A Touch of Grace

N K Srinivasan
In Hindu spiritual traditions, there are essentially
two approaches --one that of Jnana or Knowledge
(enquiry) and the other that of devotion or Bhakti. Both
approaches converge at some time when the Ultimate Truth
or satshakaram is revealed. Till such time , it is a
battle with your mind.

Jnana
The path of Jnana , as exemplified by Bhagwan Ramana or
other masters like Sadashiva Brahmendra , is considered
difficult in modern times and there had been very few
who had scaled the heights of this summit.
Some would say that this path, due to previous merits
or good karma, becomes an easy lift off at some moment
in one's life and then the person is transformed. This
form of getting 'liberation" or 'mukthi' is rare indeed,
and even someone like Gautama, the Buddha ,had to
struggle for years.



The other possibility is the gradual unfolding of the
path itself by tireless effort--with two main
practices---discrimination or 'Viveka' and dispassion or
detachment or 'vairagya'. Viveka involves seeing the
fleeting ,impermanent nature of worldly dealings and
pleasures and the declining strength of one's body
[subjected to various diseases]and gradual withdrawal
from the worldly transactions. Given time this would
lead to Vairagya or dispassion , detachment from the
cycles and ups and downs of pleasure and pain, the
opposites or dwandas which afflict worldly matters.
Slowly one seeks more of silence,from worldly talks and
also inner thoughts, leading to real "mouna" or silence
from within. This state leads to easy stabilisation of
'samadhi' and inner quietitude and the well springs of
inner joy. [The various steps of "ashtanga yoga" or
eight -parts yoga ,starting with physical culture and
breath control and control of life-force or
'prana',might help towards this state, at least in early


stages.] A time comes when the seeker realises that
happiness or joy can come from within only and not from
this phenomenal world.

With inner wellspring of joy or blissful 'Ananda'
propelling forward, one reaches the final goal in this
life---this is the path of Jnani, following gradual or
'krama mukthi'. This path had been followed by thousands
of seekers or sadhaks in India and elsewhere, often in
obscurity .[Some have recorded this in so many words,
but many had smiled and left this world.]

Bhakti
The other approach is that of devotion or 'bhakti' well
chronicled in the lives of thousands of saints of all
religions,with different hues of devotional practices.
This path seems to be of easy practice, at least ,for
lay persons who seem to understand devotion as an
extension of worldly love for one's children or parents
or siblings or even pet animals.



It begins with worship or love of a personal god of
one's own religion--some mythological figure or
hero...Rama, Krishna, Jesus,Gautama and so on, various
incarnations or 'avatars' as given in puranic scriptures
and intense devotion to their lives and teachings. The
Bhakta pursues his often fanatic attachment to the
personal God or Guru with at most obedience, seeking
help at every step. Intense ,ceaseless prayer and
practising the presence of chosen deity, with chanting
and singing, leads to a calm mind , a joy within and
intense love for the Divine Being , often with
supernatural attributes.
The Bhakta seems to depend more and more on the
invisible deity helping at every step or more dependence
that one surrenders his own will and selfish thoughts .
This leads to the bhakta feeling that he is a puppet in
the hands of God , that he is like a programmed robot
and nothing he can call his own ---including his
thoughts.


The gradual ripening of this bhakti leads him to feel
that he is not only closer to the chosen deity but he is
part and parcel of the God's ministry--he is indeed a
servant of the supreme deity who alone controls the
entire Universe. His love is now universal.
The Bhakta loses interest in many worldly transactions
or dealings; he knows that the master or deity will pull
strings to accomplish whatever had to be done. He is
only a mechanical instrument. The total dependence of
the Supreme gives a sense of freedom or joy and all
mundane matters pale into insignificance.
The Bhakta becomes withdrawn and turns inward ,just like
the Janani and feels himself like a withered ,dry leaf ,
about to fall from a tree. The sense of liberation, a
distant goal, is now an culminating step before he meets
with the beloved. The Bhakta had been feeling close to
the Supreme Beloved all along and waiting for the final
embrace from the Beloved. He may revel in beautiful
poems ,singing and dancing, only to give some release
from the mental tension from this state of ecstasy. Soon


ecstasy leads to permanent communion with the divine
transcending body and mind. The ego had dropped off long
ago and the bhakta is like a floating boat drifting
towards the shore with unknown wind .
Soon the boat reaches the shore and anchored firmly in
the bosom of the Beloved.It is beyond mind and thought
and the Bhakta belongs to the realm of the Infinite.
----------------------------------------