Be Friends With Self

SWAMI KRIYANANDA





When Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is within,“ what He meant was that heaven itself would be a disappointment to restless, worldly people. If a person has no true joy in his heart, he will not find true joy outside, though he be in heaven itself and in the company of angels. Heaven must be experienced right here, right now, within ourselves, if we are to experience it ever.A stream extending itself too far into a desert will go dry .Man too dries up inside, spiritually and emotionally , when he extends himself too far in his search for outward pleasures.The wellspring of enjoyment lies in his inner Self. What he is, inwardly , that he will find without. The more truly he lives in himself, the more rewarding will his outer life be, also.
A friend, young and restless, once planned to go around India to visit various saints. This might have been a laudable purpose, except that, so far, this boy had put forth very little effort to improve himself; his real hope was to find someone who would consent to do all his spiritual work for him.(I could imagine him rushing from ashram to ashram, collecting blessings like pine cones!) I said to him, “If you take a thimble to the ocean, you'll only get a thimbleful of water.No doubt those great saints have much to give you. But what of your own capacity to receive what they give?“ If you would change the wor ld for the better, first of all, be better yourself. You are the greatest responsibility the universe has placed in your hands.