'Mine' is special!

 

When a child is beautiful or does something wonderful we enjoy and appreciate it. But appreciation of someone else's child can never come even close to the appreciation and adoration of a child that we consider 'mine'. Our adoration and appreciation is truly huge for even a small act by our own child! This is because of the strong idea we hold that the child is 'mine'.
Similarly in Bhakti, only this same idea that the Lord is 'mine' can nurture and nourish bhakti towards the Lord. Without this idea, the devotion still remains within banal limits.

-- Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji 

Ego–the culprit

 

Once our Guru Maharaj said, "While describing the Ashrams of the great Rishis who personified universal love, it is said that all creatures in the vicinity reflected love. Tigers and deers, snake and frogs were friends. Why has the same not been said of humans who lived there?"
With a smile, our Guru Maharaj continued, "May be its because animals do not resist inflow of Divine Grace from the Mahatma, where as, humans do on account of their sense of ego!"