THE RECIPE

“Many hear, few see, yet fewer seek. Amongst those who seek a few would reach. Those who reach are those who stick.”

…..Guru Gopal

Which category do you belong to now and which category do you wish to be? That is something for you to reflect on. The search for God is something which you cannot develop or pretend to be interested in. It comes naturally, initially as a stirring deep within you that you cannot explain. It comes when the time is right for you and the yearning for Truth becomes your priority.

The desire to know your Creator is positive and the search usually starts outside you but ends within you.

It is like making a good pasta dish. Firstly you need to find a good recipe. You search the library, all the cookbooks, the internet and even from friends etc. Then you decide which is the recipe that appeals to you most. As a seeker you would do that same. You decide which is the path that appeals most to you.

To cook the pasta dish you need to buy the ingredients and then start to cook the dish. Having a good recipe and memorising it by heart and having the best ingredient and not using it will not get you the best pasta dish that you plan to cook.

Likewise having the best spiritual tools and memorising it by heart will not get you any closer to your goal – God.

When it comes to cooking your pasta dish you firstly need to have the recipe and apply the method recommended. Perhaps after several attempts you may perfect your pasta dish.

In spiritual life there is no difference. You need to have a guiding principle in life and then apply what you have. In order to apply you need to understand it first. This is where you need to seek clarification if in doubt.

Likewise in cooking your pasta you need to understand the method and the various ingredients to use. Only after many attempts you can finally perfect your pasta dish and feel confident to invite your friends over for dinner.

In the same way once you have benefited from your spiritual journey you can with confidence share it with your fellow seekers.

From the example of cooking a paste dish we can learn a lot. It is not how much you know but what you do with what you know.

It is not how much you have progressed but how much peace you find within you.

It is not how many holy places that you have visited but how much each visit has done for you.

Like the fire that has been started when you start your search, you need to keep it going by constantly adding firewood by visiting holy places, attending a study circle, discussions with like minded people. If you do not, the fire will slowly turn to embers and the embers to ashes. At the state of ashes, it is almost impossible to get the fire started again.

So once the search begins, plod on no matter how difficult the journey becomes, for the end result is worth every ounce of sweat.