Pray God Only for Love for His Name
What blessing will you pray God for? Ask Him only for love for His name and nothing else. Make no mistake in the matter. A teacher may have taught his students very efficiently during the year, and given them all the likely questions together with the correct answers; yet, at the time of examination, he cannot guide them even if he is present and notices that an answer is incorrect. I am in that position. After all, it is for you to pray and beg for the favour you desire, and I caution you in the matter lest you ask for something other than love for His name.
If you never let the nama of the Lord slip from memory, whatever the circumstances, your mind will not be agitated by pleasant or unpleasant happenings. A man gets frightened when calamities befall him. But at least those who believe in God should not get scared. When the father covers his face with a veil to pretend being a bug-bear, the child becomes apprehensive, but once it knows that it is only its father pretending as a bug-bear, it gives up all fear. So, too, everyone should remember that all happenings are the acts of God or our sadguru. This will remove fear and sorrow for unpleasant happenings as well as jubilation over pleasant happenings. For this, one should constantly meditate on the Supreme Being.
Sometimes we find that a thing does happen as we desire, but it does not result in happiness; conversely, it also happens the other way round. In other words, we cannot judge immediately whether a happening is ultimately conducive to our happiness or sorrow. So let us learn to wait and watch before we jubilate or grieve over anything.
When the body goes through suffering, which is the result of prarabdha we should be glad like one repaying a debt. To evade prarabdha is equivalent to evading a creditor. Prarabdha is nullified only when the ego dies out. Remember what Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, asked for from Lord Krishna: "Lord, I cannot blame you for what I suffer, for it is simply the result of my prarabdha; but if that suffering keeps me in constant awareness of your presence, then pray keep me always in suffering throughout my life." Let us realise the wisdom underlying this request, and do our utmost to remain in communion with God.
