God's tests

GOD'S TESTS

Divine realization requires unceasing faith, in spite of every reverse. The nearer we approach toward God, the greater the tests may be. Paramahansaji said: `The trials seemingly appear very severe; but the one who steadily believes, and thus deserves God's direct action and help, will find some magic wand dissolving all menacing mountains of testing tribulations.'

(Dr. Lewis, Self-Realization magazine)

Place a nail on a board. Will it ever go through the wood on its own, no matter how sharp it is? No, indeed. You will only sink it into the board by hitting it with a hammer. We are just the same; it is only by hammer blows that God manages to humble us, no matter how good our native dispositions might be.

(St. Anthony Mary Claret, `The Wisdom of the Saints')

Yet the suffering

Involved in my awakening will have a limit;

It is like the suffering of having an incision made

In order to remove and destroy greater pain.

Even doctors eliminate illness

With unpleasant medical treatments,

So in order to overcome manifold sufferings

I should be able to put up with some discomfort.

But the Supreme Physician does not employ

Common medical treatments such as these,

With an extremely gentle technique

He remedies all the greatest sins.

(Shantideva, `Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life')