Even you would not hand over your property to your child if the child is irresponsible or wayward. You would say, “My son, my daughter, grow up and become responsible. Then, all that I have will be yours.”
In the same way, God says to us, “My dear children, I am willing to give you all my powers, my divine knowledge, everything… but you must qualify for it.”
What is the Qualification?
You must give up the desire for material pleasures and liberation (moksha). Not everyone is interested in God. Most people say, “If something better comes along, I’ll go for it.” But saints say, “Set the highest goal, even if it takes you ten lifetimes to reach it. Don’t settle for less.”
This is the blank check God gives us. He says, “Write what you want.” Some people write “wealth,” some write “liberation.” But if you desire both, you’ll get neither. To truly receive from God, you must become selfless.
How Do We Become Selfless?
The key is “Seva”—the desire to serve. But why would anyone desire to serve? In this world, serving means making yourself smaller. If you serve the government or your boss, you are beneath them. Everyone wants to become bigger, more powerful.
So why serve? Because true love is expressed through service.
God says: “You love Me selflessly, and I, who already love selflessly, will form a bond with you. You serve Me, and I will serve you.”
Imagine a beggar and a king making a deal. The beggar says, “Whatever I have, I will give you; and you give me what you have.” If the king accepts, the beggar wins.
God offers us this same deal. He says, “Give Me what you have, and I will give you what I have.” But we hesitate. “If I give to God, won’t I suffer loss?” This is where we lack faith.
The Story of the Beggar
Once, a beggar saw the Chariot of the King of Kings. He thought, “If the king asks me what I want, I’ll ask for a mansion, wealth, a car…” Just then, the king stopped in front of him and said, “Can you give me something?”
Shocked, the beggar fumbled into his bag and pulled out one grain of wheat. He gave it to the king, who accepted it and left.
When the beggar got home and opened his bag, he found one grain of gold. Then he realized: “If I had given everything, all would have become gold.”
God says the same: “You give Me your worldly things, and I will give you divine treasures.” But due to lack of faith, we hesitate.
Why This Path is Rare
The path of divine love is not easy. Out of millions of saints, only one attains that state of selfless devotion.
People ask God, “Can’t You make it easier?” But if God gives it freely, we will take advantage. To reach that level of devotion, we must become free from all self-interest.
The Desire to Serve (Seva)
This is what Kripalu Maharaj emphasizes: “O Lord, I want to serve You.”
Serving isn’t just about big gestures. Sweeping the temple, cooking food for Him, giving charity—all these acts, when done with the intention to please God, become true seva.
Even if someone says, “I just wanted happiness,” they must understand: Giving up both worldly pleasures and liberation may seem like losing happiness. But that’s not true.
The Ultimate Happiness
Here is the divine secret: When you ask nothing from God and only give to Him, He gives you the highest happiness—beyond worldly joy and beyond liberation.
As the great saint Haridas says:
“The bliss of liberation is like water collected in a calf’s hoofprint,
But the bliss of divine love is like the vast ocean.”
So when you give selflessly to God, you don’t lose anything—you gain everything. You receive the highest, eternal joy that cannot be compared to anything else.
