Saadhana

Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha

Will devotional saadhana fulfill itself and bestow all its benefits and bounties if the devotee remains merely loving and thinking of God, enjoying the revelry and ecstasy it produces?

As the devotee progresses, greater and greater focus must be on the visible conduct and interaction of the devotee in the world than on the ‘imagined excellence’ of the ‘invisible’ God. Only then the devotee can improve his worth. Bhaagavata-Dharma (devotee’s characteristics), and not Bhagavad-dharma (God’s excellence), thus becomes the subject of more assiduous study, introspection and application.

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Virtues and excellences are first to be known and admired.  They are then to be fondly taken up for application and pursuit.  Every situation must act as an opportunity for perfecting and strengthening their place.  Like vitamins to the body, such doses will bring strength and stability to the mind and intelligence.  Skill lies in grasping each virtue and its worth properly. 

[These quotes appeared in the October 1991 and November 1989 issues respectively 
of the monthly journal ‘Vicharasetu – The Path of Introspection’ ]

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