Cultivate love in its purest form - Ram Chugani

[Guest guest]

CULTIVATE LOVE IN ITS PUREST FORM

 

Krishnastami, the holy festival celebrating the birth of Lord

Krishna, falls on the 15th of August. Love was Lord Krishna's

message and it is the same with Sai. Let's recapitulate Swami's

message on this day, more than a decade and half ago in 1992.

 

To Experience Pure Love, Lead a Spiritual Life

 

Prema (Love) is like a most precious diamond. It will not remain

even for a single moment with selfish persons. It will not stay for

even half a moment with egoistic persons. It will not remain at all

with ostentatious persons. Love is alien to persons who are selfish,

conceited or ostentatious. Where, then, is this love to be found?

This precious diamond can only be found in the Kingdom of Love, in

the Street of Love, in the Shop of Love. It can be obtained only

through a loving heart.

 

It may be asked, " Is not the whole world permeated with Love? Why

then, is not Love readily available? " The love with which the world

is considered to be filled is not real love. Prema cannot be

associated with the body, the senses, the mind and the intellect.

Anything associated with these is only Anuraaga (attachment). The

Aatmic (spiritual) life alone is a Love-filled life. Therefore,

people must lead a spiritual life, not a life subject to the body,

the mind, the senses and the intellect. A life related to the body,

the senses the mind and the intellect can never be free from

selfishness, conceit and ostentation.

 

To experience real Prema there is no need to practice any kind of

meditation, worship or rituals. That is because in the practice of

all these there is an element of selfishness. Prema can only be

obtained by complete absorption in spirituality. It was for this

reason that Sri Krishna declared in the Gita: " Sarva Dharmam

Parithyajya " (transcending all rules). Likewise, Jesus also

declared: " I am the Path. " Buddha, conveying the same meaning,

declared, " Sarvam Sharanam Gachchaami " (I am surrendering

everything). This means that the essence of all religions, the root

of all scriptures, the goal of all virtues, is Sarvaathmika Bhaa vam

(the experience of spiritual unity). The Gopikas exemplified such a

spirit of surrender and oneness.

 

Restrain Selfishness and Self-interest

 

It may be asked whether in this mundane world it is possible to

develop such a spirit of complete surrender. It may not be possible

for all to be free completely from selfishness, self-interest and

self-conceit. But there should be a limit to all of them. Nothing

great can be achieved without restraint " Na Shreyo Niyamam vinaa. "

When the normal temperature of the body is exceeded, the fever is a

sign of illness. Likewise, there is a limit to selfishness. When

this limit is exceeded it becomes a disease. Ahamkaara (egoism) is a

disease. Ostentation is a disease. Excessive Swaprayojanam (self-

interest) is a disease. All these diseases have been described as

Bhavaroga (the disease of worldliness). These are the diseases which

are prevalent in the world today.

 

When the Divine is present in everyone it is not fitting that one

should fail to recognise this. One may have the faith that God

resides within him, but this is not sufficient. It is not a great

thing to feel that God resides within you. You have to see yourself

in God. That is the true Prema Thathwa (principle of Love). As long

as you do not see yourself in the Divine, you remain selfish and

self-centred…

 

Selfless Devotion of the Gopikas

 

Today, in the name of Prema, men are playing a game of musical

chairs with their hearts. The chair of the heart is being used for

occupation by different persons at different times. The Gopikas,

however, dedicated their hearts to one person alone. All their

thoughts were centred on Krishna. All their senses were dedicated to

the Divine. They spoke only about God. Their thoughts were centred

on God. They listened only to the Divine words. Their hands were

engaged in Divine work. All their limbs and senses were dedicated to

the Divine. They did not consider anything as their own. Krishna was

their all...

 

Cultivate Love in its Purest Form

 

The Prema Thathwa (Love Principle) is the essence of Krishna Thathwa

(Krishna Principle). It is associated with the Divine. Worldly love

cannot be equated with Divine Love (Prema). The term Prema is used

in ordinary parlance to describe what is really worldly attachment.

People are attached more to names and forms than to the inner spirit

of things. To get over this false attachment to external forms and

names, it is essential to cultivate love in its purest form. There

is no greater path to the Divine than this love. To manifest this

love, the first requisite is to get rid of selfishness and self-

interest.

 

- Divine Discourse in the Poornachandra Auditorium, 21 Aug 1992

- Heart2Heart Team

 

(Sharing With Sai Love)

 

Ram Chugani

Kobe, Japan

rgcjp