Swamiji's answer to Kp's question about longing for God

[Guest guest]

Kp writes: Dear Swamiji,

First of all, Thank you, and Maa! for being alive and sharing your

gifts of

truth and serving as role models, with all of us!

Second, I've been reading the postings on the group chat about "what

is the

most important attribute of a spiritual seeker?" and I'm left with

this empty

feeling. Kirk's response, about what all of us seekers have in

common

really

spoke to me. We all have the yearning for Truth, for God, for

Oneness-

whatever

it is. But My question is : what is one supposed to do with that

yearning?

Listening to Maa or reading the spiritual texts only fills me with

more

yearning, but its a feeling that feels close to love- so its kind-of

good in a

torturous way. Its yearning that the yearning will go away and

transform into the

constant feeling of God/Love/Truth. Meditation helps, but then I hit

a

point

where I don't even know how to meditate. Is the only cure moving to

an

ashram and

focusing all of me on learning how to fulfill the yearning for

God???

Love be with you- Kp

 

 

Swamiji answers: We've been translating Ramakrishna's Katha Amrita,

and he calls it

VYAKULATA, the sincere, intense, longing with a Capital L.

 

The story is told of the guru who was asked, "How can I see God?"

The guru replied, "I will show you," and took the disciple to the

bank

of the river. The two waded into the waters to bathe, and the guru

held

the discipe's head under the water.

 

When the disciple started to gasp for air and to fight for his life,

the guru pulled him up and asked, "How did you feel?"

 

The disciple replied, "I felt like I would die!"

 

Then the guru replied, "When you feel like that for God, then you

can

hope to have His darshan!"

[Guest guest]

Is there a chat room to discuss all this or we just do it though e-mail.

Babu

Sarada

[sarada_saraswati ]Friday, September 19, 2003

5:36 AMSubject:

Swamiji's answer to Kp's question about longing for God Kp writes:

Dear Swamiji,First of all, Thank you, and Maa! for being alive and

sharing your gifts of truth and serving as role models, with all of

us!Second, I've been reading the postings on the group chat about

"what is the most important attribute of a spiritual seeker?" and I'm

left with this empty feeling. Kirk's response, about what all of us

seekers have in common really spoke to me. We all have the yearning

for Truth, for God, for Oneness- whatever it is. But My question is :

what is one supposed to do with that yearning? Listening to Maa or

reading the spiritual texts only fills me with more yearning, but its

a feeling that feels close to love- so its kind-of good in a torturous

way. Its yearning that the yearning will go away and transform into

the constant feeling of God/Love/Truth. Meditation helps, but then I

hit a point where I don't even know how to meditate. Is the only cure

moving to an ashram and focusing all of me on learning how to fulfill

the yearning forGod???Love be with you- KpSwamiji answers: We've been

translating Ramakrishna's Katha Amrita, and he calls it VYAKULATA, the

sincere, intense, longing with a Capital L.The story is told of the

guru who was asked, "How can I see God?"The guru replied, "I will

show you," and took the disciple to the bank of the river. The two

waded into the waters to bathe, and the guru held the discipe's head

under the water. When the disciple started to gasp for air and to

fight for his life, the guru pulled him up and asked, "How did you

feel?"The disciple replied, "I felt like I would die!"Then the guru

replied, "When you feel like that for God, then you can hope to have

His darshan!"To from this group, send an email

to:Your use of

is subject to the