The Theo-Devotional Pathway to the Sacred

While, all six orthodox schools of India acknowledge the supreme truth of the revealed Vedas, each school developed its own metaphysics. Briefly, individual institutions have fallen into categories classified as monist versus dualist and atheist versus theist. Subsequently, three major templates have crystallized: [1] the template of devotion, [2] the template of ethical action, and [3] the template of accurate understanding. You likely have heard such under the Indian terms: [1] Bhakti Yoga, [2] Karma Yoga, and [3] Jñāna Yoga.

Commonly, practitioners follow a single traditional template, the category chosen being dependent upon the character and temperament of each individual. Moreover, over long periods of trial and error, these schools discovered and refined particular ‘lifestyles’ thought to be optimal and conducive to obtaining the desired endpoint.

Generally, the preferred lifestyle being that lived within a well-defined religious community of like-minded persons (ashram), as a mendicant, as a recluse, or as a loose grouping of common practitioners. Such lifestyles disinclined towards the more common and mundane lifestyle of the householder with family. I shall return to this issue in a later insight sermon.

Today, we discuss practitioners following the template of devotional love to One Supreme God (though the methodologies differ depending on the character of the God chosen). For convenience, I will discuss the Bhāgavata Dharma of Lord Krişna, as it possesses many similarities with the Revealed Religions of the West. The foundations of this template are found in the Mahābhārata, Bhāgavata-Gītā, and the Bhāgavata-Purāņa.

Such practitioners believe that God cannot be apprehended by the senses, by mental knowledge, or by wholesome actions alone. God is only found by developing an intense and dedicated love for God . Such love comprised of three duties: [1] devotion is undivided and directed solely to God, free from attachment to worldly things, [2] it is not overshadowed by knowledge or action, and [3] is manifest in thought, word, and deed. Love of God is akin to love for family and dear friends, though the worldly are perishable, while devotion to God is imperishable and eternal.

In a theodevotional relationship, one freely and happily yokes himself or herself to God (anurāga) and allows himself or herself to be drawn closer and closer to God as he Beloved. Devotion is not of the nature of desire for things of the world, devotion is not the outcome of volition, is not the nature of action which is the expression of desire or volition, and is not identical to religious belief or faith. Devotion is a burning, unquenchable, thirst for God which consumes the totality of the devotee.

In the Bhāgavata Dharma immense focus is laid upon obtaining the grace of God, for a man is unable to make himself fit for communion with God by his own self-efforts alone. God cannot be bought for any price or any gift or human attainment. God comes into the man’s heart of hearts when God chooses to reveal the Godhead. God is only attained by God’s grace.

I might add that the suggested dates for the Krişna and the war occurring in the Mahābhārata date as far back as the 6th millennium BCE and as late as 9th or 8th centuries BCE. Regardless, the early theology of Christianity is reminiscent of the Bhāgavata Dharma suggesting that Jesus studied not only in Egypt, but also in India. GI Gurdjieff claimed that the Teachings of Jesus predated dynastic Egypt by thousands of years so to be consistent with the astronomical dates for the Kurukşetra War between the Kaurava and Pandava princes and the hero Arjuna and his charioteer Krişna.

In the path of Bhāgavata Dharma one learns to shun evil company, as it excites lust, anger, infatuation, unwholesome actions, and utter ruin. Wealth and sex are the Scylla and Charybdis upon which many sailors are lost. Atheists are to be avoided because they decrease faith. We should relinquish egoism, pride, and other passions and practice meekness and altruism, It is unwholesome to have vain discussions as to the nature of God for all answers are unsatisfying and ill-suited to liberation.

One should practice the presence of God every moment of the day and night. We should perform our daily duties in a manner agreeable to God. We should observe non-injury to all creatures, be kindly truthful, remain pure in mind and body, avoiding intoxicants.

The adherents of the theo-devotion feel (of course) that devotion is higher than knowledge, higher than action, and higher than concentration of the mind. It is the highest means of salvation for it is its own reward. Devotion is the summum bonum of all life. Knowledge and action can evoke pride and egoism, devotion is meek and humble (sounds like Christ). The path of devotion is the best template of all for it does not require any other proof than what is experienced when God fills one with peace and the ecstasy of love. For Lord Krişna says, “Neither yoga, nor knowledge, nor performance of duties, neither the study of the Vedas, nor austerities, or charities propitiates me so well as unswerving love between them and I.”

By cultivating a constant love and presence with God one attains fulfillment, immortality, and contentment. He or she craves for nothing other than his or her Beloved for this is sufficient all times. Lord Krişna says, “I am like the one who is not free. I am entirely dependent upon my devotees. My heart is given over to my saintly devotees. I am their Beloved. How can I leave them who have renounced their wives, home, children, relations, wealth, and this world and the next, and completely surrendered themselves to me? They do not know anything other than me, nor do I know anything else, but them.”

Tomorrow, we will discuss Karma Yoga and the template of wholesome actions.