why it is important to seek god. is it worth the tremendous life long effort — of renunciation.
i am almost finishing the reading of ' An autobiography of a yogi'.Is it possible to seek divine blessings ,by an accompolished yogi , to remove from the earth poverty,decease ignorance just in one stroke-as it appears to have been done- in 'the autobiography' — for some stray individuals
—dhruv kalra, india
Dear Dhruv,
If we ask a mother who has just given birth, or an accomplished athlete, musician or inventor, “Was it worth the effort?”, they will probably talk about the joy they experience and not the sacrifices they have made along the way.
More to your question, let’s look at the saints, of all religions, to see if they consider their sacrifices worthwhile. The joy in their faces, the light in their eyes, are their testimony. Those who have achieved God realization with one voice declare that life without God is dark and dreary, but with God it is constant joy.
If we desire something more than mediocrity, then we find the strength and inspiration to make the arduous journey. In the Autobiography of a Yogi Bhaduri Mahashaya comments that “The shortsighted worldly folk are verily the real renunciates! They relinquish an unparalleled divine possession for a poor handful of earthly toys!”
A new book has just been writen by Swami Kriyananda on the subject of renunciation in the new age of Dwapara Yuga. I think you will be inspired by what you find there, Dhruv. You can get a copy at least of the manuscript by writing to me personally at shivani@ananda.it.
Regarding your second question about liberating the entire earth from its karma, while realized masters and avatars might have the power to do so, they would not, because the divine law requires that each soul, by the use of his God-given free will, must desire to be free from maya. God does not impose his love on us, but waits for us to seek His love. When we do, he sends us the divinely-appointed spiritual master who will help us walk away from delusion towards the light.
Do get in touch with Ananda Sangha in India, through their website and personal contact with them. If you live in or near these cities, you will find a group there: National Capital area, Gurgaon, Kolkatta, Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore and others.
In divine, joyful friendship,
Nayaswami Shivani
