Sunday 10 August 2014

Love knows no bargaining

Swami Vivekananda says :
Love knows no bargaining
Everyone says 'Love God'. Men do not know what it is to love; if they did, they would not talk so glibly about it... The world is full of talk of love, but it is hard to love. Where is love? How do you know that there is love?
The first test of love is that it knows no bargaining. So long as you see a man love another only to get something from him, you know that that is not love; it is shop-keeping. Wherever there is any question of buying and selling, it is not love. So, when a man prays to God, 'Give me this, and give me that', it is not love. How can it be? I offer you a prayer, and you give me something in return; that is what it is, mere shop-keeping.
What is the difference between love and shop-keeping?
Love is always the giver, and never the taker. Says the child of God, 'If God wants, I give Him my everything, but I do not want anything of Him. I want nothing in this universe. I love him, because I want to love Him, and I ask no favour in return. Who cares whether God is almighty or not? I do not want any power of Him nor any manifestation of His power. Sufficient for me that He is the God of love. I ask no more question.'

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