‘My God-Hunger-Cry’ Prayer for Feb. 8
“First-class devotion-breath
Compels ignorance-death.”
Much can be and has been said about the power and necessity of
devotion. In this short prayer-poem Sri Chinmoy gives us the essence
of the incredible power and role of devotion in life. Since the
powerful ocean of ignorance seems to be the cause of all of our
problems and suffering, then whatever can cause its `death‘ or
transformation, is truly the most important remedy for this suffering
world.
In the Bhagavad-Gita, one of India’s most sacred texts, there is a
chapter on devotion.
In that chapter, Krishnasays to Arjuna:
“Quickly I come to those who offer me every action,
Worship me only, their dearest delight,
With devotion undaunted.
Because they love me, these are my bondsmen,
And I shall save them from mortal sorrow
And all the waves of life’s deathly ocean.
Be absorbed in me,
Lodge your mind in me,
Thus you shall dwell in me.
Do not doubt it,
Hear and hereafter.”
Just as the earth’s oceans have been around for millennia, life’s
deathly ocean of ignorance seems to be all pervasive as well. It is
vast, enticing, yet very dangerous to those of us who are not fully
advanced spiritually. It would be wise to cross that ocean only in a
boat with an expert boatman lest we be totally overcome eventually by
the vast power of the ocean. To think we can cross it alone, without
help, is absurd. To use the most powerful quality of devotion to help
us as we progress through life, facing the ignorance ocean each day is
naturally the wise thing to do. Sri Chinmoy teaches us through many
means just what devotion is and how to use it in our daily and
practical lives.
Arpan