"O God! Today I have understood that you are mine and I am yours." It is only this one thing that needs to be understood. If one understands this truth now or in the future, then there will be nothing further for him to understand or attain ...

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj begins this explanation of one of his bhakti songs from Prem Ras Madira by stating that an individual soul should forcibly accept God above all else. Using perfect worldly analogies and scriptural events, he delineates spirituality and the meaning of devotion and meditation in a very captivating way. Kripaluji begins by discussing the answer to the question confronting every seeker at the outset of his spiritual awakening: who am I and who is mine? He then guides readers through the six philosophical systems of Hinduism, referring to several prominent Western philosophers on the way.

He explains the pitfalls of ego and proves the indispensability of its opposite: humility. What is love, what is the pursuit of happiness about, and who is the true beloved and lover? What is the role of the spiritual master and the aspirant's duty of servitude? What is the nature of surrender, desire, and devotion? What are the distinguishing characteristics of a genuine saint and the nature of selfless love? All this and more is discussed so informally and so lucidly that even a newcomer to spirituality will derive tremendous benefit.