Some say that God is pleased by Jup (chanting names). Some say Tup (austerities) pleases God. Some say God is pleased if we follow rules and regulations. Others say God is pleased by fasting.
Do sacrifices please God? Discarding money and opposite-gender please God?
If we live on fruits and liquids, will it please God?
If we don’t wear shoes, will it please God?
Does living in the forest please God? Does staying in the temple please God?
Does being with new Saints please God? Does being with old Saints please God?
Does wearing new clothes please God? Does wearing old clothes please God? Is there any thickness of the cloth that pleases God?
Does food made with firewood please God? Does food made with gas/electricity please God?
Does shaving our heads please God? Does growing a beard please God?
In reality, God is not pleased by any of these.
Jup, Tup, fastings, rules are all good. Not bad.
Any action taken without Vairagya (detachment) and the right view of the scriptures will not please God. Even if you chant His name or do severe Tup, God will not be pleased if you do not possess detachment.
Devotion with detachment pleases God
There are four types of devotees: devotees in distress, devotees with desires, devotees with inquisitive minds, and devotees with knowledge. Among them, the devotee with knowledge is the soul of God. The remaining three types of devotees also have same faith in God. They follow the same procedure as the devotee with knowledge. Then why is the devotee with knowledge superior to others?
The devotee with knowledge has only one intention: to please God. The remaining three have two intentions: to please God and to get something for themselves. They do not possess detachment. They are attached to the results of their devotion.
Maharaj said that He is attached and is firm on only two things and nothing else:
1. God has a definite divine form.
2. Some people do Tup, Jup, and other devotional activities only to please God. They do not have any other hidden intentions. There is no more desire above that. I am attached to that.
The three types of devotees desire something else along with pleasing God. Once God is pleased, the suffering devotees request God to remove their sufferings. The devotees with desires request God to fulfil their desires.
For devotees with knowledge, there is only one goal: To always please God.
God asked Prahladji, “Dear Prahlad, ask me for something.”
Prahladji said, “Maharaj, I don’t have anything to ask.”
God requested, “Ask me something for my pleasure.”
Prahladji replied, “Maharaj, my wish would be, if there are any desires in me, they should be gone. I may not be able to see my internal desires which you will be able to see clearly. Please remove them forever.”
That is the single-minded devotion of God.
Ask nothing from God
Jup, Tup, and all the devotional activities definitely pleases God. But we ask something in return from Him. On the last day of the completion of our Jup or Chandrayan Vrat (fastings), we have a list of wishes and desires to submit before Maharaj.
Without detachment, it is not possible to be desireless and perform single-minded devotion to God.
The attached devotees always think, “Once God is pleased, we should use Him for our benefit… Once a devotee/Saint is pleased, we should use him for our benefit.”
The detached devotees always think, “I should use more of myself for the service of God. I will request God and His Saints to use me more and more.”
After God is pleased, not asking for anything from God is real devotion.
After doing a devotional activity, where are we using its results? There are only three places where we could use it: God, a Saint, or yourself. God doesn’t need anything. Then there are only be two places left: Saint or yourself. God’s pleasure depends on where you are using the results of the devotional activity.
Prahladji did not desire anything. He didn’t want himself to be protected from the tortures of his father. He didn’t wish that if he is saved from his father, he could do better Seva and devotion of God.
Mirabai didn’t want to be protected so that she could do devotion without any disturbance. All these devotees did not ask anything from God.
Who has complete faith in God?
Once, Sadguru Gunatitanand Swami and Saints were going to a village near the Girnar mountain. A person was doing Pradakshina and Dandavats to the Girnar mountain.
The Saints asked Gunatitanand Swami, “Swami, please see this devotee.”
Gunatitanand Swami replied, “Ask him to do Dandavats to these Saints. He will achieve his ultimate good.”
The Saints reached the person and said, “Jay Narayan. You seem to be a good devotee of God. Our Saint is very dear to God. He is like God. Do five Dandavats to him and you will achieve your ultimate good.”
The person replied, “Dear Saints, please ask your Saint to come on my way, so that both my Pradakshina would continue and your Saint too gets Dandavats. A win-win.”
That person was doing uncountable Dandavats to the Girnar mountain but couldn’t do a few required Dandavats to a Saint. A devotee follows the direction of their heart to please God. They don’t try to follow the direction of God or a Saint.
Maharaj asked Brahmanand Swami, “Swami, I am a Tyagi. I do not have any kids or a family. If I were a householder and had kids, what would you do?”
Brahmanand Swami replied, “We would take care of your kids and play with your kids. That is our ultimate good.”
Maharaj asked, “Who is said to have complete faith in God?”
After sometime, Maharaj replied, “If a person is renounced and if God asks him to do household works, he would do it without a second thought. If a person is a householder and if God asks him to take a renounced life, he would do that without a second thought. Such a person is said to have complete faith in God.”
There are many ways of pleasing God. There are many devotees trying to please God. What really matters is how many devotees really pleased God and on how many devotees was God really pleased.
References:
Sarsiddhi Katha Part 02