Devotion

Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

It’s commonly understood that devotion comes from the heart. Where can we find this heart? What does that mean? The physical heart is obviously an organ, synonymous with the sustaining of life within the body. However, heartfelt devotion emanates not from the physical heart, but from the “subtle” one. Subtle in the sense that it is not necessarily seen or grasped by the mind. In fact, this non-graspingness of the mind is what makes the subtle heart so powerful. It takes you beyond the mind. It renders the mind, all thoughts, and all concepts meaningless. It is a “right brain” phenomenon that cannot be analyzed, compartmentalized, codified, or registered by the left-brain logical processes of reason and intellectualization. Therefore, it must be experienced—or better yet—known. And the key indicator of devotion is its own heartfelt devotion towards life in all its expressions, towards prayer, towards service, towards lovingness. It’s a devotion to as a way of being.

Across different cultures and traditions, devotion expresses itself in different ways. In India, a puja of flowers and incense is offered to a holy river or temple that one considers sacred. In the West, the scientist is devoted to his work in uncovering the next pharmaceutical breakthrough that will reduce human suffering. The mother is devoted to her children. The artist is devoted to their art. The student is devoted to their study.

The truth is, each one of us already has a deep and lasting devotion towards Life. It is only a matter of accessing and claiming it as our own. Then we live it. Devotion is a gift that is given in the form of having the obstacles to its realization removed. The removal of these obstacles begins with a sincere request.