A serious devotee wants to feel the presence of God and commune with Him. The devotee's greatest desire and aim in life is to realize God. Yet the world with its many distractions blocks that communion. For although God is present everywhere — both within and without — maya, or ignorance, hides His face. Therefore, a devotee must practice being in the company of God in as many ways as possible.
— Swami Shraddhananda, Seeing God Everywhere by Swami Shraddhananda, Pravrajika Vrajaprana, editor