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96
BHAKTI-YOGA
than mere forms and ceremonies and symbols, but not at all characterised by the madness of intensely active love, it is said to be Santa. We see some people in the world who like to move on slowly, and others who come and go like the whirlwind. The Santa-Bhakta is calm, peaceful, gentle. The next higher type is that of Dâsya (m), i.e., servantship; it comes when a man thinks he is the servant of the Lord. The attachment of the faithful servant unto the master is his ideal.
The next type of love is Sakhya (@), friendship-"Thou art our beloved friend." Just as a man opens his heart to his friend, and knows that the friend will never chide him for his faults, but will always try to help him, just as there is the idea of equality between him and his friend, so equal love flows in and out between the worshipper and his friendly God. Thus God becomes our friend, the friend who is near, the friend to whom we may freely tell all the tales of our lives; the innermost secrets of our hearts we may place before him with the greatest assurance of safety and support; He is the friend whom the devotee accepts as an equal; God is viewed here as our playmate. We may well say that we are all playing in this universe. Just as children play their games, just as the most glorious kings and emperors play their own games, so is the Beloved Lord Himself in sport with this universe. He is perfect; He does not want anything. Why should He create? Activity is always with us for
