Wednesday, June 2, 2021

MOVE FROM BEING RITUALISTIC TO BEING SPIRITUAL

In this materialistic world of stress and strife, one loses track of Spirituality. Man leads a life of ignorance without realizing his own Self. It is very important that sooner or later one moves from being ritualistic to being a spiritual person for his own well being.

 

Religion teaches us the way of Life (How to live). You can do Karma yoga and Upasana yoga for performing religious activities.

 

Spirituality tells us the purpose of Life, through Self-enquiry and Self-analysis. Man’s purpose is to attain Moksha or Liberation, which is possible if one becomes spiritual. This requires Jignasu Bhakthi which is a bhakthi without any motive, or expectation.

 

In the seventh chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna that four kinds of virtuous men (Bhakta) worship him. They are, the distressed (Aarta Bhakti), the seeker of wealth (Ardharthi Bhakti), the seeker of knowledge (Jignasu Bhakti) and the wise (Gnani Bhakta), who are men of knowledge and have attained self illumination. Aarta and Ardharthi are religious and also materialistic people. They use religion only for contract with God Viz., for getting success in worldly ventures; they use Bhakti for non-spiritual purposes. We give another name for this as ‘Sagama Bhakti’.

 

Krishna says that everyone who begins with Sagama Bhakti must develop Spiritual Bhakti also called Nishkama Bhakti.

 

Nishkama Bhakti has 3 stages. Karma yoga stage, Upasana yoga (meditation) and Gnana yoga. Gnana yoga stage of Nishkama bhakti includes a continuous and systematic study of vedantic scriptures for a length of time under a Guru who himself has practiced the same. By doing Nishkama/ jignasu Bhakti you will get Gnana Bhakti. Lord Krishna says among all the 4 bhakti, Gnana Bhakti is the greatest of all.

 

Sagama Bhakti is for Materialistic purpose and Nishkama Bhakti is for Spiritualistic purpose.

 

Four differences associated with Sagama and Nishkama Bhakti are outlined.

 

1.    Sagama Bhakti is deity specific (doing pooja for material purpose). Nishkama Bhakti is not deity specific. You can worship any deity and seek spiritual growth

2.    Sagama Bhakti is ritual specific. Nishkama Bhakti is ritual non-specific. In Sagama Bhakti many rules and regulations are followed while performing a ritual. For Nishkama Bhakti your motive alone is important. You do pooja with whatever is available.

3.    Sagama Bhakti has doubtful results. Nishkama Bhakti has definite result as you think of the Lord only.

4.    Even if Sagama bhakti is successful and gives expected result, it is going to be finite in nature. Eg. Money, position, relation, possession etc., is perishable making you miserable when it perishes. Nishkama Bhakti will give Spiritual Growth, which is permanent. That is moksha. Moksha is stable. Even God cannot take away moksha once attained (Brigadaranyaka Upanishad). We should have Sagama Bhakti, Nishkama Bhakti Viveka (differentiation).

 

A person practicing Nishkama Bhakti is always happy, own nothing; believes in self and possesses good values. Have faith in yourself. We have great Mahatmas in our culture. They own nothing and they possess nothing. They take Bhikcha (alms) only from others for their living. However, they say, “I am perfectly poornam (fulfilled)”.

 

We have to practise good values. The most important is the dilution of Raga Dvesha (likes and Dislikes). Anything is easy if you prepare your mind.  

 

A person who has Nishkama Bhakti will know Eswara. At the time of death, he will remember Eswara only.

 

Being religious is being materialistic with expectations. Being spiritual is being Spiritualistic (doing Gnana yoga) without any expectations.

 

Life is a blessing for a Sanyasi, who is a spiritual person.

Life is a burden for a Samsari, who is a materialistic person.

 

By moving from:

Being ritualistic to becoming spiritualistic

From doing Karma yoga to gaining Gnana yoga

Expectations to Fulfillment

Being Rajasic to becoming Satvic.

 

One attains Self - realization.

 

S.Sekar

Email: sekrajc@yahoo.com 

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