There is an ancient story of a holy man who decided it was his time to move on to heaven.  He went to knock at heaven’s door.  God responded, “Who is there?”

The holy man answered, “God, it is me.” 

God answered, “Go away, there is not room here for you.”

Shocked, the holy man slowly turned and went back to his meditating, spiritual studies, and good works for another six years.  When he thought he was ready, he once again approached the gates of heaven.  He knocked.  Once again, God answered asking, “Who is there.” And once again the holy man gave his same answer. 

“Go away,” said God, and repeated his earlier statement, “there is no room in heaven for you.”

Truly bewildered, and even more deeply saddened, the holy man returned to his life.  He continued to pray, to meditate, to study, to do good works for many more years until he thought he was indeed now ready to again approach God for entry into heaven.

Again he knocked at the gates of heaven, God answered and asked, “Who is there?”

The holy man this time responded, “Thou Art.”

“Come on in,” said God.  “There is no room in heaven for you and for Me.”

This short but poignant story reminds us that there is no separation between God and ourselves, that we are One with the Father.  And without coming to this realization we cannot truly enter heaven – on earth or in any another dimension.

The reason I write about this story now is to share with you how powerful it has influenced my silent meditations.  When I sit in stillness, I start by asking myself, “Who is here?”  To which I answer, “Thou Art.”

This enables me to easily break away from the egoic self, with its distracting mental chatter, and rest in the Oneness of Thou Art.  Peace, serenity, and opening to receive the experience of my Oneness with God, take over. 

I am sharing this now with the hope that this shift from “me” to “Thou Art” will be  helpful to others as well.

Namaste,