BHAKTI OR DEVOTION

[Guest guest]

Posted by: " Uttishthata " uttishthata

Mon Jun 25, 2007 8:08 pm (PST)

 

BHAKTI OR DEVOTION - Swami Vivekananda

 

All these forms and symbols are simply the beginning, not true love

of God. Love we hear spoken of everywhere. Everyone says, " Love God. "

Men do not know what it is to love; if they did, they would not talk

so glibly about it. Every man says he can love, and then, in no time,

finds out that there is no love in his nature. Every woman says she

can love and soon finds out that she cannot. The world is full of the

talk of love, but it is hard to love. Where is love? How do you know

that there is love? The first test of love is that it knows no

bargaining. So long as you see a man love another only to get

something from him, you know that that is not love; it is

shopkeeping. Wherever there is any question of buying and selling, it

is not love. So, when a man prays to God, " Give me this, and give me

that " , it is not love. How can it be? I offer you a prayer, and you

give me something in return; that is what it is, mere shopkeeping.

 

A certain great king went to hunt in a forest, and there he happened

to meet a sage. He had a little conversation with him and became so

pleased with him that he asked him to accept a present from

him. " No, " said the sage, " I am perfectly satisfied with my

condition; these trees give me enough fruit to eat; these beautiful

pure streams supply me with all the water I want; I sleep in these

caves. What do I care for your presents, though you be an emperor? "

The emperor said, " Just to purify me, to gratify me, come with me

into the city and take some present. " At last the sage consented to

go with the emperor, and he was taken into the emperor's palace,

where there were gold, jewellery, marble, and the most wonderful

things. Wealth and power were manifest everywhere. The emperor asked

the sage to wait a minute, while he repeated his prayer, and he went

into a corner and began to pray, " Lord, give me more wealth, more

children, more territory. " In the meanwhile, the sage got up and

began to walk away. The emperor saw him going and went after

him. " Stay, Sir, you did not take my present and are going away. " The

sage turned to him and said, " Beggar, I do not beg of beggars. What

can you give? You have been begging yourself all the time. " That is

not the language of love. What is the difference between love and

shopkeeping, if you ask God to give you this, and give you that? The

first test of love is that it knows no bargaining. Love is always the

giver, and never the taker. Says the child of God, " If God wants, I

give Him my everything, but I do not want anything of Him. I want

nothing in this universe. I love Him, because I want to love Him, and

I ask no favour in return. Who cares whether God is almighty or not?

I do not want any power from Him nor any manifestation of His power.

Sufficient for me that He is the God of love. I ask no more question. "

 

The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda Volume 2 [ Page : 46 ]

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

Our first duty is not to hate ourselves, because to advance we must

have faith in ourselves first and then in God. Those who have no

faith in themselves can never have faith in God.

- Swami Vivekananda