Question 4: What is bhakti? Answer: The quest to give happiness and satisfaction to Bhagavān constitutes bhakti. The meaning and purpose of bhakti is to increase the happiness and satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, not oneself. Bhakti is the inborn occupation of the living soul and she alone is the sole eternal and natural constitutional function (dharma) of the living entity. By constitution, the soul has no other function (dharma). Any other tendency is not the soul’s true dharma since no other tendency constitutes the soul’s constitutional function as bhakti does. Rather, such other tendencies are distorted reflections of real dharma, and are thus temporary and transient. Bhakti is the destroyer of fear, sorrow and delusion. It is nothing but absorption in that which we perceive as separate from Kṛṣṇa that gives rise to fear, sorrow, delusion and so on. Everything that is perceived as separate from Kṛṣṇa or His devotees constitutes dvitīya-abhiniveśa (absorption in secondary or petty matters). Bhakti is comprised of exclusive, full absorption in a single entity: Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and is full of steadfastness (niṣṭhā) in Him.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 07:37:56 +0000
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