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(April 1891)
Publications:
- The Path, vol. VI, no. 1, April 1891, pp. 18-20
Read:
CTD entry in Russian: Мукерджи, К. П. - Бхакти — преданная вера
DATA
Title for references: Mukherji KP - Bhakti Devoted Faith
Short description: Signed "K. P. Mukherji", dated from Berhampore, Bengal, India. An essay on Bhakti, the path of lovin...
18 A high grade Chela sent the following to his Guru through a messenger:
"Tell the madman that men have become unsettled,"
"Tell the madman that the food no longer finds a market,"
"Tell the madman that there is no unsettled state in practice,"
"Tell the madman that this has been told by one mad."[1]
The Guru smiled mournfully and hung down his head in silence. Shortly after the above the Guru suddenly disappeared, and the Chela died a few months after.
That Guru was Sree Krishna Chaitanya, the Founder of the present Vaishnava Sect in Bengal. His object was to found a Spiritual Brotherhood of Humanity irrespective of caste or creed. At a time when caste rules were more rigidly observed than now, when Hindus and Musalmans were at eternal feuds with each other, when the different religious sects of Hindus19hated each other bitterly and when terrible Tantrikites led men to offer human victims at the altar of our Deities, Chaitanya and his followers sowed the seed of peace and good-will to all men on earth, disregarded all caste rules, and admitted even Musalmans in their fraternity on terms of perfect equality.
This highly intelligent and learned Brahmin, Chaitanya, left home, shunned every comfort, and becoming a voluntary exile at an early age devoted the rest of his life to the spiritual welfare of Humanity. His humility, his sweet behavior, his wonderful self-sacrifice, his devotion to the cause, and his kindness to all were beyond all praise. While his learning made a deep impression on all he came in contact with, he disarmed the pangs of defeat in a religious discussion by his humility and sweetness.
He lived a strict celibate life after leaving home, and was very stern in that respect to his disciples.
The philosophy he taught to his disciples about cosmic evolution bears a close resemblance to the Secret Doctrine, while the Society or Fraternity he tried to establish on earth may be said to be an improved model of the T. S., the main point of difference being that his society was based on Bhakti, Faith or Devotion, while ours is on that of Gnanam or knowledge.
But what is Bhakti? It is the inexpressible yearning of the soul for the Supreme Intelligence, it is the twin-sister of Gnanam, the Path of Humility, Love, and Devotion. Bhakti lies latent in every man, but is rendered inactive mainly by our selfishness and pride. Its first glimmering in us is what is called in Bhagavad Geeta Satwikee Sraddha (Geeta xvii, 2). The delight of a devotee, the faithfulness of a servant to his master, the mother's love for her child, sincere friendship or sexual love, are20all manifestations (in many cases through Kama) of the same spiritual faculty lying latent in us—Bhakti.
All our efforts for spiritual advancement have one common name, Yoga, or more properly Sadhana. Sadhana is of three kinds, viz; Gnanam—knowledge, Yoga proper, and Bhakti. To a Gnanee or one that knows, THAT appears as Brahm (the Universe pervading Principle), to a Yogi Atma (our Higher Self) is THAT, to a Bhakta, Bhagavan (the Lord of all Powers, they being divided into six classes) is THAT. It therefore depends on the fitness of the individual to choose any one of the three courses or divisions of effort. The preliminary training, however, appears in many respects common to all the three, viz., strict vegetarianism, a life of celibacy, purity of thought, word, and deed, and devotion to the spirit.
Berhampore, Bengal, India.
K. P. Mukherji.
Footnotes
- ↑ Voice of the Silence.