What is the difference between performing devotion to God and actually loving God?
Offering food to Maharaj, chanting the names of God, performing Puja of God, and serving God are all actions representing devotion to God.
Loving God is different. If the father has only one son, he cannot live without him. He doesn’t see any wrong in him though he does all mistakes. That is love. No one needs to tell us to love your spouse or child. Wherever you are in this world, whatever job you are doing, you think of them and love them.
Temple Pujari too performs devotional rituals by taking monthly salary. Can we say that the Pujari loves God? Performing devotional activities is easy. Loving God is difficult. If God disturbs you in any way, not blaming God is because of the love you have for Him. Love arises when we know God and understand Him by knowing His position, and our position.
Gopis did not perform nine types of devotion. Did Gopis chant “Om Krishnaya Namaha. Shri Krushna Saranam Mama?” No. They just loved Krishna. They never doubted Krishna. They never forgot Krishna. Whatever they did, they did it for Krishna.
Gopi had so much love of God. After Mahabharat, Krishna called Gopis to Kurukshetra, and that happened when Krishna was over 100 years old. The last time they met Krishna was when He was 11 years old. They did not meet in between because they did not want to offend Krishna by visiting without His approval. That is intense love of God.
There was a dear devotee of Maharaj who one day was preparing Rotis. One Roti came up so well that she thought that it would be so good and tasty for Maharaj. Within sometime Maharaj knocked on the door and said, “I am hungry.”
The devotee felt very happy to see Maharaj and said, “Welcome Maharaj.”
Maharaj sat, and the devotee started filling the plate with Rotis.
“Don’t give me all rotis. Give me my roti.”
“All are yours, Maharaj.”
“No.” Maharaj removed Rotis one by one from his plate and separated his Roti. “This is mine. This is the one you made with love for me.” And Maharaj ate that Roti with pleasure.
That one Roti was made with love. The remaining Rotis are just the act of cooking and not love. That is the difference between devotion and love.
We should ask ourselves: How much do I love God? how to love God the most? where does my love of God lie mostly?
Gunatitanand Swami said that we should decide that we should love Maharaj and not just perform devotional acts for Maharaj.
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26th June 2017: Louisville, KY