devotion is fusion with the Lord

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Instead of meditating with an attitude of duality

(I am different from the Lord),

the nondual vision 'He am I' is purifying -

this is the view (of the Sruti).

 

Commentary:

A meditation such as "The Lord is myself" (the attitude

of nonduality) is better than, "I am an individual different

from Isvara" - an attitude of intrinisic difference.

Meditating on the glories of the Lord is all right if it is

backed by faith in the intrinsic unity. When one does not

see the identity of oneself with the Lord - one sees oneself

a limited person - one is a devotee of the Lord who is

looked upon as Omnipotent, omniscient etc.

The Lord becomes the object of one's worship. But one

can accept in good faith, sraddha, the basic identity

revealed by the scriptures. There is even an experimential

basis for this faith. I do experience a sense of oneness in

sleep and in a moment of joy. In love there is fusion of

oneself with the object of love. Fusing with Isvara is

bhakti, devotion. So the attitute in meditation upon the

Lord should be one of intrinsic oneness. If this is founded

on faith, it will lead to a result. The Lord should provide

the teaching which unfolds the oneness. This attitude

of nondifference, the Maharshi says, is superior to the

attitude of difference and moreover, this is accepted

by sastra and confirmed by the wise.

 

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Upadesa Saram, V. 8 transl. and part of commentary

by Swami Dayananda

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