Sadhana With Love

For every man Satsankalpa (good intention) and Sadhana (practice) are required. At the tender age of five, Dhruva had the good thought of pleasing God and getting His sakshathkaara. He persevered in his efforts and could please the Lord. Thus he could become a star and be known for ages to come. If every person, regardless of his age and capacity has this conviction he can achieve great heights. One hears a lot of people who have failed in their efforts in spite of their good intentions. Viswamitra, because of the lack of sense control and patience had to repeatedly get back to penance. Ultimately he succeeded in reaching his goal. One who sings melodiously would have practiced a lot for achieving that melody. Thus we see that practice is very important in the world.

Love is the most essential thing in this world. Bereft of this love there is no life. One should realise this love and conduct oneself accordingly. Life is love - share it. Life is a dream - realise it. What kind of dream? It is a combination of day dream and night dream. You are seeing Swami, hearing His voice, enjoying with your mind and heart. Till the time you sleep, this is reality. Once you are asleep, you are oblivious to all this. In sleep, you again experience varied emotions and feelings in your "night dream". Then the day appears as dream and the night dream as reality. In truth, both are dreams. But you are present in both. That is why you are Omnipresent. Therefore this life is a dream realise it. This realization is religion. To know truth is religion.

Love is the most important feeling one should strive to develop. One hears of sages going to forests and performing penance there in the olden days. Although there were wild animals about, neither of them were scared of each other. These sages did not possess any knives or pistols. They had love for the creation in their hearts. Thus they could live in harmony with nature and its beings. In Italy there used to be a violinist (one who was also good at producing violins) by the name Anthony. He used to take one year to produce a good violin. His friends and relatives were alarmed at this and asked him how he would feed his family if he was so slow, so perfect and exact in making violins. To this he replied "My friends, God is perfect. He is full. Such a God should be offered only perfect things without any blemish in them. I do not do this for feeding my family or to sustain my life. I do this as an offering for the perfectionist that God is". Veda has declared "Sarva Karma Bhagawat Preethyartham" (all works for the satisfaction of God). God sees only the quality not the quantity. "If it is cow's milk, even a teaspoonful is good enough, why barrels of donkey's milk". Even if you sit in Dhyana for one hr it would be a waste if you cannot steady the mind for even a second. Without peace, patience and satisfaction taking to Japa, Dhyana and Yoga is no use.

The smoothest and easiest path is thinking that everything is God's work. There is no easier path than this. God is the indweller of all. Whatever we do we should do for God. Who are you? You are not the body, nor the mind, nor the senses. You are the master. You are God. The entire creation is pervaded with God. Then why don't you see Him? You see a lot of rosaries (japamaala). Some are made of Rudraksha, some of lotus seeds, others are of Tulsi and crystal. All of them have the thread running through the various beads. Yet, except for the crystal rosary, you cannot make out the string in any of the other rosaries. Similarly only in those people, whose hearts have become pure like the crystal, God can be seen. That is the "Brahma Sutram".

Ramayana shows how Ravana met his end and caused destruction of his clan by becoming a victim of Kama (desire). Bhagavatham is the story of Hiranyaksha, Hiranyakashipu who met their end due to their Krodha (anger) against Hari. Mahabharatha narrates how, Duryodhana, due to his Lobha (miserliness) caused a great war and died along with his brothers. All the three were hateful of God. All three were enemies of Moksha. What is Moksha? Moha +Kshaya-the destruction of Moha(attachment) is liberation..

Narada once asked Vishnu "Swami, I keep visiting you wherever I am, but tell me your head office address, is it Kailasa or Vaikuntha or Swarga that I should search for you when I need you urgently". To this Lord Vishnu replied "Neither of the above is my head quarters. They are only branch offices. I install myself wherever my glory is sung". In all other places God is just a procession idol. But in the place where His devotees sing His glory, He is permanently installed. You should not consider yourself "mere" humans and spend the life time in worldly things. God is love. Experience this love. A devotee from Karnataka, Mallamma sang thus: "The lotus is the ornament for lake, the house for the village, the moon for the sky, the waves for the ocean. For your devotee love is the ornament". Live in Love. If you find it missing in some, share your love with them. Love is like a compass. A compass always points to North wherever it is kept. Similarly a devotee's love should always be for God in whatever he does, or asks or thinks. Just as you are earning money in every transaction, be it a job or a business, earn Love in each and every act of yours. God will manifest Himself then and there when the heart becomes full of love.

Earning God's grace is easier than crushing a flower petal or crushing the butter. It is the feeling within oneself that one may have to try a lot, may have to do a lot of penance and observe austerities that stops him from realising the love of God within. Where can you search for one who is all pervasive? Whatever you see is all God. It is not Srishti dosham (fault in creation) but your drishti dosham (faulty eyesight). Even Atom bombs do not have the power of Love. Why are so many people here? Day in, day out, devotees keep coming from all over the Globe. I have never sent any invitations to anyone. And yet all these people are here because of their Love for Swami and Swami's love for them. We are all bound by this Love. Whatever you think, think with love. Whatever you talk, talk with love. Whatever you do, do with love. There is no other easier, sweeter and softer way to God than this.