Bhakti Wisdom

Bhakti yoga, as our spiritual masters explain, is the best practice for one desiring freedom from the modes of material nature.

Therefore, it is recommended to practice the Bhakti process and engage all our senses and activities in the service of the Lord, and in this way we can escape material bondage caused by karmic activities.

For the last three weeks I have been attending a deity puja course, where we were learning how to worship the Lord according to the rules prescribed by sastras. We were immersed in memorising the mantras, upholding a high standard of cleanliness, carrying out purification processes and deity worship. We spent seven-eight hours in one room, hearing about and practicing the puja, in order to refine our understanding.

During the lunch break I would usually go to ashram for lunch, and afterwards seek out a space to sit quietly by myself. On one of those days, whilst walking to ashram I saw couple of children playing a game. Being interested in what they were up to I observed what seemed like an unusual game they were playing.

What I saw deeply struck me!

One of the children was reciting some prayers with broken words, while the other was pouring water on the deities of Sita Rama. The children were imitating the abhisek that they saw at one of the festivals at our temple!

They carefully placed the Lord on a particular spot on a bench where sun was shining, such that the Lord would not feel cold whilst they were bathing him.

They looked so absorbed in their game and conscious that the Lord is a person who is accepting their service.

Some of the temple guests came forward to take photos, and others stood by in amazement.

Observing their game, or abhishek ceremony, I reflected on how I had just spent hours – days in fact – learning the proper standards of worship, in order to make sure I was chanting the right mantras and following correct procedures. And now whilst walking to take my lunch these seven year old children are doing it all so naturally and with so much devotion.

Sometimes, due to our conditioning we are trying to logically understand how the Bhakti process actually works, and with this mindset we study the sastras and perform our service. Until we realise that Bhakti Yoga is based on devotion and loving service to the Lord; until that point our spiritual life will be static and progress will be minimum, if not zero.

Rules prescribed by sastras are there to protect us from speculation and to guide us on the right path, but Vaisnavas are the ones who help us to awaken the Bhakti in the heart.

By the mercy of these children I was able to get a glimpse of what Bhakti actually means. I can only pray that one day I will develop a similar level of devotion and sincerity that they have in the service of the Lord.

Like a game, Bhakti requires only childlike purity for it to manifest in the heart.

Srimad Bhagavatam 3.4.30 purport- One who is transcendentally advanced can gain direct inspiration from the temple Deity, and thus a devotee of the Lord always takes shelter of a recognized temple of the Lord in order to make tangible advancement in transcendental knowledge by the grace of the Lord.