Kanchi Maha-Swamigal's Discourses on Advaita Saadhanaa (KDAS-51)

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Namaste.

 

For a Table of Contents of these Discourses, see

advaitin/message/27766

For the previous post, see

advaitin/message/32544

 

SECTION 35: WHAT IS BHAKTI?

Tamil Original: http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/dk6-109.htm

 

A well-known general opinion about Bhakti is that it is to

think of the ParamAtmA as a ‘devatA murti’ (form of a

divine) with name and attributes and to lovingly worship

that form. It is difficult to keep that love at the mental

level only; so we have added to it certain actions like

PujA (Ritual worship), darshan (of the deity) in the

temples, and recitation of devotional hymns. There is

nothing wrong here. But at the higher grade level of

bhakti, one need not have to think of the Almighty as a

Divinity with a form: one should get into the habit of

showing love to the Almighty even when the latter is

formless. When the deity of devotion has a form with eyes,

nose, ears and hands – four hands, eight hands -- with

decorative dress materials visible to the eyes, when we get

to know their attributes, glories, infinite compassion and

grace through the various puranas and hymns, it is easy to

direct and focus our love on such a divine form. Love is

Bhakti. Among all expressions of Love, it is the highest

Love shown towards the Lord that is termed as Bhakti. It

is easy to express Bhakti which is nothing but Love towards

a Divinity with form, that has attributes pleasing to the

mind. Whereas, to show Love towards a formless

attributeless ParamAtmA that is incomprehensible even by

the mind, is certainly difficult.

 

Maybe it is difficult for us at our level. Let it be. Left

to us, let us be content with a divinity with form, a PujA

and a pilgrimage to pilgrim centres. But to those sAdhakAs

who are refined by their progress in Sadhana-chatushhTayaM

(SadhanA-set of four), it is easy to place their Love on

something which has neither form nor attributes. Because,

at their stage, it is not true that love sprouts only

towards a form with attributes and glorious deeds. On the

other hand it is a stage where love needs no object of

love; it sprouts by itself. If that sprouting is not

followed in reality, even in that refined state, all that

sAdhanA will be swallowed by a burst of ego.

 

[i confess I don’t fully understand this last sentence

of the Mahaswamigal. –VK]

 

He will certainly get his MokSha because of all the

sAdhanA he has done; but that will happen perhaps after

crores of years when the total universe goes through the

Grand Dissolution. What is this Ego that I am speaking of

here? What is this Grand Dissolution? I shall revert to

these topics later. But right now we should know what

this Love is that I am talking about.

 

SECTION 36: WHAT IS LOVE?

Tamil Original: http://www.kamakoti.org/tamil/dk6-110.htm

 

What is Love? The same Supreme Self has become all the

souls. When thus there is a multiplicity of lives, the

mAyic drama of mutual distinctions takes place. And at the

same time, in the opposite direction, there is a welcome

supreme force dispensed by the Grace of the Almighty, that

helps to unify all the distinct elements; this is what is

called Love. Usually human tendency is to gain something

from the other person. The opposite cure for this is Love,

that produces a sense of fulfilment by giving oneself to

others. This is the difference between Desire and Love.

When we like something it means that we obtain a

satisfaction/happiness for ourselves from it. But when we

love something or some one it means we give

satisfaction/happiness to that something or some one.

Desire implies receiving; Love indicates giving. Our

happiness happens only when the other being has some

treasure of either form (rUpa) or of quality (guNa), or,

even, of money; only when the other being has one of these

or something similar that we may acquire, we get the

happiness that we expect. The attachment to the other being

that we develop for this very purpose is what is called

Desire. This is wrongly thought to be Love.

 

Love is what arises when our internal organ

(*antaH-karaNaM*) is at its noblest height. Then it is that

the mind and intellect are drawn into the Ego, and the

antaHkaraNaM changes its location to the heart and works

from there.

[At this point, the collator, Shri R. Ganapathy has this

note:

“As far as I know, this thought and the consequent thoughts

 

that follow this seem to be new. Except on this occasion,

even the Mahaswamigal is not known to have spoken about

these.

Regarding this, when he was asked to add further details,

he said: ‘Whatever was said that day, that is all’

and thus put an end to any further discussion”]

 

Mother Goddess is Love personified. So in Her creation,

even the most cruel beings have been blessed to show Love

some time. And for those who have refined their mind by

sAdhanA there arises the possibility of the sprouting of

Love all the time. And that is when the heart becomes the

permanent location of the antaHkaraNaM.

 

(To be Continued)

PraNAms to all students of advaita.

PraNAms to the Maha-Swamigal.

profvk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

 

The contents page of my website has been updated now to include a topic-wise list of every page of the site and a link to each. You may want to have a look at

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/gohitvip/contents.html

[Guest guest]

Pranams Profvkji:

 

Honestly, I am ready to confess that we can't fully undertand

Mahaswamigal's reference of LOVE. Pure love is one's willingness to

surrender everything for nothing. It is just LOVE and not 'love for.'

 

Surrenderances for the sake of beauty, bravery, intelligence,

kindness, happiness, etc. represent 'relative love' and they will

likely change and/or disappear! What Swamigal refers is 'absolute

love' which is possible only for the Jnanai who understands the

absolute truth.

 

The word 'sprouts' is profound and it signifies spontenity of an

action without seeking any returns. Implicitly Swamigal suggests that

a Sadhana should be conducting one's duty with infinite devotion for

the sake of duty.

 

In the first sentence of the paragraph, he cautions us that it is

difficult for us at our level and he is absolutely right.

 

Warmest regards,

 

Ram Chandran

 

advaitin, "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk

wrote:

>

>

> Maybe it is difficult for us at our level. Let it be. Left

> to us, let us be content with a divinity with form, a PujA

> and a pilgrimage to pilgrim centres. But to those sAdhakAs

> who are refined by their progress in Sadhana-chatushhTayaM

> (SadhanA-set of four), it is easy to place their Love on

> something which has neither form nor attributes. Because,

> at their stage, it is not true that love sprouts only

> towards a form with attributes and glorious deeds. On the

> other hand it is a stage where love needs no object of

> love; it sprouts by itself. If that sprouting is not

> followed in reality, even in that refined state, all that

> sAdhanA will be swallowed by a burst of ego.

>

> [i confess I don't fully understand this last sentence

> of the Mahaswamigal. –VK]

>