1.1.1 FNS, 1.1.2 devotional

(no checking from tape)

In people who apply a devotional approach to spirituality you will find certain commonalties. You may find that the person has experienced, in one form or another, some intimate contact with the Infinite, with the Divine. That contact may be with the loving Divine Father or Divine Mother, with the Guru, or with a deity of one sort or another. It may even be with the pure radiant light of the Supreme Entity. Regardless, you will find that those people who wholeheartedly feel devotion to the Infinite have experienced, at one time or another, this intimate contact. It is this very contact which promotes the feeling of love and hence devotion. When the Divine Entity is seen in one of its sweet and tender forms, shining with radiance, the heart of a human being becomes so overwhelmed that they cannot keep themselves aloof. They fall in love with that entity.

Now this love is a gift from the Infinite Being. The gift of love is given to a human being through this divine contact. In this contact the heart is stirred and the human being says "Oh my Lord, oh my beloved, you are so dear to me, you are so near to me. I love you. You are by far the most beautiful being I have ever seen. I did not know that such beauty could exist. How can I be apart from you, my Lord. I must be close to you." The human being will say this once they have come in direct contact with that Divine Essence. They will feel so much attraction that the heart will be overcome. The human being will then approach that Divine Entity henceforth with love and affection. They will feel "That one is so dear to me, I love that Entity with all my heart.

So, devotion to the Infinite will spring up in the heart of the human being who has been fortunate enough to receive this gift of love from Parama Purus'a, from the Divine. It is a gift from God. It is a treasure. This love and devotion must be treasured; it is a sacred gift given to the bhakta (devotee) by his or her Lord. It is sacred, this gift of love. So, like anything that is sacred, it must be treated with reverence, it must be treated with care, it cannot be treated casually. It must be watered, nurtured and developed.

How is one to develop this gift of love that is given by the Divine Entity to a human being? First of all, to develop this gift of love, you must approach the infinite entity with complete reverence. Put flowers on the puja table, bow down, do guru puja, do kiirtana, singing the name of the Lord. Always think with reverence of your Lord and treat Lord with utmost respect. Now the second practice which will develop this gift from God is to sing kiirtana each and every day. Take the name of the Lord and sing it out loud, sing it with your heart and your mind, sing it with uplifted arms in love and surrender to the infinite. Thirdly, and most important in the development of devotion, you must chase after your Lord. Sometimes He will appear faraway. It may seem He is evading you, and you will be left crying. But do not accept this position. You cry for Him, you demand of Him, you tell Him, "Lord I am yours. Why have you not shown yourself to me? You must come. I will sit and I will cry. I will demand until you come to me. I will not give up, no matter what." In this way, you demand from your Lord. You be persistent in your approach. You cry, you plead, you employ Him to come to you. You demand from Him to come to you. You keep your mind focused, you do kiirtana, you do puja, and you insist, "Lord, I am yours. Come, show yourself, reveal yourself to me so that I might surrender to you."

You know, He is not so hard hearted as you may think. He cannot for long withstand such pleas. He must come to His devotee, and He will come to a devotee who cries for Him thus. He may tolerate crying for a little time, but pretty soon He cannot tolerate it. He becomes distraught that His child is crying for Him. What is He to do? He must come to soothe the child. It is His way.

So, do not ever be discouraged in your pursuit of the Infinite. You are bound to find that Divine Entity.