Saguna and Nirguna: All Paths Lead to God's Love

So let's say, okay, we saw a beautiful painting, a picture of baby Ram or baby Krishna or baby Jesus. We saw a beautiful painting, the deep love rose, or some love rose, whether deep or not. We know that that painting, that picture was a trigger, isn't it? Or do we feel like we are really loving that work of the artist? We recognize that this just led to the Smaran, in a way the Simran of God, and that led to a love which was not just for that painting. You look at baby pictures of your child, you see? You're not really loving the picture; you're loving what you know of your child. So then the picture becomes the reminder, the trigger, the catalyst. When we put the photos of the sages on the walls, we remember our reverence, our love for them. We remember their pointings, what they showed us, you see? And that brings us deeper in our love and our insight.

So when we say that love is easy for the Saguna, then let's use that, because it's actually not just for that. Use tricks at whatever layer of existence to go deeper within. Can I make a confession? So most of yesterday went in watching Shrimad Ramayan. So I ran through like 40-something episodes, and I saw all the scenes where He was there at least, and I saw some other scenes. So most of the day went in crying, crying, crying, crying. Now, I'm almost 50 years old. I'm well aware that these are actors, that it's a set, nobody's... none of them is really Ram or Dasharatha or Sita or any of that, isn't it? And yet what happens? Why does it invoke this love, this devotion, this wonder about how He was like this—so loving, so truthful, so devoted, so kind, so everything? You remember Him somewhere in your heart and it makes you like that, isn't it? Now, is it love for that actor? Maybe full blessings to him for playing this role or whatever, but we are really remembering the love that we have for God, isn't it? So whether we watch 'The Chosen,' whether we watch this, we recognize that obviously this is all acting and it's a show, it's a TV program, but what it brings us to can be authentic. So don't be in a rush to categorize and say, 'You know, but I want to fall in love with the Nirguna only,' or 'I like the Saguna only.' The world is full of these categories. You use the categories to find an excuse to love Him more. If you enjoy the Nirguna and the love emerges from remaining in the Nirguna, then do that. Whatever works, do. Because the mind will use whatever works to try and get you out of it, so you use whatever works to deepen into it.