| Essence Of Hinduism |
 |
HINDU THEISM |
|
| Every progressive
devotee should, therefore, measure his love of God by his renunciation of the world. This
does not mean that he should leave his post of duty, unless he feels a higher call as
Buddha felt. On the other hand, it means that he should discharge his duty as a loyal
servant of God in a spirit of self-sacrifice and with no personal desire for any reward. For no offering is, so pleasing to God as our hard, efficient, unrecognized and unrequited labour at the post to which He has called us. He from whom all beings proceed and by whom all this is pervaded by worshipping Him through the performance of his own duty does man attain perfection. Next to renunciation comes jnana or knowledge, among the internal means to bhakti. It is idle to dispute, as some sectarian teachers do, whether jnana is subsidiary to bhakti, or bhakti is subsidiary to jnana, it all depends upon the meaning we give to these words. There is a higher jnana and a lower jnana, as there is a higher bhakti and a lower bhakti. The higher jnana is not different from the higher bhakti. The lower jnana is the complement of the lower bhakti. Therefore it is included among the internal means of bhakti. Hinduism insists on progressive bhakti. It expects us-to proceed from Bahya-bhakti to Ananya - bhakti and thence to Ekanta-bhakti and finally to Parabhakti. While preaching toleration towards all types of bhakti, Hindu scriptures never encourage Mudha-bhakti or blind faith. A devotee, on the other hand, is expected to have an open mind and ever pray for light so that he may have more and more adequate conceptions of God. |
|
| About Hindu Theism |
