Navavidha Bhakti - 5

Sri Siddharameshwar Maharaj 

The Nine Faceted Devotion

The ninth type of Devotion is "Self-Surrender". If you feel that All is Brahman, then you must have the conviction that you are also Brahman. The state of non-duality comes naturally. When you get the mantra from the Guru, you are a Royal King. Out of five, only one succeeds. Goddess Lakshmi came to put a mark (tilak) on the forehead of five men. But four of them said that they have not washed their faces. They then rushed off to wash their faces. The fifth man however, stood where he was. Lakshmi put the mark on his forehead and he became rich. The very inaction of the faithful devotee became the act of Brahman. This is what is called the "State of Purity". Spiritual practice should be intense. This means that we should leave off all wrong thinking and our devotion should be all consuming. To hold dear to our heart the image of our Sadguru at all times is the practice and that is this State of Purity. "That" which is always clean, always sacred, and always pure, is the most powerful, indestructible, and deathless True Nature (Swaroopa) of the Sadguru. Not to forget this, is itself spiritual practice.