GOD REALIZATION

they had no use of money beyond a certain minimum amount. Paradise was a dream of the after-life at that time and could not have been realized in this world. Today however, people have many other options. Nowadays, it is possible to expend one’s money for various activities. We can buy many things for our pleasure and luxury. With the amount of material comforts, people try making a Paradise for themselves in this very world. Going after material advancements serves to distract people from the path of religion and spirituality. Thus although the knowledge and discoveries of the present world potentially give us an opportunity to realize God at a higher level, they also cause to distract us in wasting our time and potential in superficial entertainment and enjoyment. The path to God Realization To seek something, we must have sincerity. Without sincerity, we will not be able to seek it, find it or accept it. Only with sincerity, can one find the truth. Gautama Buddha once went to a milkman. The milkman told Buddha: “I will give you milk in return for knowledge.” Buddha gave him a pot for the milk. He washed it and put fresh milk in it for Gautama who took it and started going away. The milkman said, “Buddha, where are you going, you have still to give me knowledge”. To this Buddha replied: “I have given it to you. I gave you a pot. You first cleaned it and then poured milk in it. You realized that only a clean pot could contain milk. In the same way, only if you become a clean container by cleansing yourself of jealousy, anger, and hatred will I be able to impart knowledge to you. If you are not cleansed, the knowledge that I give you will only be spilled over.” If one’s inner container is not clean, God will not accept it. If you desire direct communion with God, you must be sincere and cleanse yourself. Without that you cannot be in communion with God. We must first cleanse our heart and mind of all negative thoughts and words. De-conditioning of the mind: As soon as we are born, we start getting conditioned by our environment and the people around us. Upon becoming an adult—we have to start de-conditioning our minds’ conditioning, layer by layer, to reach our true nature. Islam is not based on the quantity of rituals we perform, but on the level of realization of God that we attain in our lifetime.