Walther Eidlitz - The Perfect Sacrifice
“I am aware of human love being an internal attempt to flee from the vain search for God.” (Bertrand Russell, Memoirs)
Let us look at the sublime path of yoga, the path of Bhakti, serving and recognizing love of God. In the West this pure form of Bhakti has been only relatively recently recognized as a tool, an incomparable tool on the path of Karma yoga and Jnana yoga. A tool to reach well-being on earth as well as liberation. The Bhagavad Gita refers to Bhakti yoga several times.
The so-called “undiminished” Bhakti, which springs from Karma and Jnana Yoga has always been quite concealed, not only in the West but also in India, even though such a central and divine document as the Bhagavata-purana urgently declares its relevance right from the beginning.
The first sign that someone is stepping onto the undiminished path of Bhakti Yoga appears as sraddha, as faith, confidence and trust begin to arise. This is a very special kind of faith, sraddha.
There are several kinds of sraddha, or confidence, which means inner certainty that a particular action or way of thinking will lead one closer to the goal in one’s life. It is obvious, that no one can live and act without this certainty, not even the titanic demons (asuras) that live in indignation of God (as told in the Puranas) nor even the most violent, wicked, and criminal people. Without sraddha only dull and half-conscious vegetating is possible.
In the Holy scriptures, sraddha is described magnificently as being fourfold:
1. The confidence to do just the opposite of what the Sastras (scriptures) are recommending, to get closer to the goal of life. (tamasika-sraddha)
2. The confidence that restlessly continuing to fulfill one’s duties, as prescribed in the Sastras, will lead one to the goal of life. (rajasika-sraddha)
3. The confidence that clear recognition of the Atma (as well as Paramatma and Brahman), on the path of Jnana Yoga, will lead one to the goal of life: releasing Atma. (sattvita- sraddha)
4. The confidence that loving and recognizing service to God, without expectation of any results other than the fortune that arises through serving itself, is the true goal of both humankind and Atma. This is the purest, eternal form of sraddha, or nirguna-sraddha)
These passages about Bhakti underscore the notion that unbreakable faith (the perennial psychology) in pure Bhakti, in loving and recognizing service to God, does not arise from a gentle heart, mind or intelligence, but in something that is eternal and not just a function of the internal covering (antahkarana). This sraddha in Bhakti is the result of the initial encounter of Atma with the power to recognize and discover God himself. There is the notion of God beyond time and space everywhere and forever, but it is only seen through one who is already a bhakta (devotee), and who is filled with the strength of Bhakti.
This marvelous power of Bhakti is -through the will of one bhakta -able to touch someone who has not traveled the other paths of Yoga before. Sacrifice on the levels of Karma Yoga and recognition of the Jnana Yoga, could be a good preparation for attaining faith in pure Bhakti. However, very often Bhakti occurs without any cause. The undiminished power of Bhakti may even grasp someone unprepared, who is demon-like and lazy. On the whole, this transmission of power is unconditional. True Bhakti is without cause, without a question why, and it is without any purpose. This means that it is an astonishing miracle for one who attains it. The person affected does not even know what and why it is driving them, and they cannot help but work together with this sort of power.
At this point the following question arises: Does not God interact with the free will of the Atma and the human being?
The first impulse of the power of this Bhakti is often very tender and light like a butterfly. Human beings can draw away from it at any moment, excluding it just like turning off electric energy with a switch. Free will cannot express itself unless one gets offered everything to taste and to choose.
In the midst of confusion caused by transitions through the different worlds, the Atma in the body of a human being has many opportunities to practice Bhakti yoga. The rsis and munis (sages), the monks and the sastras (scriptures) speak about these processes, and a human being can approach it, if one loyally follows the rules and regulations according to one’s position in life. From time to time one is touched silently. It is a touch though, that one can rarely pursue because it demands a great sacrifice, a greater sacrifice than other paths of yoga. Bhakti Yoga also liberates the Atma. This incredible experience which is the main goal of
Jnana Yoga, is merely a side-effect on the path of Bhakti, where it is an almost unimportant conclusion.