Sri Swami Vishwananda talks about........

Keep reminding yourself of why you are here. All this that is around will pass and go. New things will come. But the Self can’t get old. The Self can’t die, so it will be eternal. It is better you realise it now, that you are eternal, rather than at the end when the time of departure comes and you say, “Oops, this was easy. I could have realised that a long time ago, but now it’s too late.” Therefore, you have already messed up the whole life in searching for things. It is here, right now with you! So try to make this the ultimate goal – of realising the Self. You know it in the mind. For sure it will not be quick and easy, that you will just think about it, and then here it is!

Keep practicing it. Every day say to yourself, “I am the

Spirit, I’m the Christ”, and let it reflect outside. When you say, “I am a child of God. I’m part of the creator, I’m part of the Father”, and you do not reflect it to the outside, it does not help. What I mean by the reflection towards the outside is to let this vibrate within you at first.

Secondly, as much as possible, help! Help whoever comes to you. Help without even thinking of helping. If possible, once a week, go on the streets. If you live in a town, for sure there are so many people who live on the streets. You can go and talk to and be with them. It is not a big thing.

Listen, for sure, when you approach these people, they will feel that, “Oh, this one wants to make fun of me” or whatever. They will refuse you. But keep trying! This is how you will really find God in each person. Realise that you are doing it for Jesus, you are doing it for God. Remind yourself that he said, “What you do to the least of my brothers, you are doing it unto me.”

The same subject is found in the Vishnupurana. It says, “Manav seva – Madhav seva.” This means, service to mankind is service to Lord Narayana. So try to see this Divine aspect in everybody. If you only look towards the outside, you will always come to a judgement point of the mind.

The mind has duality: You love – you don’t love; you are like this – or you are like that. You have to reach the point of non-duality, when you see only with the heart. This is the most beautiful thing. Years come, years go, it doesn’t bring anybody higher if the heart is not open. When you really give your best, you will open up your heart. How many saints started small, by helping a few people, and then they became selflessly devoted to the people, to the helping of others. Because in their mind they did not think that they were doing it for Jesus. They just did it because they loved to do it.

This reminds me of a saint, St. Sabbas of Egypt. You know, in the Christian tradition, whenever you go to a hermit, or to a monk, they welcome you by washing your hands and your feet. Even the Benedictines used to do it. They do not do it anymore. So, once a man came to visit St. Sabbas in his cave while St. Sabbas was meditating. When he noticed the visitor, he became very happy. He washed the hands of this man and he washed his feet, and he was so much in love and he was crying so much. When he looked up, it was Jesus sitting there. He started crying and said, “Oh, my Lord, You are here!” At that moment, the visitor disappeared.

So, God will not come to you in a beautiful form. He will always come, even as your own enemy. He will come, because this is how He will teach you to love – love without condition.