Guiding Light By Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: What Does Devotion Bring You?

Devotion is a gift. You can’t take credit for your own devotion. You can’t say, ‘I am so devoted’. If you are devoted, it is a blessing. Devotion brings you immense happiness, deep love and Siddhis.

Siddhi means what you think happens and what you want happens, you bless somebody and it happens; all this happen through that state of your being. In the yoga sutras Rishi Patanlaji said, ‘Devotion towards the Divine brings perfection of Samadhi. It makes your meditation so serene, and takes you to the perfected state.”

So just pray that this stay with you forever. Let nothing else spoil it. Devotion is like a diamond; don’t trade it for mud. It is the small things, little desires where we lose devotion, like not getting what we want, say a job or relationship. You lose your job and your devotion suffers. If somebody blames you then your devotion is gone. If your work does not happen then your devotion is gone. So we are losing our devotion over nothing. See, if you are a medical professional, you give medicine to people, and most of the time it works but sometimes it does not work. Similarly in your life many things happen and some things don’t happen, but at least hold onto the devotion. Sometimes it appears to have gone or is going away, then also you can’t do anything about it. Then just relax and pray for it. If you are devoted, feel grateful for being devoted, then the devotion grows every moment. Now if you think, ‘Oh, I don’t feel the devotion, what do I do?’ Do nothing, just relax. Don’t think you don’t have it. You have it, it has not manifested now, but it will. Be in knowledge and it will come up.

Devotion is a strong bond, a sense of belongingness. Everybody is born with it. It’s just like becoming a child again. No child or mother ask each other, ‘Do you love me?’ The baby and the mother have no choice but to love each other. Similarly devotion is there in every one of us. Sometimes it is covered with ignorance, hesitation, doubts and insecurity. It is only a matter of time for that strip of ignorance and ego to give way and then the inner devotee will shine up. Devotion brings faith, compassion, and responsibility.

Let your devotion flower. Give it a chance to work. So have the depth of devotion, depth of love and the confidence – that the Divinity loves me. You should not ask for proof of Divine’s love for you. Always know that the Divine loves me. Love with wisdom is devotion. One who has tasted the devotion, He knows.

Published on: Monday, February 05, 2024, 06:00 AM IST