24 August 2026
Monday
There are two truths that must be accepted by every pilgrim or devotee: (1) Devotion has to be full, free, and comprehensive. (2) Divinity must be conceived as full, free, and comprehensive. On the other hand, devotion today is almost always only ‘part-time’. That is to say, whenever disease, defeat, or disappointment happen to assail you, you turn to God and pray for His Grace; but when you are happy, prosperous, healthy, and in good shape, you ignore God and claim that they are all due to your own abilities and achievements. God is ignored in sunshine; He is wanted only when there is night. Devotion must persist and flourish, unaffected by time, place or circumstance. God too has to be experienced in His fullness, and the Ananda of that experience should be made one’s permanent possession. It is impossible to experience God and also talk about Him. Words like Sarvajna (all-knowing) and Sarvavyapi (all-pervasive) are used by people since elders and saints have used them from ancient times; it is impossible for anyone to have the fullest and the most comprehensive experience of these qualities of the Divine, and also speak about that experience.
From Swami’s discourse of 30 August 1974
There are two truths that must be accepted by every pilgrim or devotee: (1) Devotion has to be full, free, and comprehensive. (2) Divinity must be conceived as full, free, and comprehensive. On the other hand, devotion today is almost always only ‘part-time’. That is to say, whenever disease, defeat, or disappointment happen to assail you, you turn to God and pray for His Grace; but when you are happy, prosperous, healthy, and in good shape, you ignore God and claim that they are all due to your own abilities and achievements. God is ignored in sunshine; He is wanted only when there is night. Devotion must persist and flourish, unaffected by time, place or circumstance. God too has to be experienced in His fullness, and the Ananda of that experience should be made one’s permanent possession. It is impossible to experience God and also talk about Him. Words like Sarvajna (all-knowing) and Sarvavyapi (all-pervasive) are used by people since elders and saints have used them from ancient times; it is impossible for anyone to have the fullest and the most comprehensive experience of these qualities of the Divine, and also speak about that experience.