God Makes the Rivers to Flow is an anthology of spiritual texts for use in meditation, assembled by Eknath Easwaran. Condensed versions have been published under the titles Timeless Wisdom (book) and Sacred Literature of the World (audio recording). First published as a book in the US in 1982, progressively enlarged or revised versions of God Makes the Rivers to Flow were also issued in the US in 1991, 2003, and 2009. English editions have been published in India, and a French editionNon-US editions of Nilgiri Press Books, by Language , accessed 21 Sep 2011. has been published. The book has been reviewed in newspapers, magazines, professional journals, and websites, and utilized in research studies and education.
Background For nearly four decades, Easwaran taught a method of meditation, known as passage meditation, which involves focusing the mind on inspiring sacred texts, such as the 23rd Psalm or the Buddha's Discourse on Good Will. Throughout this time, he received inquiries about whether various texts were suitable passages for meditation. He taught that passages should meet the criteria he had learned to trust in his own practice: a passage should be "positive, practical, universal, and inspiring".God Makes the Rivers to Flow, 2009 edition, and drawn from a scripture or a person whose words and life attest to spiritual realization. God Makes the Rivers to Flow grew as a collection of such passages.
Topics covered All US editions of God Makes the Rivers to Flow and its derivatives contain an introduction, plus numerous 1- to 3- or more page selections of spiritual texts from many traditions. Examples of spiritual texts are shown in the table at right.
Examples of Inspirational Passages(God Makes the Rivers to Flow) Prayer of Saint FrancisPages 21 (1982 ed.), 29 (1991 ed.), 109 (2003 & 2009 eds.). Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace Where there is hatred let me sow love... The Shema (Torah)The Shema (Deut. 4:6-). Pages 26 (1982 ed.), 34 (1991 ed.), 103 (2003 & 2009 eds.). Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one... And these words... shall be upon your heart, and you shall teach them always to your children... Discourse on Good Will (Sutta Nipata)Discourse on Good Will, pages 45 (1982 ed.), 60–61 (1991 ed.), 104–105 (2003 & 2009 eds.). May all beings be filled with joy and peace...Just as a mother with her own life protects her child... So within yourself let grow a boundless love for all creatures... Let Nothing Upset You (Teresa of Avila)Pages 30 (1982 ed.), 174 (1991 ed.), 206 (2003 & 2009 eds.). Let nothing upset you; Let nothing frighten you.Everything is changing; God alone is changeless... Sermon on the Mount (New Testament)See also article on the book Original Goodness, Easwaran's commentary on the Sermon on the Mount in light of his own experience and on how the Sermon can be used in the methods of passage meditation that he has developed.Sermon on the Mount, Gospel of Saint Matthew. Pages 64–65 (1982 ed.), 88–91 (1991 ed.), 106–108 (2003 & 2009 eds.). Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted... Hymn to the Divine Mother (Chandi)Chandi. Pages 31 (1982 ed.), 35 (1991 ed.), 36 (2003 & 2009 eds.). ...O thou the savior of all who take refuge in thee,The lowly and the distressed – O Mother Divine, we salute thee... The Deepest Part of Thy Soul (William Law). Page 48 (2003 ed.). Though God be everywhere present, yet He is only present to thee in the deepest and most central part of thy soul....This depth is... so infinite that nothing can satisfy it or give it any rest but the infinity of God. Let Me Walk in Beauty (Chief Yellow Lark)Let Me Walk in Beauty, pages 162 (1991 ed.), 188 (2003 & 2009 eds.). O Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds...I am small and weak. I need your strength and wisdom... Twin Verses (Dhammapada)Dhammapada, chapter 1, "Twin verses". Pages 32–33 (1982 ed.), 43–45 (1991 ed.), 86–88 (2003 & 2009 eds.). All that we are is the result of what we have thought:We are formed and molded by our thoughts... I Come to Him Running (Mishkat al-Masabih)Mishkat al-Masabih, page 181 (2003 & 2009 eds.). The Prophet said, God Most High has said:When my worshipper's thoughts turn to Me, there I am with him... and if he come to Me walking, I come to him running... The Path (Mahatma Gandhi)Pages 59 (1982 ed.), 115 (1991 ed.), 202 (2003 & 2009 eds.). I know the path: it is strait and narrow...I rejoice to walk on it. I weep when I slip. God's word is: "He who strives never perishes"... Easwaran's Introduction uses a sculptural metaphorThe elephant is used as both a metaphor (e.g., "once we have become attentive to the presence of this true self, then all we really need do is resolutely chip away whatever is not divine in ourselves," p. 16) and a simile (e.g., "we wouldn't use a dull chisel or one meant for wood on a piece of stone, and we should use suitable passages for meditation," p. 21), 2009 edition. to explain how passages can be used beneficially in meditation. He tells the story of an ancient Indian sculptor who was renowned for vivid representations of elephants. His secret, the sculptor explained, was that after quarrying a giant rock, "for a long time, I do nothing but observe... and study it from every angle. I focus all my concentration on this task... At first, I see nothing but a huge and shapeless rock... Then slowly, very slowly, I... feel a presentiment... an outline, scarcely discernible, shows itself to me... An elephant is stirring in there!... I now know the one thing I must do:... I must chip away every last bit of stone that is not elephant. What then remains will be, must be, elephant."
Similarly, Easwaran says, meditation helps us to reveal "our higher self... [a] spark of divinity [that] is to be found in the heart of each human being.... [by] resolutely chip[ping] away whatever is not divine in ourselves." This process is neither easy or quick, and "can't be done in a week or by the weak." But "whatever our tradition, we are inheritors of straightforward spiritual practices [that] vary a bit from culture to culture... but essentially... are the same." Meditation is the most potent practice, enabling us to "see the lineaments of our true self": In meditation, the inspirational passage is the chisel, our concentration is the hammer.... When we use our will to drive the thin edge of the passage deep into consciousness, we get the purchase to pry loose tenacious habits and negative attitudes. The passage, whether it is from the Bhagavad Gita or The Imitation of Christ or the Dhammapada of the Buddha, has been tempered in the flames of mystical experience...
According to Easwaran, "the great principle upon which meditation rests is that we become what we meditate on." This, he says, is consistent with our experience that even in everyday life, we are shaped by what occupies our thoughts – for example, if we spend most of our time "studying the market, checking the money rates, evaluating our portfolios, we are going to become money-people." Thus, in selecting meditation passages, Easwaran has "aimed for the highest the human being is capable of, the most noble and elevating truths that have ever been expressed on this planet." Indeed, The test of suitable meditation passages is simply this: Does the passage bear the imprint of deep, personal spiritual experience? Is it the statement of one who went beyond the narrow confines of past conditioning into the unfathomable recesses of the mind, there to begin the great work of transformation?.... whatever lacks this validation by personal experience, however poetic or imaginative... is not suited for use in meditation. He also states that passages should be "life affirming," and encourages building a varied repertoire of passages that can "guard against overfamiliarity.... [and] match a passage to your particular need at the time."
The 2nd and 3rd editions contain several supplementary sections: A description of 8-point program of passage meditation recommended by Easwaran, involving silently and slowly focusing the mind on memorized or previously known passages (6 pages) A post-script on the "Message of the Scriptures," describing the goal of meditation as a "deathless state of Self-realization.... the message of every major scripture [and] the testimony of mystics everywhere, East or West." (3 pages) The author's statement of what he believes separates the book from other sacred literature collections: that it functions as an instrument for transforming one's life. He states he can "testify from my own experience [that the passages] have the power to remake personality in the image of one's highest ideals." ("Preface," 1 page) Indices by source, title, and first line Biographical and bibliographic notes on passage sources
"How to Use This Book" subsections:(God Makes the Rivers to Flow, 3rd ed.) The Power of the WordPages 265–268 (2003 ed.), 266–268 (2009 ed.). Notes examples and views from major faith traditions of the transforming power of sacred words, including •"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," declares Saint John... ...[and] in the Rig Veda... •"In the beginning was Prajapati [God the Creator], with whom was the Word. The Word was verily the supreme Brahman [God the Transcendent]." ...sixth century pope Gregory the Great has described how... •"It is God who speaks to us.... he who makes us hear them today already had us in mind when he inspired them of old..." Lectio divinaPages 268–269 (2003 ed.), 268–270 (2009 ed.). Explains how to use the passages for lectio divina, an ancient Christian practice. •To practice lectio divina with this book... Choose a passage and read it through slowly... reflect... Are there any words or phrases that seem especially significant...? Lectio continuaPages 269–271 (2003 ed.), 270–273 (2009 ed.). Explains that lectio divina, if "practiced frequently in an organized sequence of readings... becomes lectio continua, an ongoing and systematic review of inspired texts"; •the main difference between works of literature and works of mysticism [is] you can read the mystics over and over again and have the impact at a deeper and deeper level •spiritual passages in this book have been arranged as a lectionary of the perennial philosophy.... You might find it helpful to keep a journal... Passage meditationPages 272–275 (2003 ed.), 273–277 (2009 ed.). Practical dynamics of passage meditation, viewed as offering "the deepest level of engagement with the material." •most of us in the modern world do not have the supportive framework of the great liturgical cultures that provide continuous nourishment... as ubiquitous and available in the past as modern advertising is in our own times. •We need a way to draw the power of the word down into the crucible of consciousness... •Memory is a mental muscle which gets stronger with use.... Some people are auditory learners.... You might try getting together with other auditory learners.... Visual learners seem to do better with silently reading...The 3rd edition – published originally in 2003, and revised in 2009 – also contains: "How to Use This Book," with subsections on: The power of the word, and on methods of using passages for lectio divina, lectio continua, and passage meditation (12 pages) (see Table at right).