Friday, October 3, 2014

BHAKTI AS A MEANS TO ATTAIN LIBERATION

Lord Krishna talked about different levels of Bhakti (up to 19th Verse of 9th Chapter of BG) which everyone would have to necessarily go through for spiritual development and Moksha or Liberation. He presents Bhakti as a means of liberation. He talks about three levels of Bhakti through which liberation is obtained. They are Karma yoga for purification of the mind, Upasana yoga meditation upon God/Lord and Gnana yoga a spiritual education program. Gnana yoga gives knowledge of Eswara and liberation. Higher nature of the lord, which was described as Para Prakruthi Gnana in the 7th chapter. Bhakti is not a specific sadana. Bhakti is the common environment in which all the three yoga’s Viz., Karma, Upasana and Gnana yoga are practiced. It should be a reverential attitude and a reverential contribution. A coin has two sides. Vishwa Rupa has also two sides. It is similar to Day and Night.  Bhakti = Karma yoga+ Upasana yoga+ Gnana yoga. In the 12th chapter of “Bhagavad Gita”, there is a discussion on Bhakti. Out of the 35 qualities of a Bhakta the first and Foremost is the One who hates nobody. Who hates No creature. This is a quality of Bhakti and the Lord doesn’t talk about going to a temple.

Bhakti is classified based on the motive, which we have. In Vedic tradition before starting a pooja, we take Sankalpa. Bhakti is divided into Sakama and Nishkama Bhakti. In Sakama Bhakti, I see lord in everything except Spirituality. In Kathopanishad Sreyas and Preyas are discussed. Sreyas means ultimate good, and preyas means immediately palatable. Therefore, everyone should be interested for sreyas, not for preyas. Sakama Bhakti will be predominant in human life. The journey from Sakama Bhakti to Nishkama Bhakti is difficult. We have to increase Nishkama Pooja gradually and gradually decrease Sakama Pooja. Sakama Nishkama Vivekaha.

There are four differences between Sakama Bhakti and Nishkama Bhakti. Sakama Bhakti is deity specific. When I want to do pooja for a particular purpose, the pooja must be directed to a relevant/ particular deity. Nishkama Bhakti is not deity specific. You can invoke any devata and pray. The second difference is that particular result comes from doing the type of pooja. Sakama Bhakti is ritual specific. You have to select the time, Flower, Mantra etc whereas in Nishkama Bhakti any type of pooja can be done. Nishkama Bhakti is non-ritual specific. Third Diff; we have to follow all the rules properly going along with that pooja. If there are mistakes, the results will not be as expected one. It can be counterproductive. In Nishkama Bhakti, the result is always predictable and is always positive. It will take the person through all spiritual levels. He will get a Guru as a guide and will gain the capacity to grasp the teaching. Fourth Diff; even if Sakama Bhakti becomes successful the greatest result in Sakama Bhakti is finite in nature. He may go to Brahmaloka. This will end one day. You have to come back. We can enjoy the fruits for sometime and the palan is exhausted after sometime. Pleasure is for sometime only. Sakama Bhakti will give finite results and perpetuate Samsara. Nishkama Bhakti gradually takes you to Moksha and is predictable. Nishkama Bhakti is always successful and will lead to liberation in due course.

We have to keep in mind the three types of doshas or limitations with respect to all accomplishments. Every pleasure is mixed with pain. No satisfaction is there when you accomplish a certain thing. Comparison is the most painful thing. Jealousy is there in every field. Never there is total satisfaction for any one. In all these things, we depend more and more on external factors. Thus, I am travelling from dependence to more dependence to more dependence. Lord Krishna wants to highlight the perishable nature of these pleasures. For every drop of enjoyment, Amurtham/ Punyam, is debited like your credit card. Punyam earned is only finite and will get exhausted one day or other. Our prarabdha Karma is invisible. We do not know our date of death. This is the problem of Sakama Bhakti. Convert Sakama Bhakti/ pooja to Nishkama Bhakti/ pooja. In the Sankalpa, you say ‘Sarve Bhavanthu Sukinaga’. Expand prayer to universal Jignasu Bhakti.

Our whole life is spent in acquisition and maintenance. We want to acquire health. We have to maintain our health after acquiring it. This holds good for anything.     

The world is perishable. World is the product. God is imperishable. He is the cause. Objects will come and go. Eswara is Nithyaga. World provides food, shelter and clothing. Provision of food and shelter is not enough. We have something more to look for beyond food, shelter and clothing. The ultimate goal is Eswara prapti.  An intelligent person should choose Nishkama Bhakti. An intelligent person will prioritize. Balancing material and spiritual pursuit is wisdom.

When pooja is meant for universal well being and spiritual growth, it is accepted by bagawan. One can offer anything that is available with him for pooja. Always the attitude determines the ethics of pooja. In the seventh chapter, Jignasu Bhakti is discussed. Pure mind is the one who is interested in Moksha.

Enjoy your action by dedicating to the lord. There is a saying ‘Work is worship’. There must be excellence in any job that you do. A daily chore, which you consider boring, will become interesting in due course. You will never get boredom. It is an attitude like self-inspiration and self-motivation. Whatever action you do which is secular or sacred do it with devotion. You should be self-disciplined. You may follow willful denial of certain comforts on a particular day.  You should say No to that thing Viz., to food, to coffee, to A.C etc.   

Brigadaranya Upanishads talks about the study of Scriptures. By living a religious life, a person gets a desire for Vedantic study. He gets an opportunity to study the spiritual scriptures. Desire without an opportunity is useless. A vedantic person knows punya gives pleasure in the beginning and pain after the punya is exhausted. Arriving Punya will give me happiness. Ending punya will give me sorrow.    

Lord Krishna tells Arjuna to decide whether he wants Sakama Bhakti or Nishkama Bhakti. In the third chapter of Gita 30th verse, Karma Yoga is defined in the same fashion as Nishkama Bhakti. There is no difference between Karma yoga and Nishkama Bhakti. We can invoke Bagawan when we worship any devata. Jignasu Bhakti is described in the 7th Chapter. As we seek, so we get the result. Pray for universal well being and seek inner growth.

Be blissful.

S.SEKAR

No comments:

Post a Comment