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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

Miscellaneous

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Religion

 

 

Graded types of devotion to God

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHENNAI, DEC. 14. The message of the Bhagavad Gita, delivered by God directly,

lays stress on the need for man to prepare himself to face problems in life

courageously, shed his cowardice and remain strong. Clearing the doubts of

Arjuna, symbolising mortals like us who stand baffled by problems, the Lord in

human form as Krishna, prescribes a therapy for his welfare. The thought in his

mind should be that he is the property of the Almighty, discharging his

obligations at His behest and that He will come down from His seat to lift the

devotee to a higher level.

 

To the specific question as to how to cultivate devotion, the Lord prescribes

this step. ``Concentrate and fix the mind on Me''. This looks simple but in

practice one knows how tough it is to tame the mind. For instance, when a person

sits in his prayer room for worship his mind will not be steady. The mind is

naturally unsteady, impetuous, powerfully defiant and unrelenting and to keep it

subdued is as difficult as to control the wayward wind. In the Ramayana too,

Sita, kept captive by Ravana, asks him why his mind has gone astray. So Arjuna

pleads with Him to guide him. Acting as a perfect Acharya, and sympathising with

him, Krishna spells out the method in four graded steps.

 

Explaining their significance, Smt. Prema Pandurang in a discourse, said

concentration requires discipline and constant practice. When the mind is pinned

to Him, he will abide in Him. Then Arjuna says that the prescription is too high

and it is a tall order to meditate on God as the mind will refuse to enter Him.

``How then can I rise to a higher region,'' he asked. The Lord's reply was: ``If

you cannot steady the mind, then seek to realise Me by practice (Abhyasa) which

consists in constant retraction or withdrawal of the mind from worldly

affairs.''

 

Still, Arjuna was not happy and he made it plain that practice (Sadhana) was

beyond him. Here came the Lord's suggestion: ``Even if you cannot apply yourself

to discipline, then dedicate all your actions to Me. Then you will gain

perfection. If you cannot do this also, and fail in consecrating all your

actions to Me, then take refuge in Me, renouncing all fruits of your actions and

try to gain control over yourself.'' The graded types of devotional practices

described are: single minded devotion to the Lord; constant practice and

discipline (the next step); the third includes listening and chanting His names

and the last one, giving up the fruits of one's action. A devotee should feel

that all that he does is under the directions of God.

 

 

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