Qualities of the devout

[vcindiana]

This is a good article recently I came across in the news paper "Hindu":
Qualities of the devout
CHENNAI: The bond between the Lord and His devotee is a unique one. True devotion transcends scholarly attainments, philosophical arguments or ostentatious offerings and is characterised by renunciation of all else except thoughts of God, desiring only to remain devoted to Him. The Lord’s penchant for sincere devotion is manifest in the many instances in the lives of the devout wherein He chooses to stand by them at all costs.
It is thus established that even when seeking His help and presence, one has to qualify with the credentials of sincerity, humility and unflinching devotion, pointed out Tiruchy Sri K. Kalyanaraman in a lecture. What stands in the way is ego and this has to be uprooted and this too is possible only through His boundless grace.


My question is why we strive so hard to become scholars in Vedas or Geeta? Why do we need so called the masters of the scriptures or the Swamis or Gurus in colored robes and consider these guys as Holy or Godly people ? Are they closer to God than us ? I do not have a problem if some one who has an expertise but does not consider him or her self as HOLY and to talk to me at my level. I like to see him behave like a regular person and break that barrier of him being higher than me. ( I know Catholics are no different in treating their Pope). Why arguing Advaita or Dvaita or other philosophies, few people can understand? Do these philosophies add any thing fresh to my relationship with God ? Why do we have to offer or sacrifice knowing there is no way we can please God. If I do want to offer some thing to God how good is the offer good enough to get the attention of Him? Why we in Temples offer various poojas and these are graded according to what a devotee can pay. Why some temples are considered holier (plush and expensive) than other and why we need to make pilgrimage to certain places in order to seek God only in these places? Does God really care about these things? My point is how good a Guru or a Pooja or an offering or a sacrifice or a mantra, or a temple or an image of God or Goddess is good enough to pay up for our bad karma and seek GOD?
As an example of how people get carried away is the recent incidence of stampede and death of so many devotees in Rajastan.
As per the author of this article only requirements are to be sincere and humble. 1. Sincerity means to be realistic and not idealistic, no need to impress others. There is no need to struggle to imitate or copy the people who ? appeared to have made it. 2. Humility is simply defined as “I know but I could be wrong” or the lack of Ego.
As I understand Sincerity and humility in devotion are the tools that cannot be measured and the author of this article rightly points out to just follow these simple things and seek God.
Thanks for reading Love VC

[reflections]

This is a good article recently I came across in the news paper "Hindu":
Qualities of the devout
CHENNAI: The bond between the Lord and His devotee is a unique one. True devotion transcends scholarly attainments, philosophical arguments or ostentatious offerings and is characterised by renunciation of all else except thoughts of God, desiring only to remain devoted to Him. The Lord’s penchant for sincere devotion is manifest in the many instances in the lives of the devout wherein He chooses to stand by them at all costs.
It is thus established that even when seeking His help and presence, one has to qualify with the credentials of sincerity, humility and unflinching devotion, pointed out Tiruchy Sri K. Kalyanaraman in a lecture. What stands in the way is ego and this has to be uprooted and this too is possible only through His boundless grace.


Namaste VCindiana,
You bring up interesting and useful topic



My question is why we strive so hard to become scholars in Vedas or Geeta?
Scholars does not always imply followers. One thing is to have dry grammatical or linguistic or historical knowledge. Other thing is to feel love for God and humanity.

I am sorry this is going to be a long post: Please read this story

In a famous Vishnu Temple, Caitanya one day noticed a crowd collected round a Brahmin who was reciting the stanzas of the Gita to them with intense rapture, while he appeared heedless of the ridicule and laughter which greeted the numerous mistakes he was committing as he went on reciting. Touched at the sight, Chaitanya gently accosted the ignorant reciter: "Tell me, Sir", he asked, "what meaning do you find in these words to inspire you with such rapture?" The Brahmin replied: "Sir, I am an ignorant man and do not know the meaning of the words that I repeat, but my heart is all the while filled with rapture when I picture before me the glorious scene of Krishna expounding Divine Truth to the mighty Arjuna; I always behold Him when I read". Embracing the Brahmin, Chaitanya rejoined: "You are truly worthy to read the Gita, as you have understood the essence of its meaning".

http://www.theosophical.ca/SreeChaitanyaHWBM.html

However, we need scholars to maintain that knowledge for generations to come. Think if there would have no biblical scholar, or if bible might not have been maintained, how loving message of Christ would have reached to us in this age? It might have lost in millenias.



Why do we need so called the masters of the scriptures or the Swamis or Gurus in colored robes and consider these guys as Holy or Godly people ? Are they closer to God than us ?
We don't know who is more or less closer to God. We should not do a generalization. Some XYZ swami going to west for incereasing his discipleship might not be closer to God than us. However the people like Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, Caitanya, Thiruvalluvar etc. were definitely more closer to God than an ordinary human being.



I do not have a problem if some one who has an expertise but does not consider him or her self as HOLY and to talk to me at my level. I like to see him behave like a regular person and break that barrier of him being higher than me. ( I know Catholics are no different in treating their Pope).
I agree with you on this. Not necessarily all those who knows scriptures are higher than normal human beings.



Why arguing Advaita or Dvaita or other philosophies, few people can understand? Do these philosophies add any thing fresh to my relationship with God ?
Not for me, but for some may be. We think Gyan Marg (the way of knowledge) is also a way to God, if the person tries to imply that knowlege in his life after those arguments. Like if Advaita follower, start wordly things as illusion and all humans as menifestation of Brahman.



Why do we have to offer or sacrifice knowing there is no way we can please God. If I do want to offer some thing to God how good is the offer good enough to get the attention of Him? Why we in Temples offer various poojas and these are graded according to what a devotee can pay. Why some temples are considered holier (plush and expensive) than other and why we need to make pilgrimage to certain places in order to seek God only in these places? Does God really care about these things? My point is how good a Guru or a Pooja or an offering or a sacrifice or a mantra, or a temple or an image of God or Goddess is good enough to pay up for our bad karma and seek GOD?
We think Lord in his ultimate mercy accepts a leaf or fruit or flower or even water if we accept sincerely. So Puja or Yagnas done with sincerity and devotion do help to erase sinful reactions of many lives and bring us closer to God. However, You are correct that, Puja should not be graded by the money. But, I just consider it as a practical aspect. Only important thing is intent and conviction of the devotee while offering Puja. Plus, knowing doing bad karmas after doing Pujas does not help.

A true Guru gives us direction or guidance. There have been great people in great religion who did not need Gurus to reach to divine. However, for most of us, some guidance do help us to bring back on right track. We would not have got Vivekananda if Ramakrisha would not have been there.

However true Gurus are rare. So, I don't run after holy men. I think, when I will be eligible, I will get my Guru. Till then what you suggested, doing good things and being devoted to God looks fine.




As an example of how people get carried away is the recent incidence of stampede and death of so many devotees in Rajastan.
As per the author of this article only requirements are to be sincere and humble. 1. Sincerity means to be realistic and not idealistic, no need to impress others. There is no need to struggle to imitate or copy the people who ? appeared to have made it. 2. Humility is simply defined as “I know but I could be wrong” or the lack of Ego.
As I understand Sincerity and humility in devotion are the tools that cannot be measured and the author of this article rightly points out to just follow these simple things and seek God.
Thanks for reading Love VCStampede was unfortunate. You are right devotion could not be measured. A simple person following his Swadharma may be more closer to God than a Scholar. But, won't you feel more gratitude in vatican rather than a pub? So we all those are means (not ends) to boost our devotion.

Kind Regards,
reflections

[saidevo]

Namaste VC.

The qualities of the devout can be summed up in a word: child. Just as a child is always immersed in its own world of beings and events, so does a true devotee feels that God in the form of his/her choice is always near him/her, in every relationship, like a best friend, partaking every action. Such mental and emotional attitude of 'bhakti' is called 'shraddha'.

A famous example of such devotion is Radha, for her Lord Krishna. Her love for Govinda at Mathura is so immense and her feeling of separation so intense that

यदि वा याति गोविन्दः मथुरातः पुनः सखि ।
राधायाः नयन द्वन्द्वे राधा नाम विपर्ययः ॥

yadi vA yAti govindaH mathurAtaH punaH sakhi |
rAdhAyAH nayana dvandve rAdhA nAma viparyayaH ||

O friend! If at all Govinda comes again from Mathura,
The two eyes of RAdhA--they will reverse her name (to dhArA, a stream of tears)!

If we can cultivate such love for God and uncritical empathy for the people around us, that devotion then will lead to a feeling and then the realization of oneness with God.

I understand the anguish of empathy behind all your questions: why people flock to get acquainted with books, sages and temple images when all it requires is a sincere devotion to a favourite deity in the comforts of our own home's puja room!

But then such a devotee, who is a child at heart, will also understand that the diversity of human minds and moods and not complain about them, because in God's drama of life, everything has its place, and the events unfold, triggered by karma and freewill.

[yajvan]

Hari Om
~~~~~

Namaste,

All roads lead to Rome.


pranams

[Ganesh]

Namaste,

Bhakti is the most important of course but it must go together with knowledge of scriptures and jnana. The Lord Krishna says in the Shrimad Bhagavatham that jnana is very helpful in bhakti. A person who worships God must understand well what he believes in. Srila Prabhupada also once wrote on the vitality of teaching philosophy that without philosophy the movement would degrade itself to fanaticism. Hope this has answered your question.