Chapter 18  ·  Contents  ·  Chapter 20

19. DEVOTION IS THE EASIEST PATH TO GOD

Embodiments of Divine Love,

It is quite possible to win a debate in an assembly of scholars in a noble court. It is possible to fight a war and come out victorious. It is possible to be a king and rule a kingdom. It is possible to gift in charity cows and wealth. It is possible to give up desires. However, to control the mind and body and be steady in meditation or samadi is not so possible.

For the protection of the righteous and the destruction of evil, God takes a human birth to re-establish Dharma. In this life, devotion is what one should be drawn to. To love the world is not true Love. To love external objects, people and transient things is a waste. This is not Divine Love (Prema), but only attachment. Only Love directed to God can be called devotion. Devotion is a synonym for intense Love. The outer expression of devotion is called Dharma, and the one who understands Dharma will develop Love and one who has Love will be able to develop Dharma. Dharma and Prema are twin birds. As man is losing these values of Dharma and Prema, his life is like a desert land.

At one time Duryodhana fell at his mother Gandhari's feet for her blessing to win the battle he was about to engage in. As Gandhari knew that Duryodhana was not following the path of Dharma, her heart did not allow her to render her blessings though Duryodhana kept on begging. Gandhari said, "Wherever there is Dharma, there shall be victory." Later they paid respects to their Guru Dronacharya who told them that, where there is Righteousness, God will be present. Because God was an intimate friend to Arjuna, his life reflected Love and Dharma. If Love and Righteousness are practised. Divinity which is latent becomes patent. There is nothing higher than this Divine Love which motivates all men to share with one another. Many devotees in the past have attained God through Love. You are nowhere without devotion to God, even though you may have plenty of power. Although Duryodhana and Dushasana had plenty of wealth and prosperity, without Dharma they did not have God's support. Those who were against God and relied on physical strength rather than Divine strength were ruined. Take Ravana and Kumbakama. They were very strong soldiers, but Ravana, even though he could construct the entire country and was very wealthy, despite his abilities he could not reach God to attain liberation. They thought they could please God with their abilities and strength. Ravana who was a great scientist and who was highly educated and very affluent met the same end. You may feel proud of all your wealth, but it will not enable you to attain liberation. God submits Himself only to the devotee who has intense Love.

Kuchela who had a large family was very poor. Since he was the childhood friend of Krishna, Kuchela's wife advised him to seek the help of Krishna. Kuchela visited Krishna to seek His grace for the removal of his poverty. The moment Krishna saw him. He got down from His throne, bugged him, stared at him from top to toe and talked at great length with him. Oh mind, don't ask. Without asking, the result will come sooner. If you worship God with Love, He will look after you.

Lord Rama did the last rites of Jayatu without his having to ask. Sabari, too, attained her heart's desire, the darshan of Lord Rama, without asking. God is present in all of creation. Based on the devotee's feeling, God will appear in that form. Therefore, only through true Love can one take control of and attain Divinity. Devotion means total control of the mind, worldly attachments and desires. One can experience Divinity through devotion alone. True devotion means total unconditional Love. A diamond alone can cut another diamond. Devotion (Bhakti) is derived from the word Bhaja which means worshipping the Lord through practice. Devotion is worshipping and serving, feeling happy and making others happy. Through this path many attain Bliss. Sakkubai prayed, "Krishna, how long should I suffer and remain in misery. Is there no justice? Do You not have compassion? Am I not Your servant?." Why was she suffering? She was suffering because she could not feel near to God but by pining she could feel near to God. There were many devotees like Tulsidas, Ramadas and Tukaram who all suffered for God. Ramadas prayed, "Lord, I am Your's. Why are You keeping me at a distance? Have I done any wrong? I only wanted to spend all the money collected by me to make a temple for You. As a result. King Taneesha punished me and imprisoned me. Why should I suffer? O Rama because I could not bear the thrashing I received from King Tanesha's soldiers I blamed You. Please, kindly excuse me."

Immediately, Rama and Lakshmana took the form of two servants and went to King Taneesha to pay off Ramadas' debt. When the king inquired as to who they were, they replied, "We are Ramayya and Lakshmayya, the servants of Ramadas." Immediately the king changed his mind, greeted them and ordered Ramadas to be released. It is only due to the devotion of the devotee that the Lord bears everything.

Kabir and Tulsidas were great devotees who expressed their devotion through Love. The path of devotion is very easy in that no physical exertion or money is required, but only Love. To control the mind and the senses is not easy, but thousands have attained God through devotion. Many could not reach God through the other paths such as raja yoga and karma Yoga. In the beginning any venture, such as riding a motorcycle is difficult, but gradually one succeeds. In the Bhagavad Geetha it says, "first practice." By constant practice of righteous deeds one can give up bad qualities; then one would be able to continuously think of God which is the true prosperity and real wealth. In Kamataka, a devotee named Mankamma spent all of the time thinking of God in the following manner: For the entire lake, the lotus is the decoration (beauty). For the decoration of a village, houses provide the beauty. For the sky, the moon is the source of beauty. For the sea, waves are the beauty. In the sky of our heart, the shining moon (mind illuminated by Atma) is the real decoration. For a devotee, vibuthi ash is the decoration. God is everywhere in the world, in, around and beneath everything; there is no place where He is not. All names and forms are His. Eashwara manifests Himself when a devotee prays with a sacred heart and pure selfless Love.

Tyagaraja continuously chanted the name of Lord Rama. Once he went in search of Rama, since he thought Lord Rama had gone somewhere. He was repeating Lord Rama's name and praying, "When can I see Your smiling face? Why are you punishing me by Your absence?" Some pure hearted pilgrims noticed his footprints and carried him on a palanquin. Some robbers who noticed him, thought him to be a very rich man and decided to attack and rob him. But suddenly Rama and Lakshmana manifested themselves with bows and arrows. Tyagaraja was not even aware of this impending attack and did not call out for help from the Lord. The thieves then fell at his feet. When asked why they were doing so, they replied that they were being chased by two men with bows and arrows. Tyagaraja was surprised but then he understood and said, "O Rama! Thieves were attempting to rob me but You protected me; the thieves saw You but I didn't. You are always in front, above, beside and on either side of the devotee, protecting him. The thieves got your Darshan, but I did not." Though the thieves saw Rama and Lakshmana they did not recognize Them. Tyagaraja went to the Kaveri River for his bath and collected the idol of Rama which was thrown inside. He said, "O Rama! come home; I will worship You! O God, son of Dasaratha, I cannot bear any longer to be without You." Then he experienced the vision of the Lord. Of all the persons in the whole world, only the devotee can attain the vision of the Lord.

The scriptures give you knowledge, but one need not read any sacred text. Pure Love alone makes God manifest before the devotee. The entire universe is contained in Prema. The word Prema is divided into: 'Pre-ma', which means that except for Love, nothing else of value exists. Prema is a mighty continuous flow of Love. The spiritual path is convenient for everyone to follow and does not involve any business transaction. The three life principles in the triangle of Love are: don't ask, give and don't take, and be happy. Our happiness depends on following the path of Love. God too will dance if you are happy and He will also make you dance in ecstacy.

Everything is contained in the name, "Ra, a, ma." All the bad qualities within will be removed by chanting the name Rama. 'Ra" stands for fire and when chanted it has the potency to bum sins; "a" stands for the moon, which pacifies and cools the mind; "ma" stands for the sun, which dispels darkness. Darkness here refers to our ignorance about the Truth. So one can pacify one's emotions and dispel one's ignorance and agitation through chanting the name Rama. Lord Rama's name alone can make you understand this trinity. One should wholeheartedly sing the name of Rama to destroy all one's sins.

In a village a water tank was built with a golden tap. There was a small river beside the water tank. For the opening ceremony, some guests and dignitaries were invited. One of the dignitaries opened the tap, but the water did not flow, so a connecting pipe between the river and the tank was made. But between the tap and the tank there was no connection. The tap is the devotee and the water tank is God. When the devotees connect themselves to God, Love flows.

King Tanesha asked Rama and Lakshmana (as the two servants), "Who are you?" They replied that they were servants of Ramadas. Ramadas, Korokumber, and Sakkubhai are examples of true devotees. Valmeeki composed the Ramayana, and Vyasa also composed some epics, but neither of them understood the Divine. Pothana was a great pandit and devotee. His cousin Sri Nathar once requested Pothana, "Give your Ramayana to the King. Pothana refused. So Sri Nathar, very angry, burnt Pothana's house. Everything was burnt except the Ramayana. At the time Pothana was away from his home, his son was ploughing the field. His son asked Sri Nathar, "Are you okay?" Sri Nathar replied, "I am okay, but you see for yourself," and he departed. ... When Pothana desired to write the Ramayana, he was not able to find the beginning for the text but completed the last part of it which read, "Rama is everything." He left the book in this state, lying open and went to take a bath in the river. When he returned, he saw that the beginning of the verse had been written by Rama. On a full moon day to see the moon does one need a small lamp? No. The moonlight will enable you to see the moon. Similarly, one can realize God as a result of his own Divine feelings. The relations who do not help you when you are in need, the illiterate and uneducated, and horses that cannot run should be discarded immediately. These days, people who are intelligent still hold onto these things and suffer.

A teacher was giving instruction and the student was looking somewhere else. The teacher asked him, "How much has got in?" The student replied, "Only the tail is left out." The teacher was asking about his understanding of the mathematical problem, but the student was looking at the rat in the hole in the ceiling. Each person is seeing from their own perspective, so they miss the correct path. Forty years ago the Maharaja of Mysore Jayarsamarajandra Udyar and Ramasami Mudalyar, Tirulaxshmanaswami Mudalyar and the mother-in-law came to see Swami. All of them visited the Chamumundeswari Temple. Because the temple was close to their residence, the seventy-year-old mother-in-law had never visited it. Because the temple was close to her home she did not recognize the importance of it. When something is close to us we do not recognize the value of it. Until we lose our eyesight, we do not understand the value of it. There are a lot of people who come to Swami. When everything is available, we do not appreciate the value of it. The people who do not understand this principle are not human.

Swami sang "Prema Muditha Manase Kaho, Rama, Rama Ram" after His discourse.

April 24, 1996

Chapter 20