In the first place, it will be futile to think of knowing Him as different from ourselves as an object. Says St. Arul Nandi: "As God is not different from the soul, as He is in the soul, as He is the thinker of all the soul's thoughts, as in Him there is no distinction of 1 and mine, God cannot be perceived by the soul's intelligence as different." "God is not different from you either as he is inseparably associated with you, and transcend all discriminating intelligence. As He is ever the inside of the soul, the soul can be said to be Sivam."

The first possibility of our becoming Him will lie, therefore, in the fact that we are inseparably associated with Him, and must think ourselves as one with Him. We must not create distinctions between ourselves and Himself, interpose our will and thought, the feelings of 'I and mine.' Then only will our will and thought come into rapport with Him.

O mind, was it not for me, that God, came under the banyan tree as silent teacher, and with dumb show of band cured me of acts called my acts, and placed me in the blissful ocean of His grace.

"By grace behold all things," He said. Not understanding, by my intelligence I beheld differentiating. I saw darkness. I saw not even me, the seer. What is this, sister?

"Of me and thee, think not in thy heart as two. Stand undifferentiating." This one word when He uttered, how can I tell, dear, the Bliss that grew straightaway from that word?

(From Saint Tayumanavar's 'Revel in Bliss'

- translated by P. Arunachalam Esq. m. a., of Colombo).