Thursday, April 17, 2008

swamiji on Bhakti

Some persons worship God for the sake of obtaining wealth, others
because they want to have a son, and they think themselves Bhâgavatas
(devotees). This is no Bhakti, and they are not true Bhagavatas. When
a Sâdhu comes who professes that he can make gold, they run to him,
and they still consider themselves Bhagavatas. It is not Bhakti if we
worship God with the desire for a son; it is not Bhakti if we worship
with the desire to be rich; it is not Bhakti even if we have a desire
for heaven; it is not Bhakti if a man worships with the desire of
being saved from the tortures of hell. Bhakti is not the outcome of
fear or greediness. He is the true Bhagavata who says, "O God, I do
not want a beautiful wife, I do not want knowledge or salvation. Let
me be born and die hundreds of times. What I want is that I should be
ever engaged in Thy service."

No comments: