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
Nine; Section 1 - Fruits of Love Divine; Greatness of Supreme Love. If we
surrender well and seek appropriately, what is it that we can expect in return?
s
kITyRman> zIºmevaiv_aRvit Anu_aavyit c _a´an!.80.
Sa
kiirtyamaanaH shiighram-eva-avirbhavati anubhaavayati cha bhaktan ||80||
When invoked, He indeed reveals Himself and makes the
devotee realise His absolute nature Divine.
Something
all who love the Lord would desire, surely, is 'darshanam'; a visitation; a
vision. This is what is hinted at here. Saints and sages throughout history -
in all faith structures - have spoken of experiencing such phenomena. The
modern mind is inclined to brush such experience aside now; seeking rational
explanation such as 'over emotionalism' of the subject or a set of
environmental circumstances which resulted in a play of light to trick the eye
and so on.
Even
if such explanations could be applied, does this make less the experience to
the experiencer? Of course not. However, we are not talking imaginations,
insanities, or mysterious anomalies here. There is sufficient documented
evidence, certainly in Sanskrit history, to support the significance and proper
presence of darshan. Until one has experienced for oneself, however, it can
admittedly seem rather fanciful.
What
we have been learning in these suutras though, is that the desire must be
genuine, it must be fervent and regular, and there must be an full surrender of
our ego. Dropping the little self, the Big Self grants us grace of vision.
When
we worship with our sincere prayers and open heart, our mind focused, there is
an opening within us which becomes filled. It is not that we were ever without
that presence, but now we release it from the bondage we hold it in with our
daily life and misperception of the world as being other than ourselves. The
Aatman is ever with us, hidden by our ego and other physical equipments with
which that ego identifies. The Aatman is only waiting for us to drop our
individuality and release it. It is this Truth which manifests as the image we
most desire to see. This is again where bhakti comes very close to jnaana. In
fact, those on jnaana-marg can benefit greatly from leaving the intellectualism
of that path for a while and sitting only in devotion. It is often said that
these are the two wings which fly us to the Ultimate. In trusting that our
teachers, the lineage of teaching, holds validity, we must throw ourselves upon
that thread of history and call sincerely to that Divinity to reveal itself to
us.
The
greatest bhaktas who have been prepared to put in the hard work and let go of a
much to surrender and reach this experience will have their reward. For the
majority, though, there remains the attachments of the external world; this is
why it is rare for such experiences to occur. This does not mean that one ought
not to practice the stated saadhanas. They too will provide a level of peace
and self-control which can only be beneficial in life… and there is always that
glimmer of a possibility that darshan will be ours.
