(2) The Devotion Series: Levels of Devotion

Wasn’t it a beautiful celebration of Guru Poornima. I am sure you too must have made the most of this auspicious day by offering your heartfelt wishes to your Guru who has brought transformation in our lives.

Coming back to our Devotion series, as in our previous article, let us read further about the other levels of devotion.

In the previous article we understood that devotion is the journey to meet God or the Ultimate Truth or liberation.
The disposition of the seeker decides their level. So, let’s take a look at the various levels of devotion.

Level 1: Blind Devotion

At level 1, devotion is blind, as it does not have the eye of understanding. The seekers blindly follow ritual mongers who confuse them with various rituals, giving of alms, wearing religious robes, giving up worldly obligations, etc. They get entangled in various beliefs and dwell in the imagination of the joys of heaven. For them, devotion is more of an entertainment in the form of songs and dance; it is shallow and short-lived. Such seekers are not truly devotees; they may appear to be so from their external appearance but internally they follow their selfish agenda. When devotion arises from blind faith and ignorance, it wavers in the face of adversities. But as they gain understanding, they ascend to the second level of devotion.

Level 2: Karmic Devotion

When a seeker begins understanding the game of karma, their devotion rises to the second level. Their devotion hinges around the cycle of karma and its fruit. Devotion at this stage takes the form of repentance for bad deeds of the past. The seeker feels adulation for God. They repent and intend to make up for those sinful actions. At this stage, seekers believe that their present life is the fruit of karma from previous births. They believe that they get only what is in their destiny at this level, and that one’s actions are fruit-oriented with the understanding that “I am responsible for my karma.” It is good that one learns to take responsibility for one’s actions, but there is also a danger at this level. When they succeed in performing good deeds, they admire their own actions and receive respect and praise. This can feed their ego, which reduces their possibility of reaching God. On the other hand, if they fail and perform bad deeds, they may end up cursing their destiny.

Level 3: Devotion to Multiple Gods

Although the seeker believes in the concept of karma and its fruit, some questions begin to arise: Who gives us the fruit of our actions? Who decides which fruit should be given and when? As these questions gain depth, the seeker’s desire for answers intensifies and they reach the third level of devotion. They begin to believe in God in the various manifold forms or deities. The seekers selectively worship various deities to address their personal needs. Their devotion takes the form of transactions. In return for their devotion, they expect God to fulfill their wishes. If they don’t get what they desire after worshipping one deity, they shift to another. For a seeker at this level of devotion, God means idols and images that represent various deities and hence there are chances that they drift away from the main purpose of devotion.

Level 4: Singular Devotion

At this level, seekers begin to realize that God may have various forms in the form of multiple deities, and God may be called by different names all around the world like Allah, Ishwar, Lord, Higher Self, etc. but there is essentially only one God. All prayers ultimately reach only one source. At this level, the devotee prays knowing God to be the one source of everything. They thus prepare to shift their focus from the numerous forms to the formless, infinite, and absolute God. This can be called singular devotion. Their fear of God is replaced by love and reverence.

However, at this level of devotion, people refuse to cast aside their preconceived notions of karma and destiny, heaven and hell, and so forth. It is only after they get ready to leave the support of rituals and listen to the truth that they move to the next level of devotion.

Level 5: Devotion for the Guru

At the fifth level, the seeker’s desire to know God, or the supreme truth, is awakened. They realize that the right guidance is essential to attain the truth. Only a living Guru can provide the right guidance. This is the most auspicious state, as it opens the doors to enlightenment. We’ve discussed this in our previous article that was published on Guru Poornima. To read this article CLICK HERE.

As we’ve read so far, these are the initial five levels a seeker goes through in his journey to meet God. There is paradigm shift in his perception of life as he progresses on further levels of devotion. His devotion and desire to meet God intensifies even further from the fifth level of devotion. Especially when he finds the right Guru that will lead him to his final destination of self – actualization. In our next article we will understand the next five levels of devotion.

This article is just a glimpse of the book 100% devotion. The 100 pearls in the book 100% Devotion will bring sublime joy and melody to your journey towards divinity and endless bliss.