Sushree Diwakari Devi Ji highlights that across all scriptures, whether the Vedas, the Ramayan, or other texts, all unanimously declare that bhakti, or devotion, is the easiest and most accessible path to realizing God. However, this devotion must come from the heart and cannot merely be about external rituals or physical actions. True devotion involves the mind, and it is essential to engage both the mind and the senses in the practice of bhakti. She underscores that simply performing rituals, chanting, or physical acts without a sincere connection to God is not true devotion.
The focus is on the inner surrender of both the heart and mind to God, where genuine bhakti means devotion that arises from deep within, not just surface-level actions. To explain this point, Didi Ji uses the analogy of dipping a sealed bottle of impure water into the Ganges River. Despite being immersed in the holy water, the bottle’s contamination won’t be cleansed because the water cannot reach the inside of the bottle. Similarly, a person who only engages in physical rituals without involving the mind cannot truly cleanse their sins or achieve spiritual progress.
Furthermore, Didi Ji stresses that just performing rituals without a mindful connection to the practice is meaningless. The real essence of spirituality lies in the active involvement of the mind, and this connection cannot be forced or superficial. She also mentions that if one follows the teachings of their Guru and applies those teachings sincerely in everyday life, that devotion will lead to genuine spiritual growth.
In essence, Diwakari Didi Ji emphasizes the importance of a devoted heart and mind, pointing out that the external forms of devotion or spirituality are meaningless without this deep inner commitment. True spiritual progress depends on engaging the mind and heart in every practice, and that’s what leads to a real connection with God.
Memorable Quotes from the Discourse:
"All the scriptures, from the Vedas to the Ramayan, unanimously declare bhakti (devotion) as the single path of Divine love realization."
"So, all the scriptures they declare bhakti or devotion as the easiest and the most accessible path to realize God."
"However, it must be done from the heart and not merely performed by our physical senses. Yes, of course, we can engage our physical senses, they are our helpers after all, but it must be in tandem with the mind. This is mandatory. It is imperative if we desire to gain spiritual success, make progress."
"People do kirtan- bhajan, they go on pilgrimage, they chant on jap beads, they do recitation of scriptural texts, engage in prayer. But what is the use of mere recitation of letters?"
"What is the mere repetition of words going to earn us? It is said in the Gita, “Surrender to me.” Who is saying this? Krishna. And who is he saying it to? Arjun. And why is he saying it to Arjun? To make Arjuna submit, to make Arjun surrender to Him."
"Oh Arjun, you give your mind to Me and your intellect. You submit both to Me. Surrender to Me.” Yes, it doesn’t mean that we should just keep on repeating, “I am surrendered, I am surrendered.” Absolutely not.
"So upasana, or the word sadhana means to take our mind close to God."
"If there is a fire 50 feet away at a distance of 50 feet and you are feeling cold, yes, then what to do? Well, move 10 feet closer to the fire. Oh, yes, feeling better, much better. Feel the warmth. Well, move 20 feet closer to even get the benefit of the temperature even more."
"But if you are standing 50 feet away from the fire with your arm extended, you would most definitely doubt the presence of the fire. You will say, 'Well, I had my arm out for so long, but I felt nothing. The cold did not dissipate.' Yes, how can it go away? You have to move closer to the fire. Right? In the same way, we have to bring our mind to God."
"It is the mind that has to be submerged in Ganga with devotion for the Supreme God, overwhelmed thinking that I am bathing in the holiest of the holy waters of Ganga that came after washing the lotus feet of the Lord."
"So it is the mind that has to be submerged, and only then we will be able to absolve ourselves of our sins."
"This knowledge, it applies to any and every spiritual practice. We must practice with our mind. That is a fundamental teaching of our Divine Vedic scriptures."
"What do people do when they go on pilgrimage to Haridwar and to these places of pilgrimage to bathe in Gangaji? What do they do? They they only just soak their body physically. They go inside with their mind miles away."
"Wherever our mind is, that becomes the object of our devotion."
"It is the mind that has to be engaged in practice. So the next time we go to take a dip in Gangaji, we should do this so with our mind from our heart."
"The teachings that my Gurudev Jagadguruttam Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj has abundantly and so generously distributed. If we avail of that, if we embrace these teachings and by them practically apply them in our life, then we will definitely derive the true benefit of these Divine teachings within our scriptures."
"So, it is the mind that has to practice spirituality, and if the mind is not engaged, then anything that we do in the name of spirituality is mere formality."
"Let us all apply this philosophy that I just shared. Let us bring our mind. Let us really and truly from our heart feel in all humility, faithfully, that as we're offering that bhog to Shri Radha Rani, that she is accepting our bhog out of her benevolent, kind, compassionate, gracious nature."
"Being there physically has no bearing on what you want to earn internally because it's the mind. If you bring your mind, then you will most certainly earn the fruit - the grace of Shri Radha."
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