Passage 7

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In plain words

Our Prema must not be bounded by our family alone. Crossing this limit, we must travel as far as the community. Crossing this community, we must travel as far as the nation. From this nation, too, we must enter the broad world. The Buddha, too, said this very thing.

Buddhaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi; saṅghaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi.

We are using only the Buddhi. To the Buddhi alone we surrender. We take refuge in the Buddhi alone. By the Buddhi itself we are being bound. Not leaving that Buddhi limited to that much: saṅghaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi. This Buddhi must be brought into that community. Only then does it come to have a broad heart and try to recognise oneness. Though the shapes differ and the names and forms differ, it enters at least in some measure the level where the divine heart called divinity is one. But there is no use in merely becoming a member of the community. "I am a member of such and such a committee." What is the use of merely being a member? That is precisely why: buddhaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi. Saṅghaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi. We must enter the community. But merely to enter, and stay without doing any kind of service, is to be the same as a dead man. From there it is dharmaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi: in the community we must take refuge in Dharma. We must practise that Dharma. Only when we enter into those holy and true services is that very Dharma, the true Dharma, ours. Here we can understand the truth, "I was born to serve, not to be served." We must use the strength to enter service and fulfil our duty. Truly, the vessel dear to God is the heart alone. That heart itself is His own form. One who wants to attain Him must attain His form. To see the shining sun we need no hurricane lantern, no petromax light or torch light. The sun must be seen by the sun's own light. God is the embodiment of Prema. If we want to attain the Paramātma, the embodiment of such Prema, we must develop such Prema in ourselves. God is the embodiment of Satya. If we want to recognise such Satya, it is of no use if we are Asatya. We too must become embodiments of Satya. God is full of Śānti. If we want to attain such Śānti, we must experience Śānti. Only then is it brahmavid brahmaiva bhavati. One who has recognised That becomes That itself.

If man is to live as man, he must love man. Man must live as man. When this man wants to live as man, we must ask ourselves two questions.