Flavours of Devotion: Unwavering Commitment (Love-in-Action Blog Series)

Once, in Satsang, there was an interesting question posed to Gurudev: “Dear Guruji, how come none of your teachers have attained enlightenment so far.” Gurudev’s answer really moved me. He said: “First ask my teachers if enlightenment is what they want." For a moment, I was shocked! Are we, as Art of Living teachers and Yogis, praying for wrong or small things instead of seeking the highest? But Gurudev continued after a pause. He said, "A Boddhisattva never enters the gates of heaven before ensuring that everyone else has entered first." I realized then that He was praising His teachers - indeed, our wishes are always small and innocently full of love: "let my course participants be happy, let them grow on the path of knowledge, let them also experience unconditional love, become teachers..."

In the Buddhist Mahayana philosophy, a Bodhisattva refers to one who is “constantly active in the service of all beings.”(1) A Boddhisattva resolves to bring knowledge, and through knowledge, liberation, to all in the commune. Boddhisattvas are devoted to Buddha and his teachings. Therefore, they are not even attached to Nirvana – out of sheer love and compassion, they willingly abandon Nirvana, even after they acquire it, and come back to the mortal world to help people cross the Ocean of Samsara.(2) It has been said that this verse represents what a Bodhisattva’s resolve is:

Without any hesitation, I relinquish,

My body, my pleasures,

And all virtues achieved throughout this lifetime

In order to benefit all sentient beings.(3)

The Bhakti of a Boddhisattva manifests as her/his commitment to bring knowledge and liberation to every human being. Bhakti, manifesting as commitment, also makes one willing to go through Tapas (4). This commitment then effortlessly brings one’s mind to one-pointed attention, stillness, meditation. 

Once, when I was living in New York, one of the senior Art of Living teachers asked if I would assist her in teaching YES (“Youth Empowerment Seminar”) courses to a group of New York teenagers who had been sent to a detention center because they had been involved with violence and other misbehavior in their school. I had no experience teaching such “at risk” students and was afraid of facing them, all of who appeared physically a lot stronger than me (girls and boys alike). 

But I said yes. Every time we had to go to the detention center to meet and teach the students, the whole way from my home to the detention center (almost one-hour journey by public transport), my heart was thumping from fear and my mind was revolting. But some force kept me by my commitment. The moment I entered the detention center, all the fear would vanish – I smiled naturally, feeling my heart fill up with love – a love I had never felt before. It was this love, the Master's unconditional love, that filled us up during these sessions, which brought about lasting transformation in this very broken group of students. 

Don't get me wrong, the sessions were never a walk in the clouds. The children were so toughened by their circumstances, and carrying so much stress, that it would often express itself as aggression, rudeness, and insults. Their behavior could easily leave one feeling deeply humiliated. But what was needed in the situation was not strict discipline or counter-aggression, but unwavering love and commitment.

In his commentaries on the Ashtavakra Gita, Sri Sri asks: “when you say ‘I love you’, do you love the other person or do you love the way you yourself feel when you are with that person?” It is an eye-opening question. It was during my time teaching the YES course to “at risk” students in New York, that I got a glimpse of what loving someone unconditionally might mean. I did not want anything from these students. I also did not “feel” particularly comfortable with them. But I wished for them to be happy and to grow on the path of knowledge, and I experienced a joy like none other when I would see their smiles and see them transform out of the stress and anger they carried. 

I wondered, however, why, despite being an Art of Living teacher and being committed to Gurudev’s work, did I experience so much fear and resistance all the way to the detention center (till Gurudev’s love took over). Was I not a Bhakti Yogi in the true sense? Recently, I heard Gurudev say: “Don’t doubt your Bhakti (devotion). The commitment in you is devotion.”(5)

References

(1) Kawamura, Leslie. The Bodhisattva Doctrine in Buddhism. Vol. 10. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press, 1981. p. xii
(2) Kawamura, Leslie. The Bodhisattva Doctrine in Buddhism. Vol. 10. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press, 1981. p. xiii

(3) As cited in: Garfield, Jay L. "What is it Like to be a Bodhisattva? Moral Phenomenology in Śāntideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra." Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies (2010): 333-357.
(4) Tapas= short term discomfort, endured with the aim of accomplishing a greater good - e.g. enduring long hours of hard work before an exam.
(5) Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, The Path of Love: A Live Discourse (Online), 25 June to 9th July 2020, Art of Living, India. https://live.artofliving.org/nbs

Today's committed-to-health recipe: Healthy Vegan Pancakes (Gluten-free version possible) 

Preparation + Cooking Time: 15-20 mins
Serves: 2-3 people

Dry Ingredients
1 cup oat flour (or gluten-free oat flour) - If you have oat flakes at home, you can also use a dry grinder to make fresh oat flour at home
2 heaped Tbs Whole Grain Spelt flour (Or gluten-free flour mix or corn starch)
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder 

Wet Ingredients
1 cup vegan milk (almond milk or oat milk works really well)
1 ripe banana
3 Tbs Coconut Oil
2 Tbs Almond butter
2 Tbs whole sugar (optional) 

1 Tbs Chia seeds soaked in 1/4 cup water (Optional)

 
Method:
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. In a high speed blender, blend all wet ingredients (other than the soaked chia seeds) until it is smooth. Put the wet ingredient blend into the dry ingredient mix and whisk till smooth. Add the soaked chia seeds and whisk again till you have a smooth batter. (PS: The Oats will absorb the water, so if it seems runny, don't worry, it will become thicker very fast, so use the batter immediately).  

In a well-heated large non-stick frying pan, pour enough batter and spread to 2/3 of the pan surface. Wait for one side to brown and then flip. Cook each side till golden brown. Serve with fresh fruit and your favorite toppings: (Vegan) butter, Maple syrup, chocolate spread, apple mousse, fresh fruits...