R: Re: R: Re: Bhakti

[Ivano Alessandro Elia]

> Ivano Alessandro Elia wrote:
>
> >So my question could be reformulated as this:
> >What should I do to become a devotee of Lord Siva?
>
> namaskAram.
>  Pardon my interruption on this topic with few insignificant comments of my
> own ...
>
>  a) What does it mean to you when you say "devotee of" ? Answer this, and
> you have gone a long way.

To be a His servant not just with actions but with, in addiction, love; to please Him offering what you can.
This, in my understanding, must be done following a codified ritual.
Being not Indian is this "ritual" that is unknown to me.

>  b) If your answer to (a) above is "have bhakti towards", then, my comment
> would be - bhakti towards a deity for the sake of bhakti is like lighting a
> lamp without knowing why - sure enough, the lamp gives you light, but you
> first need eye sight to see that which gets illumined by the light - so
> also with bhakti - first try to find out what it is that you are trying to
> "see" with bhakti - then and only then do you reap the rewards of bhakti.

I'm far from the realization of the sate of Brahman. I just know that my ultimate goal is the Brahman nirguna; but I also understand
that I'm now not ready to approach it, so I want to try less difficult task like being the most close I can to the person of Lord
Siva. I think this is called Brahman saguna.
What I wish to achieve is jnana brought by the grace of my Lord.

>  c) Whom do you mean by Lord Siva? - find out more about this "person" -
> who He is or what He is, or some thing that tells you more about Him. If
> not, the "devotion" comes to be categorized  differently - (to use the
> words of Anatarama Dikshidhar), as the love a concubine has for her
> paramour - the concubine neither knows how great the person she is "loving"
> is, nor does she care if "he" is some body else.

Thank you a lot: this advice as been very useful to me. And thanks also to Anand Hudli that gave me an url about the Shavism so I
can read about Lord Siva.

>  d) If you want to "become" a "devotee of" "Siva" - then also find out
> about what it means "to become"

I have no answer to this.

>  If you want to find out more about bhakti, read the Narada bhakti sutras.
> You will find then that the "bhakti" that the gopis of virndavan had
> towards Krishna is, in my opinion, the only true example of bhakti, to
> which even He Himself had no answer -
>
>  Ok, to be more honest, I am strugling with the same question you have
> asked - "How do I become a devotee of Siva" ? - my motivation for this is
> simple - He is also known to be "aashutoshi" - one who gets pleased very
> easily. I hence intend to please Him and thus hit the jack pot! :)
>
>  Having asked my self this question, I started to analyse the very same
> question from the word "I" in it - I first wanted to find out who or what
> "I" am. The rest, I am told by very very authoritatives sources, will
> follow of its own accord.
>
> any and all comments from you and other list members is sincerely
> appreciated.
>
> bhava shankara desikame sharaNam
> Vaidya.


 Thanks and Regards

 Ivano

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

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