Chapter 7: The Means to Divine Love

There is a very close co-relation between love and pain. "Why is it so difficult to fall in Love? When the heart breaks, why is it so difficult? When you are alone, why is it so difficult?"

Love and pain have a close connection. We are born with pain. Process of birth is painful. Therefore the child is very tired for weeks. Therefore there are tears when its born. The second experience of a child is Love. The child's eyes are so innocent. Similarly old people's eyes, those >95 years; there is a lightness. "What is the way to Divine Love?"

The great teachers have sung the Means. There is a melody to the Heart. Logic has no rhythm; Logic is Straight. Heart can never deceive. Love is effortless

Means of Love:

1. Going inward - back to Source - Surrender (Mana - outward, nama - inward). When mind withdraws, surrender happens! Ability of the senses is limited; desires are however unlimited. Senses give us limited joy (eg., music, taste, touch - this external world can only tire you out). Knowing this, you get back to the Source. When you say 'lovely', that moment you are in Love. You get in touch with your Nature. observe the senses - be a Witness - You get in touch with the Source. Eg., Story of Mullah Naseeruddin riding a horse!! He goes up and down on the horse and when asked where he way going, he says, "I don't know, ask the horse!"Our senses are the like the horse, we are obsessed with them. Eg. Bulimia. They keep on eating and finally throw up. Similarly with sex. As long as there is feverishness, there can be no love. OCD happens because you don't retire from senses.
2. Retiring from the company of people - removes obsessions. Recharge batteries, Be a Witness. This happens effortlessly in this path. Eg., a muslim gentleman travelled with Guruji 15 years ago. Later, he came with his kids and met Guruji and shared that those five minutes of connection with Guruji had changed his life and that he remembers him everyday. You are that Love. You only have to open the lid.
3. Bhajan - that which we share. To share peace, love, caring -is the Divine. Uninterrupted sharing is Bhajan. The Divine comprehends the opposites. Uninterrupted singing / sharing / connection. Example, "I surrender every night". For example, you think of God only during problems. Do not hold any corner of yourself from Divine Love. Share everything with the Divine. Guilt does not work here. You need to share and offer everything to Divinity. Let Divinity permeate every corner of your life.
4. Even in day-to-day activities, appreciate and see the sacredness, the divinity everywhere, in all that you do. For example, Ayudha Puja -bowing to an inanimate object, car /bus.. it is honoring the Life - everything - this is Puja Example, when you see good qualities in others - you feel uplifted! When you must crticize, say it from your lips. You are saying out of Love. Krishna calls Arjuna - Anasuya - one who does not pick on people - uplifting. Wherever you see beauty, it belongs to the divine. Beauty only triggers the feeling of Divinity. Flowers feel bad when you don't see the divinity. A guest is worshipped as God. Love makes inanimate objects alive!! For example, we have dialogue with the moon. Lions talking, elephants expressing feelings /emotions. Mickey mouse - when you grow up, you don't see life in animals! A child elevates animals to a higher level than itself - that is Divine Love. God never feels jealous because there is no Second. Does God test man or vice-versa? He knows all, why would he ever test?
5. Singing the Glory of God. Listen to good things. God plays all roles - good, bad. Every action and reaction is God. Apparently, when somebody says some scandals, gossip etc., Guruji's grandma used to say, "Shiva Shiva..". The shlokam Badram Karneybhi Shrunayama Deva... means Let me hear only good things; Let my life be of service to all the angels.

Chapter 6. Love and Respect

Intimate Love + Respect equals Love of the Enlightened. Though the Gopis were so close to Krishna, they never forgot for a moment, the glory of Krishna, yet their respect for Krishna never diminished. It kept increasing! You see the unfathomable depth of Personality.

If you are regular with Sadhana, you will gain, respect will never diminsh. Respect by your smile, compassion (values), stays with you forever. Everybody has these virtues. You need to go to the Centre. Narada gives a thread here - Love and Respect can co-exist in Divine Love - its is all encompassing. You cannot understand yourself. You are so vast, deep as the ocean. Do not be judgemental of anybody. Anybody, anytime can blossom!! Divine Love takes you to that level of Non judgemental. To hold the vastness, that is, Love, do not be disrespectful. When you disrespect someone, your consciousness shrinks!! Love and respect needs to be maintained in any relationship. For example, closeness of Gopis for Krishna. Inspite of all their games, troubles with krishna, the Gopis never lost their respect for Krishna.

Ego cannot stand closeness. When ego gets squashed....love develops. Anything that is far, at a distance appears to be glorious and when it is close, you cannot see the same glory.

Purpose of ego is to gain respect. When you are being in your Nature, repect for you happens.

Chapter 5. Love is Pure Communication

Narada speaks about the love of Gopis for Krishna. Krishna broke all the rules. He was very naughty and mischievous. Although the love of Gopis for Krishna was intimate, they looked at Krishna as their beloved. He was so close to their heart.

Communication comes down when you keep people at different levels - up or down. There are three levels of Love

1. Attraction - lust
2. Longing - love has happened
3. Love culminates - Surrender

Love and respect - there is conflict. Love knows no distance and respect needs a distance. Gopis loved Krishna so much and kept HIM in an equal level. They were so spaced out in HIS presence. There were 16,000 of them. Was it it lust?

Love has 2% lust; Lust has 2% Love. Lust means coming close. Lust is aggressive, demanding, feverishness. Love is submissive, caring, giving, joy. In lust you make the other an object; in Love you elevate the other. Lust is stimulation of body and Love is stimulation of Soul. They are so close. This discrimination /awareness is missing in society. "A fraction /moment of samadhi equals 1000 times of sex" - Rishis said this.

God is our mother, father.... unlike in the West. In Hinduism, we always habe both together. Prakriti + Purusha (Nature + Source)... its always Radha-Krishna, Shiva-Parvathi; Lakshmi-Narayana

Gopis saw the spirit of Krishna. They saw the Grandeur and Glory of Krishna. Story goes that one night, Krishna was playing the flute in the garden and soon Krishna told the Gopis to go home as it was getting late. The Gopis refuse to go home and after much cajoling, they finally leave but they tell Krishna that they know HE plays the flute better when they are around! Love rejoices in the Joy of others.

If the divine spirit is not there, it is like the prostitute. In such lust, there is no joy, no comfort. Nature of Love is to bring comfort to the other.

Another story goes that Lord Krishna once had a headache and he was then the King of Dwaraka. All the Vaidyas come and are unable to rid the Lord of the headache. Krishna is supposed to have said, "only the dust from the feet of my devotees can rid me of the headache"... Lot of discussion happenned and no one came forward as it was considered to be a Sin and Hell was guaranteed for such action! Sage Narada went to the Gopis and told them about the Lord's requirement.. They sent truckloads of dust for the Lord - such was their love!

And when Krishna was ready to leave the Universe, HE tells one of his greatest devotee Uddhava to go see the Gopis and give them Knowledge after HE left. The gopis apparently ask Uddhava, "What knowldege you are giving us?? Every particle of our body is filled with longing. We are not there at all".... Such was the amazing state of Consciousness of the Gopis. It is said that the Angels rejoiced with just one tear of Love /longing of the Gopis.

There is a taboo in the East to express Love. In lust, there is too much expression; the feelings get lost and too little expression stifles you. Follow the middle path. The love of the Gopis was they rejoiced in the Comfort of the Divine.

Chapter 4. Rejoicing without Conflict

Love and discipline are opposite in nature. When there is an interest in any activity, there is no need for any law. Lovers know no Rules. Conflict creates confusion and chaos and Love also creates confusion and chaos. But you cannot discard discipline. To preserve Love, you need to follow the Laws. Even in food, day to day activities, you need discipline. Discipline is required when there is no interest. Anything in extreme has to be dropped! Even in meditation, love, talking, otherwise even Love will turn Sour. Example, Love marriages breakup, very often. There is too much expression of Love.

Honor certain rules /discipline - This will uphold you. Discipline appears stifling, actually it gives you freedom. Example, child brushing teeth - this discipline prevents toothache. The other side of discipline gives you freedom - in the long run. Discipline takes you to Divine Love. However, don't be rigid about it. Police have traffic rules; but the ambulance needs to break the rules sometimes! Love knows no boundaries. Love can accomodate all the different opinions /the opposite values

SIGNS of LOVE

1. Love to perform Puja - like Rishi Parashara. Puja is action that comes out of fullness. Pu means fullness; Ja means born. Example, Nature loves you dearly, so we offer them during Puja - food, light, water, flowers, fragrance, Aaarathi. You are in total Joy - Ecstacy. Expression of immense gratitude is Puja.
2. Telling stories - like Garga Rishi. Example grandparents talk 24/7 about their grandchildren. Praising through stories, rather, rejoicing in stories, Divine Love manifests in the stories.
3. Rejoicing in Oneself without any conflict - Rishi Shandilya. Conflict is the work of intellect. Rejoicing is the work of the heart. Shandilya was very chaotic but there was no conflict, he was is in Divine Love. Our work, service, conversatons can be without conflict.
4. Offering all - good and bad to the Divine - Sage Narada. Only when you forget God, you are miserable. Unconditional Love - this is Divine Love. Restlessness is a sign of Love. When there is longing, there is Love. Gopis never forgot Krishna, their love and longing for Krishna brought them to Divine Love

Radha means longing; Shyam /Govind means Love.

Bhakti Sutras lift us! Example, the month of Aashad (Aadi in tamil) is meant for longing. Two feverish people get together, love disappears /exaporates and they end up suffocating each other.

Love is your very nature and longing is an integral part of it. Love is never complete - the longing keeps it Incomplete. Completion brings boundaries. The Gopis rejoiced in this Incompleteness. Example the love of the Gopis of Brindavan for Lord Krishna is an example of Love. Whatever actions have happened, offer all of them to the Divine - Relax!

Chapter 3. Love Knows no Conflict

There is a big major difference between Intention and Desire. Generally, actions happen through intention. For example; Suppose we want to go to Ottawa…. We will take a car and drive – notice there is no feverishness. Desire is intention with feverishness. The desire devoid of feverishness is Intention. Fools do not understand the difference!! Desire is the cause of misery, sorrow. Wisdom is when you recognize the difference between intention and Desire. Whatever activity you are doing, be calm ; centred – That’s the Secret

‘Sanyas’ means centred well, letting go of the feverishness. Feverishness in activity that takes you away from love. Feeling one with Divinity is love. I am You; You are Me; No separation. This is the slogan of Love. The friendship that arises with due to conflict / hatred is no friendship; it is only convenience. For example, a girlfriend goes out with someone else to make her boyfriend jealous:-). Conflict appears to bring closeness; it is illusory.

You take responsibility for others – so they don’t get hurt… you see oneness here… This is the nature of Love – Oneness. Do you see yourself as a part of this universe, air, ocean… that is Love. Are you merged into this Existence? In this material world, everything is in conflict

Water is in conflict with fire
Fire is in conflict with fuel
Air is in conflict with fire
Similarly, in life there is conflict. Do not try to solve conflict. Language of Love knows no Conflict. Be indifferent to conflict. This arrests the first step of Love turning to hatred. It will not touch you, it will pass by. For example, you don’t hate a stone, you just pass by. To rise beyond conflict /hatred, you have to be indifferent – achieve Divine Love which is beyond the opposites of Love; hatred. Brush aside Conflict. You save your mind, heart!!

What is total Oneness? Dropping others’ support. For example, going to a counselor for resolving marital conflict. Support doesn’t allow you to be 100%. Ananyata – totality of Oneness / merger. Recognise / honor everything / everyone – do not look for support. Money, fame, friendship, ego, prestige, love are examples of crutches – support. When stock market crashes, you also feel some part of you dies!!

When you come out of a relationship – you feel like you came out of Death – Because you are not centered. Its like two lame people trying to help each other. Drop all these supports. It’s in your mind that these are your security. For example, a very rich family from Uganda had to leave everything and go to London during the ethnic strife in their country. They had enough wealth to last five generations. But they reached London with just a suitcase and started life all over again, one of them remarked, “I started believing in the existence of God”.  Money is not the security; God is the only Security. If you depend on divinity as support, you can help others. If you depend on people for emotional support, one day you will be in misery. Just the feeling “ God Loves me is Bhakthi, devotion.

Either in worldly or spiritual activity, be in accordance with love. Be indifferent to conflict. Every action has imperfection. Engineers have made the world greedy. Doctors want more sick people in order to be successful. Don’t see the flaws, you become a bundle of flaws and lose all virtues. For example, there are people who indulge in spiritual shopping!! – they end up a bundle of confusion!!

Be indifferent to Conflict when they arise in any activity. That is an indication that you’re love is Strong. If intention is good, but action has gone wrong, don’t blame.. for example, a doctor operates a patient by using a knife. Terrorist also uses a knife but here, even the Intention is wrong. But Compassion arises as you go beyond…

Another example is of a husband who lies to his wife because he is afraid to lose her. Truth may make him lose her! If at all there is a fight between love and truth, Love will always win!! Truth takes a backseat behind Love. For example, Gopis complain to Yashoda about Krishna stealing the butter. Krishna denies stealing any butter. There is joy in stealing and eating!! Actually, this action symbolizes the stealing of their hearts!!

If you are not devoted to work, how can one perform? Its the conflicy that brings your devotion (bhakthi) down too! Sometimes, you don't like like doing your sadhana. To love something that you don't understand is Shraddha, Bhakthi
People tell lies with the fear of losing Love.
Conflicts in the Spiritual path reduces your Bhakthi. These conflicts we create in our Life and we super impose it on God. Ignore conflict whether in spiritual or material world. In Quran, Gita, etc., there may be conflict… truth is Contradictory / multidimensional. Love has no Rules. Rules are a matter of head. Love is a matter of heart. Heart cannot blossom if it is not free. Freedom brings Love. Yet we follow the Laws of Nature.

Chapter 2. Divine Love is beyond Desires

Guruji begins the chapter with a story... There was an Indian doll that used to grant all wishes

An American asked a Korean to make a doll that will double whatever was asked…

Anything you ask, it will keep doubling…This is the case with our desires. It promises many things, delivers nothing!!

He then compared desires to drawing water with a bottomless pot. It brings more greed… people who are successful…. You become a workaholic… later a nervous wreck – trying to fulfill desires. No desire, No wants, No grief, No hatred No aversion, Not over excited, Not get lost.. is Fulfillment. Fulfillment comes with Love. The greatest misfortune is to feel fulfilled without Love. When you have experienced some love, there is fulfillment. Sign of divine love is Contentment. For some, even with fulfillment of desires, they remain unhappy

Egs 1. Mullah Nasseruddin was a distressed farmer as there was a severe drought in his land. The following year brought good rains, he continued to be distressed. He now complained of lots of work due to bumper harvest!! Some people are habitual complainers

2. Somebody wanted a Big car. When he got a big car, soon after, he wanted to sell. He found it too big for the roads!!!

Desire brings misery – only the rich can understand. Buddha said this. There is no end to desire.

Eg. There was a Chief justice of India. He said he had only one desire; he wanted a job at the International Court at Hague! Frustration exists from top to bottom. This is because of lack of knowledge.

Another example of Mullah searching for key outside his home but he lost it inside. The reason he gave was that there is light only outside!!! You start hating that which we had craving / desire. You don’t grieve /greed. Frustration brings hatred. Eats you.

There was a case of a gentleman who won the lottery, he was a heart patient and so the wife was worried and took advise from the local priest on how to break the news. So the priest thinks of a plan and comes home and they hold hands and pray together and priest asks the old man what would he do if he were to win a lottery. The old man replied that he would share half of it with the priest... the story goes that the priest got a heart attack!!! When we watch Oscar nights... look at the awardees, they are so excited... they end up blabering on stage. There was a lady who cleaned her house for Guruji and worked for 3 days tirelessly and was short of sleep. She promptly received Guruji at the airport and went to sleep in the parking lot, she was so exhausted!!!!!!

Excitement throws you off balance. But Divine Love gives you fulfillment. If you are contended amassing wealth, fame, prestige – you are as good as dead!! The yearning for truth, for something higher keeps you going --- is the driving force for Evolution.

Chapter 1: The Love that does not Die

Before giving His Commentary, Guruji gives a small introduction on what the Bhakti Sutras are all about... He said and I quote... from now I will now use the Active voice........

Love is the Aim, the Goal of Life. At one angle, all negative emotions are also caused by Love - distortions. However, mankind seeks Love without negativity.

The centre of our life is LOVE, and we seem so far away from our centre. What can get us to the centre? The quest to get to the centre is ongoing; you need a thread to transform our life from misery to celebration - a life saving thread - Sutras - the essence in short to uplift you. These add wings to your heart.. Life is a tiny thread that can send the kite high. Tears of sadness can transform to tears of Joy. There are many such strings - one such thread is the Narada Bhakti Sutras. Narada is one who is in the Centre and also in the circumference.

Some people are very ideological and not practical; some people are very practical and don't have any ideology. We need a balance of both, in Life. Rishi Narada is known for playing mischief. When life is stagnant, you need to go to Narada and he sets the Wheel rolling through little Sutras - Aphorisms.

Bhakthi is Divine Love. The flavors and modes of Love are different. The pinnacle is a combination of all types - the Love you share with the whole Cosmos is Bhakthi. Love that has Wisdom, wakes you up from every cell is Bhakthi. If you are asleep, there is no quest... you need wakefulness to Listen.

Narada then begins the Sutras by saying, "And then now I shall explain Bhakthi". Guruji says, even emotions cannot be expressed, but here, Narada sets out to do the Impossible, he is going to explain / express Love. That Love which you share with creation is Bhakthi. We are all born out of Love. Its all a matter of getting back to your Source.

What good is enlightenment without Love; when you are in Divine Love, who wants Enlightenement? Journey is possible from the Known to the Unknown; not from Unknown to Unknown. For example, if somebody asks how does a Pine tree looks? A pine tree looks like a Pine tree. Same with Banana plant, apple tree.

Therefore from known to unknown, meaning, from some Love to Ultimate Love. You already know something about Love. Bhakthi is the Ultimate - full range of that Love. Multiply your love for your children x n, that equals Bhakthi. Intense Love is equal to Bhakthi. Love that does not Die.

Love has been changing in our lives. For example a child's love for his/her mother as a 2 year old and later as the child grown up, changes. Love gets distorted. Bhakthi is the Love that does not Die, timeless, immortal is its Nature. Attaining which, perfection comes in Life. When there is Love, you don't see any imperfection.

There are 3 types of perfection

Perfection in Action

Perfection in Speech

Perfection in Feelings

When such Love dawns, perfection happens. Example a son beats his own mother and when the police wanted to punish the son, the mother pleads to the police not to arrest the son. Moving from perfection to perfection!! What is the use of Life without Love!!

Love makes you supple yet not vulnerable; yet be strong and powerful, delicate yet strong. Perfection comes in your Life.

Immortal - undying energy - this realisation that you are not the Body but the Spirit gives fulfilment.

Knowledge is like a detergent. Love is like the purity of the garment. The Spirit is made up of Love just like our body is made of amino acids, proteins. The whole purpose in Life is to realise that You are Love. You are Fulfilment. Eg Dog biting the bone!! The bone is not juicy, you are juicy (the dog thinks the bone is juicy, actually by chewing the bone, the gums bleed and the dog thinks the bone is juicy:-):-))

Narada Bhakti Sutras

I have decided to embark on a rather ambitious project:-). I am going to share with all you all, what I have understood from listening to my Guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji talk about Narada Bhakti Sutras - The Aphorisms of Love... I took notes as I listened and I will share the gist of the 84 Sutras that HE has given HIS commentary, by way of 18 Chapters. I would love to have discussions and your thoughts as you read along. The beauty of these Commentaries are that they are so profound, so deep in Knowledge and yet so light that its easy for us to assimilate and relate to in our daily lives..