Week 2 listing: DEVOTION

[Guest guest]

I sincerely appologize for not keeping up with my responsibility of sending

out two messages a week. I will try for it not to happen again.

 

A lot of us feel that we are not as devoted as we would like to be or that we

do not have a clear idea of what true devotion is. Some incidents in the

life of Sri Ramakrishna will clarify this point.

 

Many people know this story but we often forget its importance and its

necessary practical application: Narendra Nath Dutta, later known as Swami

Vivekananda, was loved by Sri Ramakrishna the most for his purity, sharp

intellect, and strength; he praised him constantly in front of his devotees.

He would go into ecstacy just by looking at him or hearing his songs. Then,

one day, Sri Ramakrishna would not even look at Narendra let alone speak to

him; and all this totally out of the blue. Narendra was unperturbed and sat

quietly in one corner every time he visited. This went on for a whole month.

Finally Sri Ramakrishna asked " Narender (that's how he pronounced it) I do

not even look at you! Why do you still come? " Narendra replied " I do not

necessarily come here to hear your words, I come here because I love you. "

Sri Ramakrishna glanced benignly at him and tears started rolling down his

cheeks; he said choked with emotion " Everybody comes here (pointing to his

body) to get their bank accounts taken care of or to have their disease

cured, only my Narendra comes here because he loves me! " Just imagine what

the moment must have been like!

 

Another devotee of Sri Ramakrishna's that showed amazing and ideal devotion

was Durgacharan Nag or Nag Mahashay. Sri Ramakrishna said one day casually

in the course of conversatiion with his devotees, " Those who day and night

are worried about small pills and their doses, their minds become small. "

Durgacharan Nag was a successful doctor but on hearing these words from his

Sri Ramakrishna he threw his medicine chest into the Ganga. Just imagine!

On another occasion at the Cossipore garden house, he begged Sri Ramakrishna,

since he could not bear the fact that Sri Ramakrishna was suffering, to give

the disease to him so that Sri Ramakrishna could be relieved. Think of it!;

he was willing to literally die for Sri Ramakrishna's sake.

After Sri Ramakrishna's passing, whenever he used to take prasad offered to

Sri Ramakrishna people would have to grab the prasad away from him at one

point since from fear that he would eat the leaf which the prasad was on, as

he had done may times before. As long as it was offered toi Sri Ramakrishna,

he didn't care what it was, but he would eat it.

 

These were a few examples of devotion. Such devotion comes when one is truly

convinced that God or one's Ishta is the only one that will stay by you.

Relatives, friends, children, and everyone who you think you can depend on,

can drop you like a hot potato at any time and do. God is the only one that

really loves you, will take care of you. He will never go away. He will

forgive time and time again and will lead you with His sweet love along the

straight path toward Peace. Let us realize this truth in our hearts, let us

depend on Him alone, let us love Him alone, and let us try to apply the

extraordinary devotion of Sri Ramakrishna's devotees in every moment of our

lives.

 

Hari Om

 

-Om Lala

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/31/99 8:39:56 AM Pacific Daylight Time, Vidya123

writes:

 

<< I sincerely appologize for not keeping up with my responsibility of

sending

out two messages a week. I will try for it not to happen again. >>

 

There is no need to apologize since the commitment you made is to YOURSELF.

You are doing this for your growth. We are committed to the path for the

sake of the SELF.

 

Thank you for your contributions!

 

Om Shanti!

 

Jody