The Innocence of a Child: The Path to God's Kingdom

So my advice would be that instead of trying to become enlightened or come to self-realization, try to deepen in your love for God, because it is this Atma, which is God's presence, which will show you the truth anyway. So in your inquiry, have full humility, have full devotion; then your inquiry will seem like it is on steroids, it will be super-powered. And don't value too much—unless it makes you more devotional—don't value too much what experiences you had in the past, because that will only lead to spiritual pride which will block your deepening. So fresh: 'I'm just a beginner. I'm just a beginner. I had no experience in anything, nothing. It is all God's grace. Today what He does with me, it's all His grace. I'm just a beginner.' Always have that attitude. That purity, that innocence will really help in the process.

So what is that innocence? There is something in the Bible, it is often repeated. There are not so many things which are so often repeated. There is something in the Bible which is often repeated, which is that Jesus told us very clearly that only the children will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And he said 'only.' He didn't say 'mostly.'

So I'm saying stay with the child. Can you pray to Kali without being a child? Like pray to Kali and say, 'You know, buddy, come, come, let's be together in this'? No, you have to become like a little baby and then pray to Kali. Like praying to Kali is a big, big invitation to innocence because she's not going to take this much pride from you, this much. That's why it's Kali. You're not praying to Saraswati, you're praying to Ma Kali. It's all one God who has made it so beautiful that we can relate with Him in that way which most resonates with our heart. So say it is Kali for you, you see. Try to meet Kali with some pride and see what happens. No, don't try, just saying that. But you cannot do it because you're saying that, 'I want this demolisher of all that is evil, all that is dark, all that is separated from God's love. I'm praying to the strongest embodiment of that demolisher.' And you think that you will have your own two feet to stand on in that process? No, you will be flat on the ground while you're praying to her, if it is a true prayer.

What is the most important aspect of innocence? Follow the Father's will. That is a child. You don't have to—I mean, unless it happens naturally—you don't have to throw tantrums like children. You don't have to become like outwardly like that. It means if it happens naturally, it's very sweet, but it really means to not know for yourself but to trust God in everything, which is the opposite of the world today, which is: we must know more, we must do more, we must take power for ourselves. To return to innocence is to be empty of all of that and allow God to move us, to guide us.