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Thread: Bhakti or sentimentalism?

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    Bhakti or sentimentalism?

    Where does sentimentalism end and true bhakti begin? Swami Vivekananda said- "Bhakti (love), on the other hand is noble and great, but it can be mired in meaningless sentimentalism." So how does one distinguish the two?

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    Re: Bhakti or sentimentalism?

    a great question. acc. to me true bhakti dawns with knowledge. A human by nature, is biased,emotional and ignorant. but jnana removes that ignorance. Just to make sure that our bhakti is pure and devoid of imperfections, we can always look up to the great men like ramakrishna or vivekananda or albert einstein.
    Sarva DharmAAn Parityajya

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    Re: Bhakti or sentimentalism?

    Srila Prabhupada once said, philosophy without religion is speculation and religion without philosophy is sentimentalism.

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    Re: Bhakti or sentimentalism?

    Namaste and thanks for your replies.
    True wisdom (jnana) dawns much later after realization so how does a practising sadhak inculcate true bhakti in his practical life? How does one guard against mere sentimentalism?

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    Re: Bhakti or sentimentalism?

    Vannakkam adevotee: Can you please define sentimentalism for me. I think my definition varies from yours. (For me it is reminiscing about the past with emotion) Thank you.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: Bhakti or sentimentalism?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sahasranama View Post
    Srila Prabhupada once said, philosophy without religion is speculation and religion without philosophy is sentimentalism.
    So can we conclude that the natural admiration and devotion born out of philosophical study is a sign of true Bhakti?

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    Re: Bhakti or sentimentalism?

    I think he is talking about jnana mishrit bhakti where jnana and bhakti at their highest stage are actually one. That's what I believe also.

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    Re: Bhakti or sentimentalism?

    namaste adevotee and others.

    It's a good question you have raised. In the context of bhakti, the word sentimentalism could mean, "going through the motions of a devotional ritual for the sake of it, without the will to understand its meaning, or the wisdom to adapt it to suit Atma-sAdhana--spiritual inquiry."

    Desire is the cause of both jnAna--knowledge, and bhakti--devotion. While the desire in jnAna is to know the Self, the desire in bhakti is to serve God. In this sense, jnAna unites and bhakti divides.

    • The term bhakti is from the dhAtu--root, bhaj, whose commonly known meaning is "to serve, honour, revere, love, adore". But the term also means 'divide, distribute, allot, assume, experience, feel, undergo, pursue, practise, prefer, choose'. (Compare the term vibhakti--separation, modification).

    All the meanings are there in the concept and practice of bhakti, to a lesser or greater extent, marking the shades of sentimentalism in it.

    • I think it's the level of desire that draws the thin lines of sentimentalism in bhakti. It's a thin line because it is for the devotee to know and pass through the shades, rather than outsider convincing him/her.

    • Where the desire is AdhyAtmika--in the sense of proceeding from bodily and mental causes, and giving rise to personal/familial wishes to be fulfilled, the gray shade of sentimentalism it involves is that of drizzling clouds.

    • Where the desire amounts to a craze and is Adhibhautika--materialistic, for fulfilment of selfish goals, sentimentalism it involves becomes superstition, and resembles the pitch dark rainy clouds that threaten to destroy rather than nourish.

    • When the desire expands to the knowledge about Adhidaivika--influence of divine agencies, sentimentalism dissipates into the beautiful hues of sunset clouds, transformed and growing as altruistic love and compassion.

    • When the desire culminates in AdhyAtmika--in the sense of relating to the Supreme Spirit, sentimentalism thins down to the wafers of rain-washed, sattvata, white clouds that reflects and reveals, rather than absorbs and hides sunlight. In this stage, the devotee begins to have parAbhakti--supreme devotion. Advaitins would still detect sentimentalism in it, so long as the devotee wishes to keep his jIva--soul, apart from the BhagavAn--God.

    As Yajvan has explained* quoting the sage YAjnavalkya's teaching to his wife MaitreyI, all kinds of love are only expressions of the love for one's own Atman. When such love is devoutly cultivated with the desire of a mumukShu--one seeking ultimate liberation, the Advaita bhakti it entails becomes the pure jnAnam--knowledge, of the midday sun that shines on a cloudless sky.

    *****

    The 'NArada bhakti sUtra' defines bhakti as follows:

    "Devotion--bhakti, is parama-prema-rUpa--of the nature of Supreme Love, asmin--in That; it is of the amRutasva-rUpa--nature of Immortality, too."

    and adds:

    "Having known such Supreme Devotion, one becomes intoxicated, silent, and enjoys the Self."

    Note:
    http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/sho...12&postcount=6
    रत्नाकरधौतपदां हिमालयकिरीटिनीम् ।
    ब्रह्मराजर्षिररत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारतमातरम् ॥

    To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.

    --viShNu purANam

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    Re: Bhakti or sentimentalism?

    Quote Originally Posted by adevotee View Post
    Namaste and thanks for your replies.
    True wisdom (jnana) dawns much later after realization so how does a practising sadhak inculcate true bhakti in his practical life? How does one guard against mere sentimentalism?
    The puranas, the puranic characters, the gita,the great acharyas and why the whole indian tradition is to make sure that we go in the path of true wisdom. Bhakti is another face of Jnana. But one thing can be said about pure bhakti,i.e, selflessness.
    Now i remember this bit from ramayana: There was ravana who was known for his matru-bhakti and on the other side was rama.ravana almost brought home the atma-linga for his mother. Back here rama's mother asked rama to give some upadesha for her,while rama said-give up the ego that you are the mother of great rama. Such great man is rama and such is the height of jnana.
    Sarva DharmAAn Parityajya

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    Re: Bhakti or sentimentalism?

    Quote Originally Posted by adevotee View Post
    Where does sentimentalism end and true bhakti begin? Swami Vivekananda said- "Bhakti (love), on the other hand is noble and great, but it can be mired in meaningless sentimentalism." So how does one distinguish the two?

    Dear adevotee and others,


    Bhakti is an experience and the sentimentalism an expression.

    When expressions (uncontrolled excitements, tender feelings, unrestrained emotions etc.) end, True Bhakti (one starts to experience reality by constant search in to oneself) begins. one starts to perceive everywhere nothing in the least other than Self- Happiness.

    Bhakti( though there are varied connotations by various systems, traditions and cults) in a religious context, a sort of emotional rapport a supplicant develops towards ultimate power (god, deity etc).

    When it comes to an explanation in the philosophical insight, Bhakti is one of the facets of experientially perceiving ones oneness with Absolute. It is AtmAnusandhAnam, which is constant meditative search into oneself-Atman.

    Love

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