17 Jun 2021
[Ms. Thrylokya asked: Swāmi, You have said in Datta Vedam that the mind has a nature of variation. Hence, we should change the modes of worship from time to time to suit to the unstable nature of the mind. Does this principle apply to all devotees of God following different religions? Does it mean that we should change the theoretical mode of worship to practical mode for a change? Or does it mean that we should change the kind of practical mode of worship?]
Swāmi replied:- Mind gets bored by any single continuous trend. Within the theoretical phase, one can shift from the Jñānayoga of logical intelligence to Bhaktiyoga of emotional mind. Within the practical phase, one can shift from service (Karmasaṃnyāsa) to sacrifice (Karmaphalatyāga). In any case, the possibility must be opened. This means that if you don’t have logical intelligence, you can confine to the emotional mind as far as the theoretical phase is concerned. Similarly, if you don’t have the capability of sacrifice, you can confine to the service only as far as the practical phase is concerned. When the doors of a channel are closed, incapability of journey in that channel is not a point at all. If the doors of a channel are opened, if you are capable of journey in that channel and still if you are not doing journey in that channel, that shows the absence of true love to God. An old diseased rich person is unable to do service, but, is able to do sacrifice. A young healthy poor person is unable to do sacrifice, but, is able to do service. Both these cases are equal in the eyes of God because total surrender exists equally in both cases. Hence, both service and sacrifice are recommended to householder. Only service is recommended to the Saint. Hence, the word Saṃnyāsa in Karmasaṃnyāsa denotes the Saint (Saint is called Saṃnyāsin). Even multiple media of the same God can be worshipped to satisfy the variation of mind. But, in such worship, the devotee must be careful that the God in all the Divine media is one and the same and the different media represent the different Divine qualities of the same God.
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