The Lord stated in the Gita,
"Only when you renounce all selfishness and attachment, only when you
treat joy and sorrow with an equal mind and practice forbearance in all
circumstances, will you become my devotee and very dear to me."
Embodiments of Love,
To have an equal mind, to be free
of attachments and concern for yourself and your family, is difficult for
ordinary spiritual seekers. Particularly for householders, such equanimity of
mind and detachment is almost impossible. They are able to worship God through
the various types of spiritual practices which have been prescribed in the
scriptures. But for them to destroy their ego and remove all sense of I-ness and my-ness would
be very difficult. Why is that so? It is difficult to eliminate the ego as long
as you differentiate your own will from the command and will of the Lord. You
have doubts and are unable to surrender because you see others and the world as
separate from God. It is only when you recognize that God is dwelling in all
people everywhere, in the form of an ever luminous light shining in the temple
of their hearts, that you will be able to eliminate your egoism and surrender
fully to God. Once you recognize the all-pervasive unity of the Lord you will
have no difficulty following him. Know that the self-effulgent flame of God's
presence which resides in all people also resides in you. The one who protects
all people is an integral part of your own form.
