third party. There is an important obviousness in why we should each learn to follow our inner voice. Learning to listen to this inner voice gives us the individual direction that is needed in our own process of becoming God. Plus, the inner voice is always with us. We can rest, confident and secure, knowing that God is prompting our every move. Learning to hear the inner voice takes effort, and many wonder if they truly are hearing the inner voice, or just voices based on thoughts or emotions. When the inner voice directs, there is no question or uncertainty about it. The guidance is direct. It is definite. If we are perfectly honest, each of us knows what we should do. All have had the experience of following 'another' voice, having disastrous results, and saying in the end, 'I really knew I was doing the wrong thing, but I didn't want to believe it'. Herein lies the main problem for hearing the inner voice : our own desires. In truth, the inner voice is always giving us guidance, most of the time, our own desires are what keep us from listening. When we have desires, we take our life along the path that will fulfill those desires. If the inner voice is giving us a direction that won't fulfill our desires, then we will not choose to listen to it, and will even go as far as projecting this on God by saying the inner voice never guides me. So, the first step to hearing the inner voice, is removing desires. The second problem is judgment. Often times, we will prejudge a situation in our lives, deciding in advance the direction the situation should take. If the inner voice prompts a different direction, again we will not choose to listen to it. So, the fundamental problem is not that the inner voice isn't guiding us, but that we don't value the inner voice enough to listen to it because we are afraid that it contradicts our own judgments and desires.


It is not hearing the inner voice, but learning to value it that is our greatest challenge. For when we value it, we are willing to hear it, thus we have taken another step towards God, and He in turn, can take ten steps towards us by helping us to hear it. Unfortunately, most of us only learn to value the inner voice after experiencing the pain of following 'other voices'. The only way to save ourselves from this needless process, is to live in the full faith that God is the only One who knows the play well enough to direct it. By knowing this, we can follow His voice prompting our moves and our lines, leading us into Him, giving us the glorious experience of becoming God.


How do you establish this communication, this inner guidance with Him? How to decide when to lay the foundations of the connection? The best time is first thing in the morning. The early hours of the morning when everything is quiet and calm. When the mind in yet half asleep and the body is not fully awake to its surroundings and the senses are still dormant. When you are floating in the land between sleep and wakefulness. This is the time to concentrate. This is the time to attempt again and again until you receive an answer from Him. If you make this attempt continuously for twenty-four hours, do you think He will not respond? Of course, He will respond. It is His nature to respond. How can He resist such a call? If someone were to do this and call on us in such a manner, would we not feel obliged to respond? The Lord is no less than us, in fact, much more than us. Your love, your call would pull Him irresistibly to you, would make Him come to you. But how many of us are prepared to expend twenty-four hours in this manner? We have far too many concerns and worldly obligations and duties to engage in this activity. Once the link is established early in the morning, it will remain throughout the day. Try and you will experience the truth of this statement for yourself. Remember the Lord is ever present wherever you are, at all times, in all places, in every cell of your form, in every person, in every manifestation of His creation.


When you call the Lord with your mind alone, you will not receive a response. The yearning must emerge from the heart, visualize Him in the heart. When you begin to do this, He will always come. Then there is no question of His not being present with you. In time, it will become an automatic process. Even when you are conversing with someone or are engaged with your daily tasks, visualize the Lord, or your favorite form in the heart. Speak to that form, love that form and that form will respond. It cannot do otherwise but respond. Soon you will find that He will give you guidance in myriad forms far too numerous to elaborate on, tell or talk about; dreams, visions, letters, feathers, through books, songs, inner guidance, notions, thoughts, ideas and coincidences, which one never expects, are but a few. His direct subtle presence felt and sensed only by you. The Lord has as many ways as there are drops of rain. Once that guidance is given, you are beholden to follow the instructions. You must follow the instructions or dictates the Lord lays down for you if you wish the link to continue. For unless you do so, no further guidance will be forthcoming. The Lord only advises for your benefit, your progress. He has no selfish motives. There is not an ounce of self interest in God. He is completely sacrificing though He does not call it sacrifice - He calls it an offering on the altar of love.

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If there is purity of heart and love for God, then thoughts, the correct thoughts, arise of their own accord. These thoughts strike a cord in the hearts of children and adults alike. They instantly enter the hearts of those you are addressing. This is called the magic of pure love. Only if your have this purity and love are your thoughts pure. This power is the power of good intention and love coupled with divine will. This is God speaking with God; the mysterious communication of heart to heart, soul to soul.


God is always considerate and loving. You will see the result of the hours, days, weeks, months and years of yearning and tears of your aspirations to be with Him. He will shower you with His grace. It is beautiful and unique. Your own communication with Him, your very own divine connection and link, the inner voice that will guide you throughout your life : more stupendous than anything you can imagine. That time will find a glorious culmination, Him for you. Can you imagine a personal, private Lord, yours and yours alone? He will instruct, guide, advise, love you, be friend and companion. Your very own magical genii who gives you the answer to all your problems. Who watches over you and guards you. Your personal guardian angel!!! What more could anyone want? And this accumulated grace is as a cascade of nectar. How to ensure that it never ends? How to ensure that this wonderful grace, showers of bliss, of gold and diamonds of His presence never leaves you? Simply b cultivating more and more love for Him. Devotion, service and faith, hand in hand.


Never doubt the Lord : never doubt the inner communication and visions. Cultivate perfect one hundred percent faith in Him. Believe what He has said will be and it will be. Once the seeds of doubt are sown, they rapidly flourish and strangle the tender plant of faith and you may be deluded that all this, His love, advice and comfort are perhaps the result of an over active imagination. This can destroy all that has been built. It can destroy the bridges of communication forged so daringly between you and Him. Fortunately for us, the Lord is always aware of this and He always provides His attention through someone or directly Himself. You will realize and be given positive proof that His words are genuine and His communication with you is a reality. His love for you is authentic. What could be greater; to sit by the side of God, to have God as your nearest and dearest, to know that God loves you. We all love God but to know, to be aware and to share and experience His love - nothing could compare with it. This is the only purpose of human existence, the sole purpose of life.


When the voice, the divine connection manifests, one must learn to trust His judgment and follow His instructions. Just as we expect our children to follow our directions, we must follow His instructions. Then and only then, can everything be yours. Everything you want, you wish for and all you need. There are so few persons who love Him totally, completely, intimately and personally. It is that love He seeks, is in quest of and forever searches for. If ever you feel sad and depressed, think of the affect of your absence on Him. How lonely He is without you. He will give grace and He will come to you according to your thoughts and beliefs, according to what you can expect and what you desire. Some things are beyond even His power, for He will not violate His own laws. One of these laws is not to go against the trend of thoughts and beliefs we hold. Yearn, have faith and wait, and He will surely come.


While the tongue wags, the still small voice of God cannot be heard. While you speak, how can you hear the inner voice? If your mouth is constantly engaged and your mind runs on wheels, how can you hear the voice speaking to you? Learn to enjoy the silence and peace, the stillness, the miracle of no sound with sound in God. In fact, that very stillness has its own unique sound. Learn to value silence. Silence is golden. Be at peace with yourself and find the peace of God. Dare to dwell and live in the secret place in the heart. All God's gems of rare price can only be brought with silence and action, silence within and the action of service. On this path, you will find messages and answers coming to you from every source. God uses every method to teach. He will use any, absolutely any method, to communicate with you, to show you His love, to manifest His love. He can formulate any missive for your consolation through your trials and tribulations of worldly affairs. You must never allow the communication to fall into abeyance or disuse. You will find that regardless of the knowledge that you should be linked to Him at all times, the connection will suffer an instant disconnection as soon as outer events take precedence.


As you come to accept and trust in His words and presence, life will be lived more in the heart with Him than in the outer world but your hands will be occupied and engaged in service to Him in every form around you. With His work will you be busy. To acquire the link, to acquire the key to His heart, time is needed. Time with Him to fathom the skills of this secret communication, to forge the link secure and unshakeable and to help you cope in your life with Him and the world. Much time will be necessary that you will have to spend alone in solitary. Hours and days with Him in silence, contacting the Lord until He responds. But once He responds, the shower of grace, the rain of heavenly sweetness never ends. That is a promise from Him. Once you live in His home, His heart, once the golden key is in your possession, once you are privileged to have access to the Lord's will, to His abode, to the Lord's storehouse, then He is your one and only insurance against the vagaries of this reality we live in. You will not require any other bolster when He is there to guide, guard and protect. He will live with you, love and take care of you.


One of the most important points to remember is that your concentration must be one pointed on the feeling, visualizing Him in the heart. Decide on a path, choose a route whereby after being guided by Him, you adhere to one strict regime for many years. One should not make constant changes in one's approach to God by observing what others are engaged in or what may appear right in accordance with one's whims and fancies. Such instability and haphazard practice cannot give the desired results. In the case of the average person like you and I, it is detrimental to change devotion, austerities or paths or even the form of God. Never alter the regime you have chosen, unless advised by the divine Himself, for it will harm your progress. We, ordinary people, are of unsteady minds and character. We are blown hither and thither by our predilections and therefore any alteration in practice almost certainly means a new start. It is like digging ten different wells rather than digging ten feet in one place. Dig one well one hundred feet in one place and reach the underground reservoir of water. This is why only one form of God is recommended. Though so many forms exist, they are all essentially one. Hence, apply yourself to your chosen regime and reach the waters of God's grace and love. No matter what the practice and for how long or short a time, the fruit of it is never lost for it carries over to the next life. Many saints and sages in all cultures and all lands have testified to this.


This love is like a current, a connection, telephone, telegram system, computer connection, modem, or fax directly linked to God's heart. Whenever you wish, you may access that key, open the door to His heart, enter in and rest and stay there for as long as you may wish. Soon you will become a part of Him. The more often you do this, the more often you utilize the connection, the more time you spend in His heart and He in yours - unity begins. Slowly, the merging of souls begins. Eventually, you will never be able to leave His heart nor He yours.


One of the errors on this path, the greatest obstacle is the amount of time you spend with Him, or more to the point, the lack of time spent with Him. Only the time you while away in His presence will ensure that you make no mistakes because all other faults, mistakes, errors, problems and obstacles arise from this lack of communication, from this lack of connection with God. One must remember that once one is in company, one still must not forget the Lord within. If you practice, if you take to this path of practicing the presence of Him and pursue your regime, then you must never forget that He is always with you. Therefore, in spite of other considerations, you must be prepared to go within and seek His advice on any situation.


In a relationship with the divine, actually in any relationship that is deep and abiding, there is no need to always use the spoken word. At times, it is just as well to be silent in each other's company. To rest in His love. You must remember that you have to take the step, take the initiative and it is for you to take the Lord back to your world with you. To live in His world, to live in the heart are stages. The aim is to take and integrate Him with you in your world so that you are not separated from Him. There should not be two worlds but only one world, that is our world. Not His world, not your world but OUR world. One must be careful, conscious and aware of that familiarity with the Lord does not breed contempt.


There is always a tendency to immerse ourselves in our daily lives and forget the divine connection most of the time. If we could rectify this matter, if we could rectify these minor aberrations, how the Lord would love to come and be with us, live with us and abide with us in reality. What a heavenly world this earth would become. To traverse this path, to acquire this love, to realize this divine connection, this telephone line to the Lord, concentration is absolutely essential. Complete and total concentration at any time whether one is engaged in work or not, whether one is free or not, the heart must always be tuned towards the Lord. The mind must be surrendered at His feet. The hands must be occupied within the world in the daily tasks. To have your hands work, you do not require your heart or your mind. To all those who surrender at the feet of the Lord, for all those who yield their will and relinquish their ego, for them, the Lord takes care of everything, right down to the minutest detail. He is there, second by second, minute after minute, behind, in front, above, and below, the Lord encircles the devotee in a protective aura so that he never comes to any harm. He corrects all matters in the person's life giving him complete freedom to be immersed in this aspect of pure love. And the love is as if poured from one container to another. From the devotee's heart to the Lord's heart and back again. Thereby increasing in measure as it fulfills and delights both. He will lead, guard and guide you, utterly and completely, like the eyelids guard the eye. He will never allow any harm to come to you. Your life becomes a ceaseless stream of miracles, showers of love from above. Grace will rain blessedly on the chosen ones. The chosen ones are not special. They are not unique or unapproachable. On the contrary, they are people like you who have taken up the gauntlet, have desired God. You can become a chosen one, it is your choice. We decide whether to turn to God or away from God. We determine how much time we will allocate to the Lord. All these choices we make ourselves. He does not make them for us.


Happiness is within; do not seek it outside, that is delusion. You will have to acquire the knowledge and ability to be with Him whilst engaged in the phenomenal world. If you do not do so, how will you spend all the hours of the day with Him? It is not possible. You must make progress on this path in the early stages. God cannot be separated from your life and set aside. He cannot be given half an hour of your time a day or a few hours and the rest of the day you do your work. He must be integrated into your life. Integrated in every action you are engaged in. Integrated in all you do, whether you eat, sleep or walk. Remember to wake Him up when you arise in the mornings. Remember to offer Him breakfast before you eat. Remember to take Him with you when you go out and bring Him back home with you. Prepare an evening meal for Him. Remember to put Him to sleep after a long day. Remember to call on Him when you have problems. This is your imaginary friend who is your one and only real friend. He is more real than the world outside, the reality. What is reality? Is a dream a reality? Is the phenomenal world a reality? Neither is real and both are real. Each is as equally real as the other. The ultimate reality is this 'imaginary' friend and companion, God.


True communion with the divine is when He is made a part of your life and as such involved in it by you. Only then is it true communion with the divine. If you merely call on Him for an hour or so, that is like two neighbors living next to each other and meeting sometimes. You visit within for a short while and you leave. This should not be. He must become wholly a part of your life, and in becoming part of your life, He will give that life a bliss and joy which has never been imagined before, never expected could be possible. This happiness is joy you will never find anywhere else.


We must develop this inner voice, inner relationship. He will be guiding and directing you. The inner Lord will guide you moment by moment in every one of your daily activities so long as you turn to Him. He will be there for you. At times, you may not even ask and yet, He will provide you His attention. This demands that you must give equal attention to Him. In general, we are not prepared to give one hundred percent to the Lord. We are quite prepared to accept one hundred and twenty percent from Him though.


You may not converse with the Lord on a daily basis. You may say you do not have time, but within your heart, each beat of the heart, each breath you take, must always be only with His name, immersed in Him. Each morsel you consume is for you and Him, for His delight. Each thought you think is about Him. This does not mean that you cannot go about your daily tasks. Of course, you can. You will be surprised to see the incredibility of how the human brain works. An actual task in hand probably only consumes a minute but the brain itself will ramble on along the same by lanes for ten minutes or so. Or should I say, the mind forces the brain to continue! Those extra nine minutes you can go back to being immersed in the Lord. Once emerged from Him to attend to the task in hand, then dissolve, merge back into the ocean of His love, time and time again.


In our lives, a great deal of time is lost in aimless meanderings, in spite of the knowledge that He is waiting for us. He is always there for us but do we have time for Him? When you make time for Him, you will find that His terms and expressions are saturated with such exquisite sweetness that they will leave you speechless. If you cannot do that, then merely to sit in silence with the thought of God is enough; that in itself, will accomplish the miracle of change in you. The soul will gain awareness through purification. Your daily contact with Him will be responsible for this. During this period when you think of Him alone, think of all the pleasant things in your life. Think of the happiness. Dwell on the joys, on the beauty of creation and love; everything that means joy and delight for you. These beautiful thoughts will clear the path from you to Him.

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The more you live with Him, not only can no one harm you but your tongue, your word becomes the abode of truth. Every word you utter must be, must take form, must become; this is the secret of God. If you are pure in thought, word and deed, then it is automatic that the spoken word must be. It gains divine energy and the divine will is manifest in you. You may think that only saints have access to this power. It is not a power, it is merely the result of purity of heart. Try this exercise; ensure that you tell no untruths for at least a few months and witness the 'miracle' that takes place.


He states that there are no fasts, rituals, vows, prayers and strength greater; there is no greater mountain you can climb than earning and winning His love and practicing living in His divine presence. That alone will gain access to His heart. It means practicing the presence twenty four hours a day and not here and there for five or ten minutes in the prayer room. It is a constant, continuous and ceaseless longing. Only then can you win His love. When you live in that constant presence, it will be beyond your understanding, but you will be unable, you will be incapable of making any errors. His presence precludes human errors. This is the ultimate gift of surrender. If ever you do, the mistakes will be His will and not of your doing. With Him, there are no errors and you will always act in perfect accordance with the divine will.


The ideal is to live a spiritual life within and of a worldly life outwardly. To complete one's duties, one's occupations and undertake one's tasks in life while remaining totally calm and centered on the Lord within. Seeking guidance from within, seeking Him within. On this path, once the love develops, it is impossible to ask the Lord for anything. Do not ask; there will be no need to ask for He Himself will provide without asking. He will guide without your having to voice the request. He will guard without your having to seek protection. Your life will be entwined with the divine beloved. He will resolve all problems without a single prayer being uttered from your lips. There is no need to ask or pray for all will be taken care of by Him. If only your heart would merge as one with His, then all power is yours. Your will then becomes the divine will and divine will is all powerful, all consuming, of great magnitude. It is yours the minute you unite with the Lord. He will take all your burdens and cares upon Himself. Leave all problems to Him. Believe that all your trials are coming to an end and you will be more joyous and happy than anyone could ever be in life. One must have implicit faith in His words, believe unconditionally in His utterances and trust in Him. He will take care of your welfare, relatives and family. Whatever concerns you concerns Him also.


When you are confident and aware the He is always with you, always waiting for you, do not feel free that you can leave Him. It must be understood that this is merely a stage in spiritual development and not the culmination of it. There is much more to be covered and over come. If you fail in keeping this connection alive, then how can you succeed in the goal of attaining the highest love for God and gaining the key to His heart. Keep this in mind and see it as a discipline you must practice. Just as you expect your children to follow your advice and disciplines for you know that is best for the children, so also you must follow the regime that the Lord lays down for you.


For God to respond, some effort is necessary, you will require the information, in the early stages, which you will gain from books until you have established your own personal link and relationship with Him. This relationship will go through a free fall where He Himself will guide you and lead you in the dance of this wild romance with Him. Then you will need no books, for no one could ever guide or assist you then. At this stage, there is no other refuge than Him, no other love than Him and no other desire than Him and for Him. It is only up to the stage of establishing the link that other people's views, comments and experiences can be of some assistance.


(From : THE KEY TO GOD'S HEART by R SAI)