On Bhakti yoga

[Guest guest]

(Contd from#39444)-

Lord Krishna says in gItA (8.7)— " Therefore, think of me at all times and

fight. There is no doubt that by dedicating your mind and intellect to Me,

you will attain Me alone " .

'Fighting' stands for performing the duties that have devolved on one by

virtue of his station in life. So even while performing one's duty one's

mind should be fixed on God. This shows that bhakti is not something to be

practised just for an hour or so, sitting in the puja room, but it is what

should occupy one's mind throughout the waking hours. This also shows that

karmayoga and bhakti yoga form one integrated whole and cannot be

separated.

 

What boon should one ask for from God? Prahlada shows us the way. He

says, (bhAgavata, VII. 10. 7): " O Lord, if you are inclined to grant me a

boon, let you boon be that no desires shall ever spring up in my mind " . Thus

what he asked for was not the fulfilment of any desire, but total

desirelessness, which is one of the essential requisites for a spiritual

aspirant.

The first verse in Dhruva's prayer to the Lord (bhAgavata, IV. 9. 6)

says: " I make my salutations to You who rule all hearts and command all

powers. Entering into me, You have roused my power of speech, as well as

enlivened my hands and feet, my ears and my sense of touch, and all the

other organs of sense " . This reminds us that our organs and our mind

function only because of His grace. The kenopanishad speaks of brahman as

the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, etc. In the

path of jnAna brahman is described as the enlivener of all our organs, while

in the path of bhakti God is so described. This shows that in essence the

two paths are the same

The paths of Bhakti and jnAna are not independent of each other. True

bhakti presupposes knowledge of the relationship between God and the world.

Without this knowledge Bhakti will be nothing more than blind belief in some

superhuman power called God, who blesses those who worship him and punishes

those who do not. Such blind belief will crumble at the advent of the

slightest adversity, because the person will feel that he has been let down

by God on whom he had relied. But if he has some knowledge of the teachings

of Vedanta, he will realise that sufferings are not inflicted on him

arbitrarily by God, but are the result of his own past actions and that they

are intended to cleanse his heart of impurities and engender in him an

attitude of detachment towards worldly joys and sorrows. So also, if the

path of jnAna is followed without an element of bhakti, it will become dry

logic and the person will be devoid of love and compassion for other living

beings. The upanishads themselves say that the Self cannot be realised by

mere scholarship. The upanishads declare that ignorance of our true nature

is the root cause of all our sufferings. Because of this ignorance, which is

called avidyA, we identify ourselves with the body, the sense organs and the

mind and attribute to ourselves the joys and sorrows which pertain only to

the body and mind. In reality we are the Self or AtmA which has no birth or

death, hunger or thirst, sorrow or delusion, old age or disease. The wrong

identification with the body, mind and senses is what is known as bondage.

This bondage is not real, but is the result of avidyA or the ignorance of

our real nature. What is caused by ignorance can be removed only by right

knowledge. One point stressed by advaita is that even when we look upon

ourselves as individuals limited by the body, we are in reality none other

than brahman. It is not as if every one is initially in bondage and becomes

liberated on the dawn of Self-knowledge. Liberation is only the removal of

the wrong identification with the body and mind and not the attainment of

some thing which did not exist earlier.

 

Now a doubt may arise. Since liberation is attained only by

Self-knowledge, what is the purpose served by bhakti? The upanishads say

that the mind is the cause of bondage as well as of liberation. It is like

the key which locks as well as opens a door. When the mind is attached to

sense objects it causes bondage. When it becomes free from such attachment,

the very same mind is the means to liberation. Self-knowledge can arise only

in a mind that has become free from all desires for worldly objects and

enjoyments and is one-pointed. It is the nature of the mind to hanker after

sense pleasures. The mind can be withdrawn from them only by attaching it to

something else. This is the role played by bhakti. As devotion to God takes

root in the mind and grows, desires for worldly objects become gradually

weaker and finally disappear. The Lord says in SrImad bhAgavata that, unlike

attachment to worldly objects, attachment to God does not cause bondage,

just as a burnt seed cannot germinate, though its appearance as a seed

continues (Bh. X. 22. 26).

 

It is said in SrImad bhAgavata that devotion to God gives rise to

detachment and leads to Self-knowledge (I.2.7). In the bhagavadgItA the Lord

says that a devotee is one whose mind is always fixed on Him, who has

surrendered himself totally to Him, who always recounts His glories and who

ever revels in Him. The Lord confers on such a devotee the yoga of wisdom

through which the devotee can attain to Him. The Lord dwells in his heart

and dispels the darkness born of ignorance (Ch 10. sl. 9 to 11).

 

Madhusudana Saraswati, the great devotee and advaitin and a celebrated

commentator on the bhagavadgItA says in the introduction to his commentary

that bhakti pervades both karmayoga and jnAnayoga. He describes bhakti as

threefold-- bhakti combined with karma, bhakti by itself, and bhakti

combined with jnAna. karmayoga involves the dedication of the fruit of all

activities to God. This necessarily implies devotion to God. bhakti is thus

an essential ingredient of karmayoga. JnAnayoga leads to the realisation of

one's identity with brahman. Identification is possible only when there is

intense love. A husband and wife identify themselves with each other and

with their children only because of love. Devotion, which is defined by sage

Narada as supreme love of God, is thus an essential ingredient of JnAnayoga

also.

 

All teachers of advaita have therefore stressed the importance of

practising both devotion and Knowledge together. Sri Sankara, the greatest

exponent of advaita and the greatest of jnAnis, composed many soul-stirring

hymns in praise of various deities in order that the emotional side of the

human being may also be developed. It is therefore clear that there is no

contradiction between advaita and devotion to a Personal God (saguNa

brahman) as wrongly thought by some. It has been categorically declared that

worship of saguNa brahman is the best means to the realisation of nirguNa

brahman.

S.N.Sastri

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Shastriji,

 

Excellent post! Thanks.

 

Best Regards,

 

Br. Vinayaka.

 

 

advaitin , " S.N. Sastri " <sn.sastri wrote:

 

> Madhusudana Saraswati, the great devotee and advaitin and a

celebrated

> commentator on the bhagavadgItA says in the introduction to his

commentary

> that bhakti pervades both karmayoga and jnAnayoga. He describes

bhakti as

> threefold-- bhakti combined with karma, bhakti by itself, and

bhakti

> combined with jnAna. karmayoga involves the dedication of the

fruit of all

> activities to God. This necessarily implies devotion to God.

bhakti is thus

> an essential ingredient of karmayoga. JnAnayoga leads to the

realisation of

> one's identity with brahman. Identification is possible only when

there is

> intense love. A husband and wife identify themselves with each

other and

> with their children only because of love. Devotion, which is

defined by sage

> Narada as supreme love of God, is thus an essential ingredient of

JnAnayoga

> also.

>

> All teachers of advaita have therefore stressed the importance

of

> practising both devotion and Knowledge together. Sri Sankara, the

greatest

> exponent of advaita and the greatest of jnAnis, composed many soul-

stirring

> hymns in praise of various deities in order that the emotional

side of the

> human being may also be developed. It is therefore clear that

there is no

> contradiction between advaita and devotion to a Personal God

(saguNa

> brahman) as wrongly thought by some. It has been categorically

declared that

> worship of saguNa brahman is the best means to the realisation of

nirguNa

> brahman.

> S.N.Sastri

[Guest guest]

Dear Shri Sadananda, PraNAms

 

Thank you for your reply on my post about " Sadhana " #39854

 

On Devotion, Bhakti yoga, in your post below # 39438, I would like to

understand better.

 

You point out that Shankara emphasized " self-love " as the supreme love.

 

Quote:

 

" Hence pure Bhakti should culminate in jnaanam hence Self-love is

God-love – not as a God separate from him – it is the

culmination of Bhakti where lover and loved have become one- that is

advaita. "

 

The line is thin for the devotee to love God for one's own sake, as you

wrote. There is a possibility, for the ego, the mind, a narcistic

acceptance. Except for a Jnani of course.

 

Devotion to the Self, not the form, is behind the devotion to the guru.

This would prevent, or at least help, the devotee from this

possibility. Then this brings the question for me on the necessity of

the guru. The physical proximity, and a living guru.

 

There is Oneness, but devotion to a living guru...duality! The Self is

One, thus devotion to the Self is devotion to the Guru, to God, to all

Selfs which are One.

 

 

I know that there are many posts on the need of a teacher, my question

is more in relation with Devotion. To a living guru or could it be to a

" dead " guru, in the physical promimity or at a distance. These in

considering that all is in the Now, in Oneness, in the Self.

 

Namaste

 

 

 

> The third type of love is the self-love that Shankara emphasized in

the above quoted

> sloka from VivekacUDAmaNi. This is considered as the supreme love. How

can the self love

> is the supreme love? Yajnavalkya says to his wife Maitreyi in Br. Up.

– aatmanstu

> kaamaaya sarvam priyam bhavati – essentially we love everything or

anything else because

> we love over selves. I love this – this can be anything (means

love) or even God (end

> love) – not for the sake of this but for my sake. I love any this

so that I feel that it

> gives me happiness. What I love is actually happiness that I want to

be than the thing

> for thing sake. Hence even God lovers do not love God for God's

sake but for their sake.

> What they really love is the self that is contended or full. They want

to be complete

> without any inadequacies since full and contended mind is the happy

mind. A jnaani is

> the one who loves himself – since he revels in himself and he has

no desire for anything

> else including God since he has discovered that the God he loves is

nothing but his own

> essence. Krishna says I am in everyone's heart and heart in

Vedanta means the very core

> of one's individuality. Hence Krishna says he is jnaani – the

one who realizes that

> sarva bhUtastam AtmAnam sarva bhUtAnicha Atmani – one who realizes

he is the self in all

> and all are in himself – he is jnaani and that jnaani is the one

Krishna says is supreme

> bhakta. The self realization is also God realization as Krishna

himself in the very next

> sloka says – yo mam pasyati sarvatra sarvan ca mayi pasyati –

those who sees Me

> everywhere and everything in Me.

> Hence pure Bhakti should culminate in jnaanam hence Self-love is

God-love – not as a God

> separate from him – it is the culmination of Bhakti where lover

and loved have become

> one- that is advaita. In advaita, bhakti reaches its pinnacle –

and that is moksha and

> that is liberation.

>

> Hari Om!

> Sadananda

>

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Looks like I presed some button and it changed by mailset - up I have to mark as

KS as my new input - hope it makes some sense.

Hari Om

Sadananda

 

 

 

nonduel <nonduel

Non-dual - PraNAms

 

 

You point out that Shankara emphasized " self-love " as the supreme love.

 

Actually Upanishds says that there is no other love than self love. Eveyone

loves anything - including God, only becuase they love themselves- hence the

statement of Yagnavalkya to his wife Maitreyi is : aatmanastu kaamaaya sarvam

priyam bhavati - Only for ones own sake everything becomes pleasing. Everybody

likes what pleases them. What pleases them most is their own self.

Since happiness come

Non-dual - PraNAms

 

 

You point out that Shankara emphasized " self-love " as the supreme love.

------------

KS

Actually Upanishads says that there is no other love than self love. Everyone

loves anything - including God, only because they love themselves- hence the

statement of Yajnavalkya to his wife Maitreyi is : aatmanastu kaamaaya sarvam

priyam bhavati - Only for ones own sake everything becomes pleasing. Everybody

likes what pleases them. What pleases them most is their own self.

Since happiness comes ultimately from oneself - Shankara's statement on Bhakti

follows.

--------------------

Quote:

 

" Hence pure Bhakti should culminate in jnaanam hence Self-love is

God-love – not as a God separate from him – it is the

culmination of Bhakti where lover and loved have become one- that is

advaita. "

 

The line is thin for the devotee to love God for one's own sake, as you

wrote. There is a possibility, for the ego, the mind, a narcistic

acceptance. Except for a Jnani of course.

----------------

KS

Yes - It is better to have God in the beginning - only as one matures the love

towards God slowly turns into love towards himself - since he sees God is not

separate from him.

Upanishads directs a mature student to look within for God too.

It repeats 5 times that - please know that alone is Brahman not this that you

worship here -tat eve brahma tvam vidhhi, nedam yadidam upAsate -

and what is that -

that which you cannot think but because of which you have the capacity to think

- that which you cannot see but because of which you have the capacity to see,

that which you cannot hear but because of which you have the capacity to hear,

etc. -

All these are in Kenopanishad.

But that teaching comes only to a student who is mature with chitta suddhi -

Until we need to do karma yoga and UpAsana - taking God as the controller, the

sustainer etc.

But prayer not with a begging bowl but with appreciation of all that He has

given abundantly even without asking.

-----------------------------

 

Devotion to the Self, not the form, is behind the devotion to the guru.

This would prevent, or at least help, the devotee from this

possibility. Then this brings the question for me on the necessity of

the guru. The physical proximity, and a living guru.

 

-------------

KS

In VivekachuuDamani - there are in the end beautiful slokas by a student jnaani

to his teacher after his realization. - You do not forget Guru or even God any

time - you see him everywhere in addition to crystallized forms that helped you

to grow.

You may be jnaani - but shaastras say you have to bow down to your teacher and

your mother and of course to God in the form that helped you when you are

saadhak.

------------------------

There is Oneness, but devotion to a living guru...duality! The Self is

One, thus devotion to the Self is devotion to the Guru, to God, to all

Selfs which are One.

---------------------

KS

That is only at the seat of meditation - when you are transacting in the world

as jnaani – you in duality – jnaani does not take plurality as reality but he

still operates and plays his role as a student in front of his teacher.

you still have guru outside and god as well -

Jnaani has not confusion between reality of oneness and plurality at the

vyavahaara.

Look at Shankara - as our example - He poured out devotional verses on every god

on the earth - that is how a jnaani behaves. He sees God everywhere if he can

see god in himself.

------------------------

I know that there are many posts on the need of a teacher, my question

is more in relation with Devotion. To a living guru or could it be to a

" dead " guru, in the physical proximity or at a distance. These in

considering that all is in the Now, in Oneness, in the Self.

---------------

KS

Guru - is the one whom you will feel has uplifted you and has shown you a path

that you can go one without any further support. That feeling of gratitude and

devotion has to spring in you. He is your teacher.

If it is live guru - it is easier to ask and clarify the doubts - that is in

whom you are full and compete faith - Hence faith or Shraddhaa is defined by

Shankara is shaastrasya guruvaakyasya satya budhyaavadhaaraNa - in the words of

the shaastra as interpreted by the teacher is indeed true - that faith is

shraddhaa.

Do not worry about guru - an appropriate guru you will find when you are ready -

but keep yourself ready and I am sure you will find one in one form or the other

that you will find has helped you to uplift yourself.

All the best

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

s ultimately from oneself - Shankara's statement on Bhakti follows.

 

Quote:

 

" Hence pure Bhakti should culminate in jnaanam hence Self-love is

God-love – not as a God separate from him – it is the

culmination of Bhakti where lover and loved have become one- that is

advaita. "

 

The line is thin for the devotee to love God for one's own sake, as you

wrote. There is a possibility, for the ego, the mind, a narcistic

acceptance. Except for a Jnani of course.

 

Yes - It is better to have God in the beginning - only as one matures the love

towards God slowly turns into love towards himself - since he sees God is not

sepearte from him.

upanishads directs a mature student to look within for God too.

It repeats 5 times that - please know that alone is Brahmna not this that you

worship here -tat eve brahma tvam vidhhi, nedam yadidam upAsate -

and what is that -

that which you cannot think but because of which you have the capacity to think

- that which you cannot see but because of which you have the capacity to see,

that which you cannot hear but because of whch you have the capapcity to hear,

etc. -

All these are in Kenopanishat.

But that teaching comes only to a student who is mature with chitta suddhi -

Until we need to do karma yoga and Upasana - taking God as the controller, the

sutainer etc.

But prayer not with a begging bowl but with appreciation of all that He has

given ubundently even without asking.

 

 

Devotion to the Self, not the form, is behind the devotion to the guru.

This would prevent, or at least help, the devotee from this

possibility. Then this brings the question for me on the necessity of

the guru. The physical proximity, and a living guru.

In VivekachuDAmaNi - there are in the end beautiful slokas by a student jnaani

to his teacher after his relization. - You do not forget Guru or even God any

time - you see him everywhere in addition to cyrstallized forms that helped you

to grow.

You amy be jnaani - but shaastras say you have to bown down to your teacher and

your mother and ofcourse to God in the form that helped you when you are sadhak.

 

There is Oneness, but devotion to a living guru...duality! The Self is

One, thus devotion to the Self is devotion to the Guru, to God, to all

Selfs which are One.

That is only at the seat of meditation - when you are trasacting in the world as

jnaani - you still guru outside and god as well -

Jnaani has not confusion between reality of oneness and plurality at the

vyavahaara.

Look at Shankara - as our example - He poured out devotional verses on everygod

on the earth - that is how a jnaani behaves. He sees God everywhere if he can

see god in himself.

 

I know that there are many posts on the need of a teacher, my question

is more in relation with Devotion. To a living guru or could it be to a

" dead " guru, in the physical promimity or at a distance. These in

considering that all is in the Now, in Oneness, in the Self.

 

Guru - is the one whom you will feel has uplifted you and has shown you a path

that you can go one without anyfurther support. That feeling of gratitude and

devotion has to spring in you. He is your teaceher.

If it is live guru - it is easier to ask and clarify the doubts - that is in

whom you ave full and compete faith - Hence faith or Shraddhaa is defined by

Shankara is shaastrasya guruvaakyasya statya budhyaavadhaaraNa - in the words of

the shaastra as interpreted by the teacher is indeed true - that faith is

shraddhaa.

Do not worry about guru - an appropriate guru you will find when you are ready -

but keep yourself ready and I am sure you will find one in one form or the other

that you will find has helped you to uplift yourself.

All the best

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

 

Namaste

 

> The third type of love is the self-love that Shankara emphasized in

the above quoted

> sloka from VivekacUDAmaNi. This is considered as the supreme love. How

can the self love

> is the supreme love? Yajnavalkya says to his wife Maitreyi in Br. Up.

– aatmanstu

> kaamaaya sarvam priyam bhavati – essentially we love everything or

anything else because

> we love over selves. I love this – this can be anything (means

love) or even God (end

> love) – not for the sake of this but for my sake. I love any this

so that I feel that it

> gives me happiness. What I love is actually happiness that I want to

be than the thing

> for thing sake. Hence even God lovers do not love God for God's

sake but for their sake.

> What they really love is the self that is contended or full. They want

to be complete

> without any inadequacies since full and contended mind is the happy

mind. A jnaani is

> the one who loves himself – since he revels in himself and he has

no desire for anything

> else including God since he has discovered that the God he loves is

nothing but his own

> essence. Krishna says I am in everyone's heart and heart in

Vedanta means the very core

> of one's individuality. Hence Krishna says he is jnaani – the

one who realizes that

> sarva bhUtastam AtmAnam sarva bhUtAnicha Atmani – one who realizes

he is the self in all

> and all are in himself – he is jnaani and that jnaani is the one

Krishna says is supreme

> bhakta. The self realization is also God realization as Krishna

himself in the very next

> sloka says – yo mam pasyati sarvatra sarvan ca mayi pasyati –

those who sees Me

> everywhere and everything in Me.

> Hence pure Bhakti should culminate in jnaanam hence Self-love is

God-love – not as a God

> separate from him – it is the culmination of Bhakti where lover

and loved have become

> one- that is advaita. In advaita, bhakti reaches its pinnacle –

and that is moksha and

> that is liberation.

>

> Hari Om!

> Sadananda

>