God Is Seeing Me -Part II

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Vedanta teachers say that meditation means 'seeing' the Lord, not 'thinking' about Him. We may think about a friend who is away or when he is no more. But when he is here sitting right in front of us, we don't 'think' about him, we 'see' him, we talk to him, we hear him, don't we? That is what the devotee must do in meditation. When he is able to do that, he can be said to be really meditating. Of course, this cannot be achieved all at once. It needs a vigorous practice of the three P's Vivekananda often spoke about: purity, patience and perseverance. (See Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 8 vols (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama) 5:61, 5:62, 5:84, 6:281, 6:331, 6:344, 8:38.)

Although 'thinking' is different from 'meditation,' it is usually the unavoidable stepping-stone to meditation. Deep and ceaseless thinking about God is what gets miraculously transformed at some stage into 'meditation' on God. Remembering always that God is ever-present and 'He is seeing me,' helps a great deal in focusing the thoughts on Him. Yet another benefit of always remembering 'God is seeing me' is the strength it gives to the devotee. A child may be afraid when it is alone, but it fears no one when its father or mother is around. It feels strong in the strength of its parents. Just so is the case with the devotee when he remembers that God is always around. Why should he then fear anything? If he is afraid of something, he is, in fact, unconsciously insulting God.

He is as if saying, 'I don't think God will be able to handle this matter. He won't be able to protect me from this danger.'

Fear and anxiety are sure signs of lack of faith in God. Here are the words of Swami Ramakrishnananda, one of the eminent disciples of Sri Ramakrishna: “Actually very few of us believe in God all the time. How do we know this? Because we allow anxieties and fears to arise in our minds. If we really have faith in God and in His infinite power of goodness, we can never feel fearful about anything". These words are invaluable and authentic, because they come from one who stood like an adamantine rock of courage, fortitude and faith in the face of difficulties that would have made even the so-called strong and sturdy run around like a chicken with its head cut off.

What gave Ramakrishnananda the great poise and strength for which he is remembered even today? The faith that God is seeing him and protecting him always. Moreover, in his case the faith had also blossomed into actual experience. That is what happens almost always. Faith matures into experience, and experience gives the devotee unshakeable conviction.(The Apostles of Sri Ramakrishna, comp. & ed. Swami Gambhirananda {Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama} p.249.)

The strength that the devotee derives by remembering 'God is seeing me' helps him not only to face and overcome difficulties but also to forge ahead fearlessly with whatever task he is engaged in. It is said that the great saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) once wanted to build a large orphanage. Her starting capital was a meager three shillings. Friends naturally warned her to be prudent and wait for funds before beginning the construction. What did Teresa say? Simply this: 'With three shillings Teresa can do nothing. But with three shillings and God there is nothing that Teresa cannot do.' When the security in God is discovered, the devotee finds that all other securities are not worth a straw.