October 2019
Kali Mandir, Laguna Beach, California, U.S.A.
Pariprasna Srimat Swami Tapasyananda Ji (1904 – 1991), was one of the Vice-Presidents of the Ramakrishna Order. His deeply convincing answers to devotees’ questions raised in spiritual retreats and in personal letters have been published in book form as Spiritual Quest: Questions & Answers. Pariprasna is a selection from this book. QUESTION: What is the place of Bhakti in modern society?
MAHARAJ: Faith in God and devotion to Him are important needs of man in all societies and at all times. Forces favourable to it and forces antagonistic to it have also existed everywhere and at all times. Anti-devotional forces are not a speciality of our times as some people believe. There is however an element of truth in this assumption. Intellectual sophistication has a tendency to make some men sceptical. But more than intellect, it is man’s intense attraction for the life of the senses that misdirects the intellect into sceptical channels. Otherwise the intellect is neutral in regard to faith in God. It may question and demolish many of the crude and superstitious ideas and practices that have developed in the name of faith and that type of cobweb-cleaning is a very necessary process. The intellect is aware of its own blindness about the ultimate nature of things. This position is confirmed by modern philosophers of science too.
To the extent that devotional life is eliminated from the life of men, they will find themselves meaningless creatures in this mighty cosmos, and their daily life too will lose all moral significance.
The Vedanta Kesari
PA G E S P O N S O R : A D E V O T E E , M I S S I O N R D. , B E N G A LU R U
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