Love Thyself

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Love Thyself

By H. H. Narasimha Swamiji

Love is the mighty energy that transforms man. So do not let your

heart become dry. Do not let every fool you meet convince you that love does

not exist within you. Man is unfair to himself because he is ignorant, and when

he starts believing he is a sinner and ordinary, he makes other people feel the

same.

 

I once went to bathe at the confluence of Bhima

and Amaraja at Ganigapur.

As I was sitting there, a priest came up and asked me to make a vow. I did not

want to, but he would not listen and kept insisting. He brought flowers and

water, saying " Swamiji, repeat PAPOHAM - 'I am a

sinner.' "

 

" You are the sinner, not me, " I

retorted, " Even at this holy place you have not stopped making fools of

the pilgrims. I shall say: PUN-YO-HAM, PUNYA-KARMA-HAM, and SANKALPA-ROHITOHAM

- I am virtuous, I am a doer of good deeds, I am

without desire. "

 

When he heard this, he went away. Through such bad company, men

are led to believe that they are without joy, that they are unreal, unhappy,

poor and subject to decay, and because they think like this, they cannot let

the inner love bloom.

 

Love turns man into an ocean of happiness, an image of peace, a

temple of wisdom. Love is man's very 'Atman', his true beauty and the glory of

his human existence. So, first love yourself, then your neighbors, and then the

whole world. This is Bhakti; this is the way to the

joy of Jnana and this is the fulfillment of your

life. All other sadhanas are contained in the sadhana of love. Sai Baba is that love. He is the supreme

bliss that is the reward of all sadhanas. He is

adored through love.

 

" What is prayer? " they asked me.

And I said:— " True prayer is the hungering and thirsting

of the heart I "

- Keshub

Chandar Sen

Every virtue has its place

in life; but the greatest of

virtues is forgiveness.

-

Rajarishi Yuddhishtra

 

(Source Shri Sai Padananda Jan 1990)