Chapter 3 - Manifestation of Divine Love

Note: This lecture (or chapter) is an enlarged and modified one of the first chapter.

In the most ancient scriptures of the world, in the Vedas, we find an expression of the conception of God which no human mind has yet been able to transcend. The ancient vedic sages and seers of truth, after giving various attributes to God, such as omniscient, omnipotent, just, merciful, etc., found that all these attributes are more or less one-sided and imperfect; and none of these expressed the true nature of Divinity perfectly. They wanted an expression which would bring the individual soul nearer to God, which would show his relation to the individual soul more perfectly, and which would fulfil the highest aspirations of human hearts. After struggling for a long time they succeeded in their attempts and found such an expression. We read it in the Upanishads: “The true nature of Divinity is love as well as unchangeable Infinite and Eternal.” “Blessed is he who has tasted that love divine; who can live for a moment if that Divine Love ceases to manifest itself in this universe? God is love and love is God”.

There is no expression which affects or touches our hearts so strongly and so deeply as the word love. It needs no definition or explanation. It is the one power that governs our lives; and it is inseparable from our existence. We do not ask what love is, and, instinctively, we know its nature from the very moment we become conscious of our existence, we begin to love ourselves, consciously or unconsciously. This love is manifested in lower animals as well as in human beings. Wherever there is the expression of self, there is also the manifestation of that love of self, but lower animals cannot know the love of self objectively, they know it subjectively and they love themselves instinctively and unconsciously. Man is the only animal who is capable of knowing himself objectively as well as subjectively.

In the lowest form of animal life, we find this love of self is very narrow and it is confined to the body, but if we rise a little higher in the scale of evolution, we find that in some species of mammalia this love of self is not confined to the body but it goes beyond that love, and cares for the offspring, and here we find the first expression of motherly feeling. Thus, we see love gradually manifests itself and developes [develops], and in the human form it is wonderful in the range and strength of its power.

The love of self may be called animal love, or love of body. In that love, body becomes the centre of love, and that animal love includes love for all those things that are connected and most intimately related to the material body, and for all objects that bring a pleasing sensation to the petty self. This love of petty self leads us to take special care of the body, because the centre of love is the body, and self is inseparable from the body. We cannot separate ourselves from the gross material forms and it is for this reason that the vast majority of mankind love their bodies and take special care of them, being attached to these bodies, and they manifest this love of self by decorating the bodies in different ways and from the tattooing of the body by the savages to the decking with jewels and fashionable garments by the Parsian lady. Such worship of the material body is manifested in various ways. Animal love leads one to seek material pleasure, and it is very limited in its nature, but it proceeds from the true nature of Divine Love and, consequently, it brings bondage, sorrow, and suffering in the end.

If those persons who are living on this plane of selfishness and are strongly attached to their bodies, try to understand the beauty of the expression, ‘God is love’, they will be able to understand that pure and unselfish love which is Divine, and they will cease to project their ideas of narrow selfish love. These persons make their God a huge personification of that selfish love. They make their God unkind to some and angry with others, just as an ordinary selfish man loves some and is angry with others. But when a man rises above this plane of animal self and his love becomes less selfish, then it becomes the expression of human love, and this gradually manifests itself on the human plane. Then he rises higher and higher toward unselfishness, and begins to understand what Divine Love is and then he begins to compare the earthly love with that which is unselfish and recognises the difference between selfishness and unselfishness, between attachment to the body and pure, unselfish love.

Although every individual has more or less a feeling of love, very few understand the true nature of Divine Love. You may ask yourself: “What is the nature of Divine Love?” You may think that it must be something different and something celestial and what no one can know on this earth. But this is not so. As here is only one love in the universe and it is governed by selfishness, it becomes earthly, but when it is not governed by selfish motives, it is pure and divine. All evil and wickedness are nothing but the expressions of love misdirected, and all goodness and virtue are nothing but the expressions and results of the acts, governed by unselfish motives. All sins and vices which we find in society, are nothing but the results of ill-directed love and when that love is directed toward right objects, it always produces good.

The same thing which forces one to save the life of another, when misdirected, becomes the cause of murder, theft and all the vices. The man who sacrifices his life for another, has the same love as the man who kills another in order to save himself. In the case of the former, the direction of love is right and pure, but in the case of the murder, the direction is wrong and, therefore, the result is different. In each individual soul, is flowing constantly a stream of love which remains confined within the walls of the lower self for some time. When a river is confined within the walls of the mountains, it seeks an outlet to flow into the ocean. It is the ocean of love which is called God. For ages it may be confined within the walls of limited animal self, but the tendency of that stream is to flow and run toward the ocean and it will never be lost, and that tendency will force it to make an outlet sooner or later, either by breaking down the walls, or by overflowing the barriers which stood in its way. Every drop of that stream of love which is flowing in the human heart, contains the germ of Divine Love. As a drop of water is everywhere the same, whether it is pure or impure, its chemical properties are the same. A drop of water taken from the river, would contain the same properties as that from the ocean, so a drop of love, taken from the human heart, contains all the properties of a drop of love from the ocean of Divinity, because love is one, and it varies only in its character, according to the direction from which the stream flows. If it flows toward one’s own self it is animal, and it is human, but if it flows toward the object without having any consideration for itself, then it is Divine.

The nature of love is to attract. Wherever there is the expression of true love, there is an attraction between soul and soul. The same force of attraction which causes one molecule to draw toward another, when manifested on the plane, is called love, and nothing can attract the soul but soul itself. It is the law of nature that like attracts like. When a soul is attracted toward another, then there is love. We may think that the material has the power to attract the soul, but, this is a mistake, and we think this, because we do not know the nature of love. A mother loves her child, and thinks his face most beautiful, however ugly it may be. The mother does not see the ugliness, but she only sees that it is most beautiful, and when she kisses it, she thinks it lovely. But do you think that when the mother loves the face of the child, she loves the material particles that make up the form of that face? Is she attracted by these? No, it is the soul of the child lying behind the physical form which attracts the soul of the mother and, therefore, it is said in the Upanishad. “A mother does not love her child for the child’s sake and for the sake of the material form, but for the sake of the soul, the Atman, the Lord that dwells beind[?] that form”. In the same way, it may be shown that the love of the wife for the husband is not for the material form of the husband, but for the soul. The Upanishad says: “Wife loves her husband, not for the sake of the material form, but for the sake of the Atman, the Lord that dwells within that form”. When such pure attraction between soul and soul is manifested, there is the expression of true love and wherever there is true love, there should be the attraction between soul and soul on the soul plane, and not on the material plane. Love cannot manifest itself on the material plane, as it is always on the plane of souls. The same love which manifests itself on the soul plane may be abused by mistake. We may call it love, but it is not love, when it is on the material plane. The true attraction of love brings two souls together and makes them into one. That which unites two souls together and makes them into one, without any desire for the gratification of selfish motives, is godliness.

It has already been said before that Divine Love seeks no return, but human love seeks return of love, and wherever there is the desire for return of love, it is not true love. It is like a shop-keeper’s love for his customer, and it is like a paid servant’s love for his master. Do you see there the expression of love? No, it cannot be the true kind of love, because it is bound by motive. As for example, if the paid servant does not serve his master, he will be punished or dismissed, and he serves because of the salary, so when a man serves God for getting something in return, that is not true love. When a priest serves in a temple with the expectation of getting something in return, a salary, does he serve for love? No. When a preacher preaches for return, he does not preach for love, because the moment he wants return, his preaching will be stopped also, and so there is a great deal of difference between a professional preacher or a paid priest and a true lover of God. A true lover of God does not seek anything in return. He gives what he has to give as a free offering. He does not think of himself. He does not sell his services for money or name, or any other object. He does not wish to gain wealth or fame or anything in return. He does not even sell his services for gaining his livelihood. He knows that the world will take care of him. Such Divine Love was expressed in the whole life of Krishna, Buddha and Christ and all those who are worshipped today as the incarnations of God. They are the spiritual leaders of mankind who lived in different countries in different times. They do not think of tomorrow. They had no place they could claim as their own. They had no property, and they did their work without thinking of gaining anything in return for their services.

Thinkers of modem times say that if this be practised by all, society will go to pieces. Of course, society which is based on selfishness, will go to pieces and the sooner it goes the -better it will be for mankind. Such persons do not understand what Divine Love is. Their eyes are covered with the veil of selfishness, and their hearts are filled with shop-keeper’s love which seeks a return at every step. Therefore they do not understand the meaning of the sayings of Jesus: “Do not think of tomorrow”. They deny the existence of such persons who love in that way as Jesus the Christ did.

A true lover of God loves him, and serves him, not for any object, but because he alone is worthy, he alone is lovable, and he cannot help but loving him. Among the ordinary preachers and religious teachers, how many explain this love which seeks no return, and how many lead the life of unselfishness which brings freedom of the soul? But a true lover of God does not care for anything else in this world. Just as when we gaze upon a sunset and are struck with wonder and amasement [amazement] at the beautiful colouring and say: “How sublime! how magnificient [magnificent]!” and again we say; “I love it”. That love is a spontaneous feeling. It does not seek anything in return. In that state, mind is peaceful and restful, it may be compand to a state of bliss.

Now, if that unselfish love be directed toward the infinite source of beauty, then the lover of God says within himself: “O Lord, thou art the most beautiful, thou art my love, I love thy beauty, thou art my all in all, I cannot live without thee”. Is there the slightest tinge of selfishness in such a love? Is there anything higher? Is there any endeavour for getting any return in such a love? No, because Divine Love is the fulfilment of all desires; wherever this appears all other desires cease to exist. Wherever the light of Divine Love shines, the darkness of selfishness vanishes forever; and when this Divine Love comes, the knot of attachment is tom assunder and freedom manifests itself.

“O man, if thou desirest to taste that nectar of divine love, first wipe out the least stain of selfishness that is in your soul and thou shalt taste that nectar. This taste cannot be expressed in words, he alone knows the taste who has tasted it. Who can express in words the taste of sugar? If one tries to express it to another who has never tasted it, he simply asks him to try it, that is all that he can say”. Divine Love knows no fear. Do you think that there is any love in the service of a slave who serves his master for fear of punishment? No. Do you think there is any love in the heart of a devotee who serves God for fear of eternal punishment? No. It cannot be, because fear and love do not dwell in the same place. True love comes in freedom. Fear and love are like the two opposite poles, where one exists, the other is far from it. So when we are taught to fear and to love God at the same time, it will be incorrect.

It does not mean anything; it is either fear or love, as the two do not come at the same time. In ordinary life, when a girl falls in love with the lover, she loses all fear. So, when a lover of God begins to love God, he does not fear anything. He does not see suffering, sorrow, or misery in the world. He does not seek disease or death, and his soul is above all relative conditions. Divine Love opens his spiritual eyes, and he sees God dwelling in everything and all living creatures are his children, when he sees God in everything, he cannot but love everything. He knows that nothing in the universe can happen without being guided by Divine will, and to this Divine will he surrenders his own individual will.

He welcomes most heartily everything that comes in his way, whether good or bad. If a disease or misfortune comes, he says: “My beloved has sent his guest to me, I must take care of him and serve him with all my powers”. When death comes, he welcomes him as his most beloved brother. Absolute selfsurrender takes away all fear of death from him. In that state the individual can say from the very bottom of his heart: “Thy will be done”, and it is then and then only one can say it. Ordinary people repeat these words like a parrot, without having any feeling of self-surrender or self-resignation.

When a mother loves her newly born babe and fondles it and takes care of it, she forgets all other pleasures and enjoyments of life. Unconsciously she renounces every other thought and idea that may distract her attention. Her all-absorbing motherly love swallows up all desires for selfish pleasure. So, with the devotee, unconsciously he renounces all other pleasure, and cares nothing for these, because his mind is not on the sense plane, and he is far above the pleasures of the senses, he is on the plane of the supreme Spirit. Divine Love is constantly attended by the attachment to the things that are eternal. It brings freedom to the soul and emancipation from all bondages of attachment to sense objects and sense pleasures. It is better than good works, greater than knowledge and higher than concentration and meditation, because all these end in Divine Love, but Divine Love is its own end.

The path of love is the easiest path for the attainment of God-consciousness. He who can go through the path of love and can understand what true love is, is greater than a Yogi who goes through the paths of concentration and meditation, and is greater than a philosopher or a philanthropist. Divine Love straightens all crookedness of the heart and brings freedom; it destroys the germs of vanity and self-conceit which are deeply rooted in human hearts. When the soul is over-powered with Divine Love, it makes the person gentle. If any one strikes him on the right cheek, he turns the left; his sayings and doings become the scriptures of the world, because Divine Love is not confined to any writing or book or scripture.

Divine Love brings that ecstatic state of superconsciousness, where the individual soul becomes one with the Divine. In that ecastatic [ecstatic] state of consciousness, the true lover of God becomes intoxicated with Divine Love, he drinks deep, he cannot stand on his feet, he takes a step and rails and ordinary human beings say that he is mad, because they do not understand. I saw a man^[1] in India who attained to that state, and when he reached to that state of ecstacy he was as intoxicated as though he had been drinking whisky. Sometimes he would talk in a foreign tongue, unknown to human beings, and they said he was mad. One of his disciples came to him and said: “Sir, people think that you are gone mad, or you are in the habit of drinking”. He answered: “What people say is true, I am in the habit of drinking the wine of love, I do not drink any earthly drink, but I drink of love, and that is much better and intoxicating than any drinks of the world; and when they say I am mad, it is true; in the mad-house of the world, who is not mad? Some are mad for wives, some for husbands, and others for name or fame or position; show me one in this world who is not mad for anything at all. I am not mad for anything in this world, but for God who is eternal and everlasting”.

Those who are intoxicated with that wine, do not fear other people, They know that other people are not on the highest plane. They do not understand that Divine Love brings spiritual strength which knows no bound. So the true lover stands on one side and the whole world on the other side, and he does not care. Whoever has tasted a drop of that soul-stirring Divine Love, has gained infinite strength and unbounded power, by which he can face the whole world and conquer it in the twinkling of an eye. If his body is crucified, he does not care, and he knows that he is above body, he does not feel it. He cannot die, because he knows that life is indestructible and love is its nature. He then remembers the Divine sayings of the Bhagavad Gita that the soul cannot be burned by fire, cannot be pierced by swords, cannot be moistened by water, cannot be dried by air, and it laughs at death.

Do you think that the spirits of those who lived in the past and attained to that state of divine ecstatic love, are dead? No, the spirit or Atman lives forever and ever, and is as immortal as the Lord himself. In the state of superconsciousness, the whole universe appears as one ocean of Divine Love. The lover, the beloved, and love themselves are merged into oneness; one cannot sever himself from others. He realizes that he is like a wave of that ocean of love. There are many waves, but all are inseparable from the ocean. Then he comes down to the plane of ordinary human consciousness, but his expression is changed, and his face is radiant with divine glory and celestial peace. He mixes with others and talks with them, but he does not care for the things of this world or any other, and he does not wish for salvation or heaven or any other place. Happiness or unhappiness comes to us as long as we are on that plane, but a free soul never seeks freedom, he realizes that he is free, he feels for others and suffers for them, and tries to bring all humanity into that state of superconsciousness, so that everyone will be able to enjoy the bliss which he enjoys.

I will show you the path which will lead you to the ocean of love, that will make you happy, by which you will attain to the supreme state of God-consciousness. But people do not listen to that call, because they are busy with other things. Very few come after hearing that call, and very few of those who come, follow his advice and attain to the highest state.

Therefore it is said in the Bhagavad Gita (7.6 [7.3?]):

manuṣyāṇāṃ sahastreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye |
yatatāmapi siddhānāṃ kaścinmāṃ vetti tattvataḥ ||

Amongst thousands who will come, perhaps one will be ready to hear the call, and amongst thousands who come after hearing that call, few will attain to the state of bliss. But the lover of God who tries to help others, does not get discouraged, he realizes the conditions of other people. He says: “Let those hear who have ears, let those see who have eyes”. Such is the character of the lover of God. As long as he lives, he does work constantly without seeking a return. He works through love, and his work is a free offering to the world. He has the power of opening the spiritual eyes of others, and those who follow his directions, attain to the stale of God-consciousness. Divine Love is the greatest thing in the world; it is the soul of our souls, it is God and ought to be the highest ideal of everyone of us.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa.