VAEDHII BHAKTI AND SHUDDHA BHAKTI official source: Subha's'ita Sam'graha Part 8 cross-references: also published in Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 10 this version: is the printed Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 10, 1st edition, version (spelling mistakes only may have been corrected). I.e., this is the most up-to-date version as of the present Electronic Edition. The subject of today's discourse is vaedhii bhakti (formal devotion) and shuddha' bhakti ( pure devotion ). The word bhakti is derived from the root-verb bhaj+suffix -ktin. While pursuing knowledge some people cultivate devotion for Parama Purus'a. The devotion which is aroused when one feels one should cultivate devotion is called vaedhii bhakti. Regarding knowledge, action and devotion I once gave a simple formula for determining devotion : action minus knowledge equals devotion. Thus, if action is 100 and knowledge is 20, then devotion is 80. Suppose a person has no knowledge and only performs good deeds. In that case the devotion will be 100 - 0 = 100. Now, if a person is highly learned, in that case in order to attain devotion he or she will have to perform action to the degree of 100 + 20 = 120. People who are puffed up with the vanity of knowledge will have to perform more actions if they wish to cultivate devotion. It is not easy for them to express devotion to Parama Purus'a. But those who do not have the vanity of knowledge attain devotion easily. To acquire devotion one requires the good sam'ska'ras of many lives. What is vaedhii bhakti? I have already said that Parama Purus'a is the nucleus of this universe. Each and every object of this universe is attracted to this nucleus and orbits around it. Attraction, not repulsion, is the natural law. Each microcosm, characterised by its acquired sam'ska'ras constantly moves around this nucleus. When an object moves around a nucleus two forces operate : the centrifugal force ( which takes the object away from the nucleus ) and the centripetal force ( which pulls the object towards the nucleus ). If the centrifugal force is greater than the centripetal, the object drifts away from its nucleus. Conversely, if the centripetal force is stronger, the object finally merges in its nucleus. In the scriptures this centripetal force is called vidya'ma'ya'. Vidya'ma'ya' leads the microcosms towards Purus'ottama, the nucleus of the universe. The force which takes the microcosms away from Parama Purus'a is called avidya'ma'ya'. In vidya'ma'ya' lies the hope of liberation, the seed of immortality. In avidya'ma'ya' lies the seed of sorrow and death. The accumulative effect of both forces has caused the universe to come into being. What sort of influence does the force of avidya' have on human life ? Avidya' shakti exerts its influence in two ways: through viks'epii shakti and a'varan'ii shakti. Viks'epii Shakti Viks'epii shakti is the force that strongly repels an object from its nucleus. When human beings become excessively attached to crude physicality they move away from Parama Purus'a. They become so infatuated with matter that they totally forget the Supreme. Similarly, a person who is involved in a court case thinks constantly about his or her opponent. A person who quarrels thinks constantly about his adversary for many days even at the time of meditation. "I should have spoken my mind" he thinks to himself, "why didn't I rebuke him more ?" The funny thing is that one always thinks about the faults of one's opponent and never one's own faults. One never cares to analyze whether or not one has any faults. In this process one's opponent becomes one's object of meditation. One becomes so preoccupied with one's opponent's defects that one begins to acquire his or her defects oneself. Suppose a person is quarreling with an opium addict. If he thinks about the addict's defect constantly over a long period of time he will develop a desire to try opium. That is, he acquires the defect of his adversary. In the same way if one ideates on Parama Purus'a one will acquire His qualities. People ultimately become as they think : Ya'drshii bha'vana' yasya siddhirbhavati ta'drshii. Viks'epii shakti causes a person to move away from A'tman, the self, and become attracted to matter. The innate characteristic of human beings is to acquire infinite happiness. In this pursuit lies the seed of human excellence. To remain engrossed in the thought of crude matter is contrary to human existence if this ever occurs it should be understood that the concerned person has degenerated. In the Bhagavad Giita Lord Krs'n'a warns people, Svadharme nidhanam' shreya, paradharmah bhaya'vahah : "It is better to die while following one's own dharma than to pursue the dharma of others." Under no circumstances should one forsake one's own dharma. Here svadharma, or "own dharma", does not refer to any particular religion, but to one's own innate characteristic. Avaranii Shakti Suppose a person commits a wrong by accepting a bribe. While receiving the bribe he or she thinks that no one is watching, but that is impossible. A third entity is watching everything. No one can do anything secretly in this universe. But the bribe-taker thinks the opposite because avidya' shakti has placed a veil between him or her and the Supreme Being. This is a very dangerous situation. It is just like a hare being chased by a hunter : the hare sits down and covers its eyes with its ears and, thinks, "I cannot see anything, so the hunter cannot see anything either. Hence he won't be able to kill me." This is a deadly mistake ! Wherever one commits a wrong, be it in the depths of the ocean or in a high mountain cave, one cannot escape the consequences : one will certainly be detected one day or another. In the psychic world Parama Purus'a has infinite power. All longings and thoughts are reflected on His mental mirror. Any action one performs, any thought one is trying to materialise, is immediately reflected on the vast mental mirror. One cannot keep anything secret from Him. If a small piece of stone is thrown into the vast ocean it creates tiny ripples on its smooth surface. This event, although trivial, does not remain unknown to the ocean. Even the least vibration created within the unit mind is immediately known to the Macrocosmic Mind, for the unit mind is within the vast Macrocosmic Mind. Vidya'ma'ya' also exerts her influence on the human mind in two ways : through samvit shakti and hla'dinii shakti. Samvit Shakti : Suppose a certain person who has been doing wrong deeds for a long time suddenly changes for the better. After hearing some wise words, by reading a good book, or by receiving a shock or, injury, a thought dawns in his or her mind: "I have unnecessarily wasted so many years in futile pursuits. Now I have only a limited time at my disposal." From the very moment of birth human beings move slowly and steadily towards the grave. With each passing second the distance between the person and the burial ground gradually decreases. Hence human beings should utilise every moment of their valuable time in worthwhile pursuits. A person may realise one day, "How unfortunate it is that I have not fully utilised the capacity that God has provided. I have committed a grave error in not doing what I should have done." What is the force that awakens this psychic outlook ? It is the samvit shakti of vidya'ma'ya'. In colloquial Bengali, samvit shakti is called hunsh ( sudden awareness ). When people suddenly return to their senses or repent, this is the first type of influence of avidya'ma'ya' on the human mind. Hla'dinii Shakti Hla'dinii shakti is the second type of influence of vidya'ma'ya' on the human mind. When people realise that they have wasted their precious time, they express the sincere desire to utilise their time more benevolently. They think, "From today I will utilise all my energy and capacity in worthwhile pursuits. " This sincere desire gradually takes them towards Parama Purus'a. And this movement towards the Supreme occurs due to the influence of hla'dinii shakti. Hla'dinii shakti is the force which helps the microcosms to meditate on Parama Purus'a. In the Caetanya Charita'mrta it has been said, Jap tap vedajinana vidhi bhakti japadhyan iha' haete ma'dhurya durlabh Keval ye ra'gama'rge bhaje Krs'n'a anura'ge ta'he Krs'n'a ma'dhurya sulabh. "Those who repeat their ista mantra mechanically, or undergo severe penance, or endlessly study the scriptures, or express a show of devotion, or practise meditation in a ritualistic way, can never feel the charm, the joy, of spiritual realisation. That sweet discovery is only possible for those who worship Lord Krs'n'a out of deep devotion to Him." With the help of vaedhii bhakti (formal mechanical devotion) a person can approach Parama Purus'a but cannot become one with Him. Vaedhii bhakti does not have that power. To attain oneness with Parama Purus'a a sa'dhaka requires ra'ga'nuga' bhakti or ra'ga'tmika' bhakti. Unless a sa'dhaka develops ardent devotion for Parama Purus'a, it is not possible to become one with Him. To think, "Parama Purus'a is so vast, so beautiful! How can I possibly attain Him?" is to create an impediment on the path of one's spiritual progress. There are three types of devotion which are well known to all : ta'masikii bhakti or devotion of static nature, ra'jasikii bhakti or devotion of mutative nature, and sa'ttvikii bhakti or devotion of sentient nature. Ta'masikii Bhakti A person who has an inimical relation with someone might pray to Parama Purus'a, "Oh Parama Purus'a, please harm my enemy. Eliminate him/her for my sake." Obviously, such a person has no devotion for the Lord but simply wants to gratify his/her selfish desire. When a devotee moves towards Parama Purus'a with intense yearning for Him, it is called ra'dha'bha'va. When a devotee finally reaches Parama Purus'a by virtue of this intense ra'dha'bha'va it is called the union between Ra'dha' and Krs'n'a' in the Vaeshn'ava scriptures. Who is Krs'n'a? Here Krs'n'a is none other than Parama Purus'a. You might have seen some pictures depicting Ra'dha' and Krs'n'a. These all are false. Krs'n'a and Ra'dha are subtle spiritual concepts. A devotee will have to move towards Purus'ottama, the Supreme Nucleus, with the help of ra'dhika' shakti or hla'dinii shakti. There is no path of Supreme Welfare other than ra'dhika' shakti. I have already said that action minus knowledge equals devotion. Thus when a sa'dhaka performs action, devotion awakens. This is the beginning of vaedhii bhakti. For example, some people pray, "Oh Parama Purus'a, my neighbour's child has passed the school examination, but my child has failed. The teacher has made my child fail intentionally. Let that teacher be destroyed." This is ta'masikii bhakti. Parama Purus'a may or may not grant your prayers - it depends on His will. But as you expressed ta'masikii bhakti to Parama Purus'a you will attain neither liberation nor salvation because you did not want either one. Ra'jasikii Bhakti In this category of devotion one does not think of harming anyone, but asks for a mundane favour for oneself. For example, one may pray to the Lord, "Oh Lord, please bless me so that I can score high marks in my exams and thereby procure a good job." To ask for worldly favours as a result of one's crude devotion to the Lord is not at all desirable. The Lord may or may not fulfill your desires, but one thing is certain : you will never attain liberation or salvation because you did not desire it. Sa'ttvikii Bhakti: A devotee of this category may think: "Now I am an old man. I have committed so many wrongs in my life. It would be wise for me to take initiation from a preceptor and count beads. Otherwise what will people say about me? They will say I'm spending my old age eating and sleeping and doing nothing worthwhile. At least I should do some religious deeds to show everyone that I love God." This is the inner motivation behind sentient devotion. Such devotees do not think of harming others, but they do not want Parama Purus'a either. Even if such devotees attain liberation or salvation, they certainly do not get Parama Purus'a because they did not want Him. Hence such devotion has no real value. All of this comes within the scope of vaedhii bhakti. There is a lack of genuine love for Parama Purus'a in all these types of vaedhii bhakti. Shudda' Bhakti or pure devotion is para' bhakti, the highest devotion for the Lord. It has two stages : ra'ga'nuga' and ra'ga'tmika'. Ra'ga'tmika'm' anusarati ya' sa' ra'ga'nuga'. Ra'ga'nuga' bhakti The first stage of shuddha' bhakti is ra'ga'nuga' bhakti. Now the devotee says, "I love Parama Purus'a. This is nothing to hide, nor is it anything to brag and boast about. I love Him because it makes me happy". This is ra'ga'nuga' bhakti. "I don't ask for anything, not even liberation or salvation. I love Him because that brings me joy." Ra'ga'tmika' bhakti This is the highest stage of pure devotion. In this type of devotion the ideation is, "I love Parama Purus'a because it makes Him happy. I meditate on Him thinking that my meditation will bring joy to Him. This is my sole intention." This is ra'ga'tmika' bhakti. Regarding ra'ga'tmika bhakti, Maha'prabhu Caetanya has said, Paripu'rn'a Krs'n'a pra'pti sei prem hoite Se preme ba'ndha' krs'n'a' kahe bha'gavate "One attains Krs'n'a through ra'ga'tmika' bhakti because Krs'n'a is bound by that love". Lord Krs'n'a also said in the Giita', Api cet sudura'ca'ro bhajate ma'mananyabha'k So'pi pa'pavinirmukto mucyate bhavabandhana't. "Even if the worst of the sinner meditates on me with unwavering devotion, he or she will be liberated from all worldly bondages and freed from all reactive momenta (sam'ska'ras) and will become one with the Supreme Entity". Is worshipping the Lord with unwavering devotion vaedhii bhakti or ra'ga'tmika' bhakti ? This entire universe is nothing but an ocean of unending bliss. Numerous waves are emerging from this ocean. Purus'ottama is the nucleus of all these waves. All waves originate from Him and finally merge in Him. The poet Vidya'pati wrote, Kata catura'nana mari marija'ota na tu a'di avasa'na' Tohe janama punah tohe sama'ota Sa'garalaharii sama'na' "Innumerable living beings emerge from the Supreme Entity, who has neither beginning nor end. Just like the waves of the ocean, they emanate from Him and dissolve finally in Him." Innumerable waves are constantly emerging from the ocean only to merge back into the ocean itself. This universe is like an ocean of waves of bliss. Parama Purus'a is the nucleus of all these countless rhythmic waves. Innumerable microcosms are constantly rotating around this nucleus, and will continue their orbits until they finally become one with Him. Every movement has a rhythm, and every rhythm has a sound. The countless waves of this vast universe also have their respective sounds. The devotees say that Parama Purus'a is an embodiment of love. They say that out of His infinite love for the microcosms He eternally plays His sweet flute, vibrating this vast universe with its divine sound. When spiritual aspirants attain a certain degree of spiritual progress, they are able to hear that divine sound. This divine sound is called onm'ka'ra. All the sound waves of this universe have their source in Him. They emanate from the point of beginninglessness to the point of endlessness, and will continue to emanate eternally. The kulakun'd'alinii shakti ( serpentine power ) rises upwards in accordance with the divine sound. As it rises through successively higher stages one hears the sound of crickets, ankle bells and the melodious sound of the flute. This is called the sweet sound of Krs'n'a's flute. It is neither a dream nor a fantasy.. All of you will hear it one day. A mystic poet said, Chut'e ye jan ba'nshiir t'a'ne Se ki ta'ka'y pather pa'ne "For those who listen to that melodious flute sound, nothing is an obstacle. They will move irresitibly towards the Supreme." This is pure devotion (shuddha' bhakti) and not vaedhii bhakti. If one does not move towards Him with one's entire being, one cannot develop exclusive devotion for Him. Api cet sudura'ca'ro. Who is a dura'ca'rii ? A person in whose contact one degenerates is called a dura'ca'rii. Lord Krs'n'a said that whoever will meditate on Him with undivided attention will attain liberation from all accumulated sam'ska'ras. Devotees who run towards Parama Purus'a with all the strength of their soul need not be afraid of anything. What is pa'pa? Paropaka'rah pun'ya'ya pa'pa'ya rarapiir'an'am. Any action that leads to one's physical, psychic and spiritual well-being is called punya or a virtuous deed; and any action which leads to one's physical, psychic and spiritual degeneration is called pa'pa or sin. There are two types of pa'pa or sin: pa'pa, which occurs when one does something one should not do, and pratya'vaya, which occurs when one does not do something which should be done. For example, one should nurse a sick person. If one does not do that one is committing pratya'va'ya. Pratya'va'ya is more harmful than pa'pa. Pa'pa and pratya'va'ya are both of three types: pa'taka, atipa'taka and maha'pa'taka. If one compensates for the loss caused by the performance of an improper action or by the non-performance of a proper action it is called pa'taka. Suppose someone has stolen five rupees from a person. If the thief repays the amount in full it is said that she or he has atoned. This is a case of pa'taka. Atipa'taka refers to a sinful action for which there can be no atonement. Suppose someone chops off a hand of an innocent person. This is atipa'taka. But if in a fight someone chops off the hand of their enemy, a wrongdoer, it cannot be called a sin. In the Bhagavad Giita' Lord Krs'n'a' advises people that their dharma is to fight against adharma. A chopped-off hand cannot be put back on the wrist easily. What is maha'pa'taka ? Maha'pa'taka is a sinful action for which there can be no atonement and which has a recurring effect. Once I told you a story from the Ra'ma'yan'a. Ra'ma and Ra'van'a were engaged in a bitter combat. When Ra'ma began to get the upper hand Ra'vana entreated Shiva to save his life. On hearing Ra'van'a's desperate pleas, Parvatii's heart melted, and she requested Shiva to save Ra'vana's life. Shiva said unambiguously, "I cannot save him. He is a maha'pa'taka, a sinner of the worst type". Shiva explained that if Ra'van'a had abducted Siita' in his original form he would not be a maha'pa'taka ; but he chose to abduct Siita in the guise of a sa'dhu (saint). As a result, in the future people will never fully trust sa'dhus again. Whenever they will see a sadhu they will immediately question his intention. So Shiva refused to help Ra'van'a because he was a maha'pa'taka. Lord Krs'n'a said that whoever meditates on Him with exclusive, unwaveriing devotion will be liberated from all sins. When microcosms ideate on the Supreme Entity they feel joy, and the Supreme Entity also feels joy. Everyone wants joy ; the devotees also want joy. Devotees worship Parama Purus'a with the sole intention of giving Him joy. A mother derives more pleasure from seeing her own child eat than by eating her own food. Similarly, those who are the greatest devotees rush towards Him to give Him joy. They feel much more joy than their Lord feels. Maha'prabhu Caetanya said, Gopii darashane krs'n'er ye a'nanda hay Tadapeks'a' kot'igun'a gopii a'sva'day "The devotees are a million times more pleased when they see Krs'n'a than Krs'n'a is upon seeing them." You are following the path of sa'dhana'. Always remember that you must establish yourself in pure devotion and not formal devotion. And to become established in pure devotion you must perform virtuous deeds, practise spiritual sa'dhana' regularly, render selfless service to the world, and wage a relentless fight against wrongs and injustice. There is no room for cowardice. May you be victorious. 26 November 1966, Midnapur Subha's'ita Sam'graha Part 8