BE LIKE A PIECE OF COTTON, A CANDLE, AND A NEEDLE

The human body is like a town. The soul is its king. But there is a king of all the kings and that is the Supreme Power -God. This is the real beauty of the entire universe. That is the basis of the universe – and it is like the thread of the garland or the necklace where you can see the flowers or beads but not the thread which is holding all of them together. In the same way, one can see everything but not the one who is holding them intact. God is not visible, but his entire creation is visible. Nobody has seen God except for a rare few. Only the pious souls or the ones who are engaged in meditation may be able to see Him. If you happen to get the company of some great men then you should
pray to God and ask for his favor: “O God, let me remain ever attached to the holy feet. I should not get away from them. Your attachment should not go away from me. Your love should ever stay with me and my attention should always remain focused towards you.”

The World Changes fast

Everyone has come to this world endowed with a very short and temporary life. This body is not going to stay for too long. The world is undergoing very dissolute changes. Many events are taking place in quick succession. But what is not changing is our soul and the Supreme God. We should associate with the one that is not changing and which
is not temporary. That is why this power is called an All-Powerful Supreme Lord and Eternal. There is no other. divine power than him. He is the originator of all Gods. He does not have any origin himself. There is no end to him. He is unborn and never takes birth. He will make his presence felt but remain away from a physical form. God delivers Messages through Saints. Bodies can be seen in the world but whatever is seen in the world, God is far away from them. These are all his creations. He gives advice and instructions but through the medium of saints and sages or even through various incarnations. He chooses someone to deliver his messages. Sometimes he is seen in the form of Surdas, or in the form of Tulsidas and sometimes in the form of Shankaracharya or some other saints and sages.

Surdas was sitting and playing on his musical instrument and trying to invoke God and inviting him to come. What was so special about the ordinary instrument that God appeared before him? It was not studded with diamonds and gems. Still, God stood before him. The same way Meerabai sang for him while still living in the midst of sand dunes and reached Dwarka, the Holy abode of Krishna from Vrindavan. It was through their deep and sustained devotion that these devotees could get to divinity. One can choose any means to please and reach God: singing or performing deep devotion, performing yagna, and penance or meditation or chanting hymns for him or perform service to and for him.

Means to Invoke God

In Bengal people of the Chaitanya cult sing and dance by raising their hands up in the air calling for God and they even get so much worked up that they often fall on the ground. This is another way of invoking God and calling him. The main idea is to adopt any means to get attached to God. Surrender the mind and soul to him and begin to belong to him. The attachment is the means. Whatever method or model is used to reach him is immaterial but being close to him emotionally and honestly is the main thing. Belong to him and be fully devoted to him. Reaching God is the ultimate objective.

God Protects Everyone

God says, “I am sitting in each and everyone as a living soul. Feel me there.” When such a feeling is recognized then life becomes a saintly life. Someone asked a saint, “Please let me know how to make life more beautiful?” the saint gave him three things – a piece of cotton, a candle, and a needle, and said, “You can beautify your life with these
three things.” Listening to the advice the man walked away a bit confused. He did not understand what the saint actually meant by giving him the three things. He returned to the saint and asked for further explanation. The saint said, “This cotton is used to make threads which are further used to produce cloth. The cloth is used to cover the body to protect embarrassment. God’s most loved is the one who honors everyone and who protects the humiliation of everyone. He protects everyone. That is the purpose of cotton.”

Be a Candle and a Needle

“Another item is the candle. Its light will spread in all directions and help people find their way. They will not be distracted. Such a person who shows the way is the most loved person of God. Invest your total life to show the way and guide people. You should be a candle to the world.” “The third thing is the needle. Many people do not recognize the real value of the needle because it is so small but nothing in the world works without the needle. It works to mend all torn clothes, thus uniting them, putting them together, binding them. Thus, any person who works to join
and unite people or fractured hearts is the most loved person of God.

Be the needle in society and help unite people – it is a great service.
You then become the most favored person of God.” The man said, “You have given me beautiful advice together with these three things. I thought I had all these three small things at home. But now, after listening to you, I realize that the purpose of these three things was missing from my home.”

God Emerges from the Heart

When these three things become prominent and known then we come to realize that we can make our life more beautiful. If this happens, God emerges from the heart and moves in the world in different forms. There will be happiness all around and the universe will become more beautiful to live in.