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Whatever names and forms we give to God as aids to outgrow our ignorance and weakness, it is unanimously accepted that the highest God is a formless spirit. How does the formless Spirit God reveal Himself to us? How does He communicate His messages to us? How does He remind us of Himself? The answer is through the wonders of the Universe, splendours of Nature, dramatic events of Life, stirring experiences of the soul. Any object, event, occasion, situation, scene, experience that touches our heart, that evokes emotional response, that causes surprise, that responds to our aspirations or any flash of thought - we should understand as God’s communication to us. It may be that He is reminding us that He is; that He is near us; that He is interested in us. It may be that He is conveying a message or giving an instruction as to what we should do in a situation or what we should not do. He may be revealing an aspect of His nature or one of His attributes. Nature and Life are media for him to reveal and for us to recognise. Rabindranath Tagore says that flowers are love-letters of God to the human heart written in coloured ink.

With this attitude, let us try to understand the right approach to life. Before making that attempt, let us know the aim of life as intended by Nature. In creation, Matter came first. After thousands of years came Life as a result of long struggle. Millions of years later, the Mind appeared which was full of limitations and is still controlled by Matter and Life. This cannot be the final stage of evolution. Out of the mind are evolving Moral Values and Spiritual sense. We cannot conceive anything beyond Spiritual Perfection or Supreme Consciousness. What comes out last in the scale of evolution was behind creation, the origin of the Universe. That which is the origin and the Ultimate is through the Universe supporting the law of evolution. Manifestation of the Supreme Consciousness or God­-realisation is the aim of creation as intended by Nature. Hence, Life is pot an end but a means, not a destination but a journey, not the final achievement but an occasion; an opportunity. Life is not purposeless or meaningless, not just for merry-making. The process of Nature, the course of events, man’s efforts knowingly or unknowingly are all driving to that goal of Self-realisation or God ­realisation.

When this truth becomes evident to us, there comes about a revolutionary change in our outlook, in our attitude towards things, events and values. What is generally considered very important looks trivial. What is trivial to the worldly-minded is of immense significance to the new outlook. We begin to read meaning in apparently negligible incidents. We read books in running brooks. We hear sermons in stones. Tongues in leaves speak eloquently. Messages constantly come to us from all quarters. They are continuously travelling in the space, floating in the air, swimming in water, resonating in the bird’s song, revealing in the rosy dawn, shining in the stars, tinkling in the grass roots under our feet. Each of the many is struggling to reach the One in harmony with all others. The finite is endeavouring to exceed the limits of finitude. The perishable is moving towards the Imperishable. Everything momentary is revealing the Eternal.

Experiences happy or unhappy have not much meaning in themselves but only in their correcting influence on us refining, disciplining, culturing, training our nature in the image of the Divine. Appointments, disappointments, honours, humiliations, successes, failures, unions and separations have a role in moulding our nature. Some experiences widen our outlook. Some broaden our sympathies. Some disillusion us. Certain experiences suggest that God is all-powerful and nothing stands against Him. Man is something if God’s grace abides on him. If the grace is withdrawn, he is nothing. Certain events humble our pride. Some awaken in us inner strength and confidence. Some experiences enable us to overcome selfishness and fear. Some convert us into saints. Some experiences help us positively and serve as warning signals. All experiences are thus useful if we keep our aim of life –� God-realisation clear in our hearts and make use of them. In tune with God, we are something worthy; out of tune, we are nothing; like a drop of water in union with the ocean or away from the ocean. As long as the drop is in the ocean, it enjoys and participates the glory, immensity, vastness, depth of the ocean. If the drop is separated from the ocean, it becomes insignificant. It is of little use to itself or to others. It soon dries up. We should learn to fall in line with the will and ways of the Divine; not grudgingly or helplessly but joyfully.

In living life, we have to follow Swadharma, the law of one’s being. One’s way of doing should be according to one’s law of being. Change of nature for the better is possible only in line with the innate temperament. Each soul comes into the world cast in a particular mould to play its role in the Divine drama of life. To discover that by keen self-analysis is a must. Circumstances, opportunities, situations on the one hand, aptitudes, abilities, temperaments on the other help in discovering one’s Swadharma.

Whatever work we do should be done as God’s co-worker, in co-operation with God, as God’s work in the spirit of worship. We should be working constantly like nature–with body, heart or mind. For a spiritual aspirant, there is no such a thing as big or small. All work is necessary. Every work has a place in God’s scheme. One’s moral and spiritual growth should be the highest result of doing work–­not spectacular achievements.

God is the invisible Master behind the human master. If we do our personal work, we do it with interest. We do not grudge if the work is heavy. If we invite a great man to our house, we clean up, decorate and give a festive appearance to our home and give a treat accepting all the strain and stress with enthusiasm. If we believe that God is our master for whom we are working, we do not feel the burden, We feel proud. We consider it a privilege that we are chosen for the work. Joy, the highest reward for the work, we get immediately, cash down. Serving God and seeing God in service are simultaneous. Each object and event is in link with many objects and events. We cannot know all the causes and consequences of chain reactions in the complicated, complex mechanism of the Universe. Hence, anxiety for the result of our work should not come near about our minds.

God, who is taking care of us is the guiding charioteer of our lives. Feeling the thrill of his touch or the inspiration of His nearness, referring to Him when in doubt, enjoying without desire for possession, we should accept situations, rise to occasions, face challenges, tackle problems, pass through ordeals and live with joy and dignity like a sword, like an arrow. The sword has a joy and dignity in being made for a heroic purpose, has a joy and dignity in being broken while striking. The arrow has a thrill, a joy in leaving the bow with a hissing sound to hit the target. The flower has the delight in exhilarating the environment with colour and fragrance. The river has a song of joy throughout its journey in being useful to creatures and crops. The bird leaving the nest before sunrise soars high and moves in the infinite sky day long. Though environed by a thousand dangers, it is carefree and deludes the forest with the melody of a song, glorifying God for His providence. All these are practical lessons and demonstrations to experience and to express the delight of existence.