(1) The Devotion Series: DEVOTION FOR THE GURU

July month marks the beginning of the 2nd half of the year and also marks the beginning of festivities.

It starts with one of the most important festivals celebrated in India and also the world over: Guru Poornima. This festival commemorates the benevolence of spiritual gurus and teachers as thousands of devotees’ worship and thank their gurus for guiding them towards enlightenment.

‘Gu’ stands for darkness and ‘‘Ru’’ stands for the removal of darkness. Thus, a guru is believed to be someone who dispels all darkness from our lives. This day becomes the most awaited celebration for a seeker of Truth, for devotees who follow their Guru’s instructions with utmost devotion.

But have you really pondered over these questions: What is devotion? What is the need for devotion? What happens in devotion? How do I know if I am in the right direction? What is the end to devotion?

100% Devotion is yet another pearl from the gems of Sirshree. This book will bring transformation to your spiritual journey. Here’s an extract from the book.

In simple words, devotion is the journey of union with God – the Ultimate Truth. Devotion means falling in love with love itself. This is the path of surrender to the divine will of God. It is the path of submitting to consciousness – the source of everything.

As it is a path, a journey, it also has milestones. So a very important question here is, “How will I know where I have reached in my journey of union with God.

Each one’s journey is unique. The most important understanding here is that devotion is not just a path, but also an end in itself.

Just as one graduates from one level to other progressing oneself to the final destination of a degree, a seeker too passes through various levels of devotion to reach the final destination where the journey is also the end. The end where devotion meets God. Or in other words the devotion and God become one. In this and subsequent article, we will discuss these different levels of devotion.

There are broadly ten levels of devotion to finally attain God. At each level of devotion, the state of the seeker is different. Therefore, the effort they put in varies according to their current understanding and level of maturity. Each successive level brings them closer to God. The purer their devotion, the quicker they unite with God.

The disposition of the seeker decides their level. So, let’s take a look at the various levels.

1: Blind Devotion
2: Karmic Devotion
3: Devotion to Multiple Gods
4: Singular Devotion
5: Devotion for the Guru
6: Divine Devotion
7: Divine Submission Devotion
8: Divine Acceptance Devotion
9: Divine Wisdom Devotion
10: Bright Divine Devotion

On the occasion of Guru Poornima, we will understand the Devotion for the Guru. This is one of the most important and pivotal stages in the journey of a seeker.

As the seeker progresses further, his desire to know God, or the supreme truth, is awakened. He realizes that right guidance is essential to attain the truth. Only a living Guru can provide the right guidance; hence the seeker sets out in search of the Guru. When a seeker is ready, the Guru appears in their life. After meeting the Guru and attaining supreme knowledge from the Guru, the seeker realizes that the final truth or God can be attained only by the grace of the Guru. By the grace of God, one meets the Guru, and by the grace of the Guru, one meets God.

Saint Kabir has said, “Guru Gobind dono khade, kaake laagun paay? Balihari Guru aapno Gobind diyo milaye.” God and Guru are both standing before me; whom do I bow to first? I first bow to my Guru, because it’s due to him that I have met God.

The seeker gradually begins to realize that the Guru is not just a body, but is indeed the Self. The Guru’s external body merely serves as an instrument for the Guru, God, or Self to awaken within us. When this understanding deepens, it gives rise to a deep feeling of gratitude and devotion for the Guru. The seeker begins to follow all the instructions of the Guru. These instructions are meant to make the seeker’s mind steady, pure, and loving.

When the seeker abides by the Guru’s guidance, their life begins to be filled with wonder, bliss, and praise. By Guru’s grace, the seeker gets liberated from all kinds of sorrows, vices, and problems. Every devotee needs to understand that each action of the Guru is meant for uplifting them. The Guru is the only one who speaks to you knowing who you really are. You have misunderstood your identity and assumed yourself to be the body. Hence, you mistake the Guru as well to be an individual body.

The Guru speaks to you not with the intention of pleasing you, but to hurt you with love, so as to awaken you. This is the Guru’s grace. The mind can never understand grace and therefore imagines grace in its own terms. The Guru’s presence breaks all such false imaginations. There cannot be a greater grace in life than to be available in the presence of the Guru. When the seeker recognizes this grace, their devotion soars. Devotion for the Guru then becomes more powerful in them than their strongest vice. This is the most auspicious state, as it opens the doors to enlightenment.

Click here to read the next article in this series, where we will understand all the other levels of devotion too.

To understand the depth of devotion, read the book, ‘100% Devotion’. This book will introduce you to devotion in this modern world and answer questions on the importance and relevance of devotion.