ANURAGA – intense attachment to the Lord
Let us never forget that Lord Kusuma
Haranath Himself took us into His flock, He selected us and is constantly
watching our movements at all times. We belong to Him, our ties to Him are
eternal. This relationship cannot be snapped. We are never apart from Him – not
now, not in future. He is holding the strings on which we dance in any way He
pleases. Our own guise, His own Self, is playing a role under His direction and
will. We have no separate existence, are Atma, one with the Lord. It is He who
is manifesting Himself in every heart and performs Kirtan of his own Name in
order to sanctify our unclean hearts and to make us fit to be engaged in his
Seva. Body, mind and soul which we possess belong to Him only. The more man
craves after any object of sensual gratification the more grief and torment it brings
him. Man who know this and who possess nothing, not own body or a sense
of identity with is finds infinite bliss. (Srim Bhagav. P1260) Man has always
the eternal ecstasy in his soul and heart but chases after unreal, slight
pleasures, binds himself into birth after births, born repeatedly, dies again
and again in the wheel of Samsar. But alas, on account of delusion we don’t
give up the play of Maya, and the reason for our misery is the want of
constantly feeling His nearness. The wind of God’s grace can’t lift us up as long as we carry
the Ego-load and desires. Sensual pleasures are hollow, fleeting gifts. Being
together with wife, children etc. is no more than a brief association of
members of a caravanserai. Just as relatives change in dreams from sleep to
sleep so too do the family members from
life to life. They recur as well in many forms. He that understands lives in
his home like a guest with no feeling of possessiveness to any object or
person. We have always to flatter the Lord so that our addiction to Mayas play
may go. To take His Name day in and out is to flatter Him. When His Name is
worshipped Name itself speads his glories within the heart. Through Nama
Japa the heart acquires indomitable strength, the heart softens. Name itself builds up a Bhav Deha for the soul
to retain the thinnest possible Ego. We have to weep near Him, then He will
relent.Desires, attachments have to go Then there won’t be more births and
deaths. A mind which constantly thinks of Me dissolves into Me, is purged of
its impurities and becomes exceedingly calm. Then adamantine faith will
supervene. (Srim. Bhagavatam). The Lord is as kind as He is Rasik, so whenever
one weeps for Him be becomes restless. Undying joy is our natural inheritance.
May we always be aware that it is the Lord who pulls the strings on which we
move, act, think and surrender totally. Everything is rooted o Lord in You, you
are present in everything.
Thakur:” You are each a limb of mine. I want
you to remain supremely pure. I may or may not be yours. Make me yours. My nature never allows me to
forget anyone. I do remember those who never remember me. Know it for certain
that I can’t pass even a single moment without sending thoughts after you. When
you feel tired in the evening after hard tasks my work will commence. I will
attend to your needs and help you to pick up energy for the next days work. Those who seek to reach Me by
reason become lost in the wilderness but those who solely depend on My help
have no ordeal to face. When once I accepted you I will not leave you even if you
should leave me. If you give me a drop of your love. I shall give you an ocean of
my love. With every breath I remember those who do not think of me, hear your
prayers but owing to this body cannot do much. If I leave it I shall be free to
do anything you want, for not even a single moment passes without sending
thoughts after you. The price I paid to get you is very very heavy. I can’t afford to lose you. I am yours
and you are mine, so I am involved in your joys and sorrows. How dear and
valuable you are all to Me! This comradeship between us has been sustained
through many existences and will persist through future lives. I won’t leave
you even if I leave this body. I am like a street dog, feeding on whatever is
offered and going where to ever I am liked. I have no personality to boast of,
belong to all, everyone appears to be mine. I wish to see you happy when I
depart. Be a Krishna-Bhakta, fill your heart with Prema. Blossom out fully and
adorn the world. This is an age of spontaneous love. I love you because this is
my nature, I don’t weigh your merits or demerits.” . Look up to Him whether in
trouble or not like a child looking up to its father, learn to depend totally
upon Him, take His Name with a restless
mind and you will get Prema.
Lord Krishna said: “all souls are my favorites. I play many
games with them till they forget all that is selfish, till they love Me for the
sake of love alone.” Lord is immensely pleased when our self-surrender becomes
a real offering. Make thoughts, words, deeds, entirely sweet and attractive to
Him. Dwell continuously in His presence. He is the worker of all works but we
by rendering little help as tokens of love become gratified.Love Him with all
sincerity, He surely listens to what you tell Him. He is watching our movements
at all times. Depend totally on Him. It is the Lord within us who eats, sleeps,
thinks. When we are always aware of this we get rid of the Ego. He wants to see
our yearning, longing, our ardency must be constantly on the increase. He
dislikes dried up hearts but stays where He gets joy. Love Him being joyful. He
likes tears of love not sorrow. Call Him dearest, friend, beloved, don’t put
Him on a pedestal, addressing Him merciful, deliverer of the fallen etc.Strong
must be your hope and faith. Tenderness is served out according to the measure
of earnestness evinced. Go on increasing your ardor. Worship by fits and starts
will not do, it must be constant. Forget the body, renounce every desire for His sake. Own will must go, no own enjoyment,
interests, not even a trace, no body feeling. It is essential to be
unattached, feel unity with the whole universe. Once our work is motiveless (no
attachment to sensual objects, to any kind of work) we are no longer limited by
cause and effect, work as masters, not as servants, care not for fruits) It is the
Lord alone who acts.
Bhakti Yoga is to use the body to serve the Lord, to devote
the speech to describe His glory, surrender heart and mind to Him, to renounce every desire for His sake. Lord
Krishna said:” Withdraw from all Karma, renounce every thought of deriving
pleasure from objects of desire. To whom who practices the rigors of Bhakti with no break I
come to dwell in his heart, my presence will destroy the desires in such a
heart. Bhakti dawns only on those who want nothing from Me, not material or worldly
gain or even Moksha.”(Lord Krishna to Uddhava ,Srim. Bhagavatam) .They live for
His pleasure, know no one else but their beloved Lord who is all in all for
them, their sole refuge. They live for Him, work for Him alone, smiling always
cheerfully, never despondent. Lord is ever eager to taste the divine, extremely
delightful love-nectar of his devotee. He can’t remain even for a moment away from his devotees and makes His nearness
felt. Such a Bhakta sees the whole world in Him, is large-hearted, has no
enmity towards anyone, is ever engaged in His work, possessed of a heart
overflowing with love. He is not conscious of the external world – laughs, weeps,
cries, sings aloud, dances, through the excess of joy he gets. As soon as we
come under the Lord’s influence and
protection Maya can no longer affect us. Waiting with intense longing for His
arrival is the sign of a true devotee.
From eternal bliss we came and unto eternal bliss we must
return. It is the Lord’s desire to see us all in real bliss. We have to try our
utmost never to remain without Him. Uninterrupted remembrance of Him means constantly forgetting the world and its objects. He is watching our
movements at all times. Waiting with intense longing for His arrival is the
sign of a true devotee. This should be the permanent mental attitude.Desires,
attachments have to go – then there won’t be more births and deaths. The mind
limits the soul, it is Maya’s creation. The only Astra to kill this supreme enemy
is Bhakti.”Mind which thinks constantly of Me dissolves in to Me and if the
mind is purged of its impurities it will become exceedingly calm. Then
adamantine faith will supervene. One must become a self-emptied vessel which
lies waiting for the divine influx to come when and how it will.” (Srim.Bhagavatam)
There is no true Bhakti without heart-melting, flowing of tears of joy
and hair standing on end from rapture. Without this complete and intense
emotion of surrender how can the heart be purified?
3rd March 2016
Ruth Baur
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