Using the heart and the intellect in devotion

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati created Barsana Dham as a place for meditation
A devotee of Swami Prakashanand Saraswati silently
meditating on the loving form of God at Barsana Dham

As stated in the previous section, Swami Prakashanand Saraswati says that when the feelings for God from the emotional mind are backed up by correct understanding, this is the correct use of the intellect.

What was the understanding? That He is kind. You know this through the scriptures, through the writings of Saints. He is kind and He can shower His kindness any time. So when He is kind, why couldn’t he shower His kindness on you right now? There is no reason for Him not to. He is almighty. He has no dates or appointments for certain people. He doesn’t keep a calendar because there is no limitation. We keep a calendar because there are a limited twenty-four hours in a day, and a limited thirty days in a month. So we keep calendars and make appointments. But in God’s kingdom there in no limitation of anything, so there is no calendar. It is open all the time; come and receive. The delay is from the soul’s side, not from God’s side. The giver is giving, it is up to the receiver when he is ready to receive.

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati
One way to increase devotion is
through chanting meditation (kirtan) at
Barsana Dham

That you have to understand. Now both things are being properly used, your mind and your heart, your emotions and your intellect. When you intellectually learned that "yes, He is kind, and He could appear any time, then why not now?" With this understanding, when your longing goes deeper and deeper, He comes closer and closer to you. But if you try to force your mind that way, a part of your mind will say "No." But why not? "No." You hesitate, you don’t trust that He could appear within one hour or tonight. You don’t trust. From your heart you feel, "No, no, it cannot be that easy." But He is ready. Why aren’t you accepting this? There is something which is pulling you back, something which you don’t know that brings you back. That something has to be avoided. I’ll explain what is that something. Anyway, if this comes in your mind, "Truly, I want Him now," and you have intense longing for Him, there is no reason why He should not come. That is complete dedication. That is ananya, meaning exclusive devotion or exclusive bhakti or exclusive dedication or exclusive surrender. Surrender, dedication, devotion, bhakti, all of these four words signify the same thing.

(Text and graphics used with permission from Swami Prakashanand Saraswati @ 2002-2009. All rights reserved.)

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