Leela:
Anantrao Patankar, a gentleman from Pune, wished to see Baba. When he came to Shirdi and took Baba's darshan, his eyes were appeased and he was very pleased. He fell at Baba's feet, and after performing proper worship, said to Baba, “I have read a lot, studied the Vedas, Vedanta and Upanishads, and heard all the Puranas, but still have not attained any peace of mind. I have come to believe that all my reading was useless. Simple, ignorant, devout persons are better off than me. Unless the mind becomes calm, all book-learning is of no avail. I have heard from many sources that you have easily given peace of mind to so many people by your mere glance and playful words. This is why I have come to you. Please take pity on me and bless me”.
Then Baba told him a parable, which was as follows:
Parable of Nine Balls of Stool (Nava-vidha Bhakti)
“Once a soudagar (merchant) came here. Before him, a mare passed her stool, which was in nine separate balls. The merchant, intent on his quest, spread the end of his dhotar and gathered all the nine balls in it, and thus attained peace of mind”.
Mr. Patankar had trouble understanding the meaning of this story, so he asked Ganesh Damodar, alias Dada Kelkar, “What does Baba mean by this?”
Dada Kelkar replied, “I too do not know all that Baba says and means, but with His inspiration, I say what I come to know. The mare represents God's grace and the nine balls represent the nine forms of Bhakti. (1) Shravana (listening about God), (2) Kirtana (singing God’s praise), (3) Smarana (remembering God at all times), (4) Padasevana (serving at the feet of God), (5) Archana (worship); (6) Vandana (prostration before God); (7) Dasya (dedicating yourself to service of God); (8) Sakhyatva (friendship with God); (9) Atmanivedana (surrender of the self to God). These are the nine types of Bhakti. If any of these is faithfully followed, Lord Hari will be pleased, and manifest Himself in the home of the devotee”.
Next day, when Mr. Patankar went to Baba, he was asked whether he collected the 'nine balls of stool'. He responded that he, being a poor fellow, must first be graced by Baba, and then they will be easily collected. Then Baba blessed and comforted him, saying that he would attain peace and welfare. After hearing this, Mr. Patankar became overjoyed.
Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The wonderful life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba, Translated by Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji (Mumbai: Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi, 20th Edition 2002), p112
Teachings from Leela:
1) There are four paths to moksha. If the path you choose is not suited for you, your Sadguru will guide you to the right one
According to Hinduism, there are four paths to moksha:
· Karma Marg (Path of Selfless Action)
· Bhakti Marg (Path of Devotion)
· Raja Marg (Path of Meditation)
· Jnana Marg (Path of Knowledge)
We will limit ourselves to discussing only Bhakti Marg and Jnana Marg here, as these two have the most significance for this leela.
In Jnana Marg, Brahma Vidya (Knowledge of Brahman), the highest knowledge, is found in the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Shastras and the Puranas. (Please note: Brahman (the Supreme Consciousness) is different from Brahma (the deity who represents Creation).
Brahman is the Absolute, Supreme Reality. It is all pervasive, permanent, infinite, eternal, immutable (does not change), yet it is the cause of all changes. All deities, including Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, are caused by Brahman.
When Mr. Patankar was on the Jnana Marg (Path of Knowledge), it is this Brahma Jnana that he read extensively, but was never able to make progress with. The Jnana Marg takes place through three important and mandatory steps. Only after the successful completion of all these steps, can one attain moksha:
· Shravanam (listening, reading, taking in the knowledge)
· Mananam (reflecting upon the knowledge, clarifying all doubts)
· Nidhidhyasanam (contemplation upon the knowledge until you completely internalize it)
Mr. Patankar explained that he had read and heard the various source books of Brahma Jnana, which tells us that he successfully completed the first step of “Shravanam”.
Since he was not able to achieve peace of mind, we can conclude that he was not able to make much progress in the next steps, as through the “Mananam” step, he would have fully understood the true nature of Reality, of Maya, and of suffering. He would not have identified himself with the body, but with his true nature, Sat-chit-ananda (Truth-Consciousness-Bliss), and his mind would be at peace. Perhaps the path he had chosen, the Jnana Path, was not suitable for him.
Even though, Baba himself was well-versed in the Vedas, he did not prescribe the Jnana Marg for Mr. Patankar’s spiritual progress. Instead, He prescribed Bhakti Marg, as He felt this was the most suitable. A true Sadguru correctly diagnoses the root causes of His sishya’s (student’s) difficulties, identifies obstacles His sishya (student) faces, and prescribes solutions to guide him to success.
2) You need God’s or your Sadguru’s blessings to sincerely advance in the Bhakti Marg. Once you’re on this Path, you will need to progress through each step, eventually completing all nine steps.
The parable mentioned by Baba tells us two things:
· We need God’s or Sadguru’s grace to begin on Bhakti Marg (Path of Devotion) and to progress within it. In the parable, God’s or Sadguru’s blessings are represented by the mare, who delivered the nine forms of Bhakti to the saudagar, who represents the spiritual aspirant.
· There are nine types of Bhakti, and we need all nine of them in order to reach our goal. The saudagar only attained peace of mind after he had captured all nine pieces in his uparna (piece of cloth), and tied them up.
God’s or Sadguru’s Grace
In order to understand God’s (or Sadguru’s) grace, let us consider some questions:
· Is God’s grace freely available to all?
· What kind of effort is required to attain it?
· Does God favour only His devotees in granting grace?
These three questions are addressed in Bhagvad Gita, chapter 9, verse 29, where Krishna says (note 1):
“I am equally disposed to all living beings; I am neither inimical nor partial to anyone. But the devotees who worship me with love reside in me and I reside in them.”
The rainwater falls equally upon the earth. Yet, the drop that falls on the cornfields gets converted into grain; the drop that falls on the desert bush gets converted into a thorn; the drop that falls in the gutter becomes dirty water; and the drop that falls in the oyster becomes a pearl. There is no partiality on the part of the rain, since it is equitable in bestowing its grace upon the land. The raindrops cannot be held responsible for this variation in results, which are a consequence of the nature of the recipient. Similarly, God states here that he is equally disposed toward all living beings, and yet, those who do not love him are bereft of the benefits of his grace because their hearts are unsuitable vessels for receiving it.
Nine Forms of Bhakti
Now let us explore Nava-vidha Bhakti (Nine Forms of Bhakti).
In Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 12, verses 6-7, Krishna clearly says that Bhakti provides a direct path to moksha (note 2):
G 12.6-7: But those who dedicate all their actions to me, regarding me as the Supreme goal, worshiping me and meditating on me with exclusive devotion, O Parth, I swiftly deliver them from the ocean of birth and death, for their consciousness is united with me.
Shree Krishna reiterates that his devotees reach him quickly. Firstly, with the personal form of God as the object of their devotion, they easily focus their mind and senses upon him. They engage their tongue and ears in chanting and hearing the divine names of God, their eyes in seeing the image of his divine form, their body in performing actions for his pleasure, their mind in thinking of his wonderful pastimes and virtues, and their intellect in contemplating upon his glories. In this way, they quickly unite their consciousness with God.
Secondly, since such devotees continuously offer their hearts in uninterrupted bhakti, God quickly bestows his grace upon them and removes the obstacles on their path. For those who are in communion with him, he dispels their ignorance with the lamp of knowledge. In this way, God himself becomes the savior of his devotees and delivers them from mṛityu saṁsāra sāgarāt (the cycle of life and death).
So, how can one develop Bhakti and love for God? When we carefully consider each of the nine forms of bhakti, and compare them with each other, we can see a clear progression from each step to the next. As we progress in the current step, it prepares us to attain the next.
By following these nine steps of bhakti, we develop an ever-deeper devotion towards God. Let us understand each form in detail (note 2):
1. SRAVANA
Sravana is the hearing of God’s leelas and praises. The seeker is overwhelmed with worldly suffering, or is no longer drawn by the attractions of the world. With this first step, the seeker has just entered the path of devotion and does not need to act, but only to passively listen.
2. KIRTANA
Kirtana is the singing of God’s leelas and praises. In this step, the seeker is no longer passive, but is actively participating. To do so, the seeker has accepted God as a possible source of support in his spiritual journey.
3. SMARANA
Smarana is the flooding of the mind by the continual repeating of God’s name. While the previous step of Kirtana can be achieved even while the mind wanders, this step requires the seeker to apply focus and concentration. By doing so, he spends much more “quality time” with God.
The more occupied his mind with this spiritual activity, there less time his mind has to think of negative and unconstructive thoughts, and the more he identifies himself with his higher self.
4. PADASEVANA
Padasevana is serving at the feet of God. By this step, the seeker’s compassion for others increases, and he begins to offer selfless service to the needy, while mentally offering this service to God. The more of this selfless service he offers, the more he begins to see God in those he offers the service to.
5. ARCHANA
Archana is worship of God. In this step, the seeker’s focus widens beyond the one form of God, to include all creatures. He offers his worship to God by offering it to all beings, and begins to see God in all beings.
6. VANDANA
Vandana is prostration and humility before God. As the seeker begins to identify God in all beings, he is faced with the realization that the limited form of God he has been holding within his mind, whatever deity it may be, is false. God is much larger than that; He is all around him, in all creatures, and in fact, everywhere in this Universe.
The seeker becomes humble and prostrates, not just before the limited form of God he has known until now, but to all beings and all things, knowing that God is the whole Universe around him.
7. DASYA
Dasya-Bhakti is the act of dedicating oneself to the service of God. In this step, the seeker becomes fully committed to the service of God, and all his thoughts and actions.
8. SAKHYA
Sakhya-Bhava is friendship with God. Having spent all his time with God in the previous step, the seeker begins to see God as his most near and dear friend.
9. ATMA-NIVEDANA
Atma-Nivedana is a complete surrender to God. This is the ultimate step in Bhakti. The seeker offers everything to God. He is completely merged in God all the time. He has lost all ego. He accepts grief, sorrow, pleasure or pain as prasad (gift) from God. He is detached from these feelings, and from all worldly objects. He only feels love for God and everyone around him.
Following the above steps of Bhakti, you will continue to develop “Shraddha” in God. As your Shraddha grows, you will become more humble and more accepting of everything in life, pleasant or unpleasant. With this, your mind will attain peace, and you will achieve moksha.
Putting into Practice
Here are some suggestions on how we could use this leela in our daily lives.
1) There are four paths to moksha. If the path you choose is not suited for you, your Sadguru will guide you to the right one
Once you are on a spiritual path, it is your important duty to continually apply effort towards your practice. If there are obstacles in your way, your Sadguru will either find you a way around them, or will put you on another path that he judges to be more appropriate for your temperament.
As you continue to work on your chosen path, there is nothing wrong with exploring other paths. Do not frivolously jump back and forth between paths, and make sure that you are putting all required effort towards your chosen path. Your Sadguru will guide you in your decision to switch, if this is what is best for you.
2) You need God’s or your Sadguru’s blessings to sincerely advance in the Bhakti Marg. Once you’re on this Path, you will need to progress through each step, eventually completing all nine steps.
God’s grace falls on everyone equally. He is not partial to anyone. In order for his grace to bear fruit, you must put in effort and you will surely see the results for yourself.
As described above, the Path of Bhakti is much more than performing aarti and pooja rituals. It is a continuous development of your inner being, working to increase selflessness and detachment within you, nurturing your empathy and then broadening the scope of that empathy until it encompasses the whole universe.
Determine the form of Bhakti that is most natural and appealing to you. Then perform your practice of this form with all sincerity, while being aware of the spiritual quality that is being nurtured you with the form of Bhakti you are following.
Occasionally, try out the next form of Bhakti in the above sequence, to see for your self if that form is now a fit for you. If so, switch to that next form in your practice. In this way, you will continue to make progress, until you have practiced all nine forms of Bhakti.
Mantra:
Om, Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ
Sarve santu nirāmayāḥ
Sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu
Mā kashchit duḥkha bhāgbhavet
Oṁ Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ
Meaning:
May all be prosperous and happy
May all be free from illness
May all see what is spiritually uplifting
May no one suffer
Om peace, peace, peace
This above mantra is from the Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/seekingshanti/2015/09/hinduprayerforeveryone_globalgoals/
I would encourage all of you to please share your interpretations, learnings and experiences on how you have put this leela into practice.
Om Sai Ram.
Notes:
1) http://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/9/verse/29
2) http://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/12/verse/6-7
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