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Thought of the Moment

"Discrimination grows through contemplativeaction." Amma

God will not tell you that you should desireHim above all else, because He wants yourlove to be freely given, without "prompting."That is the whole secret in the game of thisuniverse. He who created us yearns for our love.He wants us to give it spontaneously, withoutHis asking. Our love is the one thing God doesnot possess, unless we choose to bestow it. So,you see, even the Lord has something to attain:our love. And we shall never be happy until wegive it.

- Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda"How You Can Talk With God"

The Lord, like a lump of sugar, is sweetness allover. All differences and distinctions are theillusions of people with body consciousness.Consider this example: A mother having four

children does not give the other three as muchattention and care as she gives to the child in thecradle. Even if the child does not call out for it,she is ever vigilant to give it food. The otherthree come and ask her for food and things toplay with. Observing this, you cannot pronounceher a bad mother or a partial mother. Themother adjusts her activities to the capacityand ability of the child. So too, though theentire world is His, though all are His children,He graces and blesses each one according toones capacity and ability. To ascribe any faultto such selfless, sincere, simple, ever-blissful

Providence is like attributing darkness to theSun - it is an act of sheer ignorance!

Live from dayto day," he said, "remembering that all sustenancecomes from God."Christ said: "Sell all that thou hast...andcome, follow me.

There should be nothing on earth that you cannotgive up for God. If you cannot renounce at leastsome of your badhabits, moods, and materiality for Him, you are a

weakling; andGod cannot be attained by weaklings. Mentalstrength is absolutelynecessary in order to find God.

Unless one brings God into his life, creating adynamicbalance, difficulties arise no matter where orhow one lives.

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What you want to do isnot necessarily what you should do. It is easy to do what youwant to do, but that is slavery.

I enjoy thefood I eat, but inwardly I am aware that it is Godwho is eatingthrough me. Therefore I feel no attachment tofood. If I eat, allright; if I don't eat, I don't miss it. The idea is tolearn to relate all experiences to God.

Let me do what God wants me to do.

When you awaken in the morning, affirm:"Lord, I offer this day unto You. The little ego nolonger holdssway in this body; You alone dwell here."

"Thou shalt have no other gods before Me."*

The Lord did not create this world to torture us,but totest us. The purpose of this test is to see if in

carrying on our material duties we can still keepour minds centred in Him, ifwe can learn to be in the world, but not of itnot absorbedor lost in its materiality.

Not only when you are meditating, but also whenyouare working, your thoughts should be constantlyanchored inHim. If you work with the consciousness that youare doing itto please God, that activity unites you with Him.

Therefore donot imagine that you can find God only inmeditation. Bothmeditation and right activity are essential, asthe BhagavadGita teaches. If you think of God while youperform yourduties in this world, you will be mentallyunited with Him.

Sri Ramakrishna Beware of these differenttypes of people.First, mukhahalsa of

him whosewords flow like water.And then bhetarbunde ofhim the door of whose heart is closed to you.Thenkantulse ofthe devotee who shows off to theworld his devotion by the sacred tulasi (a sacredplant) leaf stuck into the ear.Of dighal ghomta

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woman ofthe woman who wears a long veil,seeing whom people think that she is a very chastewoman but in fact she is not.And of panapukurwater waterof the tank covered with scum; thewater of which causes disorder of the threehumours of the body if a bath is taken therein.

Mother,I surrender myself at Your lotus feet.Mother, I have given myself up to You.Mother, I dont ask for bodily comforts, I dontaskfor name and fame, nor do I ask for the eight occultpowers.Only grant that I may have pure devotion at Yourlotus feet.That I may have selfless, motiveless and puredevotion.And grant, O Mother, I may not be bewitched byYour world-bewitching maya.May I never have love for woman and gold. In

Your world of maya, Mother, there is none else butYou as mine.I know not how to chant Your name, I am devoid ofYour devotion, knowledge and bhakti.Be compassionate and grant me bhakti at Your lotusfeet.

Thought of the Moment

"If you seek solace in anything else than God,all will be lost." Amma