Pain of Suffering Or Suffering of Pain

Me : Why does God give suffering ? 

Voice :  Who ? Me ??

Me : Yes - You ! 

Voice : I am not a sadist. 

Me : Then why is there so much suffering in the world ?

Voice : I ask the same. 

Me : Don't dodge me with your words. You know all about suffering..

 

Voice : I know there is pain. But, ask why is there suffering ?

Me : What is the difference ?

Voice : World of a difference. 

Me : And that is ?

Voice : Pain can pierce you, but pain belongs to the mind. When pain is permitted to enter the province of the heart, it manifests into suffering. 

Pain is inevitable but suffering appears as choice. Those immersed in love for God know this difference. Pain does not delude them. They only disallow it to precipitate into suffering.  

Me : Hmm

Voice : When you go on your climbing trips..how is it that you are able to endure the hardships, pain and discomforts ? And that too, by choice ? Haven’t you had bleeding fingers, faced dehydration, intense fatigue, sleep deprivations, hunger bouts and hostile weather and yet you seem to love climbing. Doesn't the pain dissuade you to climb ?

Me : Nope.

Voice : That is because pain never crossed the threshold of your heart. You would not call this suffering because deep down the joy of being in the mountains superseded all the discomfort.

That is exactly how a true lover of God feels in times of intense affliction. Pain becomes a sweet gift from His Beloved which he revels in an uncanny way. Just like you in the mountains, he is not suffering.   

Me : Hmm..

Voice : I feel you have another question that you want to ask Me ?

Me : Yes. Why does suffering even have to touch the one who is anchored in God ? 

Voice : Those who are deeply anchored in God’s love may feel deep pain in their experience but they are not suffering. This comes from inner awareness of what is real and what is false. This comes from firm conviction knowing how precious pain is in the path of love. They know that pain is keynote of divine freedom that will release them from the bondage of falseness. They take heart in knowing that each gift of adversity is an opportunity to get closer to the Truth. They ask for strength to endure their lot and don't blame God, their fate or another.  

Me : That takes lot of conviction and courage !

Voice : It takes love. It's thirst for God alone. 

Me : It's ironical because one would expect that life gets easier as one chooses to get closer to God...

Voice : Because of the way God has been marketed over time, I am viewed as the One who is present only to make all adversities, misfortunes and pain simply disappear. With this promise in mind, most seekers bring themselves to follow God as they understand. 

Over time, their ideas of a trouble-free existence is questioned as advertises continue to remain in their lives, obstacles do not disappear and hardships surface inspite of the prayers. The promise of bliss in their lives seems to elude them. And so, arises the belief that God gives suffering. 

This is the time when the difference between faith and conviction comes to light. 

Me : Hmm

Voice : The truth is that your challenges were always going to come and I have nothing to do with it. It is the natural law of cause and effect taking place. You sow what you reap, not just in this life but since lifetimes. 

Your share of pain was always going to catch up with you, with or without Me. 

Me : Then, what is your role as God in our lives ? You can't be just a bystander ! 

Voice : Ha ha. I get that a lot. 

Me : And its not funny when suffering befalls. 

Voice : What you think this path of love is ? 

Me : Merging with God. 

Voice : What do you think that means ? It's layers, layers and layers of unimaginable unveiling of your false self so you can finally merge in God. You have gathered billions of impressions since lifetimes and they must be worked upon to set you free. How can this ever be assumed to be easy, pain-free and comfortable ?

It means self-annihilation ! Its means that nothing, not even your form has any place at the threshold of divine freedom. 

You feel you can efface yourself while being rooted in the pleasures of the world and yet seek God ? What about the opposites of experiences of your existence in duality ? You think your divine journey is only about what you like ?

The path of love is for the brave-hearted who is ready to relinquish everything for reaching God; where every experience is embraced with equipoise including that what is difficult to face.

You will feel dislodged from your comfort zone. It is in these times an aspirant receives My help. 

Me : What help ? You wont let our pain vanish !

Voice : Yes your pain may not vanish, but I am the shield aganist the monumental force of impressions.You may gasp and choke, but I will never let you sink. You have no idea of how My love for you lets only a trickle of pain seep into your life. I take on the rest of it, for I love you very much.    

 

If you have this conviction and love, no amount of suffering will gain power over you.  

Know that I am aware of every single beat of an aching heart. 

   

Me : So this pain is necessary ? 

Voice : Perhaps …to bridge the gap between God and creation. You have moved so far from your ownselves, that pain has come as an inevitable outcome to draw you closer. 

Ignorance of the working of the natural karmic laws and it's intricate interplay causes you to resist its natural flow of working which can free you, but instead you are caught up in duality and your resistance causes the pain to become a cycle of suffering. Suffering then begins to consume you and magnifies in proportion. It is allowed to reside in your heart.

 

Pain can remain a positive experience especially when you are in higher awareness but suffering tends to become disruptive for one’s spiritual welfare.    

Have you noticed that your own pain can be the cause of more empathy, understanding and humility ?

Me : Thats true. But all that pain and suffering can really hurt…I mean it feels too intense sometimes ... 

Voice : Because it's meant to. The purpose of pain is pain. Otherwise, why would it appear in the first place ?  

Me : Hmm

Voice : Ironically, suffering is present to eliminate suffering itself. 

With higher awareness, let each moment of pain serve you the opportunity to get one step closer to Divinity.  

Me : Sigh..

Voice : But you are doing good.  

Me : You think so ? 

Voice : Yes - I know so. 

Sometime ago, while you were enduring the weight of the wave of vicissitudes that surfaced in your life, you were standing alone by the front window. At that time your face had both - teardrops and a smile. This is the sweet anomaly of living in God's Love.  

Fear

Voice : Feeling the fear ?   

Me : Damn yeah ! It's been making subtle appearances.   

Voice : Great. Fear has found you again ! 

Me : And you sounding very delighted right now ?

Voice : I shouldn't be ? 

Me : No! Why am I feeling this fear ? You are so close to me…feeling fear is not a good thing !  

Voice : It's a great thing to feel fear.

Me : Huh ??

Voice : For long fear has been feared. Fear is your ally to an incredible opportunity for growth. Without the stimulus of fear, your life can remain stagnant and you live below your true potential. Rare ones look at emergence of fear as a opportunity and grab it with both hands. They choose to transcend it because they know the incredible inner transformation and jump in consciousness that lies on the other side of fear. 

Me : Hmm

Voice : You are at an incredible time in the history of mankind. Fear is an Ascension Symptom, rather than a limiting belief !

Me : This is getting exciting...

Voice : Notice how subtle levels of fear influence your experience of love and wisdom. Fear, if not itself feared brings you to greater awareness and greater opportunity to make choices. It can be tricky as your habitual response to fear is usually to shrink rather than use the fear to expand consciousness. 

Fear brings you to the moment of heightened awareness…it is a gift. As you anchor in the heart, fear now becomes more visible; it assists you to be aware of its vast infiltration into consciousness. This experience informs you and you can align your choices toward healing, growth and transformation. Remember, when anchored in your heart, fear can stimulate awareness that something is not “quite right’, thus serving a higher role in your awakening.

Me : Wow !

Voice : Many dodge fear at the first the emergence of it and seek relief from the sensation rather than growth through the sensation. Almost everything that is constricting emerges from fear. Very few take steps to walk right into their fears allowing the fright to surface deeply in the heart and use the experience to break barriers, transcend the cause of fear and hold the divine hand.  

Me : Deep..

Voice : I was waiting for you to feel frightened and face your fears. How else will you know who you are ? How else will you ascend to the next level of growth ? How else will you rise with your own power and limitless possibilities ? How else will you get the opportunity to dive deeper into My Love ?  

Me : You don't like me getting comfortable for too long, do you ?

Voice : I love you too much, to just let you be.

Me : Haha. I will take that. 

Voice : Sometimes, the things you do in life is because of who you are - not because of who you have to become. And it's important to keep this in your awareness, because you can get caught up in fruit of action instead of the might of the action which is the real definition of you. 

Choosing to dodge fear, most of humanity has created a comfortable space for themselves and held themselves back from becoming what they can really be. This side-steppling eventually catches up with inner disruptions and only goes away with transcendence.    

Seeking assurance at each step is lack of faith. How can there be expansion without trust ?   

Me : So I go hunting for my fears ? 

Voice : There isn't a need for it. Fear will always find a way to find you and when it does, examine it’s origin and choose wisely. I am Love and ironically fear is the most compelling impulse I use for the greatest benefit !  

Me : I thought surfacing of fear in itself is a sign of weakness but you have changed my thinking !    

Voice : Life of love is a choice, and fear is simply a catalyst to exercise this choice. 

If you haven't felt fear for a long time, ask yourself if you are living to your highest pontential or being just comfortable ?  

Free is the man, who is able to follow what he feels inwardly challenging every norm, routine, doctrine, belief, theory and the debility of a conditioned mind. 

When heart dictates your mind and inspires your actions, you are a Braveheart. True to yourself. True to the world. True to God.  

When the wave of transformation begins to rise, your brave-hearted choices will keep you afloat.  

When a surfer sees a big wave, it is courage in his heart that helps him ride the wave, just as he knows the real drowning for him lies in just standing and staring from the shoreline. He feels the fear of a big wave but inner awareness guides him to make choices that help him become a mere spectator or a great surfer. 
  
Rock climbing is familiar to you. Maybe it's a good idea for you to try surfing...

Me : Is a tidal wave coming ??       

Voice : Nothing a good surfer can’t handle. Humanity will be gifted the opportunity to choose….once again.  

Entanglement In The Divine Paradigms

Me : For God’s sake, please explain why did I just snap ? I wake up early to meditate hoping I can remain balanced through the day. When I sit to meditate I feel the serenity within but I fail to understand why do I remain susceptible to bouts of unexplained agitation that surface without any real provocation...sometimes irrational ? This is not making sense. 

Voice : Yes that can be unsettling sometimes.

Me : The heck it does! Especially when I take the effort towards my well-being everyday. I want You to answer me why does this happen ??

Voice : Maybe because you meditate..

Me : Please cut the riddles. 

Voice : Just like many, you have this notion of graduating to 'your idea' of spiritual ideals in your persona because you indulge in divine practices and meditation. Sure, divine practices have their merits but what do you really term as 'merits' is very different from what I regard as real benefit. 

Your idea of being free of attributes that you dislike within you because you get closer to God is misplaced. On the contrary because of your closeness to me, your attributes good and bad both begin to surface. I am only interested in your eternal spiritual freedom and this can only happen when your excess baggage of age old karmas expend themselves to create the most important and eternal Divine Balance - the priceless clean karmic slate that eludes even the most austere seeker !       

Me : Hmm 

Voice : God is beyond good and bad and your divine practices bring you closer to God, not closer to 'Good-liness'.   

Me : Wow

Voice : Because of your conditioning and beliefs about the spiritual path and God you begin to worry about the qualities that you don't like and completely overlook the subtle journey of divine companionship that is taking momentum within you. 

My work is to free you from what binds you and because you remember Me, I remember you. And my way of remembering you is to remove sparks of obstructing karmic threads that begin to play out..even the good needs to be balanced with the opposites and this mystical working is beyond the understanding of anyone. This is why dropping judgements of self and others is indispensable. 

Me : Yes it's hard to fathom this working.. 

Voice : Even the mind may seem to desert you. Allow the mind to do what it wants. The churning will be unsettling. 

Me : It can get really get hard to remain sane during that time.

Voice : Remember, this is the nature of the mind but when you feel loss of control in your head - always know that your heart remains with Me. You are never deserted.    

Me : But why do things suddenly come up uninvited in the mind ?

Voice : Your age old karmic imprints are stored in the mind. You expend your impressions even through thinking. The world condemns negative thoughts but often they surface as thoughts and expend themselves at the level of thought. This means you escaped putting it into action and yet freed yourself of the binding impressions! 

  

Me : Wow. Haven't heard that before. 

Voice : So let the thoughts assail you...try not to serve them tea while they visit you. 

Me : Haha 

Voice : Instead of negative or positive thinking be concerned only about 'God-thinking'. This is the leap that you want.     

Me : Hmm

Voice : Trust Me and My working. You will be able to recognise the deliberation while being in the midst of turmoil.   

You may work to get over the notion that you or others who connect with God have left their inherent attributes behind and become sculpted images of Divinity. That will be contrary on the path of love which is self-effacement.  

Often attributes will be so glaring in it's honesty that it will surprise you and others who search for spiritual ideals in men because what one seeks is beyond ideals.      

Goal is neither being bad nor being good, but freedom from both. As long as you keep your awareness of My presence, you will permit Me to work without resistance.     

 

Me : So does meditation help at all  ??

Voice : Meditation can help you to step back and view the interplay with deeper awareness and reflect without reaction. To pursue 'being good' to the extent that 'bad' causes a vehement reaction within you will derail you.  

 

The laid down ethos of seeking God may remain entanglement for most spiritual seekers. Effacement is for very few; which is beyond moulds, paradigms and tenets.

  

Me : Deeply profound..

Voice : Your goal is not to seek, but allow being sought. Your goal is not good-ness, but God. This knowing is your freedom.  

Me : Wow

Voice : You may be left living without the cloak of 'spiritual ideals' but a cloak is only a cloak. 

With Reality within your grasp, nothing else matters. It is what happens towards the beginning of an End..       

Just You And Me

Voice : Do you love Me ?

 

Me : Of course I do! 

Voice : Then this can work smoothly for you. 

Me : You have a lifehack for me ??  

Voice : You can call it that.

Me : I am all ears.. 

 

Voice : By creating a provision for Me in your life you can remarkably alter everything and keep growing in love which is the essence of divine life. 

 

Try to gradually and consciously live your life like there is none - absolutely nobody except just you and Me in this world. 

There exists other forms but they are only versions of Me. There is none besides Me. Keep this thought constantly playing in your mind. The forms will be deceptive, but you must remain with the conviction that it is Me alone behind each form that you see. Let the journey of your life only be between you and Me alone.  

Be unwavering in this awareness and soon this will become a part of your evolving consciousness. Not everyone can view this effortlessly but My Love can make this possible, if you choose.   

This shift of thinking may be a small one, but carries monumental consequences. 

Me : Hmm

Voice : You know separative existence cannot be the path to enlightenment. 

Me : Yes.

Voice : Remember all actions of others is Me. All words spoken by others is Me alone. It's Me you are free to like or dislike in equal measure. It’s only you and Me playing this life together in this world of forms.  

Me : Just You and me ? Hmm..okay. I will try go deep with this. This sounds like a very good liberating idea.    

Voice : You will be able to step back from ignorance with My help and smile at My game where the only loss is losing sight of Me and the only victory that counts is the sight of Me in everyone. 

Until then, this life of yours....it's just between you and Me and nobody else. Let it be like going to the movies.

Me : I like movies with delightful endings.  

Voice : Seventh heaven, I promise. 

  

Having Nothing In Everything

Me : I know in my heart that only God is real and everything else in the world is a mirage...an illusion. And You know how I feel about You. 

Voice : I know.

Me : Then what am I doing here in the material world ? You have given me unexpected luxuries in my life. I have never imagined such comforts. I am living a life of material abundance. It has never been my direct pursuit. It seems like I allowed things to materialise, but is this what I need ? 

And you have just bestowed upon me another material gift ! It’s nice to have it but does it mean I am still a lost soul in the world of forms ? Do I have this because I am still very distant from God and my journey is longer ??

Voice : I like how you think. I am very happy that you wish for Me. I know you long for Me but there is much to be done.  

Me : What is left to be done ?? Entangle me further in the material world to test My love for you ? 

Voice : For the one who knows, what avail is any test ? Unlike what many say, God never tests - he knows every heart. I will never test you. I can only love.  

Me : Then what is left to be done with me ?? This 'Everything' is nothing and we both know it. 

Voice : You love me. You have no doubt about My Infinity and Love. You believe only God is real and this world is nothing but an illusion. But, this you know in theory. You take My word for it and take what I say to be true. But I want to give you a real experience of what you understand only in words. Yes I have placed you in the material world. I will give you all the luxuries and comforts life has to offer. People will refer to this as an abundant life. 

Me : Do I need material luxuries or God ?

Voice : I have placed you where you need to be. This is My place for you for a reason. 

Me : Why ?

Voice : Do you like to eat bitter gourd ?  

Me : No. 

Voice : If you do not like to eat bitter gourd, it is only because you have tasted it before. How else will you be convinced of it's taste unless you have eaten it first ? No matter how hard I may try to make you understand taste, you will only be convinced though the experience of personally consuming it.

Me : True

Voice : This is experience. Experience brings conviction. Conviction is unwavering and firm. This conviction is necessary to walk on the path of love. Then no distractions can tempt your attention. You are prepared from within. 

Me : Hmm

Voice : I want you to have more and more of luxuries, stimulate your senses, create material wealth and recognition, so that you will know from real experience the emptiness of it all ! 

If you continue to keep your heart lost in Me, in time you will gain Divine Detachment and smile at the worthlessness of it all ! It will no more be just a theoretical understanding. 

Me : Wow

Voice : You have desires but fulfilling those desires itself will bring you the experience of futility and then you will have no desire for anything except Me from the core of your being. You will no more exert to discard anything. The grip of the worldly possessions and it's affairs will fall away like autumn leaves from your life irrespective of it's presence or absence. 

Me : You are such an incredible Master !   

Voice : You are My incredible one. 

Me : Thank you

Voice : A journey of many lifetimes needs deeper work to set one free. 

What can you forsake if you possessed nothing ? When you begin to adapt to your life of comforts and when you have gathered enough to lose…wouldn't it be the right time for My call in your heart ?

Me : Wow

Voice : Many come to God when they are defeated, drained with life, have lost everything, mentally disturbed or physically suffering.

But when the one who has everything and is amidst of life of possessions, social recognition, material comforts, health and accomplishments decides to forsake it all in an instant for God - he has truly chosen the Divine Path. 

Let not the defeat in the world bring you to Me. Renounce when you have everything !

Me : Never looked at it that way ! Incredible.  

Voice : It is easy to say that everything belongs to God as long as you continue being a recipient of material wealth, but when things begin to be taken away, it suddenly becomes very hard for the seeker to accept that nothing was ever his. And this holds true even for your relationships.  

Remember, real success in the material world is working to have it all and successfully arriving at a point where you can live as though nothing was ever yours, nothing is and nothing will ever be.   

It is then the real experience of worthlessness of everything except God which enthrals the seeker from the deepest core of his being. His heart is ready beyond any doubts.   

Me : Woah !

Voice :  Abundance is divine love in the heart of man. Nothing else. 

                          

Love is the Answer

Voice : Love is the answer, My dearest.  

Me : Really ? You can atleast wait until I find words to frame my question ? 

Voice :  Whatever your question, love is the answer. 

Me : Okay so I have nothing to ask. 

Voice : But you still have questions inside you

Me : What do you want me to do with them ?

Voice : Absorb yourself in Me. Allow My everflowing love to touch your heart. You will experience love as the answer to the question that doesn't exist...   

      

Rip Your Heart

Voice : I will rip your heart apart !

Me : Is that a threat ?

Voice : So fortunate to receive a direct threat from Me !  

Me : You love Me, don't you ? 

Voice : More than you can love your own self.

When love is at it's highest, it flows like a tidal wave destroying all falseness in its wake - only to unveil your real Self. You ask for love but can you welcome it's majesty? 

I will burn you in the flames of agony. I will turn the world against you. You will be betrayed and deserted. The humiliation will break you completely. I will destroy all that you have worked to create. I will shatter your dreams and bring you to your knees.You will loose all that you could fall back on …your family, your friends, material possessions, titles and even hope. Your body will crumble with physical pain. You will be in a state of utter despair with physical and mental agony. The hopelessness will leave you with nothing. 

Me …and that nothing brings me everything ?

Voice : Not yet. Pain is yet to reach the intensity. 

Me : How can more pain can even be even possible from this point ? 

Voice : Freedom from cycles of birth and death after million of lifetimes has a price..price of unveiling yourself of layers, layers and layers. 

Me : Deeper pain ? 

Voice : Your heart will shred into pieces when you will feel My desertion. The feeling of My absence will break you down further and numb your senses. This will be My final dagger into your heart. 

You will call for Me and yet fail to hear My voice. The unbearable pain will compel every cell of your being to ache for Me. From the deepest core of your heart you will cry out for God - that will be the moment of My manifestation within you.  

In the utter emptiness of your being, I am. 

Until then, you are only on the shores of Divine Love.   

Attribute Everything...Really Everything !

Voice : Attribute everything! 

Me : Huh ? 

Voice : Yes! Attribute EVERYTHING to Me. Not just when you are feeding a dog, serving the needy, helping the poor or sitting in silence.

I am also present when you speak angrily with someone. I am present when you cheat your friend, exhibit pride or even lie! I am equally present in all your lustful actions. I am present with all your actions and inactions ! 

There is nothing you cannot attribute to Me just as there is no place I am not.

I am also present when you think I am absent !

Me : Woah. I sense the might in your words.

Voice : And guess what ?

Me : What ?

Voice :  All the so-called wrong decisions you made - I was present.  

Me : Sigh..

Voice : Comprehend My Infinity. 

Me : Hard to fathom.. 

Voice : Not harder than how you take me to be omnipresent, but effortlessly make to be absent with what doesnt agree to your mind. 

To be fully with Me, I want you first to become free of your ownself.    

Me : Don’t you think it's rather easy or tricky to take no ownership of one’s actions and blame You for everything !? 

Voice : And yet you will fail to do so. Only the fortunate ones can do it. When this seeps deep in your consciousness, you will feel freedom from your ownself.  

 

How wonderful if you can really take no responsibility of your actions ! Do you know the real meaning of it ? 

Me : Tell me

Voice : As you gradually attribute all your actions to Me, you begin to form a greater conviction that even actions of others are Mine too and you are able to remain undisturbed by anyone's actions. Judgements will gradually perish towards your own self and that of others. Your bindings begin to loosen their grip over you and you feel free.  

Me : Hmm 

Voice : As long as you hand over ownership for everything to Me, you won't have to be busy wallowing in what you don't like, but instead stay happy in My love. Your own changing vibration will begin to determine your course of actions. 

Imagine being able to step aside and watch your own movie play out. Calmly attributing everything to me; My unfathomable work will make you smile in silence.   

Me : Why are you telling me all this ? 

Voice : Because I know how bounded you are. Our companionship ought to bring you closer to Me, not widen the gap of where you are with Me. 

Before you knew of God, you were blissfuly unaware of good and bad which in turn kept you free. Now, instead of feeling total freedom, you are bound than ever before with the most sought designation in the world as 'Lover of God'. Unburden yourself. 

Me : Hmm

Voice : Do you see the funny side ?

Me : Well..

Voice : You think that bad guy has a long way to go? You think your mother-in-law is off the path ? You feel sorry for that lazy guy who sleeps all day or your 'God-lover friend' whose work is full of imperfections or that cousin who calls God a delusional idea?   

Me : So are you saying that as most of us who are on the spiritual path or on this quest to attain God could be actually ironically going...nowhere ? 

Voice : When you believe you are 'on the path' or you made it to a 'God lover's spiritual fraternity', you have created your first big hurdle. 

Me : Damn. That's how it works everywhere in world ! How can that be an impediment? 

Voice : It shouldn't. But often it becomes like a backdoor entry into a deeper trap of duality using Me ! 

Me : Deeeep ! 

Voice : Take time to reflect over it.

Me : I will 

Voice : Jump over the notions of good and bad and know I am the One behind everything, especially those most 'unGod-like things' - they play the biggest part in duality to decondition the mind of an aspirant.  

Attribute everything to Me without using your own filters. Your conviction here will determine your freedom or lack of it.  

Real freedom is something else. I will help you feel it.  

Me : Because I am special to you, aren't I ?

Voice : And this becomes the second hurdle..

Two Choices

Voice : What if I gave you 2 choices of how you could live ?

Me : Before I fall for your tricks, please clearly identify them..

Voice : One is where you will always feel My Love and be happy.. 

Me : I will take it !  

Voice : And the other is where you will feel deep pain, but you will feel My Love even deeper. What would you choose ? 

Me : Now this sounds like you..don't want to make things too easy, right ? 

Voice : Choose ..

Me : I choose the former - happy and little bit of your Love. Who chooses pain ? 

 

Voice : One doesn't choose pain..one only chooses more Love. 

Me : Hmm

Voice : Because he knows only Love is real. 

The choices you make keep you lingering in this dream. Choosing the latter would not mean choosing pain…it would simply mean choosing Love over everything. And, when you choose with conviction, the pain itself looses its grip over you. 

Me : So that's why they say the Path of Love is the path for the Bravehearts. 

Voice : Remember these lines ? 

"What can a heartache be, 

Laced in your divine love ?

What does pain remain to be,

For the one laying at your feet ?"

These lines are from the poetry you wrote a year back. You may forget, but I remember each word you write. 

Me : Wow ! 

I take a long time to grasp what I write. I don't live these lofty lines. I think I will still settle for the first option.

Voice : You have already made a choice...much before you came into being. Why do you think we are so close?