Re: What do you think what is bhakti (Devotion) ?
Vannakkam jaswant: Although this may be true with people in reality, it is not the intention of true bhakti. True bhakti is love for love's sake, not expecting anything in return ... not even the punya, which will come on its own. One step towards God, and God takes nine to you.
Agreed. Loving God for the intent of merit is in itself insufficient, and is short of true bhakti. However, I am not saying it is an invalid method of growing in love for Him. Over time, the devotee should pray ardently in his heart that eventually his desire for escape from the wheel of death and rebirth should be transformed into absolute bhakti for God, no matter what his fate in the next life or the next after that.
I have no intent to change the topic of this post, but I reminded of the Christian Bible group posters and flyers I see all over town. Almost all of them either promise eternal hellfire and damnation if you don't "see the light", or else have this attitude of: Wanna get into heaven after you die? It's easy! Just start praying to our God and you're in! In my opinion, this is an example of false bhakti of the worst kind, where the soul is only interested in its survival after death and is motivated to turn to religion to save itself, not out of a real, genuine love for God. In this case true bhakti separates true spiritual seekers and religious survivalists.
I have a friend who is atheist... but what a nice person... no dulpcity always helping ect ect all nice qulities -- but will not touch any religion with a 10 foot pole !... he is just illusioned.. or maybe i am illusioned !.. he says religion just devides man and causes more disharmony than anything else ! ... looking into history he has a valid point !...
Namaste Jaswant,
Here is where the concept of bhakti should begin to expand for us. I have a friend who is the same; has no religion and completely distrusts any part of it, but is an all round good person at heart. An atheist still gathers punya when he does good works, helps others, foregoes harming living beings etc. He may not accept the concept of a God, but when he treats all those around him with the love and respect a theist shows, then implicitly I believe him to be showing a kind of bhakti. Is God not present in every living being? In showing love to even just the manifest aspects of God, you are still honouring Him. As for religion dividing mankind up, I think that's for another topic.
Om namah Shivaya
"Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny."
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः
Om Gam Ganapataye namah
लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु ।
Lokaah SamastaaH Sukhino Bhavantu
Bookmarks