You know, I was fascinated when I used to be a schoolboy, when the reigning monarch of England gave up his throne for the love of a woman. I mean, for a king to give up a throne for a mere woman - that is what I thought, you see, 'mere woman' at that time. I mean logic says he could have had any number of beautiful women. Does a king have to ask? Yet he was able to give up a throne of the, then, most powerful empire on this earth, the British Empire. That is the power of love. Why do I give this example? To show to you that love renounces, not takes. He gave up for the love of a woman. The great saints, the great rishis, the great mystics, they gave up the whole existence for something we never see, we never feel, we never touch - God.

Source: Heart to Heart, Volume 3, p.65, P. Rajagopalachari, 1994, Shri Ram Chandra Mission USA

Q: Why do you think Chariji is telling us this story about King George? Why was he fascinated with it as a schoolboy?

Q: What is renunciation? When is it possible to renounce something that is important to you?

Q: Why could King George renounce the throne? Why could the rishis renounce worldly life?

O, Master!
Thou art the real goal of human life.
We are yet but slaves of wishes
Putting bar to our advancement,
Thou art the only God and power
To bring us up to that stage.