Aren’t our emotions just mental – how can we cultivate them in bhakti?

Answer Podcast

Every statement in Krishna See, when you talk about spiritual emotions, ultimately they are emotions. So, how can we cultivate them or how can we make them grow? Yeah, see they are emotions but ultimately even bhakti is an emotion. So, our goal at the highest level is also emotion.
And it is not that, that emotion will suddenly mysteriously appear at the end and throughout the journey there is no emotion. No, it is a gradual increase in the intensity of the emotion. And right now, there may not be much emotions but whatever emotions we have, we accept them and we cultivate them.
That means, that on some days if we find that particular darshan of the deities, we feel very deeply attracted to that. Then, we can maybe keep a photo of that darshan with us. And everyday’s darshan may not stimulate us spiritually, devotionally.
But if a particular darshan stimulates us, we keep it with us. Now, it is not that we neglect Krishna in his other manifestations. We take darshan regularly.
But if some manifestation of Krishna attracts us, that is wonderful. We see it as Krishna’s mercy. We serve Krishna in whatever manifestation is there.
But if a particular manifestation attracts us, we don’t have to go into a hyper-analytical mode whether this particular attraction is just mental or whether it is spiritual. Whatever it is, it is towards Krishna. And because it is towards Krishna, we accept it, we cherish it.
So, sometimes in our tradition, there is always an abundant cautioning about premature devotional emotions, sahajiyaic emotions. Don’t become sentimental. Don’t become hyper-emotional.
That is an important warning that we shouldn’t let emotions be the sole driving force of our bhakti. That means when I feel good, I will practice bhakti. If I don’t feel good, I will give up bhakti.
We can’t let emotions be the sole driving force of our bhakti. But emotions are an important ingredient even in the process of bhakti. And whenever they are available, we do use them.
So, the steady driving force of our bhakti, especially in the vaidhi bhakti stage is the vidhi, the instruction of the spiritual master. But, occasionally, or not just occasionally, periodically within that, we do need emotions, a burst of emotions which keeps us propelling onwards, accelerating us when we slow down. So, the test is about emotions is, or the caution within emotions is, we don’t let emotions become the sole driving force of our bhakti.
And the second caution is that, we don’t think that just because I have got these emotions, now I have become an advanced devotee. Just because, hey, today I had darshan and I had tears in my eyes, probably I have become a pure devotee. No, not like that.
If I have got tears, it’s not that we have to immediately reject that, because that’s our GI. Nor do we have to tell the whole world that I had tears and I had darshan. We just accept that this is some glimpse of higher emotion that I am getting, and because it’s connected with Krishna, we are grateful.
So, we don’t take the emotions as a sign of advance. That’s the problem with Sahaja Yogis. They think that just because I have some emotions, now I have become an advanced devotee.
No, it is the process that is important. It is not just the emotions. But emotions are a part of the process also.
So, when the emotions become the sole driver of the process, or when the emotions replace the process itself, because I have emotions, I don’t need to follow the process, then it becomes a problem. But within the parameters of the process, whenever emotions come, we do need to treasure them, because they are what become the juice of the nectar in the process of life. Does that answer your question?