When the heart burns at the sufferings of others,
That is God’s own heart.
When eyes strain to see others happy,
Through them God Himself sees.
When hands toil for others’ relief,
These hands move only by God’s will.
When the tongue sings His Name,
That voice is the voice of God.
Such is a Saint – God’s own image!
Swami Ramdas (1884-1963) was a south Indian mystic, whose spiritual practice was based on repetition of the mantram. This passage is published in Easwaran’s spiritual anthology, “God Makes the Rivers to Flow.” The audio recording is by Eknath Easwaran’s wife, Christine Easwaran.