Even after seeking refuge in God, why is it that our sorrows do not go away? Why is it that God doesn’t fulfil our intense prayers?” Children, many people have such doubts. If sorrows in life increase, their faith shatters.It is unrealistic to believe that all of our desires will be fulfilled. Pleasure and pain, victory and failure—these are all are part and parcel of life.
The devotion and faith of those who seek refuge in God only to have their desires fulfilled will increase when things go their way, but if their desires are not fulfilled their faith will be lost. Children, how can God fulfil everyone’s desires? A doctor may pray, “I should get as many patients as possible.” At the same time, patients are praying, “Oh, God, please help me get better. Cure me of my disease!” If the doctor’s devotion is based on his prayers becoming fulfilled, won’t he lose his faith?
Once a person bought a funeral hearse. His daily prayer was that he should get more and more business. At the same time, isn’t everyone else praying that they never die?This world is filled with many such contradictions. So, it is impossible for everyone’s desires to be equally fulfilled. Still, in this world of contradictions, it is possible to live with peace and contentment. For this, all we have to do is understand the spiritual principles and live in accordance with them.
When we buy a machine, it will come with an instruction manual, describing how it works. If we read this manual, we will know how to correctly operate the machine. However, if we operate the machine without reading the manual, the machine won’t last long. In the same way, the scriptures and mahatmas teach us how to live in this world. If we put in effort to imbibe these principles, we will be able to move forward without feeling overburdened when difficult times arrive. Otherwise, sorrow and hopelessness will be our constant companions.
Many people seek refuge in God in hopes that their desires will be fulfilled. That is not love for God but love for the desired objects. If we rely on God only for the purpose of fulfilling our desires, we will never be free from sorrow. For this, we have to control our desires. True devotion and faith in God have to develop. If that happens, God will fulfil all of our true needs.
The various objects in a palace are but trifles and do not deserve our love. The king does. If we bring the king under our influence, we will gain access to everything in the treasury.We should not pray, “Oh, God, please give me job! Give me a house! Give me a child!” Our prayer should be, “Oh God, I want you alone. You should be mine!” Once we attain God—once we attain God’s grace—all the three worlds will be laid at our feet. However, in order for this to happen we need to make sure that all of our actions are good. Furthermore, our surrender should be perfect.
Then, no matter what happens in life, our inner peace and contentment will remain. Why? Because bliss comes from within, not from the external objects of the world. So, do not lose your happiness by becoming dependent upon them. We should be able to accept success and failure as blessings of God. For that, what is needed is the attitude of surrender.The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian