19 Oct 2022
[Shri Hrushikesh asked: Is the concept of desire wrong? If so, isn't becoming closer to God also a desire? So praying to God to give an opportunity to get closer to Him is also a desire isn't it? So great devotees like Gopikas also prayed to God to be with Him in Kaivalya Sayujya and Sameepya? How can we say that their devotion was without any aspiration for fruit? Also in order to get closer to God the only way is through serving Him. In order to serve and sacrifice to God we need to earn, What is wrong in asking God to give an opportunity and resources which will be used only to serve Him and intention behind asking that desire is only getting closer to Him? Also the truth is that everything in this Creation belongs to God, so even if we are sacrificing anything it is not at all a sacrifice in my opinion because when the soul is "Bharya" or maintained and God is Bhartha or maintainer? How can a "Bharya" sacrifice to "Bhartha"? I request You kindly clarify.]
Swami replied: The sacrifice of the energy (service) and matter (sacrifice of fruit of work) is based on the existing available resources of the devotee because the sacrifice is considered on the basis of the percentage of sacrificed item in the total possessed items. We cannot ask God to give more wealth so that we can do better service and sacrifice. Let us assume that a devotee has 100 rupees and the devotee sacrifices 10 rupees, which is 10% of total possessed. The devotee shall not ask God to give 1000 rupees so that the 10% will be 100 rupees, which is better than the previous 10 rupees. In both the cases, the percentage is one and the same. 10 rupees becoming 100 rupees is certainly an improved sacrifice, but the 10% sacrifice remained the same. This is the reason why the donation of 1 coin from a beggar is 100% sacrifice that is appreciated by God.
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