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What Do You Want Me to Do?
Excerpts from a satsang
with Swami Kriyananda at Ananda Italy
How many times have I heard people say: "I am in a crisis." I don't know if it flows better in Italian and therefore I hear it more in Italy than elsewhere, but certainly humanity as a whole is beset by difficulties, crises, moments in life when important decisions need to be made.
Choices in life are not easy, because a part of our mind always looks back and thinks: "But..., maybe...." And so we feel pulled in two directions. But if we keep changing our mind, if we keep changing direction, we never get anywhere.
Yogananda gave the example of a man who buys a car, a Ford, in Los Angeles. Once he gets to Las Vegas, he changes his mind and thinks: "Maybe a Buick would have been better." So he goes back, sells the Ford, starts again with the Buick, travels perhaps as far as Phoenix, and says: "No, maybe a Chrysler would have been better!" Going on like this, one never reaches the goal!
Be always centered in yourself
A woman from London went to India to see Ramana Maharshi and said to him, "I have come from far away to meet you." He answered, "You haven't moved at all. The world has moved--you have remained the same." This is the spiritual truth: There is no space, no time; there is only the present.
If you remain centered in yourself, you can refer any idea to your inner consciousness, to your superconsciousness. It is impossible to solve life's problems and crises only on the conscious level. The conscious mind tries to reason, thinking: "Is this right, or that?" But when the problems in life are complex, one needs to think of so many things that he becomes confused! It is necessary, therefore, to raise the mind to the level from which inspiration and guidance come, to the level where we feel God's inspiration.
What do I really want?
It is important to realize that God does not look at us from the clouds. God is within us; He is the highest part of ourselves. We cannot please God as if He were there, watching us and smiling; it is an inner smile that we feel.
Therefore, when people think, "I am in a crisis. I want to know what God wants," the first thing to understand is: "What do I want?" God has no desires, but God, manifested as this being—yourself—certainly wants you to feel more in tune with Him, more peaceful, more joyous. Therefore, yes, this divine part of you is pleased when you go in the direction of joy
.God has many wills: as many as the people in the world; there is no such thing as the will of God. When you say, "What do you want from me, God?" it is important, therefore, that it correspond to what you feel in your own being.
So, when we feel that we're in a crisis, the answer needs to be specific, and it needs to be based on this point of view: "What will bring me closer to God?" For example, one can have a great talent for acting and may think: "God has given me this talent, therefore I must be an actor, or actress." Maybe yes, maybe no. Elvis Presley, for example, had the karma to become a very famous singer and actor. It seemed a good karma, but it became a terrible karma, because it destroyed his life. Who can say that, simply because you are good at something, it is good for you to do it? Always ask yourself: "Will it bring me closer to what I am really looking for? Or is it merely an easier road for me?"
When we are relaxed, it is easier to be open to superconscious inspiration. But it is always good to remember that we can delude ourselves. Always, in your mind, ask God: "Have I understood correctly? Is this really what I am supposed to do?" Often God will give you something to do--or so it will seem to you--but then you'll see that the guidance changes, and you must always be open to what you feel inside.
When you make a mistake, if you always try to follow God, He will correct you, don't doubt it. Don't think that you need to have God's last word before you can make a decision, because He can also correct a wrong decision. The most important thing is wanting always to follow His will.
Don't sit there, in the middle, slave to all circumstances of life, asking: "What shall I do? I am in a crisis, I have problems, but ... it is difficult ... but...." Don't use that word "but," which shows that you are already split in two. Think, "So, what will I do? Yes, I'll do it!" and then do it, and don't dwell on it any further.
The question always needs to be: "What does this inner God want? What brings me more in tune with Him and, above all, how can I serve Him?" Look for the answer that leads you to harmony, to ever-increasing love, to ever-increasing clarity, to deeper attunement to God.
The more you look for that guidance, the more you will have it also in the small things of life. The more you place your life in God's hands, the more everything, even the smaller things, will go well. And if they don't go well, there's a reason for it, so don't worry: You also have lessons to learn, obstacles to overcome, tests that will increase your understanding. But the more you place yourself in the hands of God—of the God within you—the more you will realize that He is with you and is guiding you always.
He is always with you
After praying in the desert for sixteen years, Saint Anthony finally had a vision of Jesus, and asked him: "Where were you all these years when I was calling you?" And Jesus answered: "Anthony, I have always been there with you." And so it is. He is always with you. Don't doubt, because doubts obscure the clarity of that presence. Don't think of external things, don't think of problems, always think in the way the superconscious mind thinks: saying "yes," seeking and waiting for solutions with great faith. The more in tune you are with your Higher Self, the more you will see that solutions will come to you, and everything will become clear.
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Ananda is located in the tranquil hills of Umbria, Italy on “Strada Statale 444” between Assisi and Gualdo Tadino. It is the largest retreat center in Europe for Yogananda’s teachings.
Ananda Associazione • Via Montecchio, 61 • I-06025 Nocera Umbra (PG) • ITALY