The Meaning of Devotion  -  Bhupendra R Vora

The noble eightfold path of the Buddha gives right knowledge or perception as the first step on the path. When there is right perception, right thoughts and actions follow. Therefore the objective to be realized, the path to be traveled and the nature of the journey have to be clearly perceived. Light on the Path gives an indication of the preparation that is necessary to tread the path. The aspirant is asked to ‘seek out the way’. It states further that the way is to be sought by ‘retreating within’ and ‘advancing boldly without’, suggesting that the nature of the preparation is both at the inner and the outer levels of one’s being. Retreating within becomes a process of reflection and contemplation on one’s true nature and the purpose of life. `Advancing boldly without’ may be construed to mean guiding all outer activities with the light of this knowledge.

The commentary on the aphorism states that the way is not found by devotion alone or by religious contemplation alone or by self-sacrificing labor only. All these steps are necessary to climb the ladder that leads to perfection. The Bhagavadgita refers to many paths, of which three paths are generally regarded as the significant ones. These are the paths of knowledge (jnana), action (karma) and devotion (bhakti). Aspirants follow one or the other based on their nature, which may be action oriented (karma yoga), wisdom oriented (jnana yoga) or devotion oriented (bhakti yoga). Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavadgita: ‘However men approach me, even so do I welcome them for the path men take from every side is mine.’

The paths may be different, but all lead to the highest experience of the divine. There may be a preponderance of either action, wisdom or devotion in the nature of the aspirant but all the qualities eventually manifest in him. Mystics of all ages reflect these divine experiences in their compositions. In the Rubaiyat, the great mystic of Persia, Omar Khayyam, describes in one beautiful quatrain, the journey of discovery:The paths may be different, but all lead to the highest experience of the divine. There may be a preponderance of either action, wisdom or devotion in the nature of the aspirant but all the qualities eventually manifest in him. Mystics of all ages reflect these divine experiences in their compositions. In the Rubaiyat, the great mystic of Persia, Omar Khayyam, describes in one beautiful quatrain, the journey of discovery:

There was a Door to which I found no Key:

There was a Veil past which I could not see:

Some little Talk awhile of Me and Thee

There seem’d — and then no more of Thee and Me.

Swami Yogananda Paramahamsa, in his commentary on this quatrain of Rubaiyat, says this describes the progressive states of spiritual awakening, the inner journey of discovery involving the realization of one’s true nature as the Self (Atma), and the source of all manifestation, the Supreme Creator. It is the realization of the ‘me’ and ‘thee’ — atma and paramatma — and the supreme state of ecstasy when the Self melts in the One Absolute God. The Rubaiyat is revered as an inspired Sufi scripture. The passionate praise of wine and love in the Rubaiyat are established metaphors of Sufism and refer to the joy of the spirit and rapturous devotion to God. Another Sufi sect, the ‘whirling dervishes’ express their mysticism and devotion for God through music and dance in which they whirl around in circular motion signifying a central point of worship of the One Supreme.

In the Bhakti Sutra-s of Narada (verse 51), this state of ecstasy and devotion has been spoken of as an indescribable state of love, a state of total and unconditional surrender of the self and adoration of the divine. In such a state there is no more of ‘thee’ and ‘me’. Such a devotion overcomes the illusions and limitations of the worldly life. The devotee, devotion, and the object of devotion, become one. Hindu scriptures say of this state: `He who knows, he knows; naught else knows.’

Love transcends the worship and adoration of the mere outer form of the object and experiences its real nature within the depths of the consciousness. The difference in the two states have at times been described as worship of the one with form (saguna) and the formless (nirguna). This enlargement of experience is beautifully reflected in the life of the great sage of the 19th century, Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He was greatly devoted to the Divine Mother, Kali, and remained in constant states of ecstasy and fervor. The Mother’s form was always present, and was the object of his devotion; but his Guru also led him into the experience of the formless (nirguna) reality.

The well-known Ramacharit Manas defines the meaning of devotion in the dialog between the supreme devotee, Sabari, and Lord Rama. In a state of unbounded love and adoration Sabari beseeches Rama to guide her on the path of true devotion and also to explain what devotion really means. Her prayer commences with a total negation of the self, in which she expresses her inadequacy in every aspect. Only when the ‘possessions of the world’ — money, fame, status, or wisdom — are discarded totaly, and there is a state of non-possessiveness, does the aspirant qualify for true devotion. On the path of devotion one must stand in one’s naked state, shorn of all attainments, in humility, to realize the divinity.

Rama describes to Sabari the nine-fold path of devotion, the summum bonum of which is the expression of unbounded love towards God, expressed by constant recitation of his name (mantra yoga) and contemplation of his attributes, to reach at-one-ment with him. It also indicates selfless service and devotion to the Guru and other perfected beings who are embodiments of the Divine. The Jains have a beautiful mantra in which worship is offered to all the perfected beings — Siddha-s, Arhat-s, Acharya-s and others deserving of devotion. But the purpose of the recitation is not merely to express reverence for those lofty beings but to understand the virtues of which they are embodiments and emulate them. The true meaning of devotion is to be transformed into the image of the object of worship, with all the attributes that Being represents.

In a heightened state of devotion arising from deep within, the devotee sees the reflection of Brahman in all the myriad forms of life. Therefore the feeling of love is expressed towards all life equally and is noticed by an absence of raga and dvesha, like and dislike. The great saint-poet of Gujarat in India, Narasimha Mehta, expressed this state beautifully in his composition:

You alone are in the Universe

Appearing in numerous forms,

In the body you are the vital breath,

You are the Light that makes light visible,

In the void you are the Word

…The forms may be many, but the substance is the same.

It is the so-called learned who have confused people.

Reality is like the seed in the tree, and the tree in the seed

But it cannot be found by the mind.

It reveals Itself only to one who approaches it with Love.

'Nine-fold devotion' describes the nature of the devotee as being guileless, free from egotism, content with the circumstances of life and practicing self-governance and virtues. Detachment from manifold activities is one of the hallmarks resulting in a one-pointed state. Such is the way of the mystics whose way is the way of the heart. Their mystical experiences and heightened state of love find expression in beautiful hymns and musical compositions.

Such devotion assumes a quality unique to itself when it is unconditional, undivided and not self-seeking in its attention to the object of adoration and worship. As St.Paul states, ‘love seeketh not, wanteth not’. The highest state of devotion is indicated by such unconditional love when nothing is sought — not even liberation. It then becomes action without desire, and is unmatched in its sublimity.

There is an interesting story about the great Mogul Emperor Akbar, and the music maestro, Tansen, who was considered one of the jewels of the Emperor’s court. Tansen was a great composer whose renderings of melodic modes or raga-s was exquisite. Once the Emperor expressed the wish to listen to the music of Tansen’s guru, Swami Haridas, Tansen agreed to take him to the ashram of his guru but said that they would have to listen to him unobtrusively, without drawing his attention. Early one morning the Emperor and Tansen went to the ashram, hid behind a tree and listened to a classical composition expressing deep devotion to God with great fervor. It was a soul-stirring experience such as the Emperor had never had before. His obvious question to Tansen was: ‘Why does not your music have the same magic?’ Tansen’s reply was very revealing: ‘I sing for the Emperor but my guru sings for the Emperor of Emperors (God).’ When devotion is offered to the Supreme in an unconditional and undiluted state it assumes an ‘other wordly’ quality.

Jnanesvar, who composed the Jnanesvari Gita, laid great stress on the doctrine of the heart in his teachings. This was expressed as fraternal affection for all creatures and devotion to God. His definition of devotion was unique. He said: ‘Regard every creature as a microcosm of the macrocosm. Verily this is the path of devotion’ (Anubhavamrta). Namadeva expressed similar views when he said that a true saint sees Vasudeva or God in all beings. Aurobindo had such a mystical experience while in jail in Alipore when he saw Vasudeva everywhere, in the form of the sentry, the walls, the bars, his bedding and the other prisoners. Another saint from Maharashtra, in Western India, Eknath, considered devotion as an end and also as the means. The end objective of such aspirants was to be in eternal rapture before the Divine through their devotional practices.

Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, laid great importance on expressing devotion through nam, dan and ishnan. Nam refers to oneness with God, dan to oneness with all mankind through charity, self-sacrifice and service, and ishnan to unity with one’s Higher Self through purification and uplifting efforts. To achieve the goal of salvation, Nanak laid stress on the sense of wonder — the wonderful God, his wonderful creation and wonderful order. Extreme humility leading to submission and love for all mankind are stressed in the Guru Granth Saheb, the sacred book of the Sikhs. Through devotional prayers aspirants seek to join their consciousness with that of God. Other great mystics belonging to the Bhakti tradition in India like Kabir and Meera considered devotion as the supreme means of attaining God-realization. They were mystics who were able to penetrate the veils of maya and perceive the reality. This is reflected in their compositions.

In the Christian tradition, St.Francis of Assisi conveyed a similar message. His devotion to God was through service to men and animals alike. In modern times Mother Teresa of Calcutta gave devotion to God a new dimension through her service to the poor and destitute of that city, which she saw as service of Jesus. Devotion assumes an all-embracing meaning when a reflection of god is seen in all creation. It is reflected in all acts of service, in the wisdom that is experienced in comprehending the One life in the manifold forms, and in the love that arises from this state. Angelus Silesius proposes the way of the heart in his composition:

The longest way to God, the indirect, lies through the intellect.

The shortest way lies through the heart.

Here is my journey’s end and here is its start.

The way of the heart is the way of self-effacement, of the negation of egotism. When the heart rules over the head, love blossoms forth. It is the path of surrender of the lower self at the altar of the higher Self. In the Bhagavadgita Lord Krishna describes the qualities of a devotee to Arjuna at great length. He enumerates them:

He who is free from hatred towards all creatures, is friendly and kind to all, is devoid of the consciousness of ‘I-ness’ and possessiveness; is even-minded in suffering and joy, forgiving, ever contented; a regular yoga practitioner, constantly trying by yoga to know the self and to unite with spirit, possessed of firm determination, with mind and discrimination surrendered to Me — he is My devotee, dear to Me.

In other verses Krishna further expounds the qualities: Free from exultation, jealousy, apprehension and worry, free from worldly expectations, unconcerned with and unaffected by circumstance. Such a being is free from raga and dvesha, likes and dislikes. Sankaracharya affirms in his work Moha Mudgara the need for tempering wisdom with devotion. The preparation for the path must involve the head and the heart.

© "The Theosophist" (November, 2002) published by the Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, Chennai 600 020. Reprinted with permission. (website: www.ts-adyar.org).

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