98 - Imbibing Divine Characteristics | Swami Tattwamayananda - a podcast by Vedanta Society, San Francisco

9th chapter, 30th verse: “Even a wicked person, if he takes a decision to turns to God with one sided devotion - at that decisive moment, he is actually liberated. Such a person should be regarded as a noble person.”

Such a sincere decision brings positive changes to our mental system. It purifies our vrittis, vasanas and samskaras. All psychological obstacles are gone. With that decision, we have boarded the bus and are bound to reach the destination. We are then endowed with a new sense of inner fulfillment and contentment.

The story of Sadasiva Brahmendra Saraswati is a good example of such a spiritual transformation. In early days, he was arrogant and defeated many scholars in logic and debates. Upon hearing this news, his guru rebuked him and asked him one question: “When are you going to keep quiet.” In response, he did not utter a word, closed his mouth with one hand, and signaled with his other hand – “Today and now.” He then practiced non-speaking, both vocally and mentally. He went on to become a great mystic.

9th chapter, 34th verse: “Fill your mind with the thought of Me (God), become My devotee, resign yourself to My will, undergo your rituals, keep your heart/mind steadfast and fixed on Me – then you will eventually reach Me.”

This verse represents the harmonization of the three Yogas. One can realize God through any of the three Yogas. Practice rituals with devotion (Bhakti Yoga) or think of God all the time (Jnana Yoga) or do everything as an offering to God (Karma Yoga).

In the Bhagavata Purana, Prahalada explains Navadha Bhakti (nine devotional disciplines) as a way to give a spiritual orientation to all conceivable human activities. These nine disciplines are: Sravanam (Hearing about God ), Kirtanam (Chanting His Name and Glory), Vishnu smaranam (Remembering Him), Pada sevanam (Serving His Lotus Feet), Archanam (Worshipping Him), Vandanam (Prostrating before Him), Dasyam (Being His Servant), Sakhyam (Befriending Him), and Atma Nivedanam (Offering Oneself to Him). In the 34th verse, Lord Krishna is also asking us to be his devotee in whatever way possible.

Prahalada is the greatest devotee in the Bhagavata Purana, which is the story of King Parikshit who has seven days left to live because of a curse. The entire Purana is a response to his question to Sage Suka – “What should a dying man do? How should he live the rest of his life?” Suka says: “One should be able to live life in such a way that he can leave the body with a smile on his face and with God’s thought in his mind.”

The 10th chapter of Bhagavad Gita is Vibhuti Yoga. It lists several divine characteristics. God does not look at the grammatical or phonetical accuracy of our prayers. God only focuses on the state of our mind and the attitude with which we pray. In whatever way possible, if we can think of the characteristics of God, that is one method of evolving in spiritual life. The real purpose of this spiritual practice is to imbibe within us the qualities that we attribute to God. For example, if we think of God as compassionate, we should develop compassion within us.

Lord Krishna discusses the characteristics of a spiritually enlightened person in the second chapter. Shankaracharya says that these characteristics constitute the road by which we should travel to reach the goal that the enlightened person has reached. We can develop these characteristics with our own effort. We should read about the life of great saints – then we will be inclined to develop the great qualities of these saints.

These qualities should not be the focus of our meditation and spiritual practices. The focus should be on God Himself. If we cannot focus on God, then as a secondary practice, we can focus on these qualities. Shandilya Bhakti Sutra says that the highest spiritual liberation is not possible by focusing on certain characteristics. At the highest level, we should be able to focus on an incarnation or a saint, who is an embodiment of these qualities.

10th chapter, 1st verse: “Listen Arjuna. I am going to give you an exposition of vibhutis (divine characteristics). It is for your spiritual growth.”

From the highest Advaitic standpoint, the supreme reality is beyond all characteristics. It is impersonal and transcends name, form, characteristics, time, space and causation. Adavaita does not reject a personal God. It says that at a higher level of evolution, we realize that the supreme reality in its highest dimension, is guna-atita - it is beyond gunas, it transcends gunas.

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