The Right Way to Know God
When a person does anything, he leaves his stamp, or reflection, on it, although he also maintains his own personal individuality. So, too, God the creator is an invariable, inherent, implicit part and parcel of all creation. That is why we are asked to see Him in all creation. To achieve this calls for an intense desire and belief. Many people have just a vague feeling that there is something called God; they do not know, nor do they have a burning desire to know Him fully, to realize Him truly. It is this earnest desire that is the basic thing. Then the person looks about himself, starts searching seriously to acquaint himself with the different approaches to God. Some say that becoming a sannyasin is the shortest, quickest way; some may advise celibacy as the way; some may suggest married life as advised by the vedas; while sacrifices, Patanjala yoga, and various other sadhanas may be suggested by various others.
What should we do in this perplexing confusion of opinions and suggestions? We can accept the path trodden by those who have successfully pursued the spiritual quest. Who can be said to have succeeded in this quest? Evidently, the saints; so let us follow the path they advise.
When we are out trying to locate a certain place, we often come to crossroads. Usually, there we find boards indicating the place each road leads to. It may happen that the road leading to our desired place is without shady trees, while another of the roads is shady, attractive. Shall we prefer it to the one we need? But that is precisely what we are doing. We allow ourselves to surrender to sense-pleasures merely because they yield immediate enjoyment, though they are short-lived and may eventually lead to pain. We therefore miss the path leading to God.
Let us, then, follow the route indicated by saints, though it may look unattractive, remembering that, even so, it is the one that leads to God.
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