The Requisites of Devotion Part – Twenty Four
There are five requisites for developing true devotion. The first is Dedication (offering everything to God). Egoism is the bar to developing the spirit of dedication. It manifests itself in various forms of pride: pride of physical strength, intellectual pride, the arrogance of wealth, and the like. But as all these are impermanent and may be lost at any time, it is unwise to make the body, the mind or property the basis for one’s conceit. Hence, egoism should be renounced as the first offering to God.
Next, Devotion should be regarded as an expression of gratitude to all that one receives from Providence—the air that we breathe, the light and heat that we get from the sun, the water we drink and the food we consume. All the essential necessaries of life are received by the Grace of God.
The expression of gratitude through devotion is a primary obligation. All that is done by way of bhajans, japa, meditation and prayer must be done in a spirit of gratitude. The third requisite is discipline. In almost every action in life, the recognised limits and regulations have to be observed. This applies equally to the spiritual field. You must observe discipline in matters relating to dress, your general behaviour outside the Mandir or during bhajans in the Mandir, the way you speak and the food you eat. All your actions should be filled with sanctity and purity.Discrimination is the fourth requisite. Discrimination has to be used in every aspect of daily living? in what you see, what you listen to, what you speak, and what you consume. Avoid eating all kinds of food in strange places. Last but not least is Determination. Without firm determination no great thing can be achieved in life. It is all the more needed in the spiritual field so that you may face all difficulties and obstacles and overcome them. You must hold fast to what you consider as good, what you regard as sacred and what you recognise as the truth. That is real penance. |
