When Paramhansa Yogananda, founder of Self-Realization, established the work in America, in the Articles of Incorporation was this particular tenet: “to establish in every home in the United States and even throughout the world, a little room for quiet and meditation, a temple where devotees can meditate in an effort to establish oneness with Cosmic Consciousness or God the Father, which is the goal of life.”
So in these few words we can see the importance of establishing a little church or a little room where one can with definite effort try to make that contact with God and realize that that is our goal and that’s what we are and that’s what we are here for–to know our oneness with God.
Now occasional church services are not enough, but they must be augmented by daily contact, daily contact with God, because insecurity of this outward existence is so deeply ingrained in this physical consciousness, that unless we do that we will not escape it. We will not escape the delusion and its insecurity. That you can realize.
And so, occasional services like these, and like the meditation services which we have at the SRF Retreat in Encinitas and in Hollywood, give us the inspiration, because everyone who comes with sincere heart feels the Presence of God. But that Presence will leave unless you, unless I, regularly keep the contact by meeting God in that little temple in our own home–it is absolutely essential.
Yogananda’s words
Master has said these wonderful words, and if you will just remember these words, you will have everything you need. He says this, “The sense of security and inner assurance we crave are a natural result of meditation and God communion.” Can it be any clearer? We do not feel secure in this outward consciousness. We do not have that inner assurance. Why, because there is no inner assurance in our security in it. The security is in God, and we have the ability by concentrating upon Him. As the Master has said, “A natural result of concentration and meditation, which gives God Communion.”
And here we are looking. We are being sidetracked by the power of delusion and iniquity–the evil force in this world–to look outside, and to listen to all sorts of things that come from outside, and not to go within and find God. That’s why we have trouble–that’s why people are in trouble. Instead of listening to God within, they listen to outside things, and worldly things. There’s the answer.
So let us remember these words of the Master, once more. “The sense of security;” don’t we all want that? An inner assurance–if we can but know God is with us and feel His Presence, we’ll have all the assurance we need. And that those things which we crave are “a natural result of meditation” in this little room, this little church in your home, which will give you God Communion. Those are most wonderful words. Remember those few words, if you forget all else.
Why is this so? Because the soul craves union–it craves union with God. When you get discouraged and are assailed on all sides by problems and troubles, your soul cries out for what? For union with God, where there are no troubles, and where there is security and assurance that He is with us. Then no one can stand against us. That’s why this is so, that’s why the Master’s words are so wonderful, because the soul craves one thing–Union with God the Father, Union with Cosmic Consciousness, Union with the Great Spiritual Sun of Righteousness from which we have come, in which we are arrayed. Let us realize that. That’s why the church in the home is necessary, and that’s why we should enter it every day. Yes, more often, if possible.
Daily worship
Now the Master has also written words to this effect when he says, “The benefit of daily worship cannot be overestimated. Seldom do men realize how often God responds to prayer when it is given by a devotee who really trusts God.” These are also most wonderful words: “The benefit of daily worship cannot be overestimated. Seldom do men realize how God heeds prayers. He is not partial to a few.” Thank God for that. He is not partial, but as the Master says, He listens to everyone who approaches Him trustingly. How simple, but how true. So, let us realize that prayer is not wasted, if it is done scientifically, and with a true and contrite heart, trusting in God. Then prayer is a Reality. And, how to do that? Know His Presence; know the Presence of God within, and be one with that.
And you can do it easily by hearing the Great Sound of His Voice within you, the Holy Vibration, or seeing the Light of His Cosmic Light, or feeling in your heart His Great Love. If you do any of those things–or all, if possible–there you have God with you. Surely He will answer. As Master has said, and I never get tired of repeating it, “God loves us so wonderfully and silently, more than we can imagine, and through His devotees.” I think we need a little church in our home, and we need to enter it every day.
These meetings, as this one and other gatherings, are wonderful, because through united effort there is much more power. I realize that. But the sad thing is that it is the Law that unless you augment it with daily contact with God, you lose it. You lose the touch which God gives you. So let us not forget that it is absolutely necessary to have that little church in your home and to enter it and to worship and contact God.
Jesus said what? “Seek ye first the kingdom of God…and all these things shall be added unto you”–all things that you need (Matthew 6:33). Don’t you think that means daily? Master said the same thing to me one time, and I have never forgotten it. As usual I was in trouble, as I always was most of the time in my earlier days, and I came to him with a big problem. And I was ruffled and I didn’t seem to stir him up much, and so he comforted me and said it will be better–and it was the next day.
Yogananda answers Dr. Lewis
And so I came to him and I said, “Sir, I wish I had your stability; I wish I could feel God was with you as you do.” He said, “Remember Doctor, the same Father who protects me protects you. He is our common Father.” Isn’t that wonderful? But we don’t trust God. We trust outward things and what people say rather than what God tells us inside. Let us realize those words of the Master. And also another time Master said, “No matter whether seemingly you fail, if you watch carefully you will see the Hand of God working through your life.” And I have found that so. I have found that absolutely so. And, if God will give us that inner realization where we know we are one with Him, that’s far better than material success or position, because that’s lasting. That’s our life–that’s what we are. God is our Father, we are His children.
Now, when troubles come–and they surely will–Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation” (John 16:33). And, I say, there is plenty of it. We don’t deny that. People go around and say everything’s perfect. There is no trouble in [the] world. Everything’s fine. It is not. All the great saints and sages have said that Jesus said that “In the world ye shall have tribulation,” but he did say also, “…be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.” That’s why we need that little church in our home–to overcome this world by contacting that which is above the world: the Presence of God, His Great Light, and His Love.
Don’t leave God’s side
The Master said one time to me on another occasion, he said, “Leave all else, but never God’s side.” And so when those troubles come, and you feel like shaking the whole world and correcting it, don’t try it. You can’t do it. But don’t leave God’s side, and He will do it for you. Because He says, “Vengeance is mine. I will judge; don’t you judge” (Romans 12:19). You may make a mistake, but let God judge, and He will judge correctly, and He will never forsake you. Master said, “Don’t worry, God will never forsake you,” So don’t worry. None of us should worry. If we would but trust Him and realize we are His children, [praying:] “Father, we are Thy children. Help us never to leave Thy side.”
Master said the most wonderful words. He went through many tests, as many of you know, to establish this work of Self-Realization in such a short time. It took tremendous energy, but it took tremendous suffering. And that’s what he did. Why? Because you and I might be able to have that little church in our home and contact God. He opened the channel. And, if he had not done it, it would not be so easy for us–let us not forget that.
Master had his troubles. And he told me many times, “If it were not for God Alone, I would not have been able to preserve my sanity.” I’m sure that church is necessary in our home, even from that one testimony. Jesus had his troubles–he had his tribulations, so much so that he had to go and pray in that little church, wherever it was. He had no home like we have perhaps, but he went into that little temple, wherever it was, and contacted God. That’s how he was able to stand up against tribulation and these tests which come, because “the way of the cross leads home.” There’s no other way. You have to rise above worldly consciousness to reach that home, and in that worldly consciousness is trouble. So you are going to have trouble. That’s why the way of the cross will take you out–if you trust God and enter that little church within every day and regularly.
Right meditation and concentration on God
And so, finally, even though our faith is weak, it will be strengthened, it will become dynamic, if we will daily meditate and contact God. Through right meditation and concentration on God within, we can be one with His Presence, because as our Master said, “Our very consciousness is God’s Consciousness,” When you feel the Peace and Bliss which you feel as we meditate together this morning, that’s the Presence of God. Now, if you regularly, every day, concentrate on that Presence, what [do] you do? You become that Presence, because we are made in the Image of God. We are His children, and as such, if we can but know it, and realize it, as He has all things, so will we. And that means we will have security, and inner assurance that no force in the universe can touch us, if we daily enter that little home, little church in our home, and keep the contact with God.
And so it is very necessary, very essential, and all families who do that, if you look about you, and read, you will find those who contact God and join together in prayer, and especially those in Self-Realization who will daily make the contact with God–they will succeed, and they will see the Hand of God guiding them regularly in everything they do.
A friend of mine who is in Connecticut and is the head of a large church there, had these words to say, “In my quarter century of ministry, I have never known a single instance of those who have prayed and worshipped together habitually to have been separated,” And so let us realize that. Gandhi said the same thing, speaking about his mate, he said, “I don’t know what it is, but I do know this thing about her; that there is an inseparable indissoluble bond between us,” And that’s the bond which is between all of those people who regularly pray, and meditate, and contact God. And that inseparable bond is His Great Love. And if we have that, we need fear nothing. If we, in our daily activity, feel God’s Love with us–who can touch us, who can disturb us–no one. If God is with us, who can be against us?
And so let us remember the Master’s words. “That inner security and inner assurance will always be with us, if through that little church in our home we keep contact with our one Loving Father, our common Father.”
This is a talk given by Dr. M. W. Lewis, one of the first disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda, in San Diego in June of 1957. A link to the transcript and an audio file of this talk can be found here. This has been reposted with permission.
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