Bhakti Wisdom Bit: Proper Engagement of Our Mind, Body, and Words
“Bhakti is best expressed by seva (service), which means loving responsiveness to God through the faculties of the mind, body, and words.” -Dhanurdhara Swami
I love this simple, succinct, synopsis of the essence of bhakti yoga. As Dhanurdhara Swami points out, it is a process of responsiveness or reciprocation to the gifts we are being given at every moment by God.
We express our gratitude through:
1. Our Mind- When we engage and absorb our minds in reading, studying, and dwelling upon authentic, sacred knowledge given in the yoga wisdom literatures, we re-wire the mechanisms that underpin the turnings of the mind. In our conditioned state, our minds can easily act as our greatest enemy, degrading us by leading us to adopt thought patterns, mindsets, and habits that do not serve our progressive growth. Conversely, when upgraded by this process of fine-tuning, our minds can become a powerful ally which allows us focus our attention and perception in ways that facilitate more enlightened intentions and actions. Then, we naturally experience deepening states of sustainable satisfaction.
2. Our Body- When we recognize that our body is a gift by which we can serve others and the world, we treat it as a sacred instrument for Divine grace to flow through. We properly honor our bodily instrument by leading a healthy lifestyle with a clean diet, proper rest, exercise, etc. In this way, we can more sustainably engage our bodies in acts of service that not only uplift our own state of heart & consciousness, but also enhance the lives of others.
3. Our Words- As Krishna points out in the Bhagavad Gita (17.15), one should make a habit of speaking words that are truthful, pleasing, beneficial, and not agitating to others, as well as in regularly reciting mantras and prayers. This can be thought of as the yoga of the tongue… Utilizing our faculty of speech in this way honors the fact that every living entity is a beloved part and parcel of our original Divine Source, and is therefore worthy of respect.
Thus, engaging our minds, bodies, and words in this way, we reciprocate with the Divine and tangibly feel and experience an ever increasing well-spring of spiritual pleasure that naturally flows when this eternal, most essential relationship deepens.
Let’s connect! I’d love to hear any of your thoughts or reflections on any of this!
Yours in service,
DK dasa (Dan Taylor)
dkdasa108@gmail.com
