Unveiling the Essence of Devotion: Insights from Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji MaharajDevotion to God holds a significant place in the hearts of countless individuals in India. Temples and places of worship dot the landscape, and the chanting of sacred mantras resonates in homes and communities. However, despite this apparent religiosity, there exists a perplexing contradiction—a prevalence of crime, moral turpitude, and wrongdoing in society. To unravel this conundrum, it is crucial to scrutinize the practices and motivations behind devotional acts. It becomes apparent that the blame lies not with the concept of devotion itself, but rather with the misguidance perpetuated by self-styled gurus who exploit the faith of unsuspecting followers. Amidst this complex scenario, emerges a beacon of spiritual wisdom--Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj. With deep insight and profound knowledge, he has endeavored to elucidate the true essence of devotional practice. By unraveling the misconceptions and emphasizing the pivotal role of the mind in spiritual pursuits, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj brings clarity to the path of genuine devotion. Let us explore the profound teachings he imparts, shedding light on the transformative power of sincere devotion to God. A question is often asked, “How is it that in India a very large number of people appear to be devotees of God; every other home here has a special place for worship; people accompanying a funeral procession utter in unison rama nama satya hai or “God’s name is the only truth”, and yet our society is bedeviled by so much crime, moral turpitude and wrongdoing of all kinds?” The blame lies with self-styled gurus who are roaming around the country making simple, gullible people their disciples by giving them some mantras, and thus playing on their feelings. It is these imposters who are responsible for this sorry state of affairs. They themselves do not know the right way to practice devotion. People in general, almost ninety-nine percent, do it with their sense organs eyes, ears, tongue, feet, and hands. They worship God with their folded hands. They go to temples and have darshan of the images of the Saints with their eyes; listen to the recitation of the Bhagavatam or Ramayana with their ears; chant God’s names and Vedic mantras and read religious books like the Gita, the Bhagavatam, Guru Granth Sahib, etc. with the use of the tongue. They go on pilgrimage to all the four dhams and other holy places on foot. This kind of exercise is not sadhana or devotional practice in the true sense. It’s like multiplying any number, say ten million, by zero and the result will be zero. Similarly, the devotion that you do with your sense organs is of no avail. God does not note this sort of practice and ignores it, being merely physical and therefore an exercise in futility. It is the mind that has to perform sadhana or devotional practice. So by performing such practices you are not actually worshipping God. You are only deceiving yourself. Chanting God’s names, His qualities, and His pastimes in this way is like somebody asking a child to repeat some lesson verbally without actually properly understanding it. A teacher who has spiritual knowledge, who knows the theory, will teach his disciples the very first lesson that they have to attach their minds to God while doing devotional practice. Everybody knows how one loves their dear ones. Even animals and birds know it. Just as you love your parents, your spouse, your children, and even your money and your body with your mind attached to them, you have to love God in the same way. It is as simple as this. You don’t need some other mind to love God. The scriptures do not prescribe any other way. Take it from me. I have gone through all the scriptures – the Vedas and Shastras. I can tell you authoritatively that they do not prescribe any other method. Just as you love this world, so you have to love God. You will spend all your life crying, sometimes on your personal loss and sometimes on others’ miseries and one day you will die just like that. Devotion to God is out of the question in your daily life. It is because you did not practice devotion with your mind completely absorbed in it. All you have been doing is Japa or mechanically repeating God’s names. These self-appointed gurus have spoiled everything by misguiding their followers. They routinely teach them inane methods of worshipping God and assure them that by following their instructions they will achieve whatever they wish for. But in this way they will achieve nothing. Please take note of this. You have to cry incessantly and shed tears and ask for the darshan and love of God. The singing of kirtan and the chanting of God’s names must be performed with tearful eyes. Do this devotional practice selflessly without asking for any material things. The problem with most of the devotees is that while worshipping God they expect Him to fulfill their worldly desires and wishes. If you do so, you wrongly believe that there is happiness in this world. If you really believe that there is happiness in this world, why do you then utter that God’s name is the only truth? Why do you then approach God? Why don’t you worship this world itself? But if you truly believe that it is only in God that happiness dwells, then worship Him and nothing else. It is not proper to approach God and ask for worldly things. Do you ever ask a sweet-seller to give you a pair of slippers? If you think that there is happiness in this material world then approach the world. We have not yet learned the very first lesson which teaches us that it is the mind which has to perform devotional practice. You may not chant the names of Rama or Krishna or Radhe if you so choose, but attach your mind to God. You will have God-realisation. With our minds attached to the world, we are practicing devotion to God with our senses. What will we gain by this? You say that you have been practicing devotion for over ten years but you didn’t achieve anything. You may spend even ten lifetimes doing devotion like this and still, you will gain nothing. It is because you are practicing devotion the wrong way. Only God can purify your heart. It is possible only when your mind is absorbed in His devotion. Only then you will be endowed with divine qualities like compassion, philanthropy, etc. which you know and refer to as the qualities of good conduct. Your heart and mind should be completely purified like a thoroughly cleaned vessel to receive these virtues. In order to have your heart purified, you have to practice rupadhyana of God with tears rolling down your cheeks. So always remember. Practice rupadhyana with tears. It is very important. Now you will ask, How can I visualize God for practicing rupadhyana as I haven’t seen Him? It’s good that you haven’t seen Him. If you could see Him, you would turn into an atheist, because you cannot see God in His true form. Your eyes are material, made up from panchamahabhuta, the five gross elements and God is divine. His form is divine. So if you want to have darshan of God, you have to make your heart a cleaned purified vessel and your senses divine. For practicing rupadhyana take the help of any picture or image, or better still, imagine any form of God of your own choice. Close your eyes, mentally picturise Shyamasundara, and adorn His image with whatever ornaments you can think of. God does not dictate any terms in this regard. It is left to you. He will accept whatever form you imagine Him in. So first practice rupadhyana in this way and then chant God’s name. Thus, the mind first, and the senses next. Use your senses for chanting God’s names, but before that remember Him by engaging your mind, because it is the mind that contains the sin and not the eyes, the ears, or any other sense organ, and therefore, it is the mind that has to be cleansed. Pay attention. You have to practice rupadhyana and realize the presence of God within you at every place at every moment. To begin with, practice it at an hour’s gap. God is dwelling in my heart. Feel this intensely, silently. Gradually reduce the gap from one hour to half an hour, then to one minute, and finally to one second. You will be in a state of trance and will feel the Lord of countless universes; the Almighty Is seated in my heart. Nobody can be as fortunate as I am. Whenever you even think of doing some wrong, an alarm from within will check you instantly and make you think that you are being watched by God and He will note it, and therefore, deprive you of His grace and kindness. You will thus be deterred from committing sin. So what you have to do is feel the presence of God wherever you are. Find a time and place undisturbed by the presence of others, and while sitting at that place, practice rupadhyana and simultaneously chant God’s names, His qualities, and His pastimes with tears in your eyes. This will make your heart completely purified. When your heart becomes completely purified, you will attain the stage of complete detachment from this material world. The death of your father, mother or any other close relative will not create in you any feeling of sorrow or loss. Any amount of insult heaped on you by your neighbour or any other person will not upset you. When you have reached this stage only then will your Guru endow you with svarupa shakti or divine power. It is like when your house is fitted with electrical equipment such as fans, light bulbs, and fluorescent tubes, etc. but they will not work until and unless they are connected to the powerhouse. Once these gadgets are connected to the powerhouse they at once start working. The house will be flooded with light and the air cooled by whirring fans. In the same way, when the Guru gives you a mantra, whether by whispering it into your ears or by hugging you, or just by touching you, it will have the desired effect. You will be instantly freed from the clutches of maya, you will attain everlasting divine bliss and the divine darshan of God till eternity. Engage your mind in devotional practice; it will purify your heart. You will not be tempted to commit any sinful or immoral act. If all of you practice devotion in this way, nobody will be intrigued by the impression that India is a land of devotees, and yet there is so much corruption here. Conclusion In the realm of devotional practice in India, the prevalence of misguided gurus and superficial acts of worship has clouded the true essence of spiritual pursuits. However, through the teachings of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, a paradigm shift emerges. He emphasizes that mere physical rituals and external displays of devotion hold no significance if the mind remains detached and unengaged. True devotion lies in a profound connection with God, where the mind is wholly absorbed in love and remembrance of the divine. By dispelling misconceptions, encouraging introspection, and emphasizing the purification of the heart, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj’s teachings guide individuals towards a genuine and transformative spiritual journey. Through his profound wisdom, we can rediscover the true essence of devotion and strive for a harmonious society where spirituality and righteousness go hand in hand. If you want to explore more insightful content like this, we invite you to visit https://www.jkp.org.in for a wealth of knowledge and wisdom from Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj.
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