by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Our body is bound by discipline, it is bound by some clock.

Whether you want it or not, whether you like it or not, your system gets tired at some time, wants to sleep at some time, a definite time, is hungry at a definite time, it goes for nature calls at a definite time. Your body is in certain discipline as long as we are in this body, on this planet, with people around us. We need to honour the rules, honour the discipline, honour whatever rules, in whichever place. Here, (Lake Tahoe, Montreal), driving on the right-hand side is the rule. If you go to India or England, it is left-side driving and you have to honour that rule there. Honouring the rules, the Shastras, the scriptures brings you enormous freedom and freedom sustains love; love in turn brings you enormous freedom, the true freedom. Nothing can take away the freedom that love brings you – not the mind. There is a subtle difference. Be in the world like anybody else, like a common, ordinary person. Be one with everyone in the world, in society.

Tallakshanani vachyante nana matbhedat

Different rishis, different traditions spoke about this Divine love and its characteristics. But they are all different – different perceptions. The Truth is the same but they saw different  characteristics.

Poojadishu anurag iti Parasharyah : Parashara, one of the pioneers of the Vedic tradition, said, “A deep interest in Pooja is a sign of Divine love.” What does Pooja mean? It is not just a ritual. ‘Poo’ means fullness, ‘Ja’ means that which is born out of fullness.

When you are so full and you are so grateful, what you do from that state of mind, of existence, is Pooja. And how is Pooja done? Not just using limited mind, but using the entire universe, all the five elements and the Soul, the Mind and the Being.

And offering of the totality is Pooja. An intense interest in Pooja is one of the characteristics of devotion, of Bhakti. A sense that comes up in you that you want to offer every little bit of what you are or what you have. “I have been given this universe, now I offer the universe back. I have been given this body and every particle of this body, I am offering back to you.

You gave me this world and I offer this back to you. And I am yours.” This intense feeling of offering, merging, giving everything to the Divine – every bit of it is called Pooja. An intense interest or liking for Pooja is one of the signs, one of the characteristics of such a deep devotion – a total offering, not saving something for oneself, becoming the offering itself, is Pooja.

Kathadishviti Gargah

The Rishi Garga said Katha, meaning story – talking about the glory of it. Listening and talking about it.

When you are in love with someone, you want to know everything about them. What do they do? Where do they sit? Where did they go? What do they think? What is their opinion? What do they say?

You want to know everything about them. And an interest in listening to that story and telling the story of the beloved is another characteristic of such a deep devotion, such a deep love. No other subject interests you. When you are in love, you only talk about the beloved and the beloved’s stories. This is another sign, another characteristic of such Divine love. In nothing else is there any interest – kathadishviti gargah.

Atmarati avirodhena iti Shandilyah : Another Rishi by the name Shandilya says a characteristic of love is rejoicing in the Self without any conflict. This is a sign of Divine love. The moment you are happy, immediately a conflict arises in you, “Oh I shouldn’t be happy.” Society has stuffed so much guilt in you. And you cannot be at peace having guilt in your heart. But when you are in love, such deep love with this existence, with all the people on this planet, there is no way you can have any guilt. Guilt is always associated with selfishness, with self-pleasure.

Guilt cannot be with sacrifice and love is sacrifice. Wrong understanding imposes guilt in you. Atmarati means reposing in the Self, being in the Self, rejoicing in the Self without any conflict.

To cross the conflict you need wisdom, you need grace. Shandilya’s way to look at Divine love is reposing, rejoicing in the Self without any conflict.

And love brings you that. Divine love, Supreme love makes you rejoice in the Self without any conflict.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, spritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation