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By Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda
One of the greatest powers in the universe is love. It holds the whole universe
together. As the sun’s rays come to us, so that love reaches us from the
Divine and unites us. It is so strong that it can crush even a huge rock. It can
melt stone like snow. And that is what we refer to by saying, "God is love
and love is God." At the moment of self-realization God appears in your heart
as infinite love. But although that love dwells in everyone, you can’t feel
it or understand it because your inner being isn’t yet open to all.
The yogi says: VISHVA PRANI MERI ATMA HAI.
Vishva means "the universe." Prani are "living beings," meri
means "mine" and atma is "the self," "the soul."
So the meaning of this saying is "All the living beings in this universe
are my self." When I realized that, when I know that everybody is my self,
who can I be angry with? Who could I slight? Who could I be unfriendly to? Who
could I fight against? There is no such being because everybody is at the same
time my self. That is the way the yogi thinks.
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| If you love all, it means that you love yourself. That is called the universal
love. And when that love awakens in you, then you realize who you are and what
God is. |
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Whatever you do to others, you do it to yourself. If you are negative towards
others, for example, say negative words to somebody, you were negative to yourself.
If you love all, it means that you love yourself. That is called the universal
love. And when that love awakens in you, then you realize who you are and what
God is.
However, it is not easy to feel and realize that love. People are very clever,
but also very stupid creatures. Man lives unhappily, unnaturally. He is a slave
to his habits, his food, clothes and many other things. Because of his bad habits
and greed, man begins to wish things for himself only and that has nothing to
do with love. Individual love is attachment and universal love is freedom. For
that reason, the love for all is the love you should develop in your heart. If
somebody tells you harsh words forgive him. But, it is said, "The two most
difficult things for man are to eat little and to forgive." It is not easy
to forgive because of the ego, which is hurt. It acts in you like fire and creates
anger. And anger is real demon in man. There is only one weapon you can use to
kill egoism, to defeat that demon, and that weapon is love. Just smile and give
love.
If you want to be respected by somebody, first you have to respect that person.
Treat people the way you want them to treat you. Then that love will awaken in
you by itself. It is sweet and joyful, a state of permanent happiness; the suffering
has gone. When you walk, work, practise or meditate, just feel your heart, feel
how happy you are for having that love.
So, love is a great power. But it has to be real, not an artificial love. The
love I’m referring to is not the love between a man and a woman, but rather
the tender feeling you get when you see a little child, or a lovely flower, or
when you look at the stars. That is true love. It is the love you feel for your
spiritual master. It should develop.
Love is a feeling, and therefore you cannot describe it in words. Feelings belong
to the soul. Only the one who has the feeling knows what that feeling is like.
The rest don’t know. If somebody asked you what butter tastes like, how
would you describe it to him? You could only try to do it by means of a comparison,
"You know, it tastes like this or that," but you wouldn’t be able
to give the right account. Only tasting butter can provide the answer. In the
same way, that love which you have inside of you, words cannot express. It is
the realm of feelings. It must be experienced.
Wherever you go, just let your love and positive feelings flow. Even if you came
across a tiger and gave it your love, the tiger would not hurt you. Of course,
I am not saying that you should go out in the jungle and experiment with the strength
of your love on tigers. Try to understand and develop this feeling of love.
From a public lecture published in the book Meetings With a Yogi by Paramhans
Swami Maheshwarananda (Swamiji), the founder of Yoga in Daily Life System. He
is giving a public lecture at the Yoga in Daily Life Centre, 2245 West Broadway,
Vancouver on March 2. Tickets are available at Banyen Books 604 737-8858 and at
the Centre 604 608-8734 or contact@vanyoga.com
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