Love is the most important quality to be cultivated
Bhaktiyoga has described several qualities that a devotee should possess. It is impossible to expect a devotee to have all these qualities. It is enough if he puts into practice even one quality. You must have firm and unflinching faith in God. Nothing more is required. The most important quality to be cultivated by a devotee is love. Love is God and God is Love. Live in Love. If you live in Love, God will take care of everything.
There are four types of devotees.
"Bhakimaan Mey Priyo Narah". ( If you cultivate devotion, you are dear to me), said the Lord. There are four types of devotees- artha, artharthi, jijnasu and jnani.
Arthas - pray to God when sorrows and difficulties confront them.They pray to God to grant relief when they are in difficulties.
Artharthi : These devotees want health and wealth. They want peace and happiness. They pray for money, power and position. But in reality, character is good conduct, knowledge is power and good conduct is wealth.
Jijnasu : The one who has inquisitiveness to know God. A jijnasu goes to meet elders, gurus and holy men and by their darshan, sparshan and sambhashan and by listening to their discoures and study of scriptures, he tires to obtain answers to his questions. All this effort, however, is jnatum (obtaining knowledge) only. He must also go into the drashtum stage i.e., developing an insight into Divinity. The next stage is praveshtum, to reach God. That is jnana, wisdom stage.
Jnana: "Adwaitha Darsanam Jnanam." Realising the non-dual Paramathma tathwa is jnanam.
If you take material knowledge as the basis for your spiritual quest, you must be prepared to experience the reaction, reflection and resound of the material. Supposing I strike at this desk with my hand. With what intesity I struck at it, it comes back with the same intensity. I felt pain in my hand. But, this pain is the result of a reaction for my action of striking the desk with my hand. That is why the whole material knowledge (padarthajnana) is full of reaction, reflection and resound.
In pararthajnana (knowledge about non-material world), there is no reaction, reflection and resound. This is the true knowledge. It is described as "Ekam Eva Adwitheeyam Brahma" (there is only one truth, Brahma, no second one). The knowledge about this Supreme (one without a second) Truth, is called Jnanam (wisdom). You will totally lose your identity in that supreme truth (wisdom). You will lose all external consciousness. You will merge in that all pervading truth. That is saswathananda (Eternal Bliss). One that teaches this wisdom is Divinity.
The whole universe is a big Kalpa Vriksha. Whatever you wish for, it will be fulfilled. If you entertain good thoughts, you will get good results. Be good, do good, see good. That is the way to God.
Manava is made up of three letters. ma, na, va.
"Ma" means ajnana (ignorance). " na" means without this. "va" means one who conducts himself. Therefore, one who conducts himself without ignorance is "Manava" (human being). You must first come out of this ignorance. "Death is sweeter than the blindness of ignorance" it is said.
If wisdom is to dawn on you, you must have the grace of God. Then only darkness of ignorance will be expelled. Therefore, we must strive for grace of God and make our life meaningful. In this effort, we must set up an example to others. It is said "satatham Daiva Chintanam" (always remain in the contemplation of God).
Sarvadaa Sarvakaaleshu Sarvathra Harichintanam. (always at all time and at all places keep yourself engaged in the contemplation of Hari).There is no parallel to kaliyuga; by contemplation on God. one can easily attain Divinity). There is, therefore, no greater sadhana in this kaliyuga than Namasmarana.
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