Self-Realization Fellowship Blog

Paramahansa Yogananda on Finding Direction in Life

September 04, 2021

Paramahansa Yogananda on Finding Direction in Life 1924 3104 PY 5x7

The world will go on like this in its ups and downs. Where shall we look for a sense of direction? Not to the prejudices roused within us by our habits and the environmental influences of our families, our country, or the world; but to the guiding voice of Truth within.

When you are in direct contact with the Creator of this universe, you are in direct contact with all wisdom and understanding.

Understanding is the most precious possession of each soul. It is your inner vision, the intuitive faculty by which you can clearly perceive the truth — about yourself and others, and all situations that arise in your path — and correctly adjust your attitudes and actions accordingly.

Restlessness — that which ruffles and diffuses the mind — blurs vision and causes misunderstanding. Emotion blurs your vision. Moods blur your vision. Most people act, not out of understanding, but according to their moods….In my experience with the great ones in India, the first thing I learned was to clear my vision of all forms of restlessness and mental prejudice that might blur my understanding.

With guru-given techniques of divine communion, the devotee’s spiritual intelligence grows from sense-bound rationalism to the developed intuition of deep meditation.

When my trials become very great, I first seek understanding in myself. I don't blame circumstances or try to correct anybody else. I go inside first. I try to clean the citadel of my soul to remove anything that obstructs the soul’s all-powerful, all-wise expression. That is the successful way to live.

In this video excerpt from his 2021 Convocation closing talk, “Finding a Spiritual Compass in Our Changing World,” Brother Chidananda recounts a personal experience of what he terms “soul fog” and what happened when he put into practice Paramahansaji’s counsel on going within to find direction during times of uncertainty.

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