The One Word That Keeps Us Away from God
In the Vedas, Puranas, Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Ramayana - everywhere - God has said thousands of times to use the word 'eva', meaning 'hī' or ' only '. In other words, God says, "Attach your mind 'only' to Me." But the mind is obstinate. It insists on saying 'bhī' - also. It says, "I love God, but I also love the world." It tries to go both ways. But one is light, and the other is darkness. Both cannot coexist. God and Maya are two opposing principles.
kṛṣṇa-sūrya sama māyā haya andhakāra। jāhām sūrya, tāhām nāhi māyāra adhikāra।
There is as big a contradiction between God and Maya as between light and darkness. Nowhere can light and dark coexist.
vilajjamānayā yasya sthātumīkṣāpathe'muyā (Bhāgavatam) - Maya cannot stand before Him.
This quarrel of 'only' and 'also' has been ongoing since eternity. Countless lifetimes have passed in this stubbornness. Neither does God give in by saying, "Alright, let me accept 'also' since the soul insists." Nor does the soul give in and say, "Fine, I will say 'only' because God insists." Both remain stubborn.
As a result, the soul continues to wander through the 84 lakh species, and God also wanders along with it. One (the soul) wanders while crying, while the other (God) wanders smiling - because God possesses the power of Yogamaya, Hladini Shakti. God does not abandon the soul for even a moment. Ultimately, the soul suffers and bears the loss by wandering in sorrow. God incurs no loss.
In the material world, whenever a desire arises, we bow our heads and try to fulfill it in some way or another. Until a person attains the infinite, inconceivable divine bliss of God, he cannot live even for a moment without clinging to some desire. We are slaves to the very things we desire. And this slavery is the root of all suffering.
We love the objects and the people of this world (who keep changing). Instead, if we learn to love that which belongs to God - His names, forms, pastimes, qualities, abodes - and His devotees, we will move closer to our ultimate goal. God is your eternal relative. He will never change, and He will never leave you.
Our stubbornness is causing us sorrow, and until today, no means or spiritual power has been developed to keep the world around us unchanged forever. So, in what hopes are we being obstinate? You must love God alone, whether you choose to say 'only' today or after millions of lifetimes.
Therefore, give up this obstinacy. Otherwise, you will have to undergo tremendous suffering. It is better to accept this now because you cannot assume that you will receive a human birth again - even after thousands of years. The human body is obtained only after sargeṣu, which means after crores of kalpas (and one kalpa is 4.32 billion years long). And when you finally do get it, you will meet another saint, understand spiritual philosophy again - and once more procrastinate and lose the opportunity to reach your goal, just as you have done in the past.
Therefore, wake up from this slumber now and replace the word 'also' with 'only.' That alone will lead you to your true welfare.
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