In response to Krishna Praba

From the Bhakti List Archives

• December 5, 1996


Mr. Krishna Praba writes:

>So that you can find it again!
>Unless what you are doing today is
>Leading you to much greater happiness,
>Whatever you are doing is a waste of your time!
>>

>I think one can go overboard with such concepts. How
>does one fill himself with love if it is not for
>others? The concept of Bhakti is to love HIM alone.

I do not quite know in what context Mr. Krishna Praba writes this. But, I
think I can understand the content.

>From my understanding of our philosophy, Sanyasa, in its popular sense as
the renunciation of the world, is not required to cultivate devotion.
Indeed, the Jeears of our community generally live a full life of familial
and mundane responsibilities as a prerequisite to their Sanyasam.  There is
also the example of Swami Desikan, who, although being a renowned devotee
and exemplary scholar, never formally renounced the world.

On a personal level, I concur that love for the Lord is best cultivated in
the atmosphere of family and community, where one can recognize the gifts of
life that have been provided by Him and become thankful for them.  On a
philosophical level, I feel that renunciation of this type is
contradistinctive to the nature of bhakti and prapatti.  For how can we
throw away something that does not belong to us?  How can we offer ourselves
to Him when we, in our true nature, are already His?

Daasanu Daasan,

Mohan