Excerpt from Gospel of Ramakrishna

"But, sir, if She (Divine Mother) likes, She can give freedom to all.
Why, then, has She kept us bound to the world?"

Sri Ramakrishna: "That is Her will. She wants to continue playing with
Her created beings. In a game of hide-and-seek the running about soon
stops if in the beginning all the players touch the 'granny'. If all
touch her, then how can the game go on? That displeases her. Her
pleasure is in continuing the game." P. 136 The Gospel of Sri
Ramakrishna

Edgar Cayce Reading 5563-1

Happiness, then, is not a thing set apart from self, but the
conditions with which one approaches that in hand to be done! for when
one considers that the position of self is hard to bear, is not as is
desired, the desire of the heart often maketh one afraid--unless that
desire is ever in that attitude of "Use me, O God, as I am," for the I
AM is ready, willing, to make my will one with Thy will--"Though He
slay me, though He bruise me in mine own selfish or unseen ways; yet
will I trust Him day by day," and He will not forsake thee; neither
will He allow thee to be afraid; for He will raise thee up, and He
understands all the hardships, the little things, the separations, the
variations in the surroundings--but trust Him!

Edgar Cayce Reading 5563-1

Edgar Cayce Reading 2995-3

Thus ye may find in thy mental and spiritual self, ye can make thyself
just as happy or just as miserable as ye like. How miserable do ye
want to be?

Edgar Cayce Reading 2995-3

Gospel of Holy Mother - faith and doubts

Doubts will arise and again faith will come. This way alone faith is
strengthened. Gradually, after many such attempts, firm faith will
come. P. 367 The Gospel of The Holy Mother