The seven gates or reaching God's kingdom

Today Sri Swami Vishwananda is talking about the seven gates that we have inside of us:

One day a man visited a palace and said “I want to meet the king”. He was passing by the first room and saw a very elegant gentleman sitting and talking to all the people. He said to himself “Is he the king?” But then he thaught "No, he is not the king.” and so he went to the second room, where another person was sitting, who was also dressed very elegantly. Again He akes himself “Is he the king?” and concluded “No, he is not the king.” It continuted- third room, fourth room, fifth room, sixth room. Finally he reached the seventh hall. As he entered he saw the majestic of that place and he saw somebody sitting on a high throne, very elegantly dressed, even more elegant than the others. Without any question he knew that this is the king. There was no question, there was no point of asking “Is this the king or not?”

Try to get what is behind this story. In one life we go through many levels, the seven steps, the seven gates that we have inside ourselves and in each gate we encounter certain aspects of the Divine. But yet the mind is still present, the mind is still wondering “Am I there already or not”? But the more you advance, the more you see that there is more and more to go. Till finally, when you are face-to-face to the king, there is no question, there is no doubt, there is absolute peace. Even more than that: There is this absolute love. So if your aim is to attain that- no matter what comes on the way: Trust, never loose hope, you will reach there. The Divine is ever present around you. He comes in many forms to help you. With the eyes of the heart you shall see and you shall feel Him. So practice. Practice not opening the mind, practice opening the heart, so that you can love unconditionally. You can love and feel the Divine love inside of you, and not only inside of you, but everywhere. The easiest way to do that is to…? (Someone: to sing) (Someone: to chant) Try to be calm. (Laughter) Chanting is good. Chanting helps to calm the mind, but in silence you are coming inside.