About Bhakti by Swami and media

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Light and Love

 

Swami explains briefly and clearly essence of Bhakti.

 

" The knowledge or wisdom with the help of which we realise this aspect of

oneness is called 'Bhakti' or devotion. This is what devotion enables one to

realise. It has been the practice in our country that when one wants to worship

God, he takes a picture of the Lord in the likeness of his own form. He will

associate with the Lord a head, a body, limitations etc., like what he has.

That is based on his own idea about himself. He wants to picture God after his

own self.

The devotees who worship God and who prosper in the grace of God begin to

give the Lord some name which is in accordance with their own experience and

their own notions of the Lord. What people actually do is to take this

omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent divinity and give it some name and some

form and then experience the bliss in it. Depending on the strength of devotion

of the devotee who worships God and also in accordance with the amount of

attachment which the devotee develops to Him, God becomes his companion and

helper." (Excerpts from: Sathya Sai Baba. Discourse "Tat Twam Asi." The Summer

Course in Spirituality and Indian Culture. Brindavan, May/June 1974. Published

by Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust).

"In order to carry out this heavy schedule of Karma or ritual, man must have

Bhakti, Jnana and Yoga - Faith, Understanding and Self-control. Dharma is the

tap root of the great tree, religion. It is the eternal source of its strength.

It is fed by waters of Bhakti; the leaves and flowers are renunciation and other

virtues, and the fruit is Jnana." (Sathya Sai Baba. Sathya Sai Vahini, p. 83).

"From the point of view of the body, the path of Karma or work was taught.

>From the point of view of the mind, the path of Bhakti or devotion was taught.

>From the point of view of one's own daily life, the path of wisdom or Jnana was

taught and therefore in order to enable the person to practice these, Sankara,

Madhwa and Ramanuja taught the three paths which can be called the royal paths

for humanity to attain salvation. One must recognise and see the common purpose

in and the essence of these three approaches. It is not right to see only the

differences and contradictions between each other." (Sathya Sai Baba. Discourse

"Karma Marga, Jnana Marga, Bhakti Marga - All lead to the same Destination." The

Summer Course in Spirituality and Indian Culture. Brindavan, May/June 1974.

Published by Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust).

These quotations were selected as a supplements to the article by KS Ram

"Bhakti as a Way Of Daily Life."published in "The Times of India" Editorial.

The Speaking Tree. Wednesday, September 08, 2004 by KS Ram "Bhakti as a Way Of

Daily Life."

We often hear about someone being a bhakta or devotee of a Hanuman, Balaji,

Ayyappa or Sai Baba. Bhakti is generally understood as a person's devotion for

his ishta devata or favourite god. Sometimes, this choice is very pointed: "I

am a devotee of Hanuman enshrined in a particular place," someone may say, and

claim with pride: "Make an offering to this deity, and you can be sure of a

return-gift hundred or thousand-fold more." Bhakti of this kind is essentially

commerce, because the relationship is one of quid pro quo. The motive is return

on investment. Bhakti in such cases is used as means to a selfish end.

 

Narada's Bhakti Sutra presents a very different view of bhakti. This

vyakhyana or slender discourse is often seen as a companion volume to Vyasa's

Brahm Sutras and Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. Bhakti, we are told at the outset,

cannot be bent for selfish ends: because it is para-prema, selfless love. Love

for whom? It is significant that the word ‘God' has not been used here.

Para would extend to all beings — humans, beasts, birds — and even

Nature. Bhakti is selfless love, for its own sake, of all that constitutes

God's Creation. It is a way of harmonising life, through an attitude of

ananyata — non-discrimination and integration.

 

Bhakti is not kamayamana or desire-driven; it is nirodh, a check on desire.

When attained, bhakti makes a person into siddha, perfect and trupta, satisfied.

Such a person thereafter has neither desire nor worry, hate, pleasure or

excitement. Does it imply dullness? No, it implies fulfilment born of

antar-aarama or inner harmony, which could so suffuse the mind as to make the

bhakta look inebriated or matta. Does attaining such a state imply stagnation?

Again, no. Because bhakti is said to be amrut-swaroopa, undecaying. The

inner harmony born of bhakti is not static; it is ever growing and

intensifying.

 

Bhakti is not something to turn to only in the evening of one's life; it is

equally relevant in the early or mid-life stages. Bhakti does not shun life in

the world; it ennobles it. Temporal knowledge and worldly affairs get

consecrated. This brings to mind the exhortation contained in the Isa Upanisad:

"Renounce and enjoy!" Ennobled by bhakti, baser attitudes to business lift

towards the ideal of saccha sauda or the true deal that Guru Nanak propagated.

 

How should a bhakta react to opposition he may nonetheless encounter in the

world? Narada suggests indifference. How does one attain to such bhakti? One

must give up the habit of having a fragmented view of the world, and begin to

perceive the intrinsic unity. Shunning sensuality, constant communion with That

and listening to the glory of God amidst the business of everyday life are

important. However, says Narada, bhakti comes primarily through the mercy of

great souls and a bit of the grace of God. He, however, cautions that meeting

and recognising a great soul is not always easy. The intrinsic character of

bhakti defies definition, like it is difficult to describe the taste of

something that has been savoured. Bhakti reflects through personality.

 

It is futile to expect gains from mere "knowledge" of bhakti. Because,

royal favour is not gained by merely gazing at a palace, nor is hunger assuaged

by gazing at food. Which reminds one of the Prophet Muhammad likening a pedant

to an ass carrying a load of books! Bhakti must be so imbibed as to become a

way of life. The reward of bhakti, says Narada, is in itself —

swayam-phala-rupaat. Source:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/842705.cms

 

Namaste - Reet

[Guest guest]

Sairam Dear Brother,

 

My heartfelt thanks to you for this messege.. it truly

has given an abundance of thought for the day.

May Bhagwan guide us, one and all,

Aruna.

 

 

--- reet <reet.priiman wrote:

 

> Light and Love

>

> Swami explains briefly and clearly essence of

> Bhakti. ..........