The Essence of All True Religions: Bhakti and Compassion
By Adis Duderija, New
Age Islam
18 July
2024
In The Abrahamic
Faiths as Well, The Ethic of Compassion Is Central. The Hebrew Bible Teaches,
"Love Your Neighbour as Yourself," While Jesus Christ's Ministry Was
Defined by His Radical Love and Compassion for The Marginalized and The
Suffering. The Quran Instructs Muslims to "Be Kind to Parents, and to
Kindred, and to Orphans, and to The Needy, and to The Neighbour Who Is Near of
Kin and The Neighbour Who Is a Stranger." These Teachings Point to A
Spirituality Grounded in Care, Kindness, And Concern for All
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“The Essence of Hinduism Is the Same Essence of
All True Religions: Bhakti or Pure Love for God and Genuine Compassion for All
Beings.”
- Radhanath
Swami:
Radhanath Swami, a renowned spiritual teacher and
author, has beautifully encapsulated the core essence of Hinduism and, indeed,
all true religions in a single insightful quote. He states that the heart of
Hinduism, and by extension the heart of all authentic spiritual paths, is
rooted in two fundamental principles: Bhakti, or pure devotional love for the
divine, and genuine compassion for all living beings.
At the
deepest level, the world's great religious and spiritual traditions, when
stripped of cultural trappings and dogmatic accretions, converge on these two
universal spiritual truths. Whether one follows the bhakti-yoga of Hinduism,
the Sufi path of Islam, the agape love of Christianity, the Bodhicitta of
Buddhism, or the Tao of ancient Chinese philosophy, the common thread that
binds them all is this divine love and universal compassion.
Bhakti: The Yoga of Devotional Love
The concept
of Bhakti is central to the Hindu tradition. Bhakti refers to the intense,
unwavering love and devotion that the practitioner cultivates towards the
divine, whether that divine is conceptualized as a personal God, an impersonal
absolute, or the sacred essence that permeates all of existence. In the Bhakti
tradition, the seeker does not approach the divine out of a sense of
obligation, fear, or desire for personal gain, but rather out of a pure,
selfless longing to merge with the beloved, to experience union with the source
of all being.
This Bhakti
paradigm stands in contrast to the more analytical, knowledge-based approaches
found in traditions like Jnana Yoga or the philosophical schools of Advaita
Vedanta. While these latter paths emphasize the cultivation of wisdom,
detachment, and the realization of non-dual oneness, the Bhakti yogis focus
single-mindedly on cultivating an intimate, loving relationship with the
divine. Through devotional practices like chanting, prayer, pilgrimage, and
sacred rituals, the Bhakta (devotee) seeks to obliterate the sense of separate
self and surrender completely to the will and grace of the beloved.
The depths
of Bhakti can be seen in the ecstatic poetry of saint-poets like Mirabai, Tukaram, and Ramprasad Sen, who express their longing for the divine in the most passionate, poetic
terms. Mirabai, for instance, sings: “O my Krishna, without you I cannot live
even for a moment. You are the very breath of my life.” This intensity of love,
bordering on divine madness, is the hallmark of the Bhakti tradition.
Compassion: The Universal Spiritual Virtue
Alongside
this devotional love for the divine, the second essential element that
Radhanath Swami highlights is the virtue of genuine compassion for all living
beings. This compassion, rooted in the recognition of the intrinsic sacredness
and interconnectedness of all existence, is a fundamental teaching found in the
world's great spiritual and religious traditions.
In
Hinduism, the principle of Ahimsa, or non-violence and non-harm, is a core
ethical tenet that flows directly from this understanding of the inherent
divinity and essential unity of all life. The Upanishads declare, "Thou
art That" (Tat Tvam Asi),
pointing to the profound truth that the individual self (atman) is not separate
from the universal divine ground of being (Brahman). This realization naturally
breeds a sense of reverence and compassion towards all creatures.
Similarly,
in Buddhism, the cultivation of Karuna, or compassionate love, is seen as
essential to the path of spiritual awakening. The Bodhisattva vow, taken by
advanced Buddhist practitioners, is a commitment to postpone one's own
liberation in order to work tirelessly for the enlightenment and liberation of
all sentient beings. This boundless compassion, extending even to one’s
perceived enemies, is a hallmark of the Buddhist worldview.
In the
Abrahamic faiths as well, the ethic of compassion is central. The Hebrew Bible
teaches, "Love your neighbour as yourself," while Jesus Christ's
ministry was defined by his radical love and compassion for the marginalized
and the suffering. The Quran instructs Muslims to "Be kind to parents, and
to kindred, and to orphans, and to the needy, and to the neighbour who is near
of kin and the neighbour who is a stranger." These teachings point to a
spirituality grounded in care, kindness, and concern for all.
The Unity of Bhakti and Compassion
What
Radhanath Swami so eloquently points out is that these two spiritual principles
– Bhakti (devotional love) and Compassion – are inherently linked and mutually
reinforcing. True devotion to the divine cannot be divorced from a profound
sense of reverence and care for all of God's creation. Conversely, authentic
compassion for all beings flows naturally from the realization of our essential
oneness with the divine ground of existence.
The Bhakta,
in their intense love and longing for the divine, sees the beloved everywhere –
in the rivers, the mountains, the birds, the beasts. Their heart overflows with
a universal love that knows no boundaries. As the mystic poet Kabir declares,
"The Lord is in the water, the Lord is on the land, / The Lord is the fish
in the deep, the Lord is the bird in the air."
Similarly,
the compassionate sage, who has glimpsed the sacred unity underlying all of
existence, cannot help but treat every creature, every being, as a
manifestation of the divine. Their love flows outwards, embracing all of life
with the tenderness of a parent nurturing their child.
In this
way, Bhakti and Compassion constitute the twin pillars upon which the edifice
of authentic spirituality is built. They are not separate or competing spiritual
qualities, but rather two sides of the same sacred coin. One who has truly
realized the essence of Hinduism, or any other genuine religious tradition,
will embody both devotional love and universal compassion.
The Timeless Relevance of Bhakti and Compassion
In a world
increasingly fractured by religious and ideological divides, the universal
truths of Bhakti and Compassion hold the key to healing and transformation. As
humanity faces the immense challenges of our time – climate change, growing
inequality, political polarization, and the erosion of our shared sense of
community – the spiritual antidote lies in rekindling these timeless spiritual
virtues.
At a time
when organized religion is often viewed with suspicion or derision, the essence
of Hinduism and other great faiths – love for the divine and care for all
beings – provides a unifying vision that transcends the confines of dogma and
doctrine. By rediscovering the common ground of Bhakti and Compassion, we can
forge a new interfaith dialogue and a global spirituality capable of addressing
the pressing issues of our age.
Indeed, the
great spiritual leaders and mystics of the past have long recognized that the
truths of Bhakti and Compassion are not the exclusive domain of any single
tradition, but are the universal birthrights of all humanity. From the ecstatic
songs of the Sufi poets to the teachings of the Christian contemplatives, from
the Buddhist bodhisattvas to the Hindu saints, we find this common chord of
devotional love and universal care.
As we
navigate the complexities of the 21st century, the timeless wisdom of Bhakti
and Compassion offers us a North Star to guide our individual and collective
journeys. By cultivating these twin spiritual qualities within ourselves and
our communities, we can rediscover our essential unity, transcend our petty
differences, and birth a new era of harmony, justice, and sacred stewardship of
our precious planet.
In the
words of the great Indian sage Sri Aurobindo, “The future of humanity is a luminous future,
a future full of the Divine. All life is the Eternal's play of consciousness,
and all forms are the Eternal's forms.” It is through the portal of Bhakti and
Compassion that we can catch glimpses of this luminous future, and commit
ourselves to its realization.
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A decades old patron of New Age Islam, Dr Adis Duderija is a Senior
Lecturer in the Study of Islam and Society, School of Humanities, Languages and
Social Science; Senior Fellow Centre for Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue,
Griffith University | Nathan | Queensland | Australia. His forthcoming books
are (co-edited)- Shame, Modesty, and
Honora in Islam and Interfaith Engagement Beyond the Divide (Springer)
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/essence-religions-bhakti-compassion/d/132733
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