If I say the word ‘Devotion‘ or ‘Bhakti‘ what comes to you mind? Someone sitting in deep prayer thinking about God? Or someone shedding tears in front of God? Or someone engrossed in rituals and religious practices? If you didn’t imagine this or something similar, then probably you are in the better 20% slice of the population or maybe you just don’t care! But it’s fine, unless you are not breathing. 99.9% chances are that you are ‘devoted‘ to something while you are alive.
Now in the last couple of decades, whenever I’ve attempted to discuss about devotion with intelligent looking folks, most of them have shied away as if it is a topic for the unintelligent or lowly for their minds. Often the modern minds that I interact with are obsessed by science and technology for human advancement. But somewhere they don’t seem to be remotely interested in understanding the mind-boggling ancient science that India has long-lived: The Royal Science of God Realization – The Bhagavad Gita. A science of living that can liberate you whilst alive. A life altering technology that was devised thousands of years ago but which has been forgotten. With 700 verses and 18 chapters, this technology of living is the panacea of human suffering in this modern age of instant gratification, and lifelong pursuit of happiness. In my opinion this technology was not devised for the faint hearted, the escapist and the arrogant. Courage and humility are the keys to unlock the hidden wisdom. And then you need to be curious, ready to unlearn.
One remains curious when they realize the enormous potential of something, when they realize that what they know is a minuscule aspect of the subject. When they realize how little they have realized, and the realization of their ignorance dawns upon them. Intelligence is in accepting and acknowledging the fact that you don’t know but will strive to know! You become a fool when you think that only your viewpoint is correct. If someone’s argument appears defective to you then your argument too can appear defective to them. A devotee lives with curiosity and multiple perspectives. Bhakti Yoga is attuning the mind to this ultimate truth. The heart already longs for perspectives and is nurtured by providing compassion 🙂 The mind however great it may be; it has no qualification or eligibility to access the soul…
In chapter 11 the ‘Vishwaroopa Darshan Yoga’ of The Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna shows his ardent devotee Arjuna ‘The Vishwaroopa Darshan’ upon his insistent request. Upon realization of this universal form of Lord Krishna, Arjuna is shaken: physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically and intellectually! He knows now that he doesn’t know. And that what he knew was just conditioning. His mind is more confused, but his heart is more settled – a rare integration of the opposite values that you will never ever see anywhere but in The Bhagavad Gita. In chapter 12 Arjuna is requesting reassurance since experiencing the reality of Lord Krishna’s vishwaroopa. The nature of the mind is to seek clarity which is rooted in confusion – the more clarity you seek; the more confusion you have to deal with. Arjuna is now wanting to know whether one should worship a personal God or an impersonal God? I.e. whether to worship the very dear Lord Krishna himself in his original two armed form with personality, qualities and attributes or to worship the abstract impersonal and imperishable Brahman which is the source of the three gunas? Humans are designed for improving and here Arjuna wants to know which is the superior path for his improvement – for self-realization. Man always seeks the superior!
But is there a superior path? Lord Krishna in The Bhakti Yoga skilfully pricks the bubble of a ‘superior’ path and contextualizes the same. Throughout The Bhagavad Gita he stresses on having the right attitude. So what is a right attitude to seek self-realization of God? By experience we know that a God who cannot respond does not evoke satisfaction in the heart. Intellectuals often debate that God should be approached as nameless and formless or that God can only be approached through his manifestations. It’s confusing I know to get into these debates and feel like pursuing a lost cause! The Bhagavad Gita though takes the middle path. It’s a direct realization of truth, an experiential journey that is documented. Journey between the two extremes within oneself – the heart and the mind. The Bhagavad Gita is a characteristic text – it tells you that more than one’s own best is not expected of anyone! Lord Krishna charmingly affirms in every verse that each verse is a roof rather than a ladder. Each step taken is a goal in itself. Devotion or Bhakti Yoga affirms the reader that the only goal one has is the next step that you can see. The Bhagavad Gita is a super refined technology that prevents the reader from assuming what the goal is and at the same time preventing one from the delusions of ‘I have reached’. Staying devoted, yet not frustrated is Bhakti Yoga. The chapter 12 of The Bhagavad Gita is the most needed fundamental fabric of the human life today.
Arjuna is seeking sincerely in chapter 12 about the ways of being devoted. To the best of his knowledge and understanding Arjuna just wants to know. Ego usually wants us push harder and harder. But the fruit of doing what one can do best is beatitude. That’s devotion, that the path of Bhakti Yoga. Do what you can do best…
In this modern age of instant gratification, you see a mad rush for cures. And these cures are usually a pill away – take a pill and sleep over it; who has the time to seek the root of any problem anyways! Chapter 12 on Bhakti Yoga provides us with a different perspective – a devotee is not revolutionary or reactionary. He does not indulge in advocating a cause not in argumentation. Both lead to worldliness however useful they are and a devotee is unaffected by them. Through this the feelings of egotism, anger, jealously, hate, selfishness doesn’t touch him. But then is he an escapist? No – The Bhagavad Gita is not made for escapists!
A devotee does not shy away from anything nor do they behave in such a way that the world will shy away from them – they are the epitome of responsibility. But wait – how is this possible without the devotee indulging in argumentation or advocating a cause? How is it possible that a devotee whilst dealing with the world is untouched by waves of egotism, jealously, hatred etc.? How is it possible that a devotee remains in his nature of devotion in this century of ambitions and dog eat dog world? Impossible right? Bhakti Yoga dwells on this duality, on the science of maintaining an integrated personality within the fabricated and seemingly opposite values in this world. A devotee is beautifully described as ‘Sthiramatiḥ’ meaning one who is not agitated and is established in total understanding. The Bhakti Yoga propounds on a key question – What are the key attributes of a devotee?
A man born in this world has to perform a hundred roles daily. He can be a son or a daughter, a father or a mother, a consultant, a friend, an enemy, a negotiator, a brother or a sister and so on. How is it possible to play these roles efficiently, with a pure heart free from anxiety? How is it possible to fuel the demands of the dynamic participation in the external conflicts between the forces of light and those of darkness when performing these roles? How to deal with most failures and few successes, honours and dishonors that these roles bring in? Being a devotee may look like making oneself dull and heartless walking corpse! The chapter 12 of The Bhagavad Gita on The Bhakti Yoga dwells on these phenomenal but important questions that one should understand from a true master.
A man born in this world has to die. And most of the times on the death-bed there is a rare phenomenal event that happens – the person you became meets the person you could have become! You can sit on a chair made of wood but cannot use the same chair as a door to your home. Dvaita or duality in this case is recognising this difference between the applications or uses of the same substance. Advaita is recognizing that it is this one substance. There is Advaita and there is Dvaita engrained in our lives but we keep creating a conflict all our lives by not recognizing this simple by profound truth. A man becomes something but not what he could have become, because of this simple error in not recognizing the singularity within all the dualities of life. The Bhakti Yoga directs all such errors to a systematic check and ensures that a devotee is progressing, not minding the rate of progress! Dharma is elucidated as the means and the primary path leading to bhakti…
Lord Krishna is a universal master, adept in dealing with controversial subjects! He will always assert the truth but will leave the decision to follow the truth on the devotee. When you turn away from the dogma facing the world, you can realize God (the word dogma when reversed reads as ‘am-god’!). The Bhakti Yoga deals with the best ways to handle controversial matters and the dogmas of the world. It presents what is called as a blueprint for perfection. We often deal with controversies daily and the one thing that always happen when dealing with them is whether to face the controversy with immense will power, or evade it completely with all tricks in the book! What are we supposed to do then in these situations? Maybe we should abandon all efforts and take refuge in the great Himalayas! But The Bhagavad Gita is for the courageous. Self-effort or Karma Yoga is the one thing everyone proclaims to understand 100% whenever there is a mention of The Bhagavad Gita. But few really understand it’s true essence. Moreover, you might have heard people proclaim that one should act without worrying about the fruits of the action. So does that mean one should work without having a goal in mind? Or one should not strive for success in this world since Karma Yoga proclaims that you should not worry about success or failures? Are the individuals running behind creating successful corporations simply fools? And maybe that also means they are not devoted!
A half-baked cake is a subject of incorrect temperature or incorrect ratio of ingredients or incorrect timing or all. It isn’t edible and can cause indigestion when attempts to eat it are made… Perfect understanding is like that perfect cake that you have tasted. The Bhakti Yoga propounds on the four paths (Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga) to God realization and it contextualizes these paths from a seeker’s perspective by providing a deeper understanding.
But a highest devotee certainly exhibits certain qualities that everyone should strive to build. Self-effort is always rewarded with progress on this path. But to a layman these qualities seem to create a conflict with our transactions in the world. Qualities like Anapekṣaḥ: wanting nothing at all, expecting nothing even for tomorrow – how are we supposed to live like this in the world? Or Udāsīna and Dakṣa which means that one is expert in the performance of his duties (spiritual or worldly) but looks like an uninterested person who does not talk much, does not take initiatives and does not interfere with things! How on earth are such stark complimentary qualities needed to become the highest devotee and how should one strive to inculcate them?! The Bhakti Yoga chapter is seen discussing these qualities quite esoterically.
But Lord Krishna also proclaims that devotion is granted only by the grace of God. Only a microscopic minority are privileged to experience these states of devotion and having these qualities. The Macroscopic majority will still be haunted till they are redeemed from themselves… Such a profound contradiction is also presented. Irony is the way of life here!
Maybe the questions that are here, the seeking that may have arisen in your heart, the confusions that may have erupted in your mind have an answer. My Gurudeva Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji is going to talk in an online event on The Bhakti Yoga chapter 12 of The Bhagavad Gita from 27th – 29th January, 2017. And it might help. The choices we face are always between the good and the best.
To know more about the online event and register please visit: https://goo.gl/dbj0cE
Prepare.practice.reflect.pray 