In this enlightening Q&A session, Swami Prakashanand Saraswati explains the vital distinction between moving towards God and attempting to remove oneself from the world. He also provides clarification on the nature of selfless and desireless love for God, emphasizing the transformative power of devotion. His words offer a deep understanding of how true devotion leads to inner peace and harmony in our lives.
Question & Answer with Swami Prakashanand
Question: Swamiji, you were talking about removal from the world and accepting God. Isn’t looking for harmony in the world the same as seeking harmony with God?
Answer: No, not removing the world, I said to move towards God, not remove. Don’t remove, just move. Take out ‘re’. Move towards God and don’t remove the world. If you move towards God, then He will stay in your heart and mind. That becomes devotion or bhakti. As regards harmonizing, you see disharmony comes because of your own stress, anger, greed, and jealousy. All this emotional turmoil creates disharmony. When you begin to love God, emotional turmoil subsides. Then harmony naturally happens in the world. Starting from your family and friends first. So, harmony is a side effect of devotion to God.
Question: What does it mean to have selfless or desire less love for God?
Answer: We have to use modern words to explain a big theory. Technically selflessness is impossible. You have to have some interest in doing something. If there is no self-interest there cannot be any action in the world. But there are two categories, material world and Divine world. Desiring for material world we call selfish, desiring for Divine world we call selfless. For instance, we say, “God I am sick, please help me.” When we are praying to God for health, this is selfish love. When you are in a bad time only then does God come into your mind, “Oh, God could help me.” That is called selfish love for God. It is better than nothing… but you have to rise higher. First no thought of God, then enter into God consciousness in any form, then desirelessness(not desiring any worldly thing from God), then we are called a real devotee of God. Because we just love Him to love Him.
Conclusion: Swami Prakashanand Saraswati’s teachings make it clear that true devotion to God is not about removing oneself from the world but about moving toward God with love and sincerity. When we practice selfless love for God that is free from worldly desires, harmony naturally unfolds. This harmony starts from within and extends to the world around us. True devotion transforms us into real devotees who selflessly seek only Divine love from God – nothing material.In this enlightening Q&A session, Swami Prakashanand Saraswati explains the vital distinction between moving towards God and attempting to remove oneself from the world. He also provides clarification on the nature of selfless and desireless love for God, emphasizing the transformative power of devotion. His words offer a deep understanding of how true devotion leads to inner peace and harmony in our lives.