BHAKTI OR DEVOTION

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BHAKTI OR DEVOTION

Posted by: " Uttishthata " uttishthata

Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:09 pm (PST)

BHAKTI OR DEVOTION - Swami Vivekananda

From time to time, there have been reformers in every religion who

have stood against all symbols and rituals. But vain has been their

opposition, for so long as man will remain as he is, the vast

majority will always want something concrete to hold on to, something

around which, as it were, to place their ideas, something which will

be the centre of all the thought-forms in their minds. The great

attempts of the Mohammedans and of the Protestants have been directed

to this one end, of doing away with all rituals, and yet we find that

even with them, rituals have crept in. They cannot be kept out; after

long struggle, the masses simply change one symbol for another. The

Mohammedan, who thinks that every ritual, every form, image, or

ceremony, used by a non-mohammedan is sinful, does not think so when

he comes to his own shrine, the Caaba. Every religious Mohammedan

wherever he prays, must imagine that he is standing before the Caaba.

When he makes a pilgrimage there, he must kiss the black stone in the

wall of the shrine. All the kisses that have been imprinted on that

stone, by millions and millions of pilgrims, will stand up as

witnesses for the benefit of the faithful on the last day of

judgment. Then, there is the well of Zimzim. Mohammedans believe that

whoever draws a little water out of that well will have his sins

pardoned, and he will, after the day of resurrection, have a fresh

body, and live for ever. In others, we find that the symbology comes

in the form of buildings. Protestants hold that churches are more

sacred than other places. The church, as it is, stands for a symbol.

Or there is the Book. The idea of the Book, to them, is much holier

than any other symbol.

 

It is vain to preach against the use of symbols, and why should we

preach against them? There is no reason why man should not use

symbols. They have them in order to represent the ideas signified

behind them. This universe is a symbol, in and through which we are

trying to grasp the thing signified, which is beyond and behind. The

spirit is the goal, and not matter. Forms, images, bells, candles,

books, churches, temples, and all holy symbols are very good, very

helpful to the growing plant of spirituality, but thus far and no

farther. In the vast majority of cases, we find that the plant does

not grow. It is very good to be born in a church, but it is very bad

to die in a church. It is very good to be born within the limits of

certain forms that help the little plant of spirituality, but if a

man dies within the bounds of these forms, it shows that he has not

grown, that there has been no development of the soul.

 

The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda Volume 2 [ Page : 38 ]

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QUOTE OF THE DAY:

When we come to nonattachment, then we can understand the marvelous

mystery of the universe: how it is intense activity and at the same

time intense peace, how it is work every moment and rest every

moment.

- Swami Vivekananda

 

Life's up and downs provide windows of opportunity to determine your

values and goals. Think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to

build the life you want.

- Marsha Sinetar