He crosses, indeed; he crosses and helps others to cross (Māyā).
Māyā signifies for the bhakta or devotee the bondage of matter through sense attractions and selfishness. The first statement, which is not a repetition of what has gone before, is that he who would cross beyond bondage must abandon all sense of possession. Love has nothing of its own. Wealth, strength, abilities—all must be held only as a trust for the world: as at the service of every striving manifestation of Life.
The true “lonely place” is in the depths of the heart, where with all the doorways to interruption through the senses fastened, he sees there, in unbroken solitude, “One without a second.” How are these doorways through which distractions enter to be closed? For the bhakta, through Love, and Love, and yet again Love; by driving everything from his thoughts but sympathy, compassion, and those ideas and emotions that, as it were, lead up to a perfectly impassioned Love—quixotic it may be—reckless, ridiculous to us in its fervour, but unconquerable and unrelenting. Giving it full play, never checking it, weeping it may be for the miseries of the world and the sense of separation from the one Ocean of Life and Love, day and night, in public or in solitude, caring for nothing but attaining the realisation of That: chastising himself through remorse and reproach for every shortcoming in Love, at length he reaches
Māyā signifies for the bhakta or devotee the bondage of matter through sense attractions and selfishness. The first statement, which is not a repetition of what has gone before, is that he who would cross beyond bondage must abandon all sense of possession. Love has nothing of its own. Wealth, strength, abilities—all must be held only as a trust for the world: as at the service of every striving manifestation of Life.
The true “lonely place” is in the depths of the heart, where with all the doorways to interruption through the senses fastened, he sees there, in unbroken solitude, “One without a second.” How are these doorways through which distractions enter to be closed? For the bhakta, through Love, and Love, and yet again Love; by driving everything from his thoughts but sympathy, compassion, and those ideas and emotions that, as it were, lead up to a perfectly impassioned Love—quixotic it may be—reckless, ridiculous to us in its fervour, but unconquerable and unrelenting. Giving it full play, never checking it, weeping it may be for the miseries of the world and the sense of separation from the one Ocean of Life and Love, day and night, in public or in solitude, caring for nothing but attaining the realisation of That: chastising himself through remorse and reproach for every shortcoming in Love, at length he reaches
a great calm, a great serenity: he stands on "the other shore." He knows, he feels: his shoulders may become marked with the stripes that fall on those of others, but he suffers no longer: he is ever happy and satisfied. No words can explain that state, and because it cannot be expressed, except by negations, it is a mystery—"The Peace which passeth all understanding."
The three powers, gunas, are the three divisions into which everything in the world falls, according to whether its nature be that of "goodness," "passion," or "inertia." It is the enumeration of the Sânkhya philosophy. The "opposites," of course, are heat and cold, pleasure and pain, praise and blame, etc., etc. One of the greatest signs of Love is the giving up the rewards arising from our efforts, even to that of the attainment of bliss extending over long periods in any heaven. He who has visited a country does not need to read guide-books. He who has found a reality needs no scriptures. He who advances towards the realisation of Love carries along with him by his efforts everybody with whom he comes in contact.
The three powers, gunas, are the three divisions into which everything in the world falls, according to whether its nature be that of "goodness," "passion," or "inertia." It is the enumeration of the Sânkhya philosophy. The "opposites," of course, are heat and cold, pleasure and pain, praise and blame, etc., etc. One of the greatest signs of Love is the giving up the rewards arising from our efforts, even to that of the attainment of bliss extending over long periods in any heaven. He who has visited a country does not need to read guide-books. He who has found a reality needs no scriptures. He who advances towards the realisation of Love carries along with him by his efforts everybody with whom he comes in contact.