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his daughters are doing well in school. They feel safe and protected.
Jerry used to tell his family that they should hold tightly to Swami, and if they would offer him everything, he would surely protect them. Although the loss was great, the family recognizes deep spiritual meaning in the death; Swami’s great love continues to give them strength.
How Do We Attain Divine Love?
In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna laments to Krishna, “Lord, I have been able to gain all worldly acquisitions by my own power, but I have not been able to gain the ability to be unaffected by adverse situations. Only God can grant me this strength.” This strength is obtained through the love of God. How do we aain His love?
Having Great Intensity
Dr. Hislop once asked Swami, “Why, aer a lifetime of sadhana (spiritual exercises), have I not reached self-realization (another name for divine love)?” Swami answered with one word, “Intensity.” We must yearn for liberation as a starving beggar grasps for a morsel of food or a drowning man gasps for a breath of air.
Poignant scenes flash through my mind of a woman I had counseled while working with hospice patients. Siing with her as she lay bedfast in pain, she expressed her remorse that she had taken for granted her health and vigor, and hadn’t used them meaningfully. “Every morning I would watch the sunrise, have my coffee, read the paper, and walk freely around the house, without appreciating the miracle of life. Did I just frier away my power? How precious to be able to take a painless breath and a steady step. Did I use my strength wisely? Did I look for the meaning of my life with great enough intensity?” I understood that she was asking if she should have used her
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