5 September 2014 - QA 3

Gurudev, what is the difference between Moha (attachment) and Mamtaa (a mother’s love)?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

See, a mother’s love is permanent, it never goes away. What is attachment? When (a mother’s) love makes us blind, then that is attachment.
Suppose a mother’s son is not qualified to become the Chief Minister of a state, and the son also does not want to become the Chief Minister, but the mother forces the son to become the Chief Minister because she is unable to recognize that he is not the right person for the job, then this is attachment.
What King Dhritarashtra felt towards his son Duryodhana was attachment. On the other hand, the love of Mother Yashoda towards Lord Krishna was nothing but purely a mother’s love for her child.

Attachment gives your misery because it blinds you. When you get entangled in attachment, you overlook the person’s true capability and what they deserve. Mamtaa means having the feeling of 'Mine'. So, your motherly love should expand and it should be for everyone else.

Lord Krishna says in the Gita, 'Yes, I do have attachment also, but it is equal towards all beings'.
Samo 'ham sarva-bhuteshu na me dveshyo 'sti na priyah. Ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya mayi te teshu cha-api aham'. (9.29)
This is a very unique quality and only Lord Krishna can speak like this. A normal person can get very attached to one person. But when a person says, 'I have that same strong attachment towards all beings', then that is unique. So Lord Krishna presents attachment also in a positive way.