A Devotee Has No Personal Agenda
Sadhguru: Devotion means taking your emotion to its highest pitch. It is held as the highest form of emotion because it is the least entangling – it is liberating. But if you have your own agendas, don’t waste your time on devotion because you cannot be a devotee.
Devotees are very beautiful people within themselves, but as far as the world is concerned, they are usually insane and unreasonable. Mirabai, Akka Mahadevi – these were very insane people; you would not be able to live with them. Once they are gone, you can worship them, but when they were here, nobody could understand what the hell was happening with them. For example, Mirabai saw herself as Krishna’s wife. She was always going into such states that it was like Krishna was with her – she danced with him, she loved and kissed him – she was so deeply involved. If you were her husband, are you going to appreciate her devotion? No. You will go insane with your own problems. Devotees are like that. They don’t belong to the logical dimension of life.
I am not saying devotion is completely absent in you. You have emotions, so there is naturally a certain amount of devotion. But if you want to fit into family and social situations and still pursue spirituality, you cannot choose just devotion as the path because you still want life to happen the way you want it. So you need to explore other ways.
You can also attain to the ultimate through your intelligence, through your physical action, or by transforming your inner energies. Every human being is a combination of these four – body, mind, emotion and energy. No human being is just one of these. It is best if there is a combination of these four so that you can still evolve without disturbing external realities. The compromise is that you go slowly.
If you are not bothered about what happens to your husband or wife or your corporate world or anything – if you just want to grow – only then devotion is a way to attain. It is one of the quickest ways. Devotion and family life, devotion and corporate world, devotion and anything will not go. Devotion means, everything else has to dissolve. That is why if you talk devotion, it is just deception. At some moments when your experience raises to a certain pitch, a moment of devotion may happen to you. Just wait for that moment. It is very wonderful. But don’t try to pursue devotion as your policy because there is a very deep deception in it.
Ranked amongst the fifty most influential people in India, Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, visionary and a New York Times bestselling author Sadhguru has been conferred the Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India in 2017, the highest annual civilian award, accorded for exceptional and distinguished service.
In the new year, we welcomed a new governing committee at Gayatri Mandir, led by President Anit Ram and a team of 12 members. The committee members’ expertise, deep knowledge and commitment have been seen through three successful events this year. Once again, the Moreton Bay Ramayan Mandali set the tone for a prosperous year with Hanuman Chalisa Recital. We are thankful to Pravind Prakash and his team for their ongoing support. The committee has vowed to ensure that all the events and programs continue with similar enthusiasm and vigour.
The Hindu Society of Queensland celebrated its anniversary on 26 January of its establishment and community accomplishment. The committee members (past and present), devotees and volunteers honoured the occasion with their presence. The event commenced with a Pooja led by Pundit Sanat Pandeyji and a havan sponsored by community members. Punditji also sheds some light on Gayatri Mandir’s 30-plus-year journey. Our newly elected president, Anit Ram, delivered a special message to the community outlining our Bracken Ridge Project Development and our vision for the years ahead.
Gayatri Mandir resonated with chants and praises of “Jai Shree Ram” as hundreds of devotees arrived for the darshan of Shree Ram Lalla live telecast. The public mood was a smooth blend of devotion and festive fervour. Thousands of diyas were lit, and the atmosphere was like embracing Diwali-Once more. We thank The Hindu Swayam Sevak Sangh Qld Vibhag for their inspiration and organisation.
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Prem Chand was appointed Justice of the Peace (Qualified) on 20 October 2023 by the Director and Registrar of the Justices of the Peace Branch.
Dear readers, the global observance of Matri Pitri Pujan Diwas (Parents’ Worship Day) experienced a notable upsurge in participation, with a growing number of community members, organizations, educational institutions, religious institutions, and social groups actively joining this unique festival. It’s a day when kids from all backgrounds come together to worship their parents. They put a tilak on their foreheads, put a garland of flowers around their neck, and basically treat them like gods! It’s a way for them to show their all respect and get parents’ blessings.
