Always
Look to the Light
by Paramhansa Yogananda
Excerpted from The Essence of Self-Realization,
recorded and compiled by Swami Kriyananda
A room may be in darkness for thousands of years, but
if a light is brought into it, in that very instant the
darkness vanishes. So is it with sin. You cannot drive sin
out of the mind any more than you can beat darkness out
of a room with a stick. By concentration on delusion, indeed,
you may only increase its hold on your mind. Bring in the
light of God, however, through deep meditation and devotion,
and the darkness will vanish as though it had never been.
If one thinks of sin as breaking God's commandments, the
thought then arises of God's anger and stern judgment. But
the Lord is our very own! We are His children. Why should
He judge us? It is we, rather, who judge ourselves when
we imagine that anything we do is beyond forgiveness. But
if we understand sin as error, we realize that our errors
can be rectified.
Never be afraid of God. Tell Him the things you've done
wrong. Remind Him that you are His child. That is much better
than whining, 'Lord, I am a sinner! I am a sinner!' You
are made in His image. Pray, then, 'Well, Lord, I have made
mistakes, but once I know You, there can be no more temptation
for me.'
Give to God not only the good that you do, but also the
bad. I do not mean that you should deliberately do things
that are wrong. But when you cannot help yourself, because
of habits that are too strong, tell your mind that God is
performing those actions through you.
It is He, after all, who has dreamed your existence. You
have merely hypnotized yourself with the thought of your
weaknesses. If you make the Lord responsible for them, it
will help you to break the false hold they have on your
imagination. You'll find it easier, then, to recognize in
yourself the perfect image of God.
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