Dear All,
Let us start getting deeper on some of
the qualities out of the 26 qualities given by Sri Krishna in the previous
post.
Quality#1
Adweshta Sarva Bhootaanaam
No
Hatred towards any Being in the creation.
We will focus on Swami’s direct
instructions / discourse on this quality, referring to few discourses.
“It would be utter foolishness to give a
golden cup to a child or to give a sword to a madman. A golden cup, which is
highly valuable, should be given only to a person who would appreciate its
value. Such a person will derive great joy from it and know how to use
it.
In the same way, the one who knows the value
of devotion will use it to fill himself and others with pure joy. Genuine love
will never give trouble to anyone, it will never lead one to hate
another.
In the 12th chapter of the Gita, the
desirable qualities of a devotee are enumerated; they start with 'Let there be
no enmity directed towards any creature in the world.' Repeating parrot-like,
"Lord, I love You", "Lord, I love You", while at the same
time giving trouble to others cannot be considered devotion.
You become a devotee, filled with love and
devotion, when you surrender yourself completely and are ready to carry out
every command of the Lord. Arjuna, out of pride and egoism was feeling
dejected; but after listening to the Lord, Arjuna fell at the divine feet and
said, "Lord, I am Your disciple. Teach me what is good for me. I surrender
myself fully to You."
Up until that time they were treating each
other as brothers-in-law. Arjuna was married to Krishna's sister. But once
Arjuna said, "I will do as You say. I will carry out Your commands!",
he became a devotee.
The transformation took place in his mind, as
he changed the relationship from a brother-in-law to that of a disciple, with
the Lord as his teacher. Such a mental transformation is absolutely essential
for a devotee. Without this, whatever level of closeness you feel you may have
developed with the Lord, your devotion will remain fruitless and useless.
Being aware of these high principles, do your
duty in life. Maintain an even mind and make sure that the work you do is good,
and that it is always appropriate to the occasion.
These verses from the Gita should not merely
be memorized but they must be put into practice. When you fully understand
their meaning and practice them in your daily life, your worries will soon
leave you and all your sorrows will disappear.
(Extract from divine discourse delivered
in September 1984)
I quote Swami
“ Love is transformed into poison if hate
contaminates it”
“Devotion towards God goes ill with hatred
towards fellow men”
“Despising brother man, you cannot at the
time worship God, if you do, God will not accept that hypocrisy”
And Swami goes beyond all this when He says,
“The mere removal of hate from the heart will
not ensure Ananda. Love must be cultivated, uproot hate and plant love…. The
Bhakta must be free from hate and be full of Love. Besides, his love must
express itself as service of the distressed and the grieving”
Unquote.
(All the above quotes are
extracts from the book - "Message of the Lord".)
Love.
