Enlightened Devotion

 

ENLIGHTENED DEVOTION

We don’t know that God almighty is the ocean of compassion and love. We human beings have to achieve a state to know Him. We don’t know God. We don’t know ourselves. First we have to know ourselves. Once we know ourselves, then only we will know God. I have seen ritualistic behaviour in the South [of India] very much. I was surprised how people were doing everything with their heart, but they did not know why they were doing it. They have such Bhakti but such a blind Bhakti that it will lead them no where. I used to think that when will I be able to tell them to be beyond this. You have to have Shraddha and Shraddha is enlightened Bhakti. Unless and until you have your enlightenment the Bhakti has no meaning. Like this mike if it is not connected to the mains it has no meaning. Unless and until you connect it to this all pervading power of Divine Love which we call as Brahm-Chaitanaya our bhakti has no meaning because there is no connection- like telephoning to someone without the connection. The simple thing is that this connection, this Yoga has to take place. You might have read lots of books or may know so many things like Vedas. So what? It's like you have a headache and the doctor suggests a medicine. He writes the name of the medicine. You are reading the name of the medicine but are not taking the medicine. When are you going to take it? Unless and until you take that you are not going to achieve by any chance whatever is promised to you. Because it is such a deep ignorance about all these ideas we have learnt and has penetrated into us. Such a lot of ignorance. That ignorance is really like a ditch of no return. I have seen people who have read books after books. There are people who do one lakh mantras, fasting and reach nowhere. They are the most hot-tempered people or they have no joy In their heart. They leave their families and think that they have done a great sacrifice. God does not want all this nonsense. Why will God who is your father who is so compassionate and loving personality want you to suffer?

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

17 Jan 1994