The poem uses the metaphor of "hide and seek" to refer to God's playfulness with his devotee: "In the darkness of your deepest prayers, / Know that with you He is playing / Hide and seek."
Whether He replies or not,
Keep calling Him -
Ever calling in the chamber
Of continuous prayer.
Whether He comes or not,
Believe He is ever approaching
Nearer to you
With each command of your heart's love.
A timely subject for us is that of peace. The great poet/yogi is there for us with the poem/affirmation called "Peace" in which we hear the use of many similes: "Peace flows through my heart, and blows through me as a zephyr. Peace fills me like a fragrance. Peace runs through me like rays." Followed by striking metaphors: "Peace stabs the heart of noise and worries. Peace burns through my disquietude."
The necessity of silence is reinforced in the beautiful poem/affirmation titled "Meditation on Silence": "My silence, like an expanding sphere, spreads everywhere. / My silence spreads like a radio song, above, beneath, left and right, withing and without."
From "Christmas Meditation" the appropriate cultural metaphors are employed: "All my thoughts are decorating the Christmas tree of meditaion with the rare gifts of devotion, sealed with golden heart-preayer that Christ may come and receive my humble gifts." The beautiful metaphor of the Christmas tree and wrapped Christmas gifts emphasize the nature of giving from the heart and soul at that time of year that Western culture loves to celebrate. That this great poet/yogi, originally born of Hindu culture, understood and appreciated Jesus Christ uplifts our consciousness as it demonstrates the universality of the Christ consciousness.
The great yogi/poet enthralled millions with his lectures during the 1920s and 1930s, and his writings continue to do the same today. Not only can we be entertained by this poet's works, but we can also stir our souls to God awareness, because Paramahansa Yogananda wrote from that exalted state of consciousness. A hindu yogi has penetrated our hearts, minds, and souls with his intelligent, perceptive, and deeply spiritual literary works. _________________________________________________
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