Daily Meditation: Sunday, March 20, 2005

Friends - inner, establish them permanently within you

03/20/2005

Suppose a family argument has just erupted: what theatre, what cacophony! Then suddenly a friend who is appreciated and respected by everyone appears at the door… Immediately everyone makes an effort to put on a good face. They even look kindly at one another so the friend will not notice they were in the midst of a crisis. You certainly have experienced this, haven’t you? And why not draw conclusions from this for your inner life? When turmoil erupts within you, if you begin to pray with great fervour, you may find that everything suddenly becomes calm and you find peace and joy again. Why is this? Because a friend came to visit you, and in his presence, all the other inhabitants within you, afraid of appearing rude, calmed down. And if you entreat your friend with even greater resolve and fervour never to go away again, to stay and live permanently within you, to take up residence in the centre of your being, at that very moment, peace and light will come and reign in you forever.