Dear Teacher, when we want to be in God’s presence at all times—not through spiritual wayfaring, but through thought, heart and spirit, and above all through the mind—our worldly attachments, such as showering someone with affection, can draw the mind away. When it turns to other concerns, it seems that this connection grows faint, or even breaks off. Of course, the connection of the heart is involved, too. We want this bond to remain constant, not to be interrupted. You advised us to entrust our hearts and minds to God. We will certainly try to do so; without God’s help, it would not be possible. You also recommended a number of practices, such as fulfilling all our religious obligations and observing the recommended prayers and other devotional acts. But if we cannot keep this connection present in our minds, how will performing recommended acts help us? I don’t understand how the two are connected. Do such acts purify the heart, with their effects then becoming apparent in the mind?
As for my experience over the past few days of following your advice, I used to perform some recommended acts now and then. But after reading part of your response, I became upset and thought, “Teacher, why didn’t you take my capacity into account when answering? I’m weak in this regard.” To be honest, I felt low for two or three days. Then, since you had advised me to ease into this programme gradually and gently, I put my trust in God and made a start, to some extent. Today, after performing all the recommended prayers around the noon and afternoon prayers, I experienced once again the joy of being in God’s presence. But this requires consistency—practising regularly and without fail. I had experienced that same joy before, without performing recommended acts; I simply want it to endure. My difficulty is maintaining that consistency. I have heard stories of people who did no more than fulfil their obligations, yet were given to reflection and attained great spiritual stations.
Please guide me.