9. Turning the awareness from the object to the subject

A small story:

Once a person went to the great saint Ramanuja and asked him, 'Master, I want to achieve enlightenment. Can you teach how?'

Ramanuja asked him, 'Have you ever experienced love? Have you really lost yourself in love?'The man was shocked at the question and said, 'What are you asking? I lead a pure life. I control my desires and do different spiritual practices. I came to you to realize god!'

Ramanuja replied, 'If you have not even experienced ordinary love, how can you experience god!'

Unless you experience ordinary love, you will not understand what happens when you are in love. Only when you understand what happens when you are in love with an object will you be able to turn your attention towards the experience. Turning your awareness towards the experience itself will naturally turn yourself towards you. That love will lead you towards your being. Love can lead you to the object or to the subject. It is a bridge and it can take you towards the subject. Whoever used the gate to enter into the subject became enlightened. They liberated themselves and liberated others.