Swami Ranganathananda (December 15, 1908 – April 25, 2005) of Ramakrishna Mission – 13th president of Ramakrishna Mission. This is a collection of thoughts on love by Swami Ranganathananda.
The modern world can really be redeemed if there is a little love in the heart of man. But it is very difficult to find that. How much we pray today for that integrating principle which can bring harmony in society. … this world is in a mess and the only way to clear the mess is to bring a little love into the heart of man. A little altruism, a little love.
How to manufacture that love? That is a great theme with many of these writers today. And when you experience something you talk less about it. When you talk too much of a thing, that means you have little experience of it. Talk and experience are inverse in ratio.
Today’s man talks so much of love, only because he does not know what it is. He has no experience of it. When you have experience you will not talk about it at all.
In whatever context you are, you can cultivate that love if you know the philosophy and technique behind it. When people become full of love, it means that husband, wife, children have all learned how to cultivate love in the heart. What a happy life it will be, how fulfilled it will be! We are not material specimens; we are human beings — warm human beings in the midst of other warm human beings. See also into society—your neighbours, the citizens around you; is there love in their heart? That is what we miss very much. Ninety-nine per cent of the mental agonies and psychic distortions of man today arise from this feeling of not getting love around or within: ‘I can’t love, I can’t get love.’ I become reduced to nothingness. When you get this love, you will strengthen society; that social context in which you conduct your life will be full of positive force. Love is the only positive force.
If love is not there, then even the top job becomes absolutely dry, absolutely lifeless, meaningless. Work has become drudgery. Why? Love is not there. No work can become drudgery if love is behind it, and in this case love of the Divine. Every work becomes elevated when a bit of love is put into it. No creaking, no tension, no contrary force will work in life if that love is there.
True Bhakti wants to bless man with this great blessing by inciting in him this wonderful love so that all his life becomes a life of joy. There will be struggles, there will be problems, there will be difficulties; but he will keep a smile facing.
Source – Ecstasy in daily life - Prabuddha Bharata – July 2009 issue