How good a devotee are you?

 Yes, we are indeed talking about devotion to GOD! 

Most of us would equate devotion with prostrating before an idol of our favourite GOD or then keeping a "fast" (say on करवा चौथ ) or going to a temple on predetermined days or then carrying out a सत्यनारायण   पूजा   or going to holy places like Shirdi or  attending religious orations (the ultimate fashion these days) . Do you think this is what real devotion is? 

(1)    Are you confusing devotion with rituals? 

 All religious rituals are supposed to create the right mental ambience to enable more effective communication with GOD. So, if you are a good devotee, don't feel satisfied at just following the rituals - keep track of the ultimate goal; that of communicating with the ALMIGHTY. 

(2)    Shouldn't Communication with GOD be strictly personal? 

Every individual has to have a personal equation with GOD. This is not something that can be done collectively.  Community Projects which require tangible assets  (money, clothes, crutches etc.) need to be done collectively because the demand for these far outstrips the supply and a single individual, howsoever rich, will never be able to provide these. Praying to GOD is not a community project - it is an individual and a strictly personal activity and therefore should be done singly. The joint singing of devotional songs (आरती ), consuming the महाप्रसाद  and doing जागरण  can by no means be classified as PRAYERS.  They are at best, group exercises. The moment you realise this truth, you will also realise that praying does not need to have a fixed time or day. There is a permanent hot line of your own, available to you all the time and always at zero cost. Haven't you heard that a first rate mind always thinks alone! A first rate devotee always prays (communicates) alone. 

(3)    Do you follow religious practices, out of fear of the unknown? 

Devotion is not the monopoly of persons who are "religious" by nature. I conducted a small survey (which may not have a statistical significance, but which does indicate a trend) in which the following five questions were asked. Why don't you rate yourself on the same queries? Be truthful, though! 

•      गणेश , the elephant GOD "likes"  मोदक (sweet eatable made out of sugar and grated coconut). For a change, will you be comfortable offering श्रीखंड  पूरी  on the day of गणेश  चतुर्थी , this year? 
  
•     You perform the पूजा  everyday, in your house. Will you be willing to give it a weekly holiday? 
  
•     Your family has been performing the traditional (nine days) नवरात्रि  पूजा  at home, since the days of your forefathers. This year, can you agree to donate an equivalent amount to an orphanage, instead of celebrating this traditional पूजा? 
  
•     You go to the शनि  मंदिर  every Saturday.  The coming week, can you go there on a Sunday, instead? 
  
•     There are two sets of pundits (पुजारी)  - those who perform the auspicious "पूजा " and others who perform the religious rituals after a death. Are you willing to invite one of the latter groups to solemnize the marriage in your family? 
  

An overwhelming percentage of respondents were unwilling to do any of this and could not explain why. Ask yourself if you are a good robot or a good devotee? 

(4)  Are you the type who prays to ask for a favour ? 

We sometimes put GOD in an impossible situation. We either want to strike a deal with HIM (I don't know why GOD is always considered male) or want to leave everything to HIM or want to berate HIM for favours supposedly denied. A good devotee prays because he feels "peaceful and contented", after doing so. This state of mind ultimately leads to better performance in whatever you do and these could be the real benefits of devotion. 

(5)  Do you make it a point to "understand" the philosophy behind the rituals that you carry out? 

You will be surprised, but most of our children (and adults too) do not know the full meaning of our own national anthem. Imagine them singing something that they do not fully comprehend. How can we expect them to be filled with pride for the country, if they do not even know what they are uttering? This has been the bane of our education system. Parents do not help their children to understand what they insist the children must compulsorily learn to say (आरती  or श्लोक  for example), because they were never helped by their own parents to find these meanings. My survey says that more than 60% of the people who sing the most common गणपती  ची  आरती  in Marathi (सुख करता , दुःख  हरता …) do not know its meaning. Good devotees recite only what they understand and conversely, first understand what they want to recite.  

In conclusion may I remind you of that pearl of wisdom from Mahatma Gandhi? 

It is not those who do not have eyes who are blind! 

Blind are those who inspite of having eyes refuse to 'see'