DEVOTION

Para-Gram by Parmahansa Yogananda

God cannot hide from the person who gives Him devotion and a real soul-call. Open your eyes to the joy of meditation and all darkness will vanish. The light of faith will usher you into the immortal kingdom of our one Father. Worship God in everything and you will find the answer to problems. To make your prayer-demands effective, you must not let your attention go beyond the precincts of the temple of your devotion. Banish indifference, absentmindedness, cold formality, and lackluster feeling. Bring the living Lord of pure joy onto the alter of your heart and worship Him there with flowers of deathless devotion.

— 'One way to achieve unbroken devotion is to do everything for the Lord.'

—'There is no other gift you can give Him (God) but the gift of your love.'

— 'Real devotion is internal. Day and night the devotee thinks nothing but God, and secretly tell Him how dearly he loves Him.'

— 'Don't be satisfied with a little peace born of your meditation, but hunger again and again for his bliss. Day and night, while others are sleeping or spending their energy in fulfilling desires, you should whisper: "My Lord, my Lord, my Lord!" And in time He will burst through the darkness and you will know Him. Remove the obstacles that lie before you by cultivating determination, faith, and devotion.' (sr)