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   infernal creatures are also His favourites.  When people degrade   
   themselves through wicked actions God becomes sad, but He never   
   hates them.  For such degraded people, the only safe shelter is the   
   Supreme Consciousness.  Thus it is said that He is not merely the   
   knowing or Cognitive Faculty.  He is much more than that."   
   (PURUS'A, Subha's'ita Sam'graha Part 12, 12 July 1979, Jaipur)   
      
   "We should not forget that He is master of both heaven and hell. If   
   there is a place like hell, God is there because He is omnipresent.   
   If He does not live in hell, He is not an omnipresent entity. If a   
   sinner goes to hell God is also there. Therefore the so-called   
   sinner should not be afraid of anything and should not worry. When   
   he or she goes to hell, God will also be there with him or her."   
   (THE OMNISCIENCE OF THE CAUSAL MATRIX, A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 5,   
   17 November 1978, Delhi)   
      
   "If we use the Himalayas as an ink-tablet, the largest ocean as the   
   inkpot, the branch of the biggest forest tree of heaven as a pen and   
   the entire lithosphere as paper, and with this paper, ink and pen if   
   the goddess of learning writes for an indefinite period even then it   
   would not be possible to write all the attributes that He possesses.   
   So attributional worship is meaningless; and because it is   
   meaningless it is impractical, not feasible and nothing but a waste   
   of time.   
      
   To say, `Oh God, give me this or that' is meaningless because your   
   actual requirements are better known to Him. A child does not know   
   what it requires but the mother of the child knows and the mother   
   provides accordingly. You do not know what your actual requirements   
   are, but the Supreme Father knows and He provides accordingly, and   
   he will continue doing so for ever. So your burden is His burden.   
   You need not say, `Oh God, give me this or give me that'." (THE   
   FUTILITY OF NON-CARDINAL PRAYERS, A'nanda Vacana'mrtam Part 5, 21   
   November 1978, Delhi)   
      
   So God's love is everywhere, and He is sure to provide what is   
   necessary.  However, one should not perform bad actions and one   
   should not try to gain rewards of being conceited about good actions.   
      
   "Those who are the followers of certain schools of philosophy and   
   who believe in the concept of hell, assert that those who perform   
   good deeds to go to heaven, and after a certain period of time when   
   their reaping of the consequences of their good actions is over,   
   they are reborn as human beings on this earth.  Of course,   
   philosophically we do not subscribe to this view, because we do not   
   believe in the existence of heaven.  But it is true that the good   
   reactions of good deeds will certainly come to an end some day.   
   What will happen then?  It is said:   
      
   'Those who convert the fruits of their deeds are like tradespeople.   
   We call such people greedy, who perform actions in expectation of   
   good reactions.  Certainly these people will go to hell again and   
   again.'   
      
   Now, those who advocate the supremacy of the doctrine of action   
   should remember that only the performance of good deeds is not   
   enough: one will have to be ready to undergo the reactions of good   
   actions.  After undergoing the reactions one will again have to come   
   down on earth.  And one will not always do only good deeds: bad   
   deeds may also be performed.  So one has to keep grinding along the   
   cycle of actions and reactions, which seems to have no end.   
      
   It is said the proper approach is:   
      
   'When I perform some deed, I do not expect any result: I surrender   
   everything to the Supreme Consciousness.'   
      
   That is:   
      
   'I perform the deeds but I do not expect the results thereof - I   
   immediately surrender the results of my actions.  I am  prepared to   
   undergo the bad reactions of my bad deeds, but I do not wish to   
   enjoy the good fruits of my good deeds: I offer those to the Supreme   
   Consciousness.'   
      
   Now, who can say such things?  Only those who have strong devotion   
   to the Lord.  Such people love God more than they love themselves.   
   They are the true devotees, not just the people of action.  'Keep on   
   doing actions without expecting any results' - -it is futile to say   
   this to a person of action who want the reactions of good actions.   
   This should be spoken only to one who is established in devotion.   
      
   There are some people who say, "Well, we will undergo hardship for   
   the welfare of the world."  This undergoing of penance has also a   
   bright side.  A ninety or one-hundred-year-old woman undertakes   
   penance - why?  Certainly with the expectation that her penance will   
   one day be rewarded - perhaps that she will get a place in heaven.   
   Let us see how important this undertaking of penance is - whether it   
   is for one's family, or for one's personal elevation, or for the   
   benefit of the society.  Nothing in this world is valueless: even   
   the undertaking of hardship is not useless.  But is that the highest   
   excellence in human life?  In fact, the undertaking of penance is an   
   action without any fixed goal: "I do not know, nor do I want to   
   know, why I am subjecting myself to penance.  I am merely doing   
   penance for the sake of penance."  This is totally meaningless.  It   
   is like rowing a boat without knowing where one is drifting - merely   
   rowing for the sake of rowing.  This is utterly useless.  This   
   aimless rowing will simply cause pain in the hands.  One day one   
   will lose the capacity to row the boat, and finally the boat will   
   sink and all will be drowned.   
      
   One should undergo penance for others' welfare, for the well-being   
   of the world; and the good that the world enjoys due to one's   
   sacrifice is the reward.  One should not expect any reward greater   
   than this.   
      
   There are other persons who advise people to practice various   
   rituals like painting sandalwood paste on their foreheads, or   
   sitting while facing only in one particular direction.  It takes a   
   lot of time to complete these complicated rituals, and time is so   
   valuable in human life.  Besides, what is to be gained in painting   
   sandalwood marks on the forehead if the mind wanders in the mire of   
   hell?  This is considered to be one of the paths to reach God by   
   following certain special rules.   
      
   There are some people who think that if they simply ideate on God   
   daily for some time, then their purpose will be served.  But this is   
   not enough.  Yes, when you think of God for some time you will no   
   doubt remain elevated for that period; but when you again become   
   engrossed in your mundane duties you will again become stepped in   
   mire.  Who will save you at that time?  In each and every action you   
   will have to try to realise the Supreme Entity; then and only then   
   will those actions not be binding.  Otherwise, every action will   
   become the cause of great bondage.   
      
   There are many people who are fond of reading good books -   
   voluminous books on philosophy, spirituality, etc.  Now if one's   
   mind roams about in the filth of hell, what real purpose will be   
   served by reading the scriptures?  You have seen some white ants   
   living in the pages of books of scriptures.  They are always   
   immersed in the scriptures: do they attain liberation or salvation   
   thereby?  No, certainly not.  Besides, the path of knowledge is more   
   analytic than synthetic, and often in the minds of those who follow   
   it there is a hidden desire that other people should accept them as   
   great scholars.  Now if they cherish the internal desire that others   
   should regard them as great scholars, their minds will become   
   extroversal.  So what is to be gained thereby?  The desire for   
      
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   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)