Self-Realization Fellowship Blog

The following post is an excerpt from the talk “God-Communion: Man’s Greatest Necessity,” which can be read in full in Solving the Mystery of Life, Volume IV of Paramahansa Yogananda’s Collected Talks and Essays — soon to be released by Self-Realization Fellowship and available now for pre-order. The full talk was given at the second anniversary celebration of Self-Realization Fellowship Golden Lotus Temple, Encinitas, California, January 7, 1940. 

This world will always have some defects. No matter what wonderful methods are discovered to benefit the human race, this material world will never be completely safe for mankind. Though Jesus could perform miracles of feeding five thousand with a few fish and loaves of bread, and even raising the dead, still he had to suffer for doing good. He showed by his powers that everything is of God, and when we cultivate that transcendent consciousness of Spirit we gradually go beyond all superficialities and realize the One Reality underlying all outer manifestations.

That is the only way we can be happy, the only time we can really consider ourselves safe and secure — in sorrow or pleasure, in health or illness, in life or death, in all dualities of existence. We should not expect perfection from ever-changing material conditions, but realize that it is the Father alone who can give lasting happiness.

Suppose you are dreaming that you have a terrible disease and you see someone else in your dream who is strong and healthy. Then you see that you are poor and hungry while someone else has plenty. While you are dreaming, your pain and hunger are real; but when you wake up you smile with relief.

So it is with this dream world we live in. I am seeing this all the time. Outwardly I have to contend with the limitations of the body and material existence in order to work for the Father in this dream world of maya; but in the inner wakefulness of God-awareness I am ceaselessly enjoying the bliss and unconditioned freedom of Spirit.

All the dualities of this world are the tests of God. He wants us to wake up from the illusion of mortal life, to rise to consciousness of our immortality. Even saints are tested; they have to undergo many trials. Read the life of Saint Francis — how he suffered even while he was healing others, but he never prayed to God for his own healing. Every night he saw Jesus Christ. He was born with sensual habits, but still he rose to sublime heights by his complete surrender to God.
 

God Is Moved Not by Our Praise, but by Our Love 

It is not the ability to perform miracles that makes a saint. Such feats do not impress God; He is performing miracles all the time in everything in this intricate and marvelous creation. He is interested only in the love of those who love Him. To make your heart pure with love for God is the greatest miracle; and nothing else will fully satisfy your soul.

Nor can God be moved by praise, for in Him there is no vanity. When you do not crave attention from anyone but are only interested in true souls who love you, when you understand the meaning of true friendship, when you cannot be moved by words of flattery but only by the love of true hearts — then you know the love that God seeks from you and gives to you.

That is why temples such as this one are important — that we may all change the superficialities of religion into the direct experience of God. The great Jesus Christ and Babaji and Lahiri Mahasaya and my Master conferred together to save the church from churchianity and bring back true Christianity. That is why I am here to serve you. This teaching will be the salvation of each individual. Not all the inventions of convenience in the world will bring you happiness. Coming here from the Orient, I was at first enamored about America’s ingenious machines and material progress; but I see that these things have not brought you peace and contentment. Real peace and contentment lie in the bliss of God.

No death, no disease, no trouble can ever enter there in the land beyond the dreams of delusion, in the eternal safety of your own consciousness of Spirit. Be anchored in that Refuge. Establish yourself in that consciousness by deep, regular meditation, and you will find Him there.

We invite you to learn more about Solving the Mystery of Life by Paramahansaji, the fourth volume in the Collected Talks and Essays on Realizing God in Daily Life. This beautiful work of timeless wisdom is now available for pre-order (and will be released by SRF this June).