In plain words
Not dying, not born, not slain, He is the Ātma-principle that looks on at all things. Whatever is born passes away. What has no birth has no death either. So it is by the support of the Ātma, which has neither death nor birth, that this body, bound to death and birth, comes into this world, putting on an upādhi as one puts on a dress. But as long as we feel that we are human beings, we must carry out our duties in this world.
Bhakti is loving attachment to God
What is Bhakti? Bhakti is simply loving attachment to God. This attachment is not something that shows itself outwardly. Whatever we give a place to in our heart, we take on its form. That is why it is said, ‘The knower of Brahman becomes Brahman.’ Whatever we dwell on, we take on its form. We must think of good. We must reflect on good. If we keep thinking of evil in our heart, everything will look evil to us. We must set our vision on the right path, so that it does not look at evil. Sight alone is not what matters. Its basis is the seer. When the seer is our basis, the whole of creation is filled with Brahman. Though this Prakṛti stands before us like a screen, it does not hinder our sight at all. How so? We wear glasses over our eyes. These glasses stand in front of the eye, yet they help the sight. But they help us only when we wear glasses suited to our sight. When we wear glasses that do not suit our sight, they spoil even the sight we have. If Prema dwells in our heart, only feelings that belong to Prema must arise in us. If we let feelings opposed to Prema arise in us, our very life goes to ruin. So, first of all, we must try to purify our heart. Tiruttoṇḍa Āḷvār used to say: “I pray with a pure mind, Swami! Not with a soiled mind,” he would say. Mīrā too, in the same way: “My heart is Your temple, Kṛṣṇa! Where should I go?