Self-giving is the master key to shortening the journey and making it as smooth as possible. For though the Divine always loves all creatures in His vast universality yet when a heart leaps in response to this love in a gesture of wide self-giving then the Divine Love becomes deeply and intensely personal with all its attendant consequences.
What then is self-giving? Why should we even need to give oneself to the Divine to whom anyways everything belongs? If the path of self-giving ensures a smooth and safe journey, then self-giving is no more a self-giving but a bargain or a business if it is done with this or any other calculation.
It is true that the Divine needs nothing for Himself but we are certainly partners and in His Work in His creation. Besides this, love is a bond between two seemingly different beings. Its origin is the bond between the Creator and the Creation. When we give ourselves sincerely to the Divine from our side then we do our little bit to strengthen it. This reciprocation is needed in any love though the Divine or for that matter, true love never depends upon it. Yet the reciprocal gesture of love for the Divine (and bhakti is part of it with self-giving as its crown) helps bring joy into the relationship and makes us receptive to what is being poured upon us by the Divine.
There is an occult meaning in all this. When we give ourselves to the Divine then whatever portion we have given to Him is returned sanctified and transformed. What we can give is the raw thing and the Divine received it and returns it purified uplifted to its utmost possibility, changed into its divine possibility. Of course this does not happen all at once since even what we call our individual nature is actually universal. As we start this process of giving new elements from everywhere begin to enter the chalice of our heart to be given. The process that started with our individual nature begins to assume a larger scope and significance. Even when we are free and changed we yet continue to labour for others.
How is it to be done? It is not a process as much as a state that develops as our love for the Divine grows. Thus, for example, we give our soul to the Divine by turning it away from the fields of ignorance and an obstinate attachment to it and aspire for the Divine and His Work. We can give our thoughts to the Divine by naturally thinking of Him rather than anything else. This is a movement natural to love that we think of those whom we love. We can give our feelings to Him by turning all emotions to Him and by relating with Him in every way as we would do with earthly ties. We can give our will to Him by using it only to serve Him, to know Him, to love Him. We can give our life to Him by using it only for His purpose and His work in the world. We can give our very body and breath to Him by turning our bodily activities into rituals of worship in a sacred temple. Of course, we can also give Him our wealth and things and objects in our life. All of these are various forms of giving. Essentially our life of the ego is given now to the Divine, for His discovery and His work. There is no other aim save to know Him and love Him and serve Him.
What greater felicity can there be than this absolute dependence upon the Divine for everything turning all our life into Her ceaseless worship and service.
