Devotion

Written by Nigel Philpot

I started to think about devotion a couple of years ago when I was talking to my ole dharma buddy Paul Morton about Hinduism.

I knew little about Hinduism other than it preceded  Buddhism and seemed to teach a similar message. So Paul took me through a rough tour of the history of Hinduism starting with Krishna, its founder, some 5000 years ago.

Or did it start with Brahma? Well, the world started with Brahma or to put it more accurately, Brahma, it is said, created the world. It is of course a myth but quite a captivating one, that Paul told. Brahma was residing in pure bliss and contentment, perched high up, within the petals of a lotus plant that had a very tall stem. With very little to do it is as if he asked himself “ Well, now what…what next?”  In response to his dilemmna he set about creating the world.

“ So where do the teachings and Hindu scripts come from?” I asked Paul. Not from Brahma it would seem but from his consort Krishna who sang the scriptures at great length in one outburst, accompanied by his flute.

I was struck by the imagery and poetry of it all and as Paul spoke further of the development of Hinduism, I realized how important are story, parable and myth and their ability to convey meaning to the Hindu faith. Paul spoke of his attraction to the religion because of its colour and ritual which still pervades every day Indian life. The religious festivities are a celebration of life and a surrender to it in all its many aspects ; and the surrender is total, public, visible for all to see.. There is no holding back, inhibition or false piety. No division between the sacred and the mundane. Here is all of life.

Having visited India and witnessed some of the festivities at places like Benares, I knew what Paul meant. My mind flashed quickly to our own streets and felt sad that such riotously colourful festivities had no place there. The whole notion is alien to Western culture.

The nearest we have come to it is the Hare Krishna movement in the 70’s and 80’s, strings of shaven headed dovotees snaking down Oxford Street chanting “ Hare Krishna. Krishna. Krishna” and ringing bells as they went. It was at this point that I realized why Hinduism, with its public, extrovert display of religious fervour and devotion has not really caught hold in the UK and conversely why Buddhism with its more cerebral approach was of more appeal to the Western mind. In Buddhism there were numerous texts and concepts we could read and discuss. Yes, these in themselves would not be sufficient: there had to be practice and meditation but we would be spared public celebration. All we need do is look within and find our own salvation. No need to make a song and dance about it! Indeed, it would require long periods of solitary retreat. Rather than celebrate with the kids it was a good excuse to get away from them. Or follow the monastic path and avoid having families altogether!

But there is an important issue here which is to do with spiritual paths and practices and the cultural contexts in which these take place. It is said that there are three types of man/woman and consequently three paths to enlightenment and salvation. And these are: the paths of devotion, intellect and action. Returning to Paul’s potted history of Hinduism, it was interesting to see how the development of these paths, particularly those of devotion and intellect played out. Subsequent to Krishna, Hinduism split into two main schools of thought and approach. These were the Mayavadi school with a more intellectual, drier approach, based on the lofty and higher truth of non-dualism (Advaita) and the Gaudimath school which was more devotional in its approach and grounded in the dualistic (Vaita) realities of life. This school was founded around 1486 AD by Chaitanya who is said to be the last incarnation of Krishna.

The two schools clashed and there was confusion among the people as to which one to follow. Which school held the greater truth and knowledge? Something had to be done, so the two leaders decided to meet for debate to claim their supremacy. But it seems that no debate took place or was necessary. Chaitanya, leader of the Gaudimath school was seated in a very inauspicious location among debris and piles of rubbish surrounded by his followers and awaiting his opponent but such was his prescence that he emitted a glowing radiance that was evident for all to see….including his opposite number and his followers who submitted immediately to him. Their hearts had been opened….they were in ecstacy. The school of devotion (bhakti) had won the day.

It is said that Buddhism arose out of the need to get to the essence of the dharma, the core truth of the teachings and to strip away all the paraphernalia of Gods and Godesses, rituals and ceremonies which had grown up around Hinduism. But in doing so, maybe something important has been lost: the mystery, the magic, the celebratory, the communal – the sense of something bigget and beyond ourselves which we can reach out to and partake in. With Eastern religion coming to the West The emphasis has switched to the individual (no surprise there!) and the responsibility to find our own salvation. Maybe in Indian Hindu culture this notion of the sharply defined separate ego/individual is not so deeply embedded in the consciousness and their cultural and religious life therefore allows easier and more natural access and  expression of the individuals connection with the totality of life.  

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