Unselfish Love

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Being devoted<br>(Quotations from Sri

Ramakrishna)<br><br>Ramakrishna: <br>It will be very good if you can practise

unselfish love for God. A man who has such love says: "O

Lord, I do not seek salvation, fame, wealth, or cure of

disease. None of these do I seek. I want only Thee." Many

are the people who come to a rich man with various

desires. But if someone comes to him simply out of love,

not wanting any favour, then the rich man feels

attracted to him. <br>(p. 284) <br>Brahmo devotte: <br>What

are the means by which one can see God?

<br>Ramakrishna: <br>Can you weep for Him with intense longing of

heart? Men shed a jugful of tears for the sake of their

children, for their wives, or for money. But who weeps for

God? So long as the child remains engrossed with its

toys, the mother looks after her cooking and other

household duties. But when the child no longer relishes the

toys, it throws them aside and yells for its mother.

Then the mother puts the rice pot down from the

hearth, runs in haste, and takes the child in her arms.

<br>(p. 210) <br>Ramakrishna: <br>Those who cannot give

up attachment to worldly things and who find no

means to shake off the feeling of I, should rather

cherish the idea, "I am God's servant; I am His devotee."

One can also realize God by following the path of

devotion. <br>(p. 155) <br>The way of love is as good as

the way of knowledge... But as long as God keeps the

feeling of ego in us, it is easier to follow the path of

love. <br>(p. 156) <br><br>Through love one acquires

renunciation and discrimination naturally. <br>(p. 179)

<br><br>Ramakrishna: <br>What is the use of making pilgrimages if you

can attain love of God remaining where you are? ...

Pilgrimage becomes futile if it does not enable you to

attain love of God. Love of God is the one essential and

necessary thing... There are many people who talk big and

who say that they have performed most of the duties

enjoined in the scriptures. But with all that their minds

are engrossed in worldliness and deeply preoccupied

with money, riches, name, fame, creature comforts, and

such things. <br>(p. 308) <br>Ramakrishna: <br>I see

people who talk about religion constantly quarrelling

with one another. Hindus, Mussalmans, Brahmos,

Shaktas, Vaishnavas, Shaivas, all quarrel with one

another. They haven't the intelligence to understand that

He who is called Krishna is also Shiva and the

Primal Shakti, and that it is He, again, who is called

Jesus and Allah. "There is only one Rama and He has a

thousand names." Truth is one; It is only called by

different names. All people are seeking the same Truth; the

disagreement is due to differences in climate, temperament,

and names. Everyone is going toward God. They will

all realize Him if they have sincerity and longing of

heart. <br>(p. 300) <br>God has made different religions

and creeds to suit different aspirants. <br>(p. 316)

<br><br>If there are errors in other religions, that is none

of our business. God, to whom the world belongs,

takes care of that. <br>(p. 336)