I have searched for the highway, the straight path, to reach God. The path to reach God is: Never think of yourself. I have lived a spiritual life for more than sixty years. In Rikhia, I received a clear mandate from God. He said, “Love your neighbours as I have loved you. Help them as I have helped you.” That set me reflecting on His words and I asked myself, “Satyananda, are you selfish? How can the world benefit from your spiritual gain and self-realization?” Swami Sivananda had also told me, “You want to realize God without changing yourself, but that is not possible.”
After that, a metamorphosis took place in my personality, way of life and destiny. I changed my teaching and my way of thinking. Then God began to show me the path. Now helping others has become my obsession, my passion. Seva is the simplest and easiest path to God in the Kali Yuga. God is here where we are. We are here where He is. But He can’t be seen because there is no sentiment of selfless service; there is only the emotional attachment of selfishness. When mankind learns how to love and serve one another, to be kind and tolerant to one another, to help one another and to share the problems, worries and ideas of others, then your family, your society and the world will be a better place to live in.
When we work for others there is no karma, but when we work for ourselves there is karma. The more we are aware of others, the more we are aware of God. Swami Sivananda always said, “Worry and anxiety will not harm you as long as they are not for your own selfish problems.” Whatever we do becomes a sadhana provided we offer it to others and to God. In this way we can exhaust our karma without creating more. So, we should not aspire only for meditation or moksha. We should rethink our spiritual life and reschedule our program.