Anandamayi Ma

There are two kinds of pilgrims on life's journey.

The one, like a tourist, is keen on sightseeing, wandering from place to place, flitting from one experience to another for the fun of it.

The other treads the path that is consistent with one's true being,

and leads to one's real home, to self-knowledge.

Sorrow will of certainty be encountered on the journey undertaken for the sake of sightseeing and enjoyment.

So long as one's real home has not been found, suffering is inevitable.

The sense of separateness is the root cause of misery because it is founded on error, on the conception of duality.

A person's belief is greatly influenced by their environment.

Therefore, they should choose the company of the holy and wise.

Belief means to believe in oneself,

disbelief to mistake the non-self for oneself.

There are instances of self-realization occurring by the grace of God, whereas at other times it can be seen that the divine awakens in some a feverish yearning after truth.

In the first case, attainment comes spontaneously.

In a second, it is brought about by trials.

But all is wrought solely by the mercy of the Divine.

An eternal relationship exists between God and humans.

But in God's play, it is sometimes there and sometimes severed

or rather appears to be severed.

It is not really so, for the relationship is eternal.

Again seen from another side, there is no such thing as relationship.