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The Chosen Ideal.
The next thing to be considered is what we know as Ishta Nishtha or devotion to the chosen ideal. One who aspires to be a bhakta or devotee must know that in the matter of worshipping God "so many opinions are so many ways."* He must know that all the various sects of the various religions are the various manifestations of the glory of the same Lord. “They call Thee by so many names—they divide Thee, as it were, by them-yet in each one of these, Thy names, is to be found Thy omnipotence and Thou reachest the worshipper through any one of them! Neither is there any special time mentioned to take Thy name so long as the soul has intense love for Thee. Thou art so easy of approach! It is my misfortune that I cannot love Thee, oh!
* Sayings of Sree Ramakrishna.
