RE: Gita Satsangh Chapter 12: The Path of Devotion to God Realization/Ram-ji's summary

[Guest guest]

Yes, Ram-ji has done a wonderful job!

 

Thank you.

 

Namaste and love

Harsha

 

 

 

advaitin

[advaitin ] On Behalf Of Michael Bindel

Sunday, December 07, 2008 10:56 AM

advaitin

Re: Re: Gita Satsangh Chapter 12: The Path of

Devotion to God Realization

 

 

 

 

Namaste Sri Ram Chandran

 

 

 

 

 

thank you for your work compiling this treat

 

 

it is a wonderful work

 

 

 

 

 

happy holidays to you too

 

 

 

 

 

which holidays are on or coming now for Hindus?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in Sri Ramana Maharshi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

michael

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-----

Original Message -----

 

 

Ram Chandran

 

 

advaitin

 

 

 

Sunday, December 07,

2008 4:50 PM

 

 

Re: Gita

Satsangh Chapter 12: The Path of Devotion to God Realization

 

 

 

 

 

Namaste:

 

A month back, I have posted the following key questions that

highlighted the conversation between Arjuna and Lord Krishna:

 

Should One Worship a Personal or an Impersonal God?

What are the four Paths to God Realization explained in this chapter?

Why Karma-Yoga is considered the Starting Point for God Realization?

What are the Key Attributes of a True Devotee

Why One Should Sincerely Strive to Develop Divine Qualities?

 

We had lots of interesting points provided by the learned members of

the list. Now let me provide a complete summary of the chapter with a

specific focus on the above questions:

 

Summary of the Path of Devotion

 

Should One Worship a Personal or an Impersonal God?

 

Arjuna asked: Which of these has the best knowledge of yoga ¾ those

ever-steadfast devotees who wor¬ship personal aspect, or impersonal

aspect (the formless Absolute)? Lord Krishna said – " I consider the

best yogis to be those ever steadfast devotees who worship with

supreme faith by fixing their mind on Me as their personal God. " This

is a restatement of what He said in chapter 6, verse 47. True

devotion is defined as the highest order of love for God. True

devotion is motiveless intense love of God to attain Him. It is

seeking God's grace and serving with love and dedication to please

Him . Thus, devotion is doing one's duty as an offering to the Lord

with love of God in one's heart.

 

It should be also understood that devotion is granted by the grace of

God. A loving relationship with God is easily developed through a

personal God. The faithful followers of Rama, Krishna, Moses, Buddha,

Christ, and Muhammad are considered the steadfast devotees. All

spiritual practices in the absence of steadfast devotion will become

useless. The pearl of Self-knowledge is born on the nucleus of faith

and devo¬tion only.

 

What Lord Krishna has said with respect to those who worship the

impersonal God? He assures that they also attain Me who worship the

unchangeable, the inexplicable, the invisible, the omnipresent, the

inconceivable, the unchanging, the immov¬able, and the formless.

Their worship of the impersonal God come in the form of change in

their attitude to life by restraining all the senses, even-minded

behavior under all circumstances by en¬gaging in the welfare of all

creatures. A person who is competent to worship the formless aspect

of God must have a complete mastery over the senses, be tranquil

under all circumstances, and be engaged in the welfare of all

creatures.

 

Lord Krishna implicitly points out that worshiping the personal God

is relatively easier than worshiping the impersonal God. One must be

free from body-feeling and be established in the feeling of the

existence of the Self alone, if one wants to succeed in worship of

formless Absolute. One becomes free from the bodily conception of

life when one is fully purified and acts solely for the Supreme Lord.

Attainment of such a state is not possible for the average human

being, but only for advanced souls. Therefore, the natural course for

the ordinary seeker is to worship God with a form. Thus the method of

worship depends on the individual. One should find out for oneself

which method suits one best. It is quite fruitless to ask a child to

worship a formless God, whereas a sage sees God in every form and

does not need a statue or even a picture of God for worship.

 

At the starting point there are likely differences between these two

approaches to the worship of God. But those practice with steadfast

devotion the differences get melted away. Then there will be no real

difference between the two paths. - the path of devotion to a

personal God and the path of Self-knowledge of the impersonal God -

as they attain full spiritual maturity. In the highest stage of

realization they merge and become one. The personal and the

impersonal, the physical form and the transcendental form, are the

two sides of the coin of ultimate Reality. A per¬son must learn to

focus the mind with the one and only thought on a personal God with a

form. After succeeding therein by fixing their mind, their mind get

purified and they are able to transcendent all attachments to names

and forms. The highest lib¬eration is possible only by realization of

God as the very Self in all beings, and it comes only through

maturity of devo¬tion to the personal God and by His grace.

 

Four Paths to God

First is the path of meditation (See Chapter 6 for greater details)

for the contemplative mind. Thinking of a chosen form of God all the

time is different from worshipping that form, but both practices are

the same in quality and effect. In other words, contemplation is also

a form of worship. If you are unable to focus your mind steadily on

Me then long to at¬tain Me by practice of any other spiritual

discipline; such as a ritual, or deity worship that suits you.

(12.09).

 

Second is the path of ritual, prayer, and devotional worship

recommended for people who are emotional, have more faith but less

reasoning and intellect (See also 9.32). Constantly contemplate and

concentrate your mind on God, using symbols or mental pictures of a

personal God as an aid to develop devotion. If you are unable even

to do any spiritual discipline, then dedicate all your work to Me, or

do your duty just for Me. You shall attain perfection by doing your

prescribed duty for Me - without any selfish motive - just as an

instrument to serve and please Me. (12.10)

 

Third is the path of transcendental knowledge or renunciation,

acquired through contemplation and scriptural study for people who

have realized the truth that we are only divine instruments. Lord

Himself guides every endeavor of the person who works for the good of

humanity, and success comes to a person who dedicates his or her life

to the service of God. If you are unable to dedicate your work to

Me, then just surrender unto My will and renounce the attachment to,

and the anxiety for, the fruits of all work by learning to accept all

results with equanimity as God's grace. (12.11).

 

The fourth is the path of KarmaYoga, the selfless service to

humanity, discussed in Chapter 3, for householders who cannot

renounce worldly activity and work full-time for God, as discussed in

verse 12.10, above. The main thrust of verses 12.08-11 is that one

must establish some relationship with the Lord ¾ such as the

progenitor, fa¬ther, mother, beloved, child, savior, guru, master,

helper, guest, friend, and even an enemy. KarmaYoga, or the

renunciation of the selfish attachment to fruits of work, is not a

method of last resort ¾ as it may appear from verse 12.11.

 

Karma-Yoga is the Best Way

The transcendental knowledge of scriptures is better than mere

ritualistic practice; meditation is better than scriptural knowledge;

renunciation of selfish attachment to the fruits of work (KarmaYoga)

is better than meditation; because peace immediately follows

renunciation of selfish motives. (See more on renunciation in 18.02,

and 18.09) When one's knowledge of God increases, all Karma is

gradually eliminated because one who is situated in knowledge thinks

he or she is not the doer but an instrument working at the pleasure

of the creator. Such an action in God-consciousness becomes devotion

¾ free from any Karmic bondage. Thus, there is no sharp demarcation

between the paths of selfless service, spiritual knowledge, and

devotion.

 

What are the Key Attributes of a Devotee:

 

One is dear to Me who does not hate any creature, who is friendly and

compassion¬ate, free from the notion of " I " and " my " ,

even-minded in

pain and pleasure, forgiving; and who is ever content, who has

subdued the mind, whose re¬solve is firm, whose mind and intellect

are engaged in dwelling upon Me, and who is devoted to Me. (12.13-

14) To attain oneness with God, one has to become per¬fect like Him

by cultivating moral virtues. Virtues and discipline are two sure

means of devotion. A list of forty virtues and values are provided

through verses 12.13 to 12.19 by describing the qualities of an ideal

devotee, or a Self-realized person. The true devotee is fully

committed to these forty noble qualities. It should be pointed out

the true devotion implies " COMMITTMENT " without " ATTACHMENT. "

 

 

One is also dear to Me who is free from joy, envy, fear and anxiety

and does not agitate others and also not agitated by them. (12.15)

 

One who is desireless, pure, wise, impartial, and free from anxiety;

who has renounced the doership in all undertakings - such a devotee

is dear to Me. (12.16)

 

One who neither rejoices nor grieves, neither likes nor dislikes, who

has renounced both the good and the evil, and is full of devotion ¾

is also dear to Me. (12.17)

 

One who remains the same towards friend or foe, in honor or

dis¬grace, in heat or cold, in pleasure or pain; who is free from

attach¬ment; who is indifferent to censure or praise; who is quiet,

and content with whatever one has, unattached to a place, a country,

or a house; who is tranquil, and full of devotion ¾ that person is

dear to Me. (12.18-19)

 

It is said that divine Controllers with their exalted qualities, such

as the knowledge of God, wisdom, renunciation, detachment, and

equanimity, always reside in the inner psyche of a pure devotee.

Thus, perfect devotees who have renounced affinity for the world and

its objects and have love for God are rewarded by the Lord with

divine qualities. They are dear to the Lord.

 

What about those who are imperfect, but trying sincerely for

perfection? Lord Krishna answers this question in the very the next

verse suggesting that One Should Sincerely Strive to Develop Divine

Qualities:

 

But those faithful devotees are very dear to Me who set Me as their

supreme goal and follow — or just sincerely strive to develop — the

 

above mentioned nectar of (forty) moral values. (12.20)

 

One may not have all the virtues, but a sincere effort to develop

virtues is most appreciated by the Lord. Thus the striver is very

dear to the Lord. The upper-class devotees do not desire anything,

including salvation from the Lord, ex¬cept for the boon to

permanently at the lotus feet of a personal God, birth after birth.

Lower class devotees use God as a ser¬vant to fulfill their material

demands and desires. The development of unswerving love and devotion

to the lotus feet of the Lord is the ultimate aim of all spiritual

discipline and meri¬torious deeds as well as the goal of human birth.

A true devotee con¬siders oneself the servant, the Lord as the

master, and the entire creation as His body.

 

The path of devotion is a better path for most people, but Devotion

does not develop without a combination of personal effort, faith, and

the grace of God. Nine techniques for cultivating devotion ¾ an

intense love for God as a personal Being - based on Tulasi Ramayana

are:

 

(1) The company of the holy and wise,

(2) Listening and reading the glories and stories of Lord's

incarnations in the religious scriptures,

(3) Seva or serving God through service to the needy, the saints, and

society,

(4) Congregational chanting and singing of the glories of God,

(5) Repeating the Lord's name and mantra with firm faith,

(6) Discipline, con¬trol over the six senses, and detachment,

(7) Seeing your personal God everywhere and in everything,

(8) Contentment and lack of greed as well as overlooking others'

faults, and

(9) Simplicity, lack of anger, jealousy, and hatred.

 

The best thing a person should do is to develop love of God. Lord

Rama said that one needs to follow any one of the above methods with

faith to develop love of God and become a devotee.

Good company of saints and sages is a very powerful tool for God-

realization. It is said that friendship, discussions, dealings, and

marriage should be with equals or those who are better than oneself,

not with persons of lower level of intellect (MB 5.13.117). A person

is known by the company he or she keeps. According to most saints and

sages, the path of devotion is very simple and easy to perform. One

can begin by simply chanting a personal mantra or any holy name of

God. There is no restriction on the correct time or place for

chanting the holy name of God. The process of devotional service

consists of one or more of the following practices: Hearing

discourses, chanting the holy name of God, remembering and

contemplating God, worshipping Him, praying to Him, serving God and

humanity, and surrendering to His will.

The four inter-connected paths of yoga discussed in the first twelve

chapters of the Gita may be summarized as follows:

 

The practice of KarmaYoga leads to purification of the mind from the

stain of selfishness that paves the way for knowledge of God to be

revealed. Knowledge develops into devotional love of God. Constant

thinking of God, the object of our love due to devotion, is called

meditation and contemplation that eventually lead to enlightenment

and salvation.

Is there the Only Right Way to God?

 

Lord Krishna has been talking about both manifest and unmanifest

aspects of God in the previous chapters (See for example 9.4 and

9.5). Arjuna's question has been answered in great detail in this

chapter, but people still argue that one method of worship or certain

religious practices are better than others. Such persons will

continue to argue and will be only able to understand half the truth.

 

From what is presented in Chapter 12, it is clear that the method of

worship depends on the nature of the individual. The person or the

person's guru should find out which path will be most suitable for

the individual, depending on the person's temperament. To force his

or her own method of worship on other people is the greatest

disservice a guru can do to disciples. The most important thing is to

develop faith in and love of God. God has the power to manifest

before a devotee in any form, regardless of the devotee's chosen form

of worship. What has worked for one may not work for all, so what

makes you think your method is universal? There was no need for the

Lord to discuss different paths of yoga if there was one path for

all. If the chosen path of spiritual discipline does not give one

peace or God-realization, then it must be understood that one is not

practicing correctly or the path is not right for the individual. It

should be kept in mind that a drop of water, no matter what route it

takes, will eventually reach the ocean.

 

Note: It should be pointed out that the recipes presented in this

chapter are quite useful for cooks who want to prepare tasty meals

for seekers who like the flavors of Dwaita or Visistadwaita or

Advaita! That may explain why this chapter is well-liked by the

followers of different schools of thought.

 

We will continue with the Satsangh of Chapter 13 starting from the

New Year. I do plan to post some preliminary postings in the later

part of December so that we begin the Satsangh on the New Year Day.

We follow the same format (2 to 3 verses posted on Sunday followed by

discussion during the week).

 

With my warmest regards,

 

Happy Holidays!

 

Ram Chandran

 

 

 

 

 

 

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