CHENNAI, JULY 4. Many are the paths open before devotees to reach their goal. They can choose any one of them, to have their objective fulfilled depending on what is best suited to them. For some, service to God may be preferable, some treated God as their child, while others held Him as their master. Yet to some, He was their ``beloved''. Some considered Him as their friend. But one thing is commonly available in all of us and we can always make use of it, that too very effortlessly. That is ``Divine Love''.
This pure love for the Divine implies detachment from worldly life. Such devotees felt that God exists in them and they in turn were altogether His. Meera Bai was one such devotee who dedicated herself to Lord Krishna in the name of ``Giridhara Gopala'' as His spouse and exemplified the way of Bhakti. She sang her agony of separation from Him giving expression to bridal mysticism. She dedicated herself as the bride of God and translated her burning love for Him in the form of songs filled with messages for all others who seek Him. Even as a three-year-old girl, she developed an intense liking to an idol of Krishna. A casual remark, in jest, that her bridegroom (when she grew) would be Sri Krishna as ``Giridhara Gopala'' made a deep impression on her and from then on she started worshipping the Lord, adoring Him through songs and spending her time in the midst of godly souls.
In his lecture, Swami Mitrananda said Meera even after her marriage to a prince of the Rajput clan, continued her deep faith and love towards her ``Divine Spouse''. She was given freedom to worship and a shrine was erected for Lord Krishna. Listening to reports about her religious fervour and her lilting Bhajans and devotional congregations, Emperor Akbar, with Tansen, attended incognito, one such gatherings and moved by the scene there, revealed his identity and presented a necklace which was used by Meera to decorate her idol. Later furious at her conduct attempts were made to torture her and even to do away with her but the Lord saved her and she ultimately reached the feet of God. One among her numerous devotional outpourings refers to the power of the holy name of God and how chanting it with faith will help a devotee to cross the ocean of transmigration itself acting as a boat. ``Among all types of valuable possessions, God's name is the greatest wealth.'' No doubt, the mind cannot be controlled so easily but even as Lord Krishna states in the Gita, constant practice will surely make the recitation of Lord's name purposeful.
Article Source : http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/07/04/stories/10040906.htm
Monday, February 11, 2008
The Bridal Mysticism
by Jyotsna Kamat
Page Last Updated: December 22,2007
Bridal mysticism is a form of Bhakti as practiced by Andal and Akkamahadevi, wherein the devotee looks upon herself as a bride and the Lord as bridegroom. It is an example of sublimating all mental powers through power of imagination. The Lord, soul of all souls, is invoked for internal bliss and the craving for the Lord is evinced in the soul-stirring poetry written by these two proponents of the Bhakti movement.
The bridal mysticism gave way to yet another form of devotion in India where the women (abused, unmarried, or even married) could address God as their savior, and supreme lover.
I love the Handsome One:
He has no death
decay nor form
no place or side
no end nor birthmarks.
I love Him O mother. Listen.
I love the Beautiful One
with no bond nor fear
no clan no land
no landmarks
So my Lord, white as jasmine, is my husband.
by Akkamahadevi
Translated by A. K. Ramanujan
Article Source : http://www.kamat.com/indica/faiths/bhakti/bridal_bhakti.htm
Page Last Updated: December 22,2007
Bridal mysticism is a form of Bhakti as practiced by Andal and Akkamahadevi, wherein the devotee looks upon herself as a bride and the Lord as bridegroom. It is an example of sublimating all mental powers through power of imagination. The Lord, soul of all souls, is invoked for internal bliss and the craving for the Lord is evinced in the soul-stirring poetry written by these two proponents of the Bhakti movement.
The bridal mysticism gave way to yet another form of devotion in India where the women (abused, unmarried, or even married) could address God as their savior, and supreme lover.
I love the Handsome One:
He has no death
decay nor form
no place or side
no end nor birthmarks.
I love Him O mother. Listen.
I love the Beautiful One
with no bond nor fear
no clan no land
no landmarks
So my Lord, white as jasmine, is my husband.
by Akkamahadevi
Translated by A. K. Ramanujan
Article Source : http://www.kamat.com/indica/faiths/bhakti/bridal_bhakti.htm
The Ecstacy of St Theresa of Avila
Saint Teresa's love of God and her desire for spiritual union with him found expression in a vision in which an angel pierced her heart with a golden spear and sent her into a trance. The erotic intensity of her vision is vividly suggested in this image by Teresa's swooning expression and languid pose, and by the deep folds of drapery, which convey her agitation.
Artist: Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini Sculpture: marble Life-size group 1645-1652 CE Site: Italy: Rome Location: Italy: Rome, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Cornaro Chapel
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teresa is clothed from head to foot in a loose hooded garment. Her feet are bare, the left one prominently displayed. Her eyes are shut, her mouth opened, as she swoons in ecstasy. Standing before her is the figure of a winged youth. His garment hangs on one shoulder, exposing his arms and part of his upper torso. In his right hand he holds an arrow that is pointed at the heart of Teresa.
CULTURAL COMMENTARY top
Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) was a Spanish mystic who lived during the Counter-Reformation, a period of religious turmoil in Europe. Teresa founded several houses for discalced (or "barefoot") Carmelite friars and nuns, who sought to live according to the original rule of the order. This was a more primitive and ascetic form of monastic life than was practiced in Spain at that time. In addition, Teresa was author of numerous books, including her Life, a personal autobiography, the Way of Perfection, a handbook for her nuns, and Interior Mansions, in which she describes the many different steps taken on the path to mystical union with God.
Teresa described the soul's intense desire for God in the language of erotic passion. In this, she belongs to a long tradition of mystical experience that is known as bridal mysticism:
It pleased our Lord that I should see the following vision a number of times. I saw an angel near me, on the left side, in bodily form. This I am not wont to see, save very rarely.... In this vision it pleased the Lord that I should see it thus. He was not tall, but short, marvellously beautiful, with a face which shone as though he were one of the highest of the angels, who seem to be all of fire: they must be those whom we call Seraphim.... I saw in his hands a long golden spear, and at the point of the iron there seemed to be a little fire. This I thought that he thrust several times into my heart, and that it penetrated to my entrails. When he drew out the spear he seemed to be drawing them with it, leaving me all on fire with a wondrous love for God. The pain was so great that it caused me to utter several moans; and yet so exceeding sweet is this greatest of pains that it is impossible to desire to be rid of it, or for the soul to be content with less than God. (Peers, 197)
The symbolism of bridal mysticism is found already in early gnostic forms of Christianity, where the central sacrament is called the Bridal Chamber. There the feminine soul of the gnostic unites with the masculine spirit and is in this way spiritualized, that is, liberated from the limitations of mundane existence. Related symbolism is found as well in the writings of the early Christian mystic Origen and the Neoplatonic mystic Plotinus. These three forms of mysticism are related and serve as the foundation for the history of mysticism in Christianity.
Probably, the early forms of bridal mysticism were influenced by the myth of Eros and Psyche, which was quite popular during late Hellenism. Indeed, we find a gnostic interpretation of this myth in the anonymous homily entitled Exegesis on the Soul, which describes the sacrament of the Bridal Chamber. During the Renaissance, Greek themes and images were rediscovered in Italy and elsewhere in Europe. Certainly, the form of Teresa's vision, and the symbolism illustrated here by Bernini, lies very close to the tale of the god of love and his human beloved. Psyche's name means "soul," and she begins her career as a mortal. It is because Eros loves her and wants her for his bride that Zeus is willing to elevate her to the status of an immortal. For Teresa, the moment in which she experiences the spiritual wound is but one moment in a complex drama culminating in the spiritual marriage, when such wounds will no longer be felt but are supplanted by a complete union of God and the soul on an inner level.
ARCHETYPAL COMMENTARY top
The word psyche in contemporary analytical psychology has taken on at least two meanings. On the one hand, it refers to the faculty of the human being that is capable of experiencing the imaginary world as well as the physical world. On the other hand, psyche may refer to the entire realm of experience, both conscious and unconscious. In the first case, the psyche is identified with the soul in the traditional sense; in the second, the psyche is the world of the soul.
The two traditions that are joined in this image of Saint Teresa are that of Greek mythologystory of Psyche and ErosRenaissance Christian mysticism, in which the soul is awakened to spiritual passion. There is, however, one important variation: In the Greek tale (recounted by Apuleius) it is not Eros who wounds Psyche with one of his arrows (in fact, he wounds himself when he first beholds her); rather, Psyche accidentally wounds herself when, disobeying him, she takes up a light to see what he looks like. In Teresa's vision, she as "soul" is completely passive and receives the wound at the hands of an Eros figure. Nevertheless, central to both scenes is the symbol of wounding, the origin of love in pain inflicted from without.
Although it may seem insignificant at first, the suffering caused by the arrow's wound is of the greatest value. It is the pain that initiates the ensuing action, the eventual marriage of Eros and Psyche in heaven and the spiritual marriage of the Bridegroom and the Bride in Teresa's innermost heart. Teresa describes this pain as being filled with fire, being inflamed. What is needed is something to quench the fire, to heal the wound. For Psyche, what follows is a painful period of alienation between her and Eros, until ultimately they are reunited and she gives birth to their daughter, Joy.
The marriage between the human soul and the divine lover represents a creative union of the human self with its transpersonal counterpart. The soul symbolizes the subjective capacity to feel and experience realitycapacity for consciousness. By uniting with the god of love, the soul gains a permanent connection with the abiding source of all life and love. In the infant, there is not yet the separation that gives rise to a subjective self. In the symbolism of the sacred marriage, a return to the original wholeness is achieved without a regression to the infantile unconsciousness.
Erich Neumann suggests that Psyche cannot truly love Eros in the dark. As Psyche, she requires vision. Her desire to see results in suffering, but also in real love: Psyche's act leads, then, to all the pain of individuation, in which a personality experiences itself in relation to a partner as something other, that is, as not only connected with the partner. Psyche wounds herself and wounds Eros [with the hot oil of the lamp, not the arrow -ed.
BIBLIOGRAPHY top
Auclair, Marcelle. Saint Teresa of ?ila. New York, 1953.
Beever, John. Saint Teresa of Avila. Garden City, N.Y., 1961.
Neumann, Erich. Amor and Psyche, the Psychic Development of the Feminine: A Commentary on the Tale by Apuleius. New York, 1956.
Peers, E. Allison. Studies of the Spanish Mystics. London, 1927.
Walsh, William T. Saint Teresa of ?ila. Milwaukee, 1943.
Article Source : http://aras.org/se_ecstasy.html
Artist: Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini Sculpture: marble Life-size group 1645-1652 CE Site: Italy: Rome Location: Italy: Rome, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Cornaro Chapel
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teresa is clothed from head to foot in a loose hooded garment. Her feet are bare, the left one prominently displayed. Her eyes are shut, her mouth opened, as she swoons in ecstasy. Standing before her is the figure of a winged youth. His garment hangs on one shoulder, exposing his arms and part of his upper torso. In his right hand he holds an arrow that is pointed at the heart of Teresa.
CULTURAL COMMENTARY top
Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) was a Spanish mystic who lived during the Counter-Reformation, a period of religious turmoil in Europe. Teresa founded several houses for discalced (or "barefoot") Carmelite friars and nuns, who sought to live according to the original rule of the order. This was a more primitive and ascetic form of monastic life than was practiced in Spain at that time. In addition, Teresa was author of numerous books, including her Life, a personal autobiography, the Way of Perfection, a handbook for her nuns, and Interior Mansions, in which she describes the many different steps taken on the path to mystical union with God.
Teresa described the soul's intense desire for God in the language of erotic passion. In this, she belongs to a long tradition of mystical experience that is known as bridal mysticism:
It pleased our Lord that I should see the following vision a number of times. I saw an angel near me, on the left side, in bodily form. This I am not wont to see, save very rarely.... In this vision it pleased the Lord that I should see it thus. He was not tall, but short, marvellously beautiful, with a face which shone as though he were one of the highest of the angels, who seem to be all of fire: they must be those whom we call Seraphim.... I saw in his hands a long golden spear, and at the point of the iron there seemed to be a little fire. This I thought that he thrust several times into my heart, and that it penetrated to my entrails. When he drew out the spear he seemed to be drawing them with it, leaving me all on fire with a wondrous love for God. The pain was so great that it caused me to utter several moans; and yet so exceeding sweet is this greatest of pains that it is impossible to desire to be rid of it, or for the soul to be content with less than God. (Peers, 197)
The symbolism of bridal mysticism is found already in early gnostic forms of Christianity, where the central sacrament is called the Bridal Chamber. There the feminine soul of the gnostic unites with the masculine spirit and is in this way spiritualized, that is, liberated from the limitations of mundane existence. Related symbolism is found as well in the writings of the early Christian mystic Origen and the Neoplatonic mystic Plotinus. These three forms of mysticism are related and serve as the foundation for the history of mysticism in Christianity.
Probably, the early forms of bridal mysticism were influenced by the myth of Eros and Psyche, which was quite popular during late Hellenism. Indeed, we find a gnostic interpretation of this myth in the anonymous homily entitled Exegesis on the Soul, which describes the sacrament of the Bridal Chamber. During the Renaissance, Greek themes and images were rediscovered in Italy and elsewhere in Europe. Certainly, the form of Teresa's vision, and the symbolism illustrated here by Bernini, lies very close to the tale of the god of love and his human beloved. Psyche's name means "soul," and she begins her career as a mortal. It is because Eros loves her and wants her for his bride that Zeus is willing to elevate her to the status of an immortal. For Teresa, the moment in which she experiences the spiritual wound is but one moment in a complex drama culminating in the spiritual marriage, when such wounds will no longer be felt but are supplanted by a complete union of God and the soul on an inner level.
ARCHETYPAL COMMENTARY top
The word psyche in contemporary analytical psychology has taken on at least two meanings. On the one hand, it refers to the faculty of the human being that is capable of experiencing the imaginary world as well as the physical world. On the other hand, psyche may refer to the entire realm of experience, both conscious and unconscious. In the first case, the psyche is identified with the soul in the traditional sense; in the second, the psyche is the world of the soul.
The two traditions that are joined in this image of Saint Teresa are that of Greek mythologystory of Psyche and ErosRenaissance Christian mysticism, in which the soul is awakened to spiritual passion. There is, however, one important variation: In the Greek tale (recounted by Apuleius) it is not Eros who wounds Psyche with one of his arrows (in fact, he wounds himself when he first beholds her); rather, Psyche accidentally wounds herself when, disobeying him, she takes up a light to see what he looks like. In Teresa's vision, she as "soul" is completely passive and receives the wound at the hands of an Eros figure. Nevertheless, central to both scenes is the symbol of wounding, the origin of love in pain inflicted from without.
Although it may seem insignificant at first, the suffering caused by the arrow's wound is of the greatest value. It is the pain that initiates the ensuing action, the eventual marriage of Eros and Psyche in heaven and the spiritual marriage of the Bridegroom and the Bride in Teresa's innermost heart. Teresa describes this pain as being filled with fire, being inflamed. What is needed is something to quench the fire, to heal the wound. For Psyche, what follows is a painful period of alienation between her and Eros, until ultimately they are reunited and she gives birth to their daughter, Joy.
The marriage between the human soul and the divine lover represents a creative union of the human self with its transpersonal counterpart. The soul symbolizes the subjective capacity to feel and experience realitycapacity for consciousness. By uniting with the god of love, the soul gains a permanent connection with the abiding source of all life and love. In the infant, there is not yet the separation that gives rise to a subjective self. In the symbolism of the sacred marriage, a return to the original wholeness is achieved without a regression to the infantile unconsciousness.
Erich Neumann suggests that Psyche cannot truly love Eros in the dark. As Psyche, she requires vision. Her desire to see results in suffering, but also in real love: Psyche's act leads, then, to all the pain of individuation, in which a personality experiences itself in relation to a partner as something other, that is, as not only connected with the partner. Psyche wounds herself and wounds Eros [with the hot oil of the lamp, not the arrow -ed.
BIBLIOGRAPHY top
Auclair, Marcelle. Saint Teresa of ?ila. New York, 1953.
Beever, John. Saint Teresa of Avila. Garden City, N.Y., 1961.
Neumann, Erich. Amor and Psyche, the Psychic Development of the Feminine: A Commentary on the Tale by Apuleius. New York, 1956.
Peers, E. Allison. Studies of the Spanish Mystics. London, 1927.
Walsh, William T. Saint Teresa of ?ila. Milwaukee, 1943.
Article Source : http://aras.org/se_ecstasy.html
BRIDAL MYSTICISM
I am the bride; the Creator is my Husband
Lord. I adorn myself to His liking. When
it pleases Him, He enjoys me. My
body and mind are joined to the
True Lord (sggs 1128).
The purpose of human life is to love the omniscient Divine. We can do so through many mental states. These various states can be lumped up in the following headings: Shaant Bhaava (tranquility), Daas Bhaava (master and a servant relationship), Sakhaa Bhaava (friendship or comradeship), Vatsalya Bhaava (affection, like between mother and child), and Maadhuriya Bhaava (bridal mysticism — sweetness, as between lover and beloved). On a material platform, these relationships are based on selfishness. However, on the Spiritual platform, they are purely based on selfless love (Bhagti or devotion). The whole idea of all methods of Self-realization is to revive our consciousness of these eternal states by actively loving the Divine Factor within, leading to man's redemption from bondage.
hir ismrq sdw hoie Anµdu suKu AMqir sWiq sIql mnu Apnw: Hari simarat sadaa hoi anand sukh antari saanti seetal manu apanaa: Meditating on God, you will find Bliss and Peace forever deep Within, and your mind will become tranquil and cool (sggs 860).
qU myrw Twkuru hau dwsu qyrw]quJ ibnu Avru nhI ko myrw: Too meraa thaakur hayu daas teraa. Tujh bin avar nahee ko meraa: O Lord, You are my Master; I am Your slave. Without You, I have no one at all (sggs 1144).
imqRü ipAwrw nwnk jI mY Cif gvwieAw rMig ksuMBY BulI: Mitru piaaraa Nanak jee mai shad gavaaiaa rangi kasunbhai bhulee: I abandoned and lost my Frioend, the Divine Beloved, O Nanak; I was fooled by the transitory color of the safflower-- deceptive Maya or world-appearance (sggs 963).
qUM myrw ipqw qUMhY myrw mwqw]qUM myrw bMDpu qUM myrw BRwqw]qUM myrw rwKw sBnI QweI qw Bau kyhw kwVw jIau: Toon meraa pitaa toon hai meraa maataa. Toon meraa bandhap toon meraa bharaataa. Toon meraa rakhaa sabhnee thaayee taa bhaayu kehaa kaaraa jeeyu: O Lord, You are my Father, and You are my Mother. You are my Relative, and You are my Brother. You are my Protector everywhere; why should I feel any fear or anxiety? (sggs 103).
kvl nYn mDur bYn koit sYn sMg soB khq mw jsod ijsih dhI Bwqu Kwih jIau]dyiK rUpu Aiq AnUpu moh mhw mg BeI ikMknI sbd Jnqkwr Kylu pwih jIau: Kaval nain madhur bain koti sain sang sobh kahat maa jasod jisahi dahee bhaat khaahi jeeo. Dekhi roop ati anoop moh mehaa magg bhaee kinkanee sabad jhanatakaar khel paahi jeeo: You are lotus-eyed, with sweet speech, exalted and embellished with millions of companions. Mother Yashoda invites You to eat the sweet rice. Gazing upon Your supremely beautiful form, and hearing the musical sounds of Your silver bells tinkling, she was intoxicated with delight (sggs 1402).
mY kwmxu myrw kMq krqwru]jyhw krwey qyhw krI sIgwr: Mai kaaman meraa kant kartaar. Jehaa karaae tehaa karee seegaar: I am the bride; the Creator is my Husband Lord. I adorn myself to His liking (sggs 1128).
ijnw iprI ipAwru ibnu drsn ikau iqRpqIAY]nwnk imly suBwie gurmuiK iehu mnu rhsIAY: Jinaa piri piyaar bin darsan kiyu tripteeyai. Nanak milai subhaaye gurmukh ih man rahaseeyai: Those who are in love with their Divine Beloved, how can they find satisfaction without His Darshan (Self-realization)? O Nanak, the Gurmukhs (Spiritual beings) meet Him with ease, and his mind blossoms forth in joy (sggs 1422).
To experience the bridal mysticism, all souls are considered as female in relation to the Supreme Being, who is considered the only man (Purukh or Purushottama). The lives of all God-immersed souls or Rasik Bhagatas (lovers of the Divine Name) who have reveled in this form of mysticism testify to this. As indicated in the Gurbani (SGGS) as well, those engrossed in the Bliss of the Divine Love consider the one Divine as Beloved or Husband, and rest as His soul-brides. In other words, considering one's soul as the lover or bride and the Divine Being as her Beloved or Husband, one surrenders the false ego and then maintains this relationship to eternity.
kyqI nwir vru eyku smwil: Ketee naari var ek samaal: There are so many brides of the One Divine Beloved - consider this (sggs 932).
Twkuru eyku sbweI nwir: Thaakur ek sabaaee Naar: There is one Husband Lord, and all are His brides (sggs 933).
sbid rqy haumY geI soBwvMqI nwir]ipr kY BwxY sdw clY qw binAw sIgwru: Sabadi ratte houmai gaee sobhaavantee naari: Attuned to the Divine Name (Word or Shabad), the soul-bride is rid of egotism, and she is glorified. She walks steadily in the way of His Will; thus her decorations become meaningful (sggs 651).
syj suhwvI sdw ipru rwvY hir vru pwieAw nwir: Sej suhaavee sadaa pir raavai har var paaeiaa naar: Her couch becomes beautiful, and she constantly enjoys her Divine Beloved; for she has Realized the Divine Beloved (sggs 651).
imil pRIqm suKu pwieAw soBwvMqI nwir: Mil preetam sukh paaiaa sobhaavantee naari: Meeting with my Divine Beloved, I have found peace; I am most beautiful and happy soul-bride (sggs 755).
rwm rwm rwm rMig rwqy rs risk gtk inq pIjY: Raam raam raam rang raate ras rasik gatak nit peejai: Those who are imbued with the Love of the Divine Name continually drink in this essence as a Rasik — the lover of the Divine (sggs 1323).
The Gurbani is among many unique exemplars of bridal mysticism. To spread the glory of the Divine Love or Pure devotion, there are numerous hymns throughout the Gurbani representing exceptional works in the genre of bridal mysticism — written by those reveled in this form of selfless Love, steeped in the Bliss of the Divine experience by constantly remembering Him. It is said that bridal mysticism (Maadhuriya Bhaava) is the all-rounded, most intimate, highest ecstasy and most exalted expression of pure Transcendental Love. Also, the bridal mysticism is considered to be inclusive of all the qualities of other "Bhaavas" or "Rasas", where all other Bhaavas attain their Spiritual Perfection.
nIhu mihMjw qaU nwil ibAw nyh kUVwvy fyKu]kpV Bog frwvxy ijcru iprI n fyKu: Neehu mahinjaa taou naal biaa neh koorraave dekh. Kaparr bhog daraavane jichar piree na dekh: I am in love with You; I have seen that other love is false. Even clothes and food are frightening to me, as long as I do not see my Divine Beloved (sggs 1094).
jwlau AYsI rIiq ijqu mY ipAwrw vIsrY]nwnk sweI BlI prIiq ijqu swihb syqI piq rhY: Jaalayu aisee reet jit mahi piyaaraa veesrai. Nanak saayee bhalee preet jit sahib setee pat rahai: Burn away those rituals which lead you to forget the Beloved Lord. O Nanak, sublime is that love, which preserves my honor with my Lord (sggs 590).
PrIdw glIey ickVu dUir Gru nwil ipAwry nyhu]clw q iBjY kMblI rhW q qutY nyhu]24] iBjau isjau kMblI Alh vrsau myhu ]jwie imlw iqnw sjxw qutau nwhI nyhu]25]: Freedaa galeeeye chikarr doori ghari naal piaare nehu. Chalaa ta bhijai kambalee rahaan ta tuttai nehu. Bhijou sijo kambalee allah varasou mehu. Jaai milaa tinaa sajanaa tuttaou naahee nehu: Fareed, the path is muddy, and the house of my Beloved is so far away. If I go out, my blanket will get soaked, but if I remain at home, then my heart will be broken. Let my blanket may get soaked, drenched with the downpour of the Lord's Rain. But I am going out to meet my Divine Beloved, so that my heart will not be broken (sggs 1379).
kbIr lwgI pRIiq sujwn isau brjY logu Ajwnu]qw isau tUtI ikau bnY jw ky jIA prwn: Kabeer laagee preeth sujaan sio burujai log ajaan. Taa sio toottee kiou banai jaa ke jeea paraan: Kabeer, I am in love with the All-knowing Divine; the ignorant ones try to hold me back. How could I ever break with the One, who owns our soul and breath of life (sggs 1376).
ijn AMdir pRIiq iprMm kI ijau bolin iqvY sohMin: Jiin aandari preeti piram kee jiou bolan tivai sohann: Those whose inner beings are filled with the Love of their Divine Beloved, look beautiful as they speak (sggs 301).
mY min qin pRymu iprMm kw ATy phr lgMin: Mai mani tani prem piramm kaa athe pahar lagann: My mind and body are imbued with the Love of my Divine Beloved, twenty-four hours a day (sggs 301).
bwir ivfwnVY huMms DuMms kUkw peIAw rwhI]qau sh syqI lgVI forI nwnk And syqI bnu gwhI: Baar viddaanarrai hummas dhummus kookaa peeaa raahee. Taou sah setee lagarree doree Nanak anad setee banu gaahee: In this wondrous forest of the world, there is chaos and confusion; shrieks emanate from the highways. I am in love with You, O my Divine Beloved; O Nanak, now I can cross the jungle joyfully (sggs 520).
ipRA pRym shij min Andu Drau rI: Pria prem sahaj mani anadu dharou ree: Loving the Divine Beloved, the mind is filled with celestial bliss (sggs 389).
ijin ipru rwivAw sw BlI suhwgix: Jin pir raaviaa saa bhalee suhaagan: She who enjoys her Beloved, is the good Soul-bride (sggs 561).
ipru pwieAVw bwlVIey Anidnu shjy mwqI rwm: Pir paaiarraa baalarreeeye anadin sahaje maatee raam: When the young, innocent bride finds her Divine Beloved, she is automatically intoxicated with Him, night and day (sggs 771).
kwmix min soihlVw swjn imly ipAwry rwm: Kaaman man sohilarraa saajan mile piaare raam: The mind of the soul bride is very happy, when she meets her Friend, her Divine Beloved (sggs 772).
hir AMik smwxI jw pRB BwxI sw sohwgix nwry: Har anki samaanee jaa prabh bhaanee saa sohaagan naarae: She merges into the Being of her Beloved, when she becomes pleasing to God; she is the happy, blessed Soul-bride (sggs 1107).
ipru rwvy rMig rwqVIey ipr kw mhlu iqn pwieAw rwm: Pir raave rang raatarreeye pir kaa mahal tin paaiaa raam: Ravishing her Divine Beloved, soul-bride is imbued with His Love; she experiences His Presence within (sggs 771).
mYfw mnu rqw AwpnVy ipr nwil: Maiddaa manu rattaa aapanarre pir naal: My mind is attuned to the Love of my Divine Beloved (sggs 1014).
suinbo sKI kMiq hmwro kIAlo Ksmwnw: Sunibo sakhee kanti hamaaro keealo khasamaanaa: Hear, O my companions, my Divine Beloved, My Husband, has possessed me (sggs 372).
imrqk khIAih nwnkw ijh pRIiq nhI BgvMq: Miratak kaheeahi Nanakaa jih preet nahee bhagavant: He is likened to a corpse, O Nanak, if one does not love the Divine (sggs 253).
sunhu lokw mY pRym rsu pwieAw: Sunahu lokaa mai prem Rasa paaiaa: Listen, O people: I have tasted the elixir of Divine love (sggs 370).
Thus, bridal mysticism is a characteristic of Pure Love or devotion (Bhagti), not lust; for Love and lust are two totally opposite feelings. Simply put: bridal mysticism is acting in a way that is pleasing to the Divine Will (Eternal Law or Hukam). Other characteristics of Pure devotion include abandoning of all desires and fear, keeping devotion unadulterated, being steadfast in devotion to the One Divine only, and keeping mind engaged in meditation and deep reflections.
guxvMqI shu rwivAw inrguix kUky kwie]jy guxvMqI QI rhY qw BI shu rwvx jwie ]1]myrw kMqu rIswlU kI Dn Avrw rwvy jI]1]rhwau] krxI kwmx jy QIAY jy mnu Dwgw hoie]mwxku muil n pweIAY lIjY iciq proie: Gunvantee sahu raaviaa nirguni kooke kaai. Je gunvantee thee rahai taa bhee sahu raavan jaai. Meraa kant risaaloo kee dhann avaraa raave jee. Karanee kaaman je theeai je manu dhaagaa hoi. Maanak muli na paaeeai leejai chit paroi: The virtuous bride enjoys (realizes) her Divine Beloved; but one without the Divine virtues (who wanders around) uselessly cries out. If she were to become virtuous, then she too could enjoy her Divine Beloved. (The soul-bride who understands that) My Divine Beloved is the Source of all Happiness; she then does not wander around to enjoy anyone else (in search of happiness). O soul-bride, cultivate good conduct; make your mind the thread, and string the Jewel (of the Divine Name) on your consciousness through this thread of your mind within. No one can purchas this Jewel for any price outside (sggs 557).
jy loVih vru kwmxI nh imlIAY ipr kUir: Je lorrahi var kaamanee nah mileeai pir koori: If you long for your Divine Beloved, O soul-bride, you must know that He is not met by falsehood (sggs 17).
sic imlhu vr kwmxI ipir mohI rMgu lwie: Sach milahu var kaamanee piri mohee rang laai: Through Truth, meet your Divine Beloved, O soul-bride. He has embellished me with His love (sggs 58).
clu clu sKI hm pRBu prboDh gux kwmx kir hir pRBu lhIAw: Chal chal sakhee hamm prabh parabodhah gun kaaman kar har prabh laheeaa: Let us go, O my fellow devoted souls, and understand our Divine; with the Divine virtue, let us obtain Him (sggs 836).
nwnk qy sohwgxI ijn@w gurmuiK prgtu hoie: Nanak tae sohaaganee jinaa gurmukh paragat hoe: O Nanak, the Gurmukhs (Spiritual beings) are the happy, virtuous Soul-brides; God is revealed to them (sggs 1412).
—T. Singh
Article Source : http://www.gurbani.org/webart141.htm
Lord. I adorn myself to His liking. When
it pleases Him, He enjoys me. My
body and mind are joined to the
True Lord (sggs 1128).
The purpose of human life is to love the omniscient Divine. We can do so through many mental states. These various states can be lumped up in the following headings: Shaant Bhaava (tranquility), Daas Bhaava (master and a servant relationship), Sakhaa Bhaava (friendship or comradeship), Vatsalya Bhaava (affection, like between mother and child), and Maadhuriya Bhaava (bridal mysticism — sweetness, as between lover and beloved). On a material platform, these relationships are based on selfishness. However, on the Spiritual platform, they are purely based on selfless love (Bhagti or devotion). The whole idea of all methods of Self-realization is to revive our consciousness of these eternal states by actively loving the Divine Factor within, leading to man's redemption from bondage.
hir ismrq sdw hoie Anµdu suKu AMqir sWiq sIql mnu Apnw: Hari simarat sadaa hoi anand sukh antari saanti seetal manu apanaa: Meditating on God, you will find Bliss and Peace forever deep Within, and your mind will become tranquil and cool (sggs 860).
qU myrw Twkuru hau dwsu qyrw]quJ ibnu Avru nhI ko myrw: Too meraa thaakur hayu daas teraa. Tujh bin avar nahee ko meraa: O Lord, You are my Master; I am Your slave. Without You, I have no one at all (sggs 1144).
imqRü ipAwrw nwnk jI mY Cif gvwieAw rMig ksuMBY BulI: Mitru piaaraa Nanak jee mai shad gavaaiaa rangi kasunbhai bhulee: I abandoned and lost my Frioend, the Divine Beloved, O Nanak; I was fooled by the transitory color of the safflower-- deceptive Maya or world-appearance (sggs 963).
qUM myrw ipqw qUMhY myrw mwqw]qUM myrw bMDpu qUM myrw BRwqw]qUM myrw rwKw sBnI QweI qw Bau kyhw kwVw jIau: Toon meraa pitaa toon hai meraa maataa. Toon meraa bandhap toon meraa bharaataa. Toon meraa rakhaa sabhnee thaayee taa bhaayu kehaa kaaraa jeeyu: O Lord, You are my Father, and You are my Mother. You are my Relative, and You are my Brother. You are my Protector everywhere; why should I feel any fear or anxiety? (sggs 103).
kvl nYn mDur bYn koit sYn sMg soB khq mw jsod ijsih dhI Bwqu Kwih jIau]dyiK rUpu Aiq AnUpu moh mhw mg BeI ikMknI sbd Jnqkwr Kylu pwih jIau: Kaval nain madhur bain koti sain sang sobh kahat maa jasod jisahi dahee bhaat khaahi jeeo. Dekhi roop ati anoop moh mehaa magg bhaee kinkanee sabad jhanatakaar khel paahi jeeo: You are lotus-eyed, with sweet speech, exalted and embellished with millions of companions. Mother Yashoda invites You to eat the sweet rice. Gazing upon Your supremely beautiful form, and hearing the musical sounds of Your silver bells tinkling, she was intoxicated with delight (sggs 1402).
mY kwmxu myrw kMq krqwru]jyhw krwey qyhw krI sIgwr: Mai kaaman meraa kant kartaar. Jehaa karaae tehaa karee seegaar: I am the bride; the Creator is my Husband Lord. I adorn myself to His liking (sggs 1128).
ijnw iprI ipAwru ibnu drsn ikau iqRpqIAY]nwnk imly suBwie gurmuiK iehu mnu rhsIAY: Jinaa piri piyaar bin darsan kiyu tripteeyai. Nanak milai subhaaye gurmukh ih man rahaseeyai: Those who are in love with their Divine Beloved, how can they find satisfaction without His Darshan (Self-realization)? O Nanak, the Gurmukhs (Spiritual beings) meet Him with ease, and his mind blossoms forth in joy (sggs 1422).
To experience the bridal mysticism, all souls are considered as female in relation to the Supreme Being, who is considered the only man (Purukh or Purushottama). The lives of all God-immersed souls or Rasik Bhagatas (lovers of the Divine Name) who have reveled in this form of mysticism testify to this. As indicated in the Gurbani (SGGS) as well, those engrossed in the Bliss of the Divine Love consider the one Divine as Beloved or Husband, and rest as His soul-brides. In other words, considering one's soul as the lover or bride and the Divine Being as her Beloved or Husband, one surrenders the false ego and then maintains this relationship to eternity.
kyqI nwir vru eyku smwil: Ketee naari var ek samaal: There are so many brides of the One Divine Beloved - consider this (sggs 932).
Twkuru eyku sbweI nwir: Thaakur ek sabaaee Naar: There is one Husband Lord, and all are His brides (sggs 933).
sbid rqy haumY geI soBwvMqI nwir]ipr kY BwxY sdw clY qw binAw sIgwru: Sabadi ratte houmai gaee sobhaavantee naari: Attuned to the Divine Name (Word or Shabad), the soul-bride is rid of egotism, and she is glorified. She walks steadily in the way of His Will; thus her decorations become meaningful (sggs 651).
syj suhwvI sdw ipru rwvY hir vru pwieAw nwir: Sej suhaavee sadaa pir raavai har var paaeiaa naar: Her couch becomes beautiful, and she constantly enjoys her Divine Beloved; for she has Realized the Divine Beloved (sggs 651).
imil pRIqm suKu pwieAw soBwvMqI nwir: Mil preetam sukh paaiaa sobhaavantee naari: Meeting with my Divine Beloved, I have found peace; I am most beautiful and happy soul-bride (sggs 755).
rwm rwm rwm rMig rwqy rs risk gtk inq pIjY: Raam raam raam rang raate ras rasik gatak nit peejai: Those who are imbued with the Love of the Divine Name continually drink in this essence as a Rasik — the lover of the Divine (sggs 1323).
The Gurbani is among many unique exemplars of bridal mysticism. To spread the glory of the Divine Love or Pure devotion, there are numerous hymns throughout the Gurbani representing exceptional works in the genre of bridal mysticism — written by those reveled in this form of selfless Love, steeped in the Bliss of the Divine experience by constantly remembering Him. It is said that bridal mysticism (Maadhuriya Bhaava) is the all-rounded, most intimate, highest ecstasy and most exalted expression of pure Transcendental Love. Also, the bridal mysticism is considered to be inclusive of all the qualities of other "Bhaavas" or "Rasas", where all other Bhaavas attain their Spiritual Perfection.
nIhu mihMjw qaU nwil ibAw nyh kUVwvy fyKu]kpV Bog frwvxy ijcru iprI n fyKu: Neehu mahinjaa taou naal biaa neh koorraave dekh. Kaparr bhog daraavane jichar piree na dekh: I am in love with You; I have seen that other love is false. Even clothes and food are frightening to me, as long as I do not see my Divine Beloved (sggs 1094).
jwlau AYsI rIiq ijqu mY ipAwrw vIsrY]nwnk sweI BlI prIiq ijqu swihb syqI piq rhY: Jaalayu aisee reet jit mahi piyaaraa veesrai. Nanak saayee bhalee preet jit sahib setee pat rahai: Burn away those rituals which lead you to forget the Beloved Lord. O Nanak, sublime is that love, which preserves my honor with my Lord (sggs 590).
PrIdw glIey ickVu dUir Gru nwil ipAwry nyhu]clw q iBjY kMblI rhW q qutY nyhu]24] iBjau isjau kMblI Alh vrsau myhu ]jwie imlw iqnw sjxw qutau nwhI nyhu]25]: Freedaa galeeeye chikarr doori ghari naal piaare nehu. Chalaa ta bhijai kambalee rahaan ta tuttai nehu. Bhijou sijo kambalee allah varasou mehu. Jaai milaa tinaa sajanaa tuttaou naahee nehu: Fareed, the path is muddy, and the house of my Beloved is so far away. If I go out, my blanket will get soaked, but if I remain at home, then my heart will be broken. Let my blanket may get soaked, drenched with the downpour of the Lord's Rain. But I am going out to meet my Divine Beloved, so that my heart will not be broken (sggs 1379).
kbIr lwgI pRIiq sujwn isau brjY logu Ajwnu]qw isau tUtI ikau bnY jw ky jIA prwn: Kabeer laagee preeth sujaan sio burujai log ajaan. Taa sio toottee kiou banai jaa ke jeea paraan: Kabeer, I am in love with the All-knowing Divine; the ignorant ones try to hold me back. How could I ever break with the One, who owns our soul and breath of life (sggs 1376).
ijn AMdir pRIiq iprMm kI ijau bolin iqvY sohMin: Jiin aandari preeti piram kee jiou bolan tivai sohann: Those whose inner beings are filled with the Love of their Divine Beloved, look beautiful as they speak (sggs 301).
mY min qin pRymu iprMm kw ATy phr lgMin: Mai mani tani prem piramm kaa athe pahar lagann: My mind and body are imbued with the Love of my Divine Beloved, twenty-four hours a day (sggs 301).
bwir ivfwnVY huMms DuMms kUkw peIAw rwhI]qau sh syqI lgVI forI nwnk And syqI bnu gwhI: Baar viddaanarrai hummas dhummus kookaa peeaa raahee. Taou sah setee lagarree doree Nanak anad setee banu gaahee: In this wondrous forest of the world, there is chaos and confusion; shrieks emanate from the highways. I am in love with You, O my Divine Beloved; O Nanak, now I can cross the jungle joyfully (sggs 520).
ipRA pRym shij min Andu Drau rI: Pria prem sahaj mani anadu dharou ree: Loving the Divine Beloved, the mind is filled with celestial bliss (sggs 389).
ijin ipru rwivAw sw BlI suhwgix: Jin pir raaviaa saa bhalee suhaagan: She who enjoys her Beloved, is the good Soul-bride (sggs 561).
ipru pwieAVw bwlVIey Anidnu shjy mwqI rwm: Pir paaiarraa baalarreeeye anadin sahaje maatee raam: When the young, innocent bride finds her Divine Beloved, she is automatically intoxicated with Him, night and day (sggs 771).
kwmix min soihlVw swjn imly ipAwry rwm: Kaaman man sohilarraa saajan mile piaare raam: The mind of the soul bride is very happy, when she meets her Friend, her Divine Beloved (sggs 772).
hir AMik smwxI jw pRB BwxI sw sohwgix nwry: Har anki samaanee jaa prabh bhaanee saa sohaagan naarae: She merges into the Being of her Beloved, when she becomes pleasing to God; she is the happy, blessed Soul-bride (sggs 1107).
ipru rwvy rMig rwqVIey ipr kw mhlu iqn pwieAw rwm: Pir raave rang raatarreeye pir kaa mahal tin paaiaa raam: Ravishing her Divine Beloved, soul-bride is imbued with His Love; she experiences His Presence within (sggs 771).
mYfw mnu rqw AwpnVy ipr nwil: Maiddaa manu rattaa aapanarre pir naal: My mind is attuned to the Love of my Divine Beloved (sggs 1014).
suinbo sKI kMiq hmwro kIAlo Ksmwnw: Sunibo sakhee kanti hamaaro keealo khasamaanaa: Hear, O my companions, my Divine Beloved, My Husband, has possessed me (sggs 372).
imrqk khIAih nwnkw ijh pRIiq nhI BgvMq: Miratak kaheeahi Nanakaa jih preet nahee bhagavant: He is likened to a corpse, O Nanak, if one does not love the Divine (sggs 253).
sunhu lokw mY pRym rsu pwieAw: Sunahu lokaa mai prem Rasa paaiaa: Listen, O people: I have tasted the elixir of Divine love (sggs 370).
Thus, bridal mysticism is a characteristic of Pure Love or devotion (Bhagti), not lust; for Love and lust are two totally opposite feelings. Simply put: bridal mysticism is acting in a way that is pleasing to the Divine Will (Eternal Law or Hukam). Other characteristics of Pure devotion include abandoning of all desires and fear, keeping devotion unadulterated, being steadfast in devotion to the One Divine only, and keeping mind engaged in meditation and deep reflections.
guxvMqI shu rwivAw inrguix kUky kwie]jy guxvMqI QI rhY qw BI shu rwvx jwie ]1]myrw kMqu rIswlU kI Dn Avrw rwvy jI]1]rhwau] krxI kwmx jy QIAY jy mnu Dwgw hoie]mwxku muil n pweIAY lIjY iciq proie: Gunvantee sahu raaviaa nirguni kooke kaai. Je gunvantee thee rahai taa bhee sahu raavan jaai. Meraa kant risaaloo kee dhann avaraa raave jee. Karanee kaaman je theeai je manu dhaagaa hoi. Maanak muli na paaeeai leejai chit paroi: The virtuous bride enjoys (realizes) her Divine Beloved; but one without the Divine virtues (who wanders around) uselessly cries out. If she were to become virtuous, then she too could enjoy her Divine Beloved. (The soul-bride who understands that) My Divine Beloved is the Source of all Happiness; she then does not wander around to enjoy anyone else (in search of happiness). O soul-bride, cultivate good conduct; make your mind the thread, and string the Jewel (of the Divine Name) on your consciousness through this thread of your mind within. No one can purchas this Jewel for any price outside (sggs 557).
jy loVih vru kwmxI nh imlIAY ipr kUir: Je lorrahi var kaamanee nah mileeai pir koori: If you long for your Divine Beloved, O soul-bride, you must know that He is not met by falsehood (sggs 17).
sic imlhu vr kwmxI ipir mohI rMgu lwie: Sach milahu var kaamanee piri mohee rang laai: Through Truth, meet your Divine Beloved, O soul-bride. He has embellished me with His love (sggs 58).
clu clu sKI hm pRBu prboDh gux kwmx kir hir pRBu lhIAw: Chal chal sakhee hamm prabh parabodhah gun kaaman kar har prabh laheeaa: Let us go, O my fellow devoted souls, and understand our Divine; with the Divine virtue, let us obtain Him (sggs 836).
nwnk qy sohwgxI ijn@w gurmuiK prgtu hoie: Nanak tae sohaaganee jinaa gurmukh paragat hoe: O Nanak, the Gurmukhs (Spiritual beings) are the happy, virtuous Soul-brides; God is revealed to them (sggs 1412).
—T. Singh
Article Source : http://www.gurbani.org/webart141.htm
Union via Universal Love is Bridal Mysticism
The noblest Union is Union via Love. Love is an outpouring of the heart and Love is Love's reward.
Love is a glory from Eternity's spheres
He is still the Godhead that can make all change
Love should never cease to be upon the earth
Love is the bright link betwixt earth and heaven
Love is the far Transcendent's angel here
Love is man's lien on the Absolute ( Aurobindo )
All other yogas are difficult to practice. Raja Yoga ( Union via psychic control ) is difficult because we have to keep up Brahmacharya ( continence ), Jnana Yoga is difficult because of the philosophic subtlety of the concepts & Karma Yoga is difficult because its end is far, far away. On the other hand Bhakti Yoga or Union via Love is simple to practise because there are no restrictions in this noblest and blest Union via Love.
Having a Tutelary Deity is the first step. This Deity should be worshipped in thought, word and deed.
" By giving thyself up in heart and soul to Me, thou shalt overcome all difficulties by My Grace " says He in the Geetha.
Only Universal Love can redeem the world. The salvation of the world is in love and through love.
"Take away Love and the whole world becomes a tomb" said Byron
Man is endowed with many positive qualities. Truth, Ethics, Peace, the Discriminative intellect & Love are the major five positive qualities in man. Of these, Love is the greatest positive quality.
If we incorporate love, we can see that our lives become peaceful & spiritually resplendent. We are asked to incorporate this supreme quality, which is a prerequisite for Liberation or Self-Realisation.
Freud identified Thanatos ( Death Instinct ) as the destructive element in Man. Contray to Thanatos is Eros or the Life Instinct. It is true that Thanatos ( Death Instinct ) or the Vedantic Thamas is the villain of the piece as far as this sin-sick world is concerned. The Mr Hyde in man is very powerful. In Man there is an eternal fight going on between Conscience and Expedience. between Eros and Thanatos! We have not yet defined the Life instinct. This anti-Thanatos principle is Love !
So the preserving quality is Love. Love alone is the Saviour, Love alone is the Redeemer. He who embraces Love is blessed and he alone can save the world.
His light and life is given to balance here
The dark account of mortal ignorance!
It is this quality which is highly favoured by Heaven !
Love rules the court, the camp and the grove,
All men below and saints above
For Love is Heaven and Heaven is Love !
As one Great One said
Love all beings
That is enough !
Or Alexander Pope
He prayeth best who loveth best
Both bird and man and beast
When it comes to Jnana & Bhakti Yogas, it is said that He, before whom even the Vedas remain mute, prefers Union via Love to Union via Wisdom.
It is like the wife and lady love. Jnana Yoga is the wife and Bhakthi Yoga is the lady love.
Jnana Yoga is like the wife. It asks " Why didnt you actualise the Self ?"
Bhakti Yoga is like the lady love. It asks " No problem ; there is still time for you to actualise"
More information about Transcendental Philosophy & Yoga can be
had from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yogamain.htm
In the Divina Commedia, Beatrice criticises Dante for following Philosophy and not Religion. Under Beatrice's compulsion Dante changes over to Bhakti Yoga, away from Being and Becoming !
I wake amaze and in the windows blaze
The forms of saints & holy men who died
Hereafter martyred and hereafter crucified
And the Great Rose upon its leaves displays
Love's triumph and the angelic roundelays
With splendour upon splendour multiplied
And Beatrice again at Dante's side!
No more rebuking but smiling her words of praise ( Longfellow )
The strict restrictions in other Yogas make it difficult to practise them. On the other hand, there are no restrictions in Bhakthi Yoga. The process of spiritual evolution is automatic and all blocks will be removed by Divine Grace.
In the Geetha, He hath declared that Bhakthi is the greatest of all yogas. The bliss that accrues from sheer devotion is ineffable !
The basic dictums of Bhakthi Yoga are simple. They are
Love All
Serve All
Help Ever
Hurt Never
Hate None
Nurture All
Educate All
If we can do this spontaneously, we have reached Universal Love.
"I shall deliver thee from all sin and evil" says He in the Geetha. The debit in our Karmic balance sheet will be exhausted & we become eligible for Self-Actualisation.
As Robert Bach said " At the end of our terrestrial journey, one question will be asked. How much did we love and what is the quality of our love ? "
Love your neighbour because he is like you; and love your enemy because enmity is a misunderstanding.
Start the day with Love
End the day with Love
Spend the day with Love
Fill the day with Love
That is the way to the Divine ( Sai )
The simple wisdom which is Love can redeem us & this world!
Economists say that Money makes the world go around. While this statement is true superficially, when we go deeply, we find that some other emotion makes the world go around. It is Love that makes the world go around!
When we ask one thing, God gives that one thing but when we ask nothing, He gives everything, He gives Himself & also the spontaneous boons of His love! Our prayer should be like the prayer of the poet who prayed " I desire nothing
from Thee, I desire only Thee ! ".
The Fourfold Dharma & the Fifth Dharma
The Law asks us to practice the Fourfold Dharma
They are
1) Brahmacharya - During pre-marriage days one should steadfastly follow Dharma
2) Garhastya - Once married, should do both duties - worldly & divine
3) Vanaprastha - Once responsibilities are over, one should seek the Divine
4) Sanyasa - To walk in the Self; to embrace none but Him.
There is a fifth Dharma. It is called Prajna Dharma, the Highest Wisdom is Love!
The Four Purusharthas ( objectives ) & the Fifth Purushartha
There are four purusharthas. They are Artha ( Wealth ), Dharma ( Ethics & Morality), Kama ( Desires ) & Moksha ( Self-Realisation ).
There is a fifth Purushartha. It is Prema, Love !
Premam Brahma - Love is He ! The highest knowledge is Love !
The equation of Jnana Yoga - Prajnanam Anandam Brahma (The Self is Consciousness & Bliss ) is replaced by the more powerful equation of Bhakthi Yoga - Premam Anandam Brahma ( Self is Love and Bliss ) ! Love alone can confer Bliss!
Love is a manna sent from Heaven, a spark of the Immortal Fire, sent by the Lord to elevate our low desire!
The heart is 60 times more powerful than the brain. There is only one language and it is the language of the heart!
" Only via Love can anybody reach me " says Lord Krishna in the Gita. Same statement is attributed to Jesus " No one cometh to the Father, but via Me ". All these smack of the high importance the Yogis have given to this supreme quality, Bhakthi or Universal Love !
All wisdom is contained in Love and love alone can heal this sin-sick world, as love is divine medicine!
It is said that the Lord is playing hide and seek! Himself the play, Himself the player, Himself the playground!
The Universal Governor of life lies in us
He is playing hide and seek with his own force
Eternal, He assents to Fate and chance
Immortal, He dallies with mortality
Divine, he wears the form of animal and man
He whose transcendence rules the pregnant vasts
Prescient lay in our subliminal depths
A luminous individual power, alone - ( Aurobindo )
And His mantra is LOVE !
Love is a glory from Eternity's spheres
He is still the Godhead that can make all change
Love should never cease to be upon the earth
Love is the bright link betwixt earth and heaven
Love is the far Transcendent's angel here
Love is man's lien on the Absolute ( Aurobindo )
All other yogas are difficult to practice. Raja Yoga ( Union via psychic control ) is difficult because we have to keep up Brahmacharya ( continence ), Jnana Yoga is difficult because of the philosophic subtlety of the concepts & Karma Yoga is difficult because its end is far, far away. On the other hand Bhakti Yoga or Union via Love is simple to practise because there are no restrictions in this noblest and blest Union via Love.
Having a Tutelary Deity is the first step. This Deity should be worshipped in thought, word and deed.
" By giving thyself up in heart and soul to Me, thou shalt overcome all difficulties by My Grace " says He in the Geetha.
Only Universal Love can redeem the world. The salvation of the world is in love and through love.
"Take away Love and the whole world becomes a tomb" said Byron
Man is endowed with many positive qualities. Truth, Ethics, Peace, the Discriminative intellect & Love are the major five positive qualities in man. Of these, Love is the greatest positive quality.
If we incorporate love, we can see that our lives become peaceful & spiritually resplendent. We are asked to incorporate this supreme quality, which is a prerequisite for Liberation or Self-Realisation.
Freud identified Thanatos ( Death Instinct ) as the destructive element in Man. Contray to Thanatos is Eros or the Life Instinct. It is true that Thanatos ( Death Instinct ) or the Vedantic Thamas is the villain of the piece as far as this sin-sick world is concerned. The Mr Hyde in man is very powerful. In Man there is an eternal fight going on between Conscience and Expedience. between Eros and Thanatos! We have not yet defined the Life instinct. This anti-Thanatos principle is Love !
So the preserving quality is Love. Love alone is the Saviour, Love alone is the Redeemer. He who embraces Love is blessed and he alone can save the world.
His light and life is given to balance here
The dark account of mortal ignorance!
It is this quality which is highly favoured by Heaven !
Love rules the court, the camp and the grove,
All men below and saints above
For Love is Heaven and Heaven is Love !
As one Great One said
Love all beings
That is enough !
Or Alexander Pope
He prayeth best who loveth best
Both bird and man and beast
When it comes to Jnana & Bhakti Yogas, it is said that He, before whom even the Vedas remain mute, prefers Union via Love to Union via Wisdom.
It is like the wife and lady love. Jnana Yoga is the wife and Bhakthi Yoga is the lady love.
Jnana Yoga is like the wife. It asks " Why didnt you actualise the Self ?"
Bhakti Yoga is like the lady love. It asks " No problem ; there is still time for you to actualise"
More information about Transcendental Philosophy & Yoga can be
had from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yogamain.htm
In the Divina Commedia, Beatrice criticises Dante for following Philosophy and not Religion. Under Beatrice's compulsion Dante changes over to Bhakti Yoga, away from Being and Becoming !
I wake amaze and in the windows blaze
The forms of saints & holy men who died
Hereafter martyred and hereafter crucified
And the Great Rose upon its leaves displays
Love's triumph and the angelic roundelays
With splendour upon splendour multiplied
And Beatrice again at Dante's side!
No more rebuking but smiling her words of praise ( Longfellow )
The strict restrictions in other Yogas make it difficult to practise them. On the other hand, there are no restrictions in Bhakthi Yoga. The process of spiritual evolution is automatic and all blocks will be removed by Divine Grace.
In the Geetha, He hath declared that Bhakthi is the greatest of all yogas. The bliss that accrues from sheer devotion is ineffable !
The basic dictums of Bhakthi Yoga are simple. They are
Love All
Serve All
Help Ever
Hurt Never
Hate None
Nurture All
Educate All
If we can do this spontaneously, we have reached Universal Love.
"I shall deliver thee from all sin and evil" says He in the Geetha. The debit in our Karmic balance sheet will be exhausted & we become eligible for Self-Actualisation.
As Robert Bach said " At the end of our terrestrial journey, one question will be asked. How much did we love and what is the quality of our love ? "
Love your neighbour because he is like you; and love your enemy because enmity is a misunderstanding.
Start the day with Love
End the day with Love
Spend the day with Love
Fill the day with Love
That is the way to the Divine ( Sai )
The simple wisdom which is Love can redeem us & this world!
Economists say that Money makes the world go around. While this statement is true superficially, when we go deeply, we find that some other emotion makes the world go around. It is Love that makes the world go around!
When we ask one thing, God gives that one thing but when we ask nothing, He gives everything, He gives Himself & also the spontaneous boons of His love! Our prayer should be like the prayer of the poet who prayed " I desire nothing
from Thee, I desire only Thee ! ".
The Fourfold Dharma & the Fifth Dharma
The Law asks us to practice the Fourfold Dharma
They are
1) Brahmacharya - During pre-marriage days one should steadfastly follow Dharma
2) Garhastya - Once married, should do both duties - worldly & divine
3) Vanaprastha - Once responsibilities are over, one should seek the Divine
4) Sanyasa - To walk in the Self; to embrace none but Him.
There is a fifth Dharma. It is called Prajna Dharma, the Highest Wisdom is Love!
The Four Purusharthas ( objectives ) & the Fifth Purushartha
There are four purusharthas. They are Artha ( Wealth ), Dharma ( Ethics & Morality), Kama ( Desires ) & Moksha ( Self-Realisation ).
There is a fifth Purushartha. It is Prema, Love !
Premam Brahma - Love is He ! The highest knowledge is Love !
The equation of Jnana Yoga - Prajnanam Anandam Brahma (The Self is Consciousness & Bliss ) is replaced by the more powerful equation of Bhakthi Yoga - Premam Anandam Brahma ( Self is Love and Bliss ) ! Love alone can confer Bliss!
Love is a manna sent from Heaven, a spark of the Immortal Fire, sent by the Lord to elevate our low desire!
The heart is 60 times more powerful than the brain. There is only one language and it is the language of the heart!
" Only via Love can anybody reach me " says Lord Krishna in the Gita. Same statement is attributed to Jesus " No one cometh to the Father, but via Me ". All these smack of the high importance the Yogis have given to this supreme quality, Bhakthi or Universal Love !
All wisdom is contained in Love and love alone can heal this sin-sick world, as love is divine medicine!
It is said that the Lord is playing hide and seek! Himself the play, Himself the player, Himself the playground!
The Universal Governor of life lies in us
He is playing hide and seek with his own force
Eternal, He assents to Fate and chance
Immortal, He dallies with mortality
Divine, he wears the form of animal and man
He whose transcendence rules the pregnant vasts
Prescient lay in our subliminal depths
A luminous individual power, alone - ( Aurobindo )
And His mantra is LOVE !
Bridal Mysticism is the noblest path !
The Absolute Maximum alone exists in se and is believed to be the God of all nations.
He is Universal Love. If we follow His principles
Love All
Serve All
Hate None
Help Ever
Hate Never
we can unite with Him and redeem this world !
So let us practise Universal Love !
He is Universal Love. If we follow His principles
Love All
Serve All
Hate None
Help Ever
Hate Never
we can unite with Him and redeem this world !
So let us practise Universal Love !
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Blog your Way to Glory
Blog Marketing is the latest sensation on the Net. Everybody admits that Internet Marketing is a tough job. Well I Marketing can be simplified by creating blog posts and getting global exposure !
You can submit your blogs to the Blog Submission Centers , create reciprocal links with other bloggers, write your heart out and become well known.
If you can write about your subject, you will be respected as an authority.
Your blog posts will be read by the one billion Netizens. If you blogtimise or optimize your blogs, they will soar high in the search engines !
Improved traffic, if you write your blogs well. Improved ranking in the Search Engines, improved Alexa traffic rankings, improved Google Page Rank, improved YBL ( Yahoo Inbound Links ), GBL ( Google Inbound Links ), MBL ( MSN Inbound Links ) - all these are these some of the by products of good writing.
In order to get global exposure, you have to submit your blogs. If you submit your blogs to the search engines, you will soar high in their rankings.
Write your way to glory. It is said that Writing can survive the Cosmological Cycles ! Hence, take up the pen and write, and via blogs become famous !
You can submit your blogs to the Blog Submission Centers , create reciprocal links with other bloggers, write your heart out and become well known.
If you can write about your subject, you will be respected as an authority.
Your blog posts will be read by the one billion Netizens. If you blogtimise or optimize your blogs, they will soar high in the search engines !
Improved traffic, if you write your blogs well. Improved ranking in the Search Engines, improved Alexa traffic rankings, improved Google Page Rank, improved YBL ( Yahoo Inbound Links ), GBL ( Google Inbound Links ), MBL ( MSN Inbound Links ) - all these are these some of the by products of good writing.
In order to get global exposure, you have to submit your blogs. If you submit your blogs to the search engines, you will soar high in their rankings.
Write your way to glory. It is said that Writing can survive the Cosmological Cycles ! Hence, take up the pen and write, and via blogs become famous !
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