Narada Bhakti Sutras - Day 3

Rejoicing without Conflict


• Love and discipline are totally opposite in nature.
• A discipline is not required wherever there is love. Where there is love; no rules, laws are required. Lovers know no rules..:)
• Don't think only conflicts create chaos. Love also creates chaos.
• Usually in love the focus is always on other (your partner), and we indulge in too much talking…this suffocates the partner.
• Even in day-today activities it is good to have some discipline. Discipline is required when something doesn't interest you. When you are in that ecstatic love nothing interests you. Have some discipline. Discipline is like preservative.
• Why do so many love marriage break - they don't exercise discipline.
• In day-today activities follow some discipline; be it food, exercise, meditation. Extreme in any aspect is bad; even in meditation.
• Discipline brings the freedom and only freedom can elevate us to the divine love.
• Love knows no boundaries and it accommodates all the opposites.
• Intellect cannot stand difference of opinions; but heart can stand it. The one who has big heart doesn't have any problem with differences.
• Different saints have defined divine love in different ways:
• As per rishi Vyasa (son of rishi Prashara) - to do puja is sign of love; what is puja - an action or expression that is born out of fullness. When there is so much love, that energy expresses itself in some action, that is puja. Nature gives us so much; revolves Sun and Moon around us; gives us so many flowers and fruits. So we also imitate the same things for divine in puja. This is called Aarti - total ecstasy. Nature worships you and we imitate the same for divine.
• As per rishi Garga - when you love someone you don't stop talking about him. Eg. Grandparents never stop talking about their grand kids. Praising - telling stories is another sign of love. Rejoicing in the stories.
• A good company is that in which when you discuss something and go away you feel light, uplifted, inspired.
• As per rishi Shandilya - it is rejoicing in self without any conflict is sign of love. Usually whenever you start enjoying something a conflict arises. Conflict is that of intellect and rejoicing is of heart. But with that deep meditation you can put an end to this conflict. Having that experience of 'I am' can put an end to conflict.
• But above might not work for every one - so Narada says that whenever conflict arises or in rejoice, offer everything to divinity. Whatever good or bad, offer that to divine. Whenever you feel miserable, remember that you have forgot the divine. Even in worst of conditions if you realize that divine loves me unconditionally then your misery won't last. Sorrow or misery simply means you are away from the self.
• Love and restlessness (longing) go together. How can you long for something if you don't love something? And to love something there should be some longing. Longing needs some distance. Love and longing has to go together. Radha is longing and Shyam is love.
• Understand this that if you try to get rid of longing you will create more problem. Just understand and rise up from the conflicts.
• Longing is essential; don't suffocate anybody, leave some space. Love is not an action, it is you very existence, your very being, your nature.
• Love can never be complete; complete means boundaries. Longing makes it infinite.
• Whatever actions have happened - offer all of them to divine and relax. But don't take it an excuse to do whatever you want to do.