#1 thing You should Ask God For - 99% make this mistake by Swami Mukundanand
https://youtu.be/RsxiWXE-nvU Main Points: 1 people in the west sometimes ask me this question that swamiji there is so much of bhakti in India in some form or the other, spirituality is being practiced in every household practically, somebody is worshiping mother Durga, somebody is worshiping Laddu Gopal, somebody has got a shaligram and so on, then why is it that corruption is not getting eliminated from India, why is it that this bhakti is not cleansing the hearts and minds of the people https://youtu.be/RsxiWXE-nvU&t=3 & https://youtu.be/RsxiWXE-nvU&t=409 2 when we ask God for material boons, we are behaving like a child in the jewellery shop, put a child in a shop that is full of jewels displayed everywhere but place a chocolate in front of her and then ask her beti take what you want, do you think the child will pick the jewels ? absolutely not, for she has no idea about their value ! Rrather her experience of happiness is limited to the pleasure she has derived from chocolates in the past https://youtu.be/RsxiWXE-nvU&t=58 3 likewise in the spiritual realm we are like little children, our experience over endless lifetimes has been of material pleasures, we have no idea what is the Brahma-anand and the Divya-anand and Param-anand in the realm of God, so when we approach the Lord we ask Him for those broken pieces of glass the soul has come to the ocean of nectar and is asking for a cup of poison, how foolish https://youtu.be/RsxiWXE-nvU&t=104 4 we need to understand there are three kinds of affection, the first is lust, the second is business, and the third is love. Lust is that relationship where the goal is to take take, what can I get ? my happiness is my singular objective 2. Business is that that which is characterized by give & take, give & take and 3. Love involves give give give, where the goal is the happiness of the Beloved https://youtu.be/RsxiWXE-nvU&t=164 5 Do not do business with the Lord, the concept of give and take comes very naturally to us, we do it in the world and when we engage in devotion we do the same, God, if you get my daughter married I will donate a golden ring at the temple, O Lord Venkatesh I will feed 100 Brahmanas, if you improve my health, however this is not true bhakti, it is tantamount to trading with God because the intention remains what will I get in Return, this is why it is not true love it is Business, if we wish to grow our loving devotion let's make nishkam bhakti as the goal, in that bhakti you don't think what God will do for me, rather you think what can I do for the Lord https://youtu.be/RsxiWXE-nvU&t=215 6 when we engage in such a selfless attitude we never lose out because the Lord is already a selfless Lover, He showers His graces upon us, as the saying goes those who go to the Lord to get something, actually lose out as a consequence BUT those who go to give to God, are the ones who are the Gainers, in fact our scriptures say God feels indebted for their nishkam bhakti and offers Himself in service to such devotees The Srimad Bhagavatam statement, God says I get bound by the Selfless Love of my devotees https://youtu.be/RsxiWXE-nvU&t=292 7 there is another big problem here and that our mind does not get purified because the mind is still stuck in material desires, if you go to Hanumanji's mandir for 40 days with this manoti, oh Hanuman ji may my child become all right are you doing bhakti of Hanuman or of your child, it is bhakti of your child, care of Hanuman because the mind is attached to the child https://youtu.be/RsxiWXE-nvU&t=369 8 In continuation to Sr 1 above, the reason is what seems to be bhakti of the Lord is actually bhakti of worldly desires, if you go to God for the fulfillment of worldly desires, your mind is not going towards the Lord and hence not getting purified https://youtu.be/RsxiWXE-nvU&t=447 9 the story of two neighbors who were envious / jealous of each other, so much so that they prayed to Shiva & got the boon from Shiva that let me become blind - listen https://youtu.be/RsxiWXE-nvU&t=469 10 Bhakti means “upasna”, to go and sit close to the Lord, how will you go close ? by taking your mind there and that requires freeing your mind from material desires, if we wish to avoid the kind of foolishness that Ramdutt and Vishnudutt (story at Sr 9 above) did, we must say, my Lord, even if I ask you for material boons, please don't fulfill them for I don't know what is right for me, I have been in ignorance since endless Lifetimes, You are my benevolent Benefactor, my well wisher and full of knowledge and compassion, my Lord You please decide what is best and You bestow that boon upon me https://youtu.be/RsxiWXE-nvU&t=775 Transcript Introduction 0:00 [Music] 0:03 people in the west sometimes ask me this 0:06 question that swamiji there is so much 0:09 of bhakti in India in some form or the 0:12 other 0:14 spirituality is being practiced in every 0:17 household practically 0:19 somebody is worshiping mother Durga 0:22 somebody is worshiping Laddu Gopal 0:24 somebody has got a shaligram and so on 0:26 then why is it that corruption is not 0:30 getting eliminated from India 0:33 why is it that this bhakti is not 0:37 cleansing the hearts and minds of the 0:41 People 0:58 when we ask God for material boons 1:02 we are behaving like a child in the 1:05 jewellery shop 1:07 put a child in a shop that is full of 1:11 jewels displayed everywhere but place a 1:15 chocolate in front of her 1:18 and then ask her beti take what you 1:22 want 1:23 do you think the child will pick the 1:25 jewels absolutely not for she has no 1:30 idea about their value 1:32 rather her experience of happiness is 1:37 limited to the pleasure she has derived 1:40 from chocolates in the past 1:44 likewise in the spiritual realm we are 1:48 like little children 1:51 our experience over endless lifetimes 1:54 has been of material pleasures we have 1:59 no idea what is the brahma-anand and the 2:04 Divya-anand and param-anand in the realm of 2:07 God so when we approach the Lord we ask 2:12 him for those broken pieces of glass 2:32 the soul has come to the ocean of nectar 2:37 and is asking for a cup of poison 2:41 how foolish 2:44 out here we need to understand there are 2:48 three kinds of affection 2:51 the first is lust the second is business 2:57 and the third is love 3:00 lust is that relationship where the goal 3:05 is to take take 3:08 what can I get my happiness is my 3:12 singular objective 3:15 business is that that which is 3:17 characterized by give & take, give & take 3:22 and love involves give give give where 3:27 the goal is the happiness of the Beloved 3:31 let's learn about it from the golden 3:33 Rules book Give and Take 3:35 do not do business with the Lord, the 3:40 concept of give and take comes very 3:43 naturally to us we do it in the world 3:47 and when we engage in devotion we do the 3:51 same 3:54 if you get my daughter married I will 3:57 donate a golden ring at the temple 4:00 O Lord venkatesh I will feed 100 4:05 brahmanas if you improve my health Trading with God 4:08 however this is not true bhakti it is 4:13 tantamount to trading with God because 4:18 the intention remains what will I get in 4:23 return 4:24 this is why it is not true love it is 4:28 business 4:30 if we wish to 4:32 grow our loving devotion let's make 4:36 nishkam bhakti as the goal, in that bhakti 4:41 you don't think what God will do for me 4:46 rather you think what can I do for the *Selfless attitude* 4:51 Lord 4:52 when we engage in such a selfless 4:56 attitude we never lose out because the 5:00 Lord is already a selfless Lover he 5:03 showers his graces upon us 5:06 as the saying goes 5:15 those who go to the Lord to get something, actually 5:19 lose out as a consequence those who go 5:23 to give to God are the ones who are the 5:27 gainers in fact our scriptures say God 5:31 feels indebted for their nishkam bhakti 5:35 and offers himself in service to such 5:40 devotees 5:49 The Srimad Bhagavatam statement, God says I get bound by the 5:53 Selfless Love of my devotees! now instead 5:59 of that if we go with the formula oh God 6:02 please do this for me oh Lord I need 6:06 this work to be done *Material desires* 6:09 there is another big problem here and 6:13 what is that our mind does not get 6:17 purified because the mind is still stuck 6:21 in material desires if you go to 6:25 hanumanji's mandir for 40 days with this 6:29 manoti oh Hanuman ji may my child become 6:33 all right 6:35 are you doing bhakti of Hanuman or of your 6:38 Child, it is bhakti of your child, care of 6:43 Hanuman because the mind is attached to 6:47 the child! *Spirituality* 6:49 people in the west sometimes ask me this 6:52 question that swamiji there is so much 6:54 of bhakti in India in some form or the 6:58 other 7:00 spirituality is being practiced in every 7:03 household practically 7:05 somebody is worshiping mother Durga 7:07 somebody is worshiping Laddu Gopal 7:09 somebody has got a shaligram and so on 7:12 then why is it that corruption is not 7:16 getting eliminated from India 7:19 why is it that this bhakti is not 7:23 cleansing the hearts and minds of the 7:27 people the reason is what seems to be 7:31 bhakti of the Lord is actually bhakti of 7:34 worldly desires if you go to God for the 7:39 fulfillment of worldly desires your mind 7:42 is not going towards the Lord and hence 7:47 not getting purified *Story* 7:49 there's the story of two neighbors 7:52 Ramdutt and Vishnudutt who developed 7:55 envious feelings towards each other a 7:59 competition began Ramdutt went on a 8:02 cruise to Alaska and posted the pictures 8:04 on his Facebook profile Vishnudutt also went 8:07 for a trip to Hawaii and posted his 8:10 pictures Ramdutt got a Mercedes Vishnudutt 8:13 got a Tesla that competition became 8:17 so stiff they developed deep bitterness 8:20 for each other 8:21 one day Ramdutt decided the only way to 8:25 go ahead of Vishnudutt would be to get 8:28 a boon from bhagavan Shiv early in the 8:32 morning at 5 00 am he reached the 8:34 Shivalay in that locality he offered his 8:38 pranams to the shivling and sat down 8:40 under a tree and began chanting the 8:43 names om namah shivaya however sometimes 8:48 evil minds think alike that very day 8:51 Vishnudutt had the same inspiration and 8:55 at ten past five he too reached the same 8:57 shivalay he offered his pranams to the 9:00 shivling and sat down under another tree 9:03 in the courtyard however he heard the 9:07 sound om namah shivaya coming in a jiffy 9:10 he understood what his neighbor was 9:12 doing he decided let's see who is able 9:16 to appease 9:19 first he began chanting om namah shivaya 9:25 as the time went by around seven 9:29 o'clock 9:30 darshanarthi started arriving by nine 9:33 o'clock the darshanarthis the temple ! 9:35 were pouring in and they all witnessed 9:38 these two people 9:40 completely absorbed in chanting the 9:43 names of lordship 9:45 they thought two mahatmas have 9:48 manifested in our neighborhood with 9:51 great reverence they would go and do 9:52 pranam 9:54 moved by their apparent devotion they 9:57 would offer flowers and some even place 10:00 dakshina there it was now evening time 10:04 Parvati asked Lord shiv Maharaja those 10:08 two are taking your name incessantly 10:11 since morning please go and give them 10:13 darshan 10:15 lordship said Parvati I will but they 10:18 will not benefit nevertheless on her 10:21 request he first stood before Ramdutt and 10:25 said beta I have come ask what you want 10:28 Ramdutt opened his eyes at darshan of 10:32 lordship he was thrilled and said 10:36 Maharaj I do wish to ask but I have a 10:39 question before asking can you please 10:42 tell me have you yet given darshan to 10:44 Vishnudutt that 10:46 lordship said not as yet but I will do 10:49 so after speaking to you 10:53 Ramdutt was then in a dilemma 10:57 he said oh my God what should I ask now 11:01 if I say give me a five bedroom house he 11:06 will say give me a 10 bedroom house if I 11:09 say give me one billion dollars he will 11:11 ask for two billion dollars 11:14 so Ramdutt had a sudden brain wave he 11:17 said my Lord upon meeting Vishnudutt that 11:20 whatever you give to him give me double 11:22 of that Lordship Maharaj 11:24 Bhole Baba Shankar ji said “Tathastu” 11:28 after that lordship went before Vishnudutt 11:32 and said beta I have come open your 11:34 eyes 11:35 Vishnudutt, he beheld the Lord in front 11:39 of him offered pranam 11:43 lordship said beta you have been 11:45 engaging in the chanting of my name what 11:48 do you want 11:50 Vishnudutt that said Maharaj I will 11:52 definitely ask for a boon but first 11:54 please tell me what have you given to 11:56 Ramdutt 11:58 lordship said whatever you get he should 12:01 get double 12:03 Vishnudutt that saw the futility of his 12:06 exercise now because at the end of it he 12:09 would still remain at 50 percent no 12:11 matter what he asked 12:13 but he too suddenly got an inspired 12:16 brain wave and said there's only one way 12:18 to move ahead Maharaj please make me 12:21 blind in one eye 12:23 Lord Shiv again said “Tathastu” 12:28 Vishnudutt became kana “he lost one eye) and Ramdutt 12:32 became andha completely (totally blind) and the 12:36 devotees of the locality who were 12:38 thinking two mahatma's have manifested 12:40 realized they were not mahatmas at all 12:44 they seemed to be engaging in devotion 12:47 but the mind was elsewhere placed 12:55 Bhakti means “upasna”, to go and sit close to the Lord *My Lord* 12:59 how will you go close ? by taking your 13:03 mind there and that requires freeing 13:07 your mind from material desires if we 13:11 wish to avoid the kind of foolishness 13:13 that Ramdutt and Vishnudutt did we 13:17 must say 13:25 my Lord even if I ask you for material 13:29 boons please don't fulfill them for I 13:32 don't know what is right for me I have 13:35 been in ignorance since endless 13:36 lifetimes you are my benevolent 13:40 benefactor my well Wisher and full of 13:45 knowledge and compassion my Lord you 13:48 please decide what is best and you 13:51 bestow that Boon upon me !so somebody may 13:56 ask here is it wrong to ask for bhakti, 13:59 for Gyan, for vairagya ? not really once you 14:02 decide I wish to love the Lord and my 14:05 goal is to serve him 14:08 for that service if you ask for bhakti 14:12 it is still selfless intention 14:16 so pray God give me devotion so I may 14:21 serve you, bless me with Divine knowledge 14:25 so I may offer it in your loving service 14:28 help me get detached 14:31 so I may do 14:33 Bhakti for Your pleasure in this way ask for 14:39 divine gifts with which you may serve 14:43 your lord 14:53 thank you
