In English
Install Truth in the shrine of your heart
Without this attitude of surrender, worship becomes empty and vain. It is no use deciding just now, when you are listening to Me, that you will cultivate faith and fortitude and then not put that resolution into action after you leave this place. Devotion is not measured by the outward signs of tears and exhilaration. It is an inner revolution, a transformation of all values and outlook. You may have heard the story of the woman who was shedding profuse tears, apparently of exultation, during a Puranic recital. The recitalist was overjoyed that day, for he had succeeded by his touching exposition in evoking response from at least one contrite soul. At the close of the day’s session, he congratulated the old lady on her devotion and offered her the coveted first spoonful of consecrated water (holy ) as a tribute for her faith and spiritual effort. But the lady denied all claims to devotion and said, “I do not know what that thing called devotion is, nor the other things named faith and spiritual effort. I shall tell you why tears fell from my eyes. That thick black string with which you have tied that palm-leaf book put me in mind of the string round the waist of my departed husband; he wore a black string long long ago.” Mere external signs mislead the observer, but they cannot mislead the Lord who is the ever-present, ever-vigilant Witness. Devotion will foster love, because it is born of love itself. At present, this land is full of factions and rival groups; all do not pull together and to the best of their ability and capacity. That is why it has become necessary to ask the help of other countries and peoples and borrow funds and burden ourselves with interest payments, etc. There is no cooperation and willingness to sacrifice self-interest for the sake of the community or country or humanity. Every village is riven by partisan groups. I shall tell you what happened in a village of this type. One section had specialised in acting the drama, Burning of , but the other section decided to enact the story of King instead. For the role of , the queen, they had to select a person from the Burning-of- group because they had no substitute actor at all. The scenes followed one after the other. All went well until the scene in which the prince died of a snake bite - and the queen refused to weep! The “son” belonged to the opposite group. So, vengeance was taken on by . He rained blows on her being so callous, and the drama sped along in another course, the course of hatred and faction. Thereupon, the of the Burning-of- group brought things to a climax by jumping on the stage in his role with a tail burning at one end, and he set the theatre on fire to the delight of his henchmen and the consternation of his rival! You must put on one play, either or Burning of ; if you play both together on the same stage, it will end in a holocaust. Rather, prefer and reject playing with fire. Install truth in the shrine of your hearts, for that will engender the wholesome habit of brotherliness among all men.