Paramahansa Yogananda – about God

<>“It is difficult for me to imagine God”- confessed a theology student to Yogananda. “I sought to imagine it as an infinite Intelligence whose principle is “I am!”, as the Inner Self, as the Cosmic Root of all that exists. But all these representations seemed so abstract to me. Your conception of God seems to me to be very full of love. How can such a relationship be achieved?”

“The first stage is to understand that God does not want your definitions. He wants nothing but your love. Why not then worship the Infinite regarded as the Divine Mother?”

“What a wonderful idea”- exclaimed the student. “But is it really valid?”

“Of course!”– Yogananda replied. “God’s love is reflected in the relationships between people. Like the light of the sun, which makes the countless shards of glass shine, His love illuminates every atom of creation. The Divine Mother is the prototype of human mothers. Through parents, He cares for you and protects you. Through your friends, He shows you how love is bestowal free from all constraint. I feel much closer to the maternal aspect of God. Mothers are always closer to us than fathers. The paternal aspect of God is transcendent to his creation. Even on Earth, fathers judge their children’s mistakes much harsher, while the mother is more forgiving. Pray to the Divine Mother, speak to her as if you were her child: “Divine Mother, good or bad, I am yours. You must free me from this illusion.”

The Divine Mother will always respond with compassion if the aspirant addresses this request to Her sincerely and with all his heart. Of course, God is none of these forms in which we worship Him, but it is useful to know this human view of reflecting the world so that we can deepen our devotion.

By transcending devotion, we will discover divine love. This form of perfect love requires a total merging of being into the Divine. In this state, the yogi realizes the ultimate truth: “I am He.”

Paramahansa Yogananda