He lives--within

Where are you searching for me, friend?
Look! Here am I right within you.
Not in temple, nor in mosque,
Not in Kaaba, nor Kailas,
But here right within you am I.
– Kabir

Many have begun the spiritual search while still suffering from severe personal problems. Saint Augustine was deeply enmeshed in the life of the world, and pulled himself free only after great anguish of mind. Others suffered physically. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux endured the constant pain of tuberculosis. So there is no need for any of us to feel downcast about our situation or the particular difficulties we face, provided we do everything we can to purify our mind.
Meditation is essentially a discipline for slowing down the furious pace of thinking; if you can gradually bring your mind to a state so still that no movement, no thought, can arise except those you yourself approve, your mind will have become pure. We have no need to teach pure motives to the mind. All that is necessary to make the mind pure is to undo the negative conditioning to which it has been subjected; then we will be left with pure, unconditioned awareness.
I can very much relate to Sri Easwaran in this regard. It was in the silence, in the few moments of meditation, where I sought the truth, to escape from the ravages of a life lived for self, for ambition, for gain and wealth. I selfishly wanted to blame my belief system for the mess I had created with my life. Surely my downfall was because I had depended on Christ, and he let me down.
I went on a search, through reading and silence. When I began to practice Sri Easwaran’s eight fold path, is when the real unvarnished truth became real to me. Christ is Lord, and He is the ascended Master of all the Created Universe. Since that week in 2000, I have sought to “Hear” and “See” through the eyes and ears of the heart.
For 11 years He has been My Rock and My Redeemer, in Whom I trust, and He lives, indeed—in my heart.