and we love only with our minds,

so that when our love is at its lowest it is sex

and at its highest it is compassion,

but love is a transcendence of both sex and compassion.

Therefore understand what is

and do not strive for what should be –

what should be flows out of

the acceptance and understanding of what is.

131. Love.

I received your letter.

Now never worry about me,

not even mistakenly for two reasons.

First: the day I surrendered myself for God

I transcended all anxiety –

because trying to look after oneself

is the only anxiety!

Ego is anxiety.

Beyond it: what anxiety? whose? and for whom?

Secondly: men like me are born to be crucified.

The cross is our throne

and our mission is fulfilled

only when stones are showered, not flowers.

But on the divine path

even stones turn into flowers,

and on the contrary path

even flowers turn out to be stones.

Therefore when the stones start raining on me,

be happy and thank God!

Truth is always received like this.

If you don’t agree

ask Socrates

ask Jesus

ask Buddha

ask Kabir

ask Meera.

My regards to all.

132. Love.

What does the seed know of its own potential?

It is the same with man:

he doesn’t know what he is nor what he can be!

The seed, perhaps, cannot look within but man can.

This looking in is called meditation.

To know one’s truth

as it is here and now is meditation.

Dive into it, deeper and deeper;

there, in the depths, all that is possible

can be clearly seen.

And once seen it begins to happen –

the awareness of what is possible turns it into a reality,

like a seed stirred by a vision of its potential

beginning to sprout.

Time, effort, energy – pour it all into meditation

because meditation is the gateless gate through which

the self becomes aware of itself.

133. Love.

Nothing in life is sure – except death,

otherwise life is another name for insecurity.

When this is realized

the desire for security simply vanishes.

To accept insecurity is to become free of it.

Uncertainty will stay in the mind

because that is its nature.

Don’t worry about it

because that will add fuel to it.

Just let the mind be, where it is,

and you go into meditation.

You are not the mind

so where is the problem of the mind?

Leave the darkness where it is

and just light your lamp.

Are you going to think carefully and then surrender?

O mad one! Surrender is a leap outside thought.

Either jump or don’t jump

but for God’s sake don’t ponder over it!

134. Love.

Theism is another name for infinite hope.

It is patience,

it is waiting,

it is trust in leela,

in the play of life,

and therefore with theism complaining cannot be.

Theism is acceptance,

it is surrender –

acceptance of what is beyond the self

and surrender to the source of the self.

In 1914 a fire broke out in

Thomas Edison’s laboratory.

Machinery worth millions

and all the papers pertaining to his lifelong research

were burnt to ashes.

Hearing of this tragedy his son Charles

came looking for him

and he found him standing by the side

enjoying the sight of the leaping flames.

On seeing Charles, Edison said to him: Where is your mother?

Go and find her and bring her here quickly;

such a sight she will never see again!

The next day, walking amidst the ashes

of his hopes and dreams,

the 67 year-old inventor said:

What benefit there is in destruction!

All our mistakes have been burnt to ashes, thank God!