Love for Everybody and for Nama
See that the atmosphere in your home is pure, peaceful, and holy. It should altogether be so agreeable and surcharged with affection that a visitor should feel reluctant to leave it. Acquire learning, all types of amenities, a good house, and all kinds of prosperity, live in royal comfort if you can afford it; but believe firmly all the while that it is all the will of God; keep your heart overflowing with love and gratitude for Him. Never waste time in futile argument. Public esteem is highly dangerous; one easily gets addicted to it and pursues it; in course of time, the action which gave rise to that esteem stops, and the esteem dies down, but not the hankering for it. Even the bravest of warriors is a victim of some passion or desire which ultimately leads him to ruin. He may outshine others in his particular prowess or skill, but to his particular weakness he falls an easy prey. Do not be trapped by sensuous love, nor succumb to envy and hatred; such love is as pernicious as hatred.
To forget God is always harmful, whether caused by comfort in life or by misery. Never play the hypocrite; I would by far prefer your doing nothing to indulging in hypocrisy; indeed, I would implore you never to pose as a saint.
Do your duty towards everyone, and always remember nama, and be ceaselessly aware of His presence and power. The company of the saintly is necessary for this purpose. Many of us assert being in saintly company; but, then, how can we justify our being no better than other, common people, in our behaviour? The obvious answer is that we have not devoted ourselves to what they love, namely, nama.
After imparting the Supreme knowledge, Lord Krishna directed Uddhava to go and meet the gopis (milkmaids) of Gokul. On seeing how indissolubly their identity was merged into God, he was so convinced of the ease, simplicity, charm and efficacy of the love for nama, that he returned to the Lord, praying for the grant of that love, in place of dry, harshly logical Knowledge. So I would urge you to implore Rama for nothing but true, intense love for His name. Love for nama should, indeed, be the sole and last desire of any person.* * * * *
