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more sound in counting the coins. As the crowd increased, his pleasure of renunciation increased. At last when he finished counting the coins and, with pride in his eyes, looked at the people assembled there, the priest told him: "Brother, take these coins away. Sri Nathji will not accept such offering". The rich man was surprised. He asked: "Why Sir?" The priest said: "Can love be demonstrated? Is prayer a thing to be demonstrated? But in your heart there is the desire for advertisement. Such a desire is incapable to offer, such a desire is incompetent to renounce; such a desire is unqualified to love.
15.
"I want to forget myself in the Brahma. Pride is pain. I want to offer this pride to God. What shall I do?" a devotee asked me with great mental agitation. I know him. For years he has been sitting in the temple of God. With his head on the feet of God he keeps weeping for hours. His desire is very keen. But his direction is wrong. Because a person who accepts the 'I', becomes the 'I' on account of that acceptance itself. Out of this 'I', follows pain and then he wants to get rid of it and wants to offer himself to the care of God. But the central core of this offer is also the '1', because who is it that wants to offer? Who is it who wants to get rid of pain and trouble? Is it not the 'I' itself? Whose is this anxiety and urge for God for the supreme happiness and for salvation? Who is he that makes you run in the world and then also excites you for salvation? Is it not the 'I' itself? I ask: Is it possible that 'I' should give up myself. I want to offer away myself. Will not "mine" be involved in giving up myself? Is not my offer also 'mine'? Whatever is 'mine', gives birth to 'mine' or 'I'? Do not my wealth, my possession, my wife, my children produce this 'I'? My sannyasa, my renunciation, my offering, my service, my religion, my soul, my salvation also produce the 'I'. So long as any bit of the mine remains, so long 'I' is also perfectly intact.
Every action of the 'I', sin or piety, enjoyment or renunciation, strengthens the 'I'. By application or by offering, that alone is collected and strengthened.
Is there no way to give
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