“All the endeavours of science, religion and civilisation are aimed at securing happiness for man. The quest for happiness continues. It is the one thing in the world that man lives for. Bereft of happiness he wishes to end his life. He can get temporary happiness in the things of the world but this goes no sooner than it comes, leaving behind a greater share of sorrow.
“Every person in the world desires a never-ending happiness, freedom from fear, a life that is everlasting, and knowledge that is perfect. But these are the attributes of God.
“Thus every person in the world, knowingly or unknowingly, is going towards God. As such there can be no atheist in the world– for does not an atheist also desire a never-ending happiness an everlasting life and absolute knowledge?
“If God is infinite and unlimited, then we are led to conclude that He must be everywhere at all times. If we think of anything as existing outside of God, we would be making God limited.
“If even an atom were to exist outside of God, it would make God limited. Therefore nothing can exist outside of Him. Thus this world and everything that exists must all be within God.
“God is the thinker and the world His thought. God is the singer and the world His song. The thought cannot be different from the thinker, and the song cannot be different from the singer.
“One view–the view of Oneness or Adwait– maintains that everything that is appearing before us is God Himself. This must be so, because if God is Infinite the world cannot exist outside of Him. We cannot think of God and the world as two separate existences sitting side by side. The world, therefore, is only God appearing before us in a veiled form. The quest for God consists in realising that God is everywhere and in everyone, through that veil.
“The second view is that of Duality or Dwait, which maintains that God and the world are two separate existences sitting side by side. However it also maintains that the world must have come from God and is His creation. The quest for God consists in reaching Him through prayers and righteous actions.
“Regardless of whether the world is God appearing before us in a veiled form or whether it exists separately from God, the fact remains that in both these views the quest of man is the same–and that is for God.
“Even if the world is separate from God, it is the creation of His Will, and it is His Will that prevails in it, and therefore we can think of the world as yet another Face of God.
“Think of the ocean. It is water in its essence. All the bubbles and waves in the ocean are manifestations of that same water even though they may appear different due to their limited shapes and forms.
“In a like manner it is God appearing before us in variegated shapes and forms or His Will that has created these shapes and forms. In either case these shapes and forms cannot exist without God.
“Jesus Christ saw the Will of God working in the events that led to his crucifixion. By saying ‘Thy Will be done’ he became one with God.
“Bhakt Prahlaad saw God in the pillar of fire he was asked to embrace, and the fire did not touch him.
“Mirabai saw God in the poison she was asked to consume, and took it willingly, and the poison did not effect her.”
“Sarmad saw God in the sword of the executioner and allowed his head to be cut with joy.
“The Will of God cannot be separate from God, and those that identify themselves with that Will and say, ‘Thy Will be Done’ become one with God.
“When the mind of a devotee becomes focussed on God, he sees God everywhere, or the Will of God working in every place. For Hanumana, there was nothing except Lord Rama.”