Awakening Divinity in Man (Translation of a discourse of Revered Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya)

(Post 16)

(Source: http://literature.awgp.org/akhandjyoti/2003/Mar_Apr/v1.AwakeningDivinity) 

Those who worship God begging for a few worldly possessions or for fulfillment of ego-centric desires can't be true devotees, even if they spend all their time in prayers and rituals.

Glad consent to God's will is the real spirit of devotion; it is the prime condition to be fulfilled for being a devotee in its true sense.

God has assured His devotee in the Gita - 'yogakshemam vahamyaham' - I will provide for all your needs.
True! God does take care of his devotee but He has not promised to satisfy his cravings.
Yoga and kshema mean taking care of your physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual well-being. Don't chase the mirage of passions and desires; it devalues the dignity of devotion and the eminence of God's grace. The relation between the deity and the devotee is graceful and dignified only when the devotee doesn't beg for anything but rather offers to entirely give himself to the divine. God has already given you so much! He has created you. He is always taking care of your yoga-kshema, without your praying for it.

God is not a particularly embodied being. It is we who have conceived Him in various forms. If it is a must to give a definition, God could only be vaguely described as an infinite ensemble of supreme moral principles, saintly ideals and nobility. Faith in divine values and ideals, and a self-disciplined endeavor to live for high principles is true devotion and enlightened worship.

Awakening Divinity in Man (Translation of a discourse of Revered Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya)

(Post 15)

(Source: http://literature.awgp.org/akhandjyoti/2003/Mar_Apr/v1.AwakeningDivinity)

When our minds are cleansed of all impurities and perversions, our material and inner resources are augmented.

How many examples should I mention? The life of everyone who followed the ideal path of selfless service exemplifies this fact. They are true devotees in my view. I consider the worship and devotion of only those as true and worthwhile who could attract divine energies of their deity by the nobility of their character, by the magnetism of their virtues and by their single-minded determination at self-refinement.

When deities are happy with your worship, they bless you with the attributes of a divine being: enlightened wisdom, compassion and selfless service.

My concept of worship and divine blessings is somewhat different. I can say that a true devotee can attract divine energies by the force of his nobility; he can compel deities to help in pursuit of his noble aims. He can get Gods help whenever he asks as his right. God cannot ignore his call.

Awakening Divinity in Man (Translation of a discourse of Revered Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya)

(Post 13)

(Source: http://literature.awgp.org/akhandjyoti/2003/Mar_Apr/v1.AwakeningDivinity)

Why do we worship the divine?

* To condition and remind our minds of our divine origin.

* True worship of God means only one thing - the cultivation of nobility in thoughts, motives, speech and action.

If you think that by worshiping a particular God you will gain material success or fulfill a specific desire then it is a wrong delusion. Worshiping God with sincerity results in enhancement of virtues like generosity, compassion and warmth in your psyche. It brings about a positive change in the attitude of the devotee towards life. If you have not performed worship in its true sense, then you are likely to be lost in a maze of lifeless mechanical rituals. You should worship in such a way that you also get the gifts of grace bestowed on true devotees present and past. Your virtues, character, actions, behavior, thoughts and sentiments must improve as a result of worship. This is what shows the activation of divinity in life. If you attain this state, great opportunities will knock at your door.

Glance through the cultural history of India - all the great names in it are of those who served the noble cause for the good of all and not of those who earned scholastic laurels.

Have you heard of Mahamana Malviyaji? He was an ordinary person who became a great personage through sincere worship of divinity as he conceived it.