Simple Vs Intimate Emotional devotion – Which Krishna Prefers?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna Prabhu ji, I have an important query since many days which I want to ask you. Should devotees typically those who are more emotional people should follow their bhava in worshipping Krishna. If devotees have intimate devotion for the Lord in their, does it dilute their devotion? Should they follow simple devotion as recommended or should they follow their heart?
Does Lord Krishna accept the devotion especially if the devotees have lot of love in this intimate bhava. Please elucidate the correct way to worship Krishna for devotees who are more emotional. Thank you.”
REPLY:
Firstly, without emotional approach, devotion is impossible!
How?
The ultimate stage of Devotion to Krishna is Prema Bhakti or Raganuga Bhakti.
(Vaidhi Bhakti & Raganuga Bhakti – Two Types of Devotional Practices! READ HERE!)
Prema means Pure state of love for Krishna.
Love is not connected to Intelligence or knowledge.
Love is connected to emotions.
Love itself is an emotion.
So, to Love Krishna, we need to express our emotions.
Gopis were the topmost level of Prema Bhaktas of Krishna. They had no other thoughts except Krishna all the time. They spontaneously loved Krishna without any formalities or barriers.
Their love for Krishna is their emotions for Krishna.
So, Bhakti can exist without Intelligence, but Bhakti can’t exist without Love.
Though you follow a reverRed bhava towards Krishna, that itself needs Love for Krishna because you will show respect to someone only if you have good feelings for him.
(SIX OPULENCE OF KRISHNA PROVING HIS SUPREMACY! READ HERE!)
If you love your spouse, you will respect his/ her feelings.
Krishna emphacizes the importance of LOVE in many places. He says that He will accept any offering only if it is offered with Love.
Without Love, we can’t make Krishna to accept our offerings.
So, Love is the base of our devotion to Krishna.
You have asked – Simple devotion Vs Intimate Emotional devotion – Which Krishna likes the Most.
Simple devotion is the first stage of Intimate Emotional devotion.
All Intimate devotion starts from Simple devotion only.
We have read nine stages of bhakti. They can be read in the Post given below:
(NINE STAGES OF BHAKTI YOGA (ADVANCEMENT IN DEVOTION) EXPLAINED! READ HERE!)
Thus, Bhakti is a stage by stage process.
So, Simple devotion is for the beginners and Intimate emotional devotion is for the advanced stage of devotees.
Simple devotion will have the more domination of Vaidhi Bhakti like chanting, fasting, etc, but Intimate Emotional devotion will have the domination of Longing for Krishna, ie, Prema.
There will be no need for devotional rules because we will always be thinking of Krishna during the advanced stage of Intimate Emotional devotion, ie, Prema Bhakti.
So, Krishna accepts both the simple devotion (at the beginning stage) as well as Intimate Emotional devotion (at the advanced stage) and helps us to advance faster in Bhakti.
Hope youn are clear about Simple devotion Vs Intimate Emotional devotion – Which Krishna likes the Most.
(Knowledge to be received by devotees for Bhakti Rasa & Prema! READ HERE!)