Practicing the Presence of God: A Path to Spiritual Enlightenment

One of the most profound yet challenging practices for spiritual aspirants is to cultivate a constant awareness of God's presence. It is profound because it can transform us from within, and it is challenging because materially conditioned souls find it very difficult to connect their consciousness with God. This article explains the essence and strategies to practice the presence of God.

What Does It Mean to Practice the Presence of God?

At its core, practicing the presence of God means engaging the mind in thoughts of the Divine, regardless of ongoing physical activities. God is an infinite ocean of bliss and when we bring Him into our consciousness, we experience a joy that is directly proportional to the depth of our devotion.

Swami Mukundananda ji beautifully explains that practicing God's presence means loving Him so intensely that every action becomes an offering to the Divine. This is an internal state where the moment we forget God, our heart compels us to remember Him, gently steering our mind back to genuine devotion.

For a true devotee, everything in creation becomes a reminder of God's presence. A perfect example of this is that of the selfless Gopis of Braj. They perceived His presence everywhere – Vatan mein, ghatan mein, vithin mein, baagan mein – in the streets, alleys, on the banks of Yamuna, in the flowers and vines, fragrant garlands, orchards, groves, ponds, woods, lightning, thunder, clouds, houses, walls, deer, cows, forest girls, in all Gopis, and even in their bodies.  

When we reach a state where we feel a jolt of realization upon forgetting God even for a moment, we know we are truly practicing His presence with devotion.

The Bhagavad Gita offers a profound insight into God's omnipresence:

उपद्रष्टानुमन्ता च भर्ता भोक्ता महेश्वर: | परमात्मेति चाप्युक्तो देहेऽस्मिन्पुरुष: पर: || 23||

upadraṣhṭānumantā cha bhartā bhoktā maheśhvaraḥ paramātmeti chāpy ukto dehe 'smin puruṣhaḥ paraḥ

Within the body also resides the Supreme Lord. He is said to be the Witness, the Permitter, the Supporter, Transcendental Enjoyer, the ultimate Controller, and the Paramātmā (Supreme Soul). (Bhagavad Gita 13.23)

This verse reminds us that God resides within our very being, observing our actions and thoughts, and bestowing the fruits of our karma at the appropriate time. Realizing this profound truth, we must strive to remember God at all times and never allow His presence to slip from our consciousness.

The Western Perspective: Brother Lawrence's Insights

The concept of practicing God's presence was introduced to the Western world through the life and writings of Brother Lawrence, a 17th-century French monk. Despite being assigned mundane tasks like cooking and cleaning in his monastery, Brother Lawrence transformed these chores into acts of devotion by constantly engaging in an inner dialogue with God as if He were physically present, working alongside him. This practice, which he maintained for 40 years, led to the posthumous publication of his letters in a book titled "The Practice of the Presence of God." Brother Lawrence's experiences demonstrate that even the most ordinary tasks can become sacred when performed with an awareness of God's presence.

In Hindu philosophy, we describe this experience as Karmyog – to do the chores with the body while attaching the mind to God.

Why Is It Challenging to Practice God's Presence?

Despite God's omnipresence, we often struggle to feel His presence in our lives. This difficulty arises because we have turned our consciousness away from Him, becoming blind to the extraordinary miracles evident in every atom of creation.

As Shree Krishna explains so beautifully to Arjun in the Bhagavad Gita:

नाहं प्रकाश: सर्वस्य योगमायासमावृत: | मूढोऽयं नाभिजानाति लोको मामजमव्ययम् || 25||

nāhaṁ prakāśhaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛitaḥ mūḍho 'yaṁ nābhijānāti loko mām ajam avyayam

I am not manifest to everyone, being veiled by my divine Yogmaya energy. Hence, those without knowledge do not know that I am without birth and changeless. (Bhagavad Gita 7.25)

God's Yogmaya power keeps His divinity veiled from us until we become eligible for His divine vision. This eligibility comes through complete surrender to God with utmost humility. Until we reach this state, we can nurture our spiritual growth by:

1. Deepening our faith through regular participation in Satsangs with like-minded devotees.
2. Consciously practicing the presence of God as a means to purify our hearts and intentions for devotional service.

Practical Strategies to Practice the Presence of God

Swamiji offers several practical strategies to help us cultivate the practice of God's presence in our daily lives:

1. Develop a Simple and Pure Heart: God values the purity of our intentions and the simplicity of our devotional sentiments. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by His divine opulence, we should strive to develop an intimate relationship with Him, nurturing the sentiment that "He is mine, and I am His."
2. Engage in Focused Contemplation: We can regularly contemplate on thoughts such as, "O Shree Krishna, I am Your servant. You are the reason for my existence. You are in the temple of my heart and every atom of creation, but I have lost consciousness of Your presence. You are my goal, my intellect, my love, my witness, and my protector. Please hear my heartfelt prayer." Such loving sentiments help us keep our minds on God while nurturing sentiments of servitude.

3. Practice Devotion in Any Bhav (i.e., Sentiment): The path of bhakti follows the law of love, which states that God's reciprocation is proportionate to the extent of our love and devotion. Whether we approach God as His servant (i.e., dasya bhav), friend (i.e., sakhya bhav), parent (i.e., vatsalya bhav), or beloved (i.e., madhurya bhav), He responds in kind. The key is to love God for His pleasure, transcending mere reverence.
4. Directly Practice God's Presence: We can utilize techniques like Roop-Dhyan meditation (i.e., visualization) to dynamically attach the mind to God. We can meditate on His names, pastimes (i.e., leelas), virtues, abodes, and saints. Swamiji offers guided meditations to facilitate this practice, an example of which is shared below. By regularly meditating on how to practice the presence of God, we can gradually become more adept.

5. Schedule Divine Appointments: Set aside an hour each day for a mental appointment with God/Guru. Use this time for internal conversations, mental service, or focused contemplation on His divine attributes. As we transition to worldly activities, we can invite Him to accompany us, maintaining our focus on Him throughout our tasks.
6. Take Devotional Breaks: Set reminders throughout the day to pause and practice God's presence. Use these short mental breaks to express gratitude and refocus the mind anywhere in the Divine realm. Gradually decrease the intervals between these breaks to increase the frequency of practice.
7. Express Gratitude: Maintain a daily gratitude journal to record devotional sentiments and practices. Cultivating gratitude, humility, and joy in our divine connection will enhance our ability to practice God's presence with greater focus. We can cultivate the attitude of gratitude by watching Swamiji’s guided meditation on this sentiment.
8. Cultivate Selfless Love: The foundation of this practice is selfless love for God. Even when asking for devotional grace, our sentiment should be selfless – seeking devotion for His pleasure, not our own. Regularly request God/Guru to guide us in this practice.

The Essence of Karmyog in Practicing God's Presence

Karmyog is the constant attachment of the mind to God while engaging the physical body in worldly duties. A beautiful example of this practice was witnessed in the life of Saint Namdev. Once, he was eating his meal outdoors, his body performing physical motions of eating but his mind was deeply attached to God in a state of samadhi. At that time, a dog came and grabbed a chappati (i.e., Indian bread) from his plate. Saint Namdev perceived Vitthal Bhagawan (or Shree Krishna) in the dog and ran after him to offer butter to make the dry chappati moist and soft to eat.

This exemplifies how pure-hearted souls perceive God in every living being and atom of creation while their bodies may be engaged in worldly works. But the one who attaches the mind to the world and physically practices devotion to God will not make spiritual progress. What is truly important is to maintain our mental connection with God while fulfilling worldly responsibilities. It warns against the folly of merely going through the motions of devotional practices while our minds remain entangled in worldly concerns.

Closing Thoughts

Practicing the presence of God is a lifelong journey that requires patience, persistence, continuous practice, and unwavering devotion. As we incorporate these practices into our daily lives, we gradually transform our consciousness, seeing the Divine in every aspect of our existence.

The goal is not perfection but progress. Each moment we spend in awareness of God's presence is a step towards spiritual enlightenment. As we continue this practice, we may find that the boundaries between the sacred and the mundane begin to dissolve, and our entire life becomes a beautiful offering to the Divine.

Readers will find many useful tools to enhance spiritual practice by downloading the free Radha Krishna Bhakti App. Some of the guided meditations noted above can be found under the Get Closer to God 21-Day Challenge.

 Resources

• Feeling the Presence of God with You | Swami Mukundananda
• The ONLY Way to Get Closer to Shree Krishna - Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12 Verse 2 | Swami Mukundananda
• UNLOCK Your Deepest Connection with God - The 3 Ways to God Realization | Swami Mukundananda
• Practice this Consciousness to Achieve the Ultimate Goal of Life | Day 7 of Life Transformation
• Meditation | Serve God in Mind | Guided Meditation | Love God

FAQs

1. What does it mean when we say that God is present in every atom of creation?  

As per Hindu philosophy, God created (or released) the universe from within and His divine energy exists even within the smallest particles. From this perspective, atoms, molecules, and subatomic particles are the building blocks through which divine presence is expressed, suggesting that everything in the universe is a manifestation of the Divine.

2. Is nature divine?

Some people find divine presence in the harmony and order of natural processes, such as the foliage, the balance of ecosystems, and even the laws of physics that govern the universe. Observing how each element of nature interacts and sustains itself can feel like witnessing divine wisdom in action.

3. How can one find meaning and sacredness in each moment of their day to practice the presence of God?

Spiritual aspirants try to practice karmyog or think about God when performing their daily tasks and in moments of silence. This practice, similar to Brother Lawrence’s Practicing the Presence of God, focuses on finding meaning and sacredness in each moment, treating everything as part of a greater, divine whole.

4. How can we perceive God in other living beings?

Life itself can be viewed as a miracle or expression of the Divine. This idea resonates when our consciousness aligns with the knowledge that all living entities are souls – tiny fragments of Divine energy.