What Does God Want From Us

Establish your mind and intelligence in Me. If you cannot accomplish this and find it difficult, give up your egoism and carry on activities that are moral and holy. If even this is too difficult, give up attachment to the fruits, the consequences of all your acts; offer them to Me. Offering your acts to Me should not be a mere vocal exercise. Take care that you do so by word, by deed, and by thought.

Gita Vahini, p. 187

Devotion to the Lord is only a form of discipline to reach the goal. The seeker should not stop with the acquisition of devotion; he should pay attention not so much to the devotion or love that he has toward the Lord, but to the love and grace that the Lord bestows on him! He must always be eager to find out which behavior of his, what acts of his will be most pleasing to the Lord, will fill the Lord with anandam (bliss). Inquire about that, yearn for that, and carry out the things that will secure that objective; be engaged in acts conducive to gaining it—that is real bhakti (devotion).

But people generally do not follow this ideal of bhakti, nor do they think about the implication of that ideal. They pay attention only to the love that the devotee has for the Lord; and in the process, they do not pay much attention to the dharma (right action) and the karma (action) that the Lord approves of or appreciated! This is why Krishna says, “Karma that pleases the Lord is superior to the kama (desire) that fulfills the yearnings of the devotee.” Whatever the devotee does or thinks or plans or observes should draw down the grace of God. These things should not be subject to his will; they should be in accordance with His will. The devotee must test every thought and feeling on the touchstone of the Lord’s declared preferences.

Gita Vahini, pp. 179-180

People think that the worship of God with form and attributes is quite enough. This discipline will only be of some help; it will guide the person along the road for a little while. The Lord will not condescend to grant liberation for just this. He who aims at liberation must first give up attachment to the body. Without that, the atmic (dwelling in the spirit) stage cannot be attained. Identification with the body is the expression of ignorance. The atma (soul) must be recognized as distinct from prakriti (nature).

Gita Vahini, pp. 177-178