Passage 4

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In plain words

Some people do japa, saying ‘Rām, Rām, Rām’. While the rosary turns in the hand, their mind too keeps turning round the market. That is not japa. The japa of Rāma's Name must fill your heart to the brim with joy. When you close your eyes and remember the Name of Rāma with all your heart, you will be able to see the divine form of Rāma. “With a mind rejoicing in Prema, say Rāma, Rāma, Rām….” The Name of God must cling fast in your heart.

We must regard service to society itself as service to the Lord of all

God is the embodiment of Prema, beyond the guṇas. To attribute guṇas to God is nothing but your imagination! Desire, anger, hatred, greed, envy, pride and all such bad qualities are things you have made up for yourselves, not things God gave you. God always gives you only Prema. You want every object that meets your eye. That is nothing but a bad quality in you. God has nothing at all to do with it. God has no desires of any kind. Some people attribute the desires in themselves to God and try to deceive even God. They attribute guṇas to God, who is beyond the guṇas, and criticise Him. Even so, God goes on loving them. Through Prema we must receive the Prema of God. Through Satya we must reach the One who is the embodiment of Satya. To lead our life on such a path is itself true sādhana. Going off to some forest and sitting alone with eyes closed is not sādhana. Living in society, we must serve society selflessly. We must regard service to society itself as service to the Lord of all. When we serve the poor and the helpless, we must believe that we are serving God Himself. Not a single place is without God. Divinity pervades everything. In this handkerchief, in this mike, in fact everywhere in this world, divinity fills all. To physical sight this may look like a piece of cloth. But when you develop the divine inner vision, you will see divinity in everything. The basis of this cloth is thread; the basis of thread is cotton. Without cotton there is no thread; without thread there is no cloth.