Hari
OM
Application - that is what 'Workings-days' are about!
The Narada Bhakti Sutra is our guide for a while… the
nature of Love (with the capital 'ell') and a full exploration of it. As
always, you are encouraged to seek out the full text from Chinmaya Publications
(links in side-bar); but for those who prefer e-readers, this version is recommended. Whilst awareness and interest can be
raised by these posts on AV-blog, they cannot substitute for a thorough reading
and contemplation...and practice!
Chapter
Five, Section Two. We looked what must be done to work toward a state of true
bhakti and we found that how we approach this will very much depend on our
personality. We learned that in addition to the trigunas, there are also three
types of devotion and that the rise is dependent on working through them. This
is taken up further;
%TtrSmaduTtrSmat!
pUvRpUvaR ïeyay _avit.57.
Uttarasmaad-uttarasmaat
puurva-puurvaa shreyaaya bhavati ||57||
With each succeeding one, each preceding one becomes
the nobler.
This
sutra confirms that, in order to progress, we must develop our inherent nature,
improving it by taking small steps. In doing this, the step we leave behind
does not disappear, but will add to the complex and subtle picture of the step
above; just as climbing a ladder, as we move from one rung to another, we do
not forget the rung we left as we lifted onto the next one, we remember all
that we saw from that height and it adds to our view from the next level of
height gained. We become the richer for knowing the full picture and what it
took to make it.
The
arthaarthi bhakta is one who, despite spiritual longings, is anchored in
tamasika nature and thus when praying and sitting in saadhana, the thoughts
will be for the limited joys of the world; 'Lord, please bring bread, clothing,
new car, better house…' and so forth. The thing to be noted here is that this
is a tamasika who has recognised that they can pull themselves out of
slothfulness by making a spiritual effort and are therefore to be commended.
That Sri Narada has mentioned the steps demonstrates that by funding a will to
make supplication to the Higher at all is a very positive thing and this seeker
is to be encouraged. Yeshu also pointed to the fact that any sinner can better
themselves by resolving to turn their face towards the Higher. The arthaarthi
is one who favours the more elaborate and decorative forms of worship, perhaps
by making daily puja and waving of lights and such. In applying themselves
well, however, they may find that their mind starts to wonder more about the
details of who or what they are worshipping and asking favour of, in which case
a more proper inquiry begins and they will move up to the next stage of bhakti.
The
jijnaasu is of rajasic quality. Being of restless nature, such a personality
will now want to question and investigate. The intellect is sparked into strong
and alert vigilance. However, as yet, the deep spiritual yearning has yet to be
developed. Currently this person will seek only book knowledge, albeit to high
degree. There is a craving to understand the Higher, but there may be a lack of
heart in the matter. This can make such personalities aggressive in their
researches and discussions. Certainly, the jijnaasu studies hard, questions
keenly, debates strongly; they may even make a daily saadhana, but this is
likely to be tinged with a level of curiosity to simply prove his or her own
theories or be an attempt to emulate (copy) what they have read in books, but
without the actual experience. The jijnaasu is the one who will be found
attending all discourses and functions wherein the glories of the Higher are
given at intellectual level. That said, at least they are engaged in proper
philosophical pursuit and this is likely, at some point when they have honed
themselves sufficiently, to lift them to the next 'spiritual rung'.
The
aarta is one who has a full spiritual awareness and has come to understand that
this is a key purpose of life… to work only for complete liberation from the
cycle of life and death and to reach the state of eternal bliss (moksha).
Everything which is approached in daily life is done so with some level of
discontentment if it does not serve this goal. Things of the world no longer
hold any appeal to this personality. Oh they may well have to engage with the
world, but they will be developing a level of detachment whereby the
vicissitudes of life have no hold. The mind no longer seeks physical
stimulation, but longs only for the spiritual experience. This goes even beyond
the intellectual desires, for these too are but part of the world of objects. This
personality will fund the strength to purify themselves to a high degree,
becoming an empty vessel, ready to receive the nectar of spiritual
transcendence. Book knowledge alone cannot satisfy the aarta - it becomes
imperative to make the knowledge personal, to 'own' it through experience. Yes
they may engage in puja and prayer, they may also attend discourses and enter
debates, but they will do so only with the lessons learned from having passed
that way previously. Their vision is wider and deeper as far as bhakti is
concerned. Thus the aarta is one who, recognising the validity of what has been
learned till now, seeks to meditate devotedly upon Aatman and seek union with
that, making it their own experience.
In the text thus far, Narada-ji has related how it is virtually impossible to
describe the joy and beauty of True Love Divine, but to give hope, has advised
we poor seekers that it is not something unattainable. Quite the contrary, by
utilising the 'secondary' devotions, which are much more recognisable to us, we
can indeed lift ourselves towards the ultimate spiritual experience. Having
done so, the text will now proceed with some examples of the whys and
wherefores of devotional practice.
