Post by Amritha Varshini on Oct 29, 2013 7:27:56 GMT 5.5
Devotion and Diwali (article by Sri V.S. Krishnan - vsk1940@gmail.com)
Devotion and Diwali are the two terms which are highly mis-interpreted. Devotion is generally understood or mis-understood as the means for fulfillment of certain wishes and desires. We find huge crowd assembling at temples to worship God with some 'hidden agenda' in mind. Their concept of devotion is that God exists in order to grant their various desires, aspirations and dreams. They approach God not with single-minded devotion but with the single purpose of fulfilling their desires which keep on changing with the change in times. They consider something or somebody as dearer than God and they seek the help and blessings of God so that these dear 'something' or 'somebody' continues to remain with them. They expect that in return for their devotion, God would fulfill their material aspirations and dreams. In short, you would excuse me saying so, they have brought down devotion to the level of a commercial deal.
Lord Krishna said: “The devotees who constantly think of me, without any other thoughts in their minds, worship Me with single minded love and devotion, without any other interest than uniting with Me, I attend to their needs and security” (Ananya Chinthayantho Mam Ye Jana Paryupasathe, Thesham Nithyabi Yukthanam Yoga Kshemam Vahamyaham…Bhagavad Gita IX-22). Thus, the Lord makes it very clear that He takes care of those who surrender unto Him. But how we regard God? When we approach God we think not in terms of renouncing but in terms of gaining something.
It should be understood that if we regard anything or anyone else besides God as ours, we are severing our relationship with God. If we demand anything from God, it shows that we are more attached towards that thing than God. This is not devotion. Devotion is exclusive love to God, unmotivated by a desire. Most of our present devotional practices are going to temple, worshipping, pilgrimage, reciting Nama Japa, singing songs, listening to discourse etc., but these would give only time-bound result. We should know that by all such practices we are going only up to the gate of the God. If we have to enter inside and reach God, we have to renounce our aspirations and free ourselves from bondages.
True devotion is unconditional surrender. True devotion starts with the approach 'nothing is mine and I belong to God' and it ends by dissolving the individuality with the God. There is no better means of devotion than regarding God as one's own. Devotion means surrendering everything that we consider as part of us; whether it is a positive thing like personal relations or possessions or negative thinks like ego. Devotion means surrendering the ego. Devotion means renouncing everything that one considers as his possession and accepting whatever that God wills. The simple form of devotion would give us a result which the great saints and sages sought through the strenuous methods like contemplation and meditation. This is because while engaged in devotional practices like Nama Sangeertan, the mind becomes free of thoughts and gets centered on the names of God.
Diwali is a festival of light. The light symbolizes dawn of knowledge. But though we light thousands of lamps, we allow our mind to remain continuously in darkness. It is the Tamo Guna (the ignorant mind) that regulates all our conducts. We satisfy our evil mind by indulging in wasteful expenditure. We satisfy our ego by grand display of our ill-gotten wealth. We satisfy our mind by going for new luxury purchases with the money that comes in the name of bonus.
Let the lamp we light on the occasion of Diwali enlighten our mind. Let us celebrate Diwali in the true spirit of knowledge and devotion. Let the lamp kindle the light of knowledge. Let every lamp that we light kindle spirit of devotion in our mind. Shower on the morning of Diwali, let us get not only our body but mind also.
As we put on new clothes on the occasion of Diwali, let us emerge as a new personality with a clear vision and with a mind full of love. Let every cracker that we burst also shatter the ego in us. Let us take, taste and share the Laddu as the Prasad of blessings from Lord Venkateswara, May this Diwali bring many Laddus of happiness and cheers to the members of Amritha Varshini.
Devotion and Diwali are the two terms which are highly mis-interpreted. Devotion is generally understood or mis-understood as the means for fulfillment of certain wishes and desires. We find huge crowd assembling at temples to worship God with some 'hidden agenda' in mind. Their concept of devotion is that God exists in order to grant their various desires, aspirations and dreams. They approach God not with single-minded devotion but with the single purpose of fulfilling their desires which keep on changing with the change in times. They consider something or somebody as dearer than God and they seek the help and blessings of God so that these dear 'something' or 'somebody' continues to remain with them. They expect that in return for their devotion, God would fulfill their material aspirations and dreams. In short, you would excuse me saying so, they have brought down devotion to the level of a commercial deal.
Lord Krishna said: “The devotees who constantly think of me, without any other thoughts in their minds, worship Me with single minded love and devotion, without any other interest than uniting with Me, I attend to their needs and security” (Ananya Chinthayantho Mam Ye Jana Paryupasathe, Thesham Nithyabi Yukthanam Yoga Kshemam Vahamyaham…Bhagavad Gita IX-22). Thus, the Lord makes it very clear that He takes care of those who surrender unto Him. But how we regard God? When we approach God we think not in terms of renouncing but in terms of gaining something.
It should be understood that if we regard anything or anyone else besides God as ours, we are severing our relationship with God. If we demand anything from God, it shows that we are more attached towards that thing than God. This is not devotion. Devotion is exclusive love to God, unmotivated by a desire. Most of our present devotional practices are going to temple, worshipping, pilgrimage, reciting Nama Japa, singing songs, listening to discourse etc., but these would give only time-bound result. We should know that by all such practices we are going only up to the gate of the God. If we have to enter inside and reach God, we have to renounce our aspirations and free ourselves from bondages.
True devotion is unconditional surrender. True devotion starts with the approach 'nothing is mine and I belong to God' and it ends by dissolving the individuality with the God. There is no better means of devotion than regarding God as one's own. Devotion means surrendering everything that we consider as part of us; whether it is a positive thing like personal relations or possessions or negative thinks like ego. Devotion means surrendering the ego. Devotion means renouncing everything that one considers as his possession and accepting whatever that God wills. The simple form of devotion would give us a result which the great saints and sages sought through the strenuous methods like contemplation and meditation. This is because while engaged in devotional practices like Nama Sangeertan, the mind becomes free of thoughts and gets centered on the names of God.
Diwali is a festival of light. The light symbolizes dawn of knowledge. But though we light thousands of lamps, we allow our mind to remain continuously in darkness. It is the Tamo Guna (the ignorant mind) that regulates all our conducts. We satisfy our evil mind by indulging in wasteful expenditure. We satisfy our ego by grand display of our ill-gotten wealth. We satisfy our mind by going for new luxury purchases with the money that comes in the name of bonus.
Let the lamp we light on the occasion of Diwali enlighten our mind. Let us celebrate Diwali in the true spirit of knowledge and devotion. Let the lamp kindle the light of knowledge. Let every lamp that we light kindle spirit of devotion in our mind. Shower on the morning of Diwali, let us get not only our body but mind also.
As we put on new clothes on the occasion of Diwali, let us emerge as a new personality with a clear vision and with a mind full of love. Let every cracker that we burst also shatter the ego in us. Let us take, taste and share the Laddu as the Prasad of blessings from Lord Venkateswara, May this Diwali bring many Laddus of happiness and cheers to the members of Amritha Varshini.