On the surface, this statement suggests that devotion, often understood as fervent love directed towards a divine being, is fundamentally the same as loving one's own innermost essence. It posits a direct equivalence between the object of religious adoration and the core of one's own existence.

Ramana Maharshi, a prominent Advaita Vedanta sage of the 20th century, points to a deeper truth rooted in the non-dualistic philosophy of Hinduism. In Advaita, the ultimate reality, Brahman, is identical with the individual Self, Atman. Therefore, any love directed towards a perceived external God is, from this perspective, a misdirected or incomplete expression of the love that naturally arises when one recognizes the Self as the sole reality. The practice of *bhakti* (devotion) is thus not about appeasing an external deity, but about cultivating an intense love for the divine spark within, which is ultimately the Self. This recognition dissolves the perceived duality between the devotee and the divine, leading to the realization of one's true nature as pure consciousness.

In your life: When you feel a pull towards spiritual practice or a sense of longing for something greater, consider that this yearning may be the Self calling you back to your own inherent divinity.