Get Ready!
There is nothing better than hearing that a friend who has been away for a long time is coming to see us. The months of waiting and preparation that precede a visit from the Master can be a wonderful time for us, and although the few days of the event will pass away quickly, the elation that comes from creating the right mood of expectancy can last much longer. Yet why should these benefits be derived only from the physical visit? Of course, it makes us so happy when we know that the Master is personally on his way to be with us. In so many ways, his visits are unique opportunities to start over again. Inevitably we begin to ask ourselves what we can do to make the most of the opportunity. Few of us live up to our best intentions and a visit may provide the impetus to work consciously on renewing a heartfelt mood of love in our lives.
Our generosity of spirit towards each other, and our desire to make the event more pleasant for others, can give us more satisfaction than anything else when preparing for a visit. Nothing will ever go entirely to our liking during these events, but we can create a special kind of relationship with the Master in our hearts when we are consciously thinking of building this happiness and peace around ourselves. Spiritual awareness can be such a fragile thing when we neglect it, when we allow ourselves to slip into negative attitudes and laziness, but it revives quickly and becomes a dynamic force again when we nurture it with our full attention. Knowing we are going to see the Master soon can spur us to do this. But we should always remember that inward attention is what matters, not outward attention. The seva we do in the silence of our own hearts is the one closest to our Master.
The thought of our Master always lingers at some level in our minds. When we have news of his coming we easily regain our sense of purpose. We are always happy to see him again. In his presence spiritual love becomes not a dream, but a personal experience, and the desire to go home is reborn in our hearts. But when we understand that the Master is there with us in our meditation, and we let go of every thought except our desire to please him with our attention, why should we not sense his presence always? It’s always the right time to throw off any despondency we may be feeling in our lives and make that leap of faith.
Near or far, just call his name
Meditation can be so subtle. There seem to be no rules governing our success, the only key being our willingness to please our Master. All we can do is to call his name, as lovingly as possible, whether we feel he is near or far. We can enjoy the thought of his presence, without obsessing about the need to experience anything in particular. When the mood is right, we can even embrace his physical absence with the same warmth as the exquisite sensation of his presence. And it takes only a few seconds of clear thought, remembering him in the focused state of meditation, for all the magic of our love to revive. We can experience the Master on so many levels. We can be with him physically and enjoy the uplift of his company; we can feel great joy in doing seva in preparation for a visit, in a mood of generosity and understanding. We can plunge ourselves into the adventure of meditation with renewed excitement. Above all, we have to encourage our best intentions, allowing ourselves to be spurred on by a sense of hope and joy – sensing the closeness rather than the distance between our beloved and ourselves. The whole secret is to make yourself ready: God does the rest.