उनकी सेवा ही चहहु नित, अष्टयामी प्यारे

दरस हित लग एक पलहुँ, कलप सम तोहिं प्यारे

Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj further advises us to abandon our desire for happiness and also our independent wishes. A devotee can say, “Yes, I will give up the desire for my own happiness and also all my wishes. I will give up the desire for God’s happiness and the desire for His seva too. I shall have no desire at all.” If a devotee gives up all desires, then there will be no bhakti, or devotion left. The devotee could say that he or she has now become selfless.

However, such a selfless behavior leads you away from God and towards atheism. Shree Kripaluji Maharaj says that you should not give up all desires. You should desire to serve Him and to attain His Divine vision. But desire these two things for His happiness alone. If He wants to Grace us by giving His Divine vision, we gladly accept it. If He does not Grace us with His vision, we should not be disappointed. We must be prepared to wait patiently.

आ या ना आ मुरली वारे,

रो रो कर हम तुम्हें पुकारें |

In this line from one of his keertan compositions, Shree Kripaluji Maharaj says: We will remember Him and chant His name and constantly shed tears. However, we leave it to His wish, whether to come and grace us today, or in future lifetimes.

बैठे हैं ता कयामत, दर पे लगा के नारा |

है यह ‘कृपालु‘ नारा, बस एक तू हमारा ||

In this line of a kawwali composed by him, Shree Maharajji says, “We shall wait till eternity for a vision of God and keep singing this slogan, “Only You are mine, only You are mine.”

At the same time, we should not lose the desire and longing for His vision. It should keep increasing. Shree Kripaluji Maharaj says that our desire to reach God must reach such an intensity that each moment without Him seems like an era. We must aim to develop this intense yearning in our hearts.

Once, a Muslim desired to go on Haj. When he was about to leave, he was delayed by some urgent work at home, and the program was cancelled. This made him very sad. He then made plans to go for Haj next year. Unfortunately, due to some other commitment, the program was cancelled again. By sheer misfortune, this continued for 40 years. When the program was cancelled for the fortieth time, he started weeping loudly.

A saint asked him the reason for his sadness, and why he was crying. He replied that his program for Haj was cancelled for forty years in succession, and he could tolerate it no longer. The saint replied that he had been to Haj forty times. He said, “Please take all the blessings that I have received by going to Haj forty times, and give me the craving, the longing, that you have for the Haj yatra.” This story highlights that the result of devotion should be the growth of our eagerness to meet God. The saint is asking the other man for this longing to reach God in exchange for his pious deeds.

Shree Kripaluji Maharaj says that we need to increase this longing to reach God.