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| Devotional HInduism is divided into eight
chapters. Chapters 1–3 introduce the reader to
the beliefs and routine practices of Hindus that are employed with the
intention of connecting to God. Chapters 4–6 focus on how surrender can be
developed through two main paths: the yoga of selfless action, which
fits the career-conscious, and the yoga involving selfless love, which
fits the expressive. Chapters 7–8 provide a
picture of what the destination looks like, what spiritual knowledge is
about, and how our higher insight molds our interactions with society. |
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All
material on this site is copyrighted © 2008 Mukul S. Goel
Book Excerpts
Karma (from Chapter 4)
page 38
"Karma does not include our actions and inactions alone, which can be
noticed by the people around us; it includes the entire thinking
processes we use to arrive at a conclusion of doing or not doing
something. Imagine you have a kid at school who expects you to be there
at a function, and your presence can make him or her feel better. In
one instance, you do not show up but attend a friend’s cocktail party.
The child feels lonely and weeps. In the second instance, you are
engaged in a pre-committed activity at your place of employment. The
outcome remains the same: The kid feels sad. Does the reason for your
absence really matter? As far as karma is concerned, it does. In spite
of a similar outcome, the mental processes of not caring and ignoring
responsibility are very different from understanding the need to be
there and not being able to attend. Different mental impressions may be
recorded by the two modes of decision, defining your personality for
future moments. While no difference can be seen to the external
observer and your child, such tiny particulars may make a major
difference in your karma where you are at the center of the universe,
the universe expects something from you, and you have to make a choice
based on how the universe appears to you."
page 44
"Nature has a major role in our physical presence at a workplace at a
particular moment. If I say that our parents were selected by Nature
and we were born in a home because our impressions and karma were
matched to our family, many of us would easily believe it because this
is explicitly mentioned in the Gita (6: 42). What if I say that our
workplace is also matched with our impressions, and our colleagues too
are matched? I am not suggesting that every situation is predetermined,
but we must understand that there is something in our inherent nature
(instincts) that has made us opt for a particular workplace. If we are
honest, we will prefer to work in an honest group. If we possess
scientific aptitude, we will work with scientists. Similarly, we may
have preferences of location, personal compatibility, and workplace
benefits that influence our joining a company. Karma theory teaches us
to see a bigger connection. Nature matches the environment with our
instincts, which define our preferences, and places us accordingly."
Bhakti (in Chapter 6)
"Bhakti Yoga, the path of love, does not originate from bhakti (true
love), which is, in fact, the conclusion of Bhakti Yoga. Because true
love exists only after all expectations from God, even that of love in
reciprocation, are given up, the beginner in Bhakti Yoga starts from a
much lower spiritual stage and grows towards perfection. One usually
begins from simpler God remembrance techniques (discussed in Chapter 2)
and with time, as a certain level of spiritual evolution is achieved,
bhakti starts getting embedded in our mind. Bhakti, when intensified
with more unselfish God remembrance, gives rise to more bhakti, perhaps
of a more blissful quality. This is why devotees commonly call it “its
own fruit.” The cycle of love continues and one day we find that love
and bliss have replaced the karmic cycle."
Bhakti Saints (from
Chapter 8)
"On the path of becoming selfless lovers, instead of evaluating how God
takes care of the jiva, the advanced devotee spends time thinking how
he or she, a jiva, can take care of God. Tulasidasa’s legendary
biography tells us that when he got a hunch that Rama was personally
protecting his assets, which included nothing more than a few kitchen
accessories, he disowned all his possessions. Probably, he wanted to
set his Lord free from his promise of taking care of his devotees’
security and needs. The mahatmas do not desire anything from the
Divine, be it protection, possessions, or promises. They raise their
adoration to the stage where they can take care of God in their own
way. Perfected love elevates them from living as a beneficiary to
becoming a “guardian” for God. People who love God as their child
display this feel more openly, for not much can be expected from a
toddler. Saint Surdasa, who could not see with his bodily eyes, spent
his entire lifetime envisioning Krishna as a child playing in his
neighborhood and interacting with his parents and childhood friends.
Bhakti makes saints competent enough to offer something more than the
soul, which eternally belongs to God anyway. And the only other item
they consider worthy of offering is—selfless love."
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Devotional Hinduism: Creating Impressions for God
Religion & Spirituality/ iUniverse, Inc.
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ISBN: 0595505244
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