116 The Spiritual Life.
earthly lover will gladly undergo hardships,
perils, sufferings, to win approval from,or to
gain somethingdesirablefor,hi§beloved. How
should nottheonewhohascaughtaglimpseof
thebeautyoftheSelfdojoyfullyallthatbrings
himnearertounion,sacrificeungrudgingly,nay,
with delight, all that withholds him from the
bridaloftheinnerlife? Forthesakeof being
with one we love, we readily endure incon-
venience, sacrifice comfort, the joy of thepresenceof the loved one lends charm tothe
surmountingofallobstaclesthatseparate. Thus
devotion makes hard things easy, and painful
thingspleasant. ForloveistheWorld-alchemist
andtransmutesalltogold.
Devotion gives peace. The heart atpeace
inthe Selfisat peacewith all. The devotee
seestheSelfinall; all formsaround himbear
theimpressofthe Beloved. Howthencan he
hateordespiseorrepelany,when the facehe
lovessmilesathimbehindeverymask? "Sages
look with equal eyeon a Brahmana adorned
with learning and humility, on a cow, an
elephant, and even a dog and a dog-eater.
(Bhagavad-Gita, v.^1 8.) No one, nothing,
can beoutside the heartof the devotee,since