Monday, July 2, 2007

Devotion

The amount of blissful grace that spreads out of your heart will only be in proportion to the amount of true devotion that flows steadily from you to God.

Q: Then what is true devotion [bhakti]?

Bhagavan: Whatever I do or consider myself doing is really the Lord's doing. Nothing really belongs to me. I am here for the service of the Lord. This spirit of service ... is really devotion supreme and the true devotee sees the supreme being as the Lord immanent in everything. Worship of Him by name and form leads one beyond all name and form. Devotion complete culminates in knowledge supreme.

Even when bhakti is actuated by worldly desires in the beginning, it does not cease when the desires are fulfilled. It increases by an unshakable faith growing perfectly into a supreme state of realisation.

~ Padamalai, Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi Recorded by Muruganar, edited and annotated by David Godman

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