The Importance of Detachment and Attachment to God: A Discourse by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj

In this discourse, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Jj Maharaj explains the importance of detaching oneself from worldly affairs and attaching oneself to God. He emphasizes the need for continuous practice and concentration on these two processes simultaneously. Jagadguru shri kripalu ji maharaj also provides practical tips for achieving detachment and attachment to God and warns of the potential distractions that may hinder one’s progress.

The underlying rule of any devotional practice is to attach the mind To God, so how is it to be done?

Firstly, the mind must be detached from the world. Withdraw your mind from worldly affairs and absorb it in God. The meaning of these two actions appears to be the same, however, detachment from the world does not automatically infer that the mind is attached to God. Conversely, attachment of the mind to God does not necessarily mean detachment from this world.

The mind is to be engrossed In God, withdrawing it from worldly affairs. This can be done only by gradual and continuous practice. The more the mind gets engrossed in God, the more it becomes detached from the world. The only guarantee of the mind’s complete detachment from this world is when you attain God. Until then, it is quite possible that you detach your mind from the world for some time, only to find that sometime later it has naturally reverted back to the world. Detachment of the mind from the world means that the mind is in the process of becoming attached to God. The process of withdrawing the mind from the world is known as vairagya, and the process of attaching the mind to God is known as abhyas. One needs to concentrate on these two processes simultaneously.

You have to perform it practically. You all hear this from your Guru or other spiritual preachers and yet you fail to implement it practically in your daily life. You say it is because you are so short of time and there are so many worldly distractions, Whatever time you devote to your devotional practice of withdrawing your mind from this world, the mind again plays its trick by convincing you to stop your practice time and again. In so doing, your effort does not succeed in producing any beneficial results. So train your mind for two processes – withdrawing it from worldly affairs and attaching it to God. These two can easily be done here in this devotional retreat.

There is no worldly environment here to detract you and delude your mind. It is an irrefutable principle that the mind does not go astray when there is no worldly environment to delude it. Going to your office, visiting marketplaces, and gossiping with people or family members are all means of attracting your mind, and all this is not available to you here. If you follow the rules, you can save yourself from all distractions. For example, you are expected not to even speak a word to your family members or other devotees unless it relates to the remembrance of God. You should utter only that which concerns God. You will have to make a pledge to only pronounce those words which make you and others engage in the loving remembrance of God.

If one becomes tired of participating in sankirtan, he may silently engage his mind in meditation on God’s forms, attributes, pastimes, etc. This is the main rule to be strictly followed by all of you. If a doctor gives instructions to a patient suffering from tuberculosis not to speak for a month, he obeys it without any violation. Likewise, you are required to obey these Instructions for your spiritual treatment.

I shall keep watch of you all. I have assigned duty to some amongst you only for this purpose. They will report to me as C.I.Ds (Centre of Investigation Department) do. I can only forgive you once for any violation, after that you are liable to be punished. I hope that such a situation does not arise. You all love and respect me and have left your homes and family to attend this devotional retreat, so observe the rule of silence. You will later realise yourself how much you have benefited by observing silence. By conversing with others, you yourself invite worldly matter to haunt your mind, and the person you are talking with adds even more to it. Out of courtesy you involve yourself in worldly talk, but that too I don’t like.

When you only fill your mind with divine matter: God’s names, forms, pastimes, glories, abodes and devotees, it will be purified. If you fill it with worldly things, it will get sullied. Loud chanting of the names of God while simultaneously withdrawing the mind from worldly affairs saves your mind from this pollution. When you speak you have to think in your mind first; you cannot perform any action without the help of the mind, and this puts a strain on the mind. When you abstain from speaking and performing any action, your mind remains unengaged.

As far as your eyes are concerned, should you see another devotee in the course of your meditation on God, consider that person to be better than yourself. Afford them the utmost respect, feeling them to be better than you because their love for Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, Go and their detachment from this world, is all greater than yours. This feeling will render you humble and egoless. Do not conceptualise that the person shedding tears during devotional practice is better than the one who does not. You do not possess the power to see one’s inner feelings, so extend good feeling towards all. If you obey my instructions here honestly, you yourself will realise the beneficial result immediately. 

Whenever you go outside the ashram for any urgent work, always realise in your mind the presence of Shyamasundara. Everywhere and at every moment think that His live image, surrounded by the gopis is casting a loving spell over you, “O how fortunate I am that He is smiling at me. “Practice in this manner. Here you will not find any object for your sense of smell to distract you, however try to experience the divine fragrance of God. As for your sense of taste, Relish the food given you considering it to be the prasad (sacred remnants) of God. I deliberately instructed simple food to be provided as you have to learn to control your palate. Giving someone unwholesome tasty food of his choice is not a reflection of your loving friendship, but rather the act of an enemy. Those with the habit of eating red chilli should abstain from it entirely: eat the food provided as a prasad given by God.

Your sense of touch will also find nothing here to distract it. Arrangements have been made for modest living. In times gone by, devotees used to sleep on the floor and only the elderly or those indisposed were given beds to sleep on, but now this facility is available to all.

You have to recite and chant the songs relating to God’s names, forms, pastimes, etc. Take the help of books if you have brought them, while others must listen attentively and create the feelings in your mind according to the meaning of the song being sung Devotees leading the kirtan should perform it in the fourth note of the gamut (madhyam swar) and not in a high tone. You all have to perform devotional practice very carefully.

Developing humility and practicing rupadhyana are the two most important points to be kept in your mind. Most of the time, songs that induce such feelings will be sung. But from time to time, lila madhuri and shringar madhuri will also be recited. Devotional practice is to be performed with sweet loving remembrance of God.

From time to time you will be given instructions. Observing all external rules, sincerely and continually practice devotion. Never allow worldly thoughts to enter your mind.

Do not allow sleep to overpower you. It is better to move from your seat, walk or stand up to ward off the spell of slumber. In case of any health problem, you may take the necessary rest and listen to the proceedings while lying on the bed. Nothing will please me more than the honest and full observance of these rules by all of you. Your advancement in this direction will make me happy like a successful businessman, for I am also a businessman: a spiritual businessman.

Conclusion:

Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj’s discourse highlights the need for detachment and attachment to God in spiritual practice. It serves as a reminder to focus one’s mind and efforts towards achieving these two processes in order to attain true detachment from the world and attachment to God. By implementing Jagadguru shri kripalu ji maharaj’s practical tips, individuals can begin their spiritual journey towards these goals and experience the benefits of a mind filled with divine thoughts and actions.