Datta maata 30: The seven steps in bhakti (devotion)

Indians follow the path of devotion to enhance the power of concentration. There are many in this country who achieved super natural powers through the way of devotion. Devotion is a tool but we also need the technical skills to utilize devotion. You must pray God to the fullest of your capacity to make your mind contemplate on him. Then, all the powers will come to you. This is the first thing that we must ask God. We must ask him to bestow upon us, the virtue of praying him. This is the true secret. Later, we can ask for our desires.

There are certain steps to make your internal energies flourish. Observe this carefully. The first condition is that you must possess devotion. That devotion must be transformed into concentration. Once again, that concentration must be focused to contemplate on God. Further, you must know that the ability to contemplate will increase only with the grace of God. You must be immersed deep in meditation by praying God to bestow you with the power to meditate. At any stage, you must not utilize your power of meditation or prayers for the sake of any energy or energies. You must be very careful. You must also recognize that the Lord whom you pray is the highest of all gods and that he is limitless, infinite and incomparable Paramatma. This is the inner meaning. This is a very big subject. We can talk about it later.

If we can ascend each of the above mentioned steps, all the energies in this creation will surrender to you. By contemplating on the limitless Lord, you will become a part of the Lord himself. May you practice the above steps with the grace of Lord Datta.

The first step is devotion. It is not that you will achieve everything by a single mantra. Devotion implies that you must offer everything. Here, you must believe that the mind, intellect, body, senses and the feelings that come to you belong to God. This is how you must surrender yourself. That devotion must get transformed into concentration. You must not say so aloud time and again. By cultivating such feelings, you must attain deep concentration. Such concentration must again be diverted towards God’s contemplation and nothing else. Many people sit for meditation and recollect the past. That cannot be called meditation. Many others sit for 3-4 hours. They get such concentration. But, it is not meant to think about business or senses. It must be utilized only for contemplating upon God. Let us discuss later in detail.

If you meet so many conditions, only then you are successful in crossing the seven steps – sapta giri/sapta swara (the seven musical notes)/chakras(kundalini shakthi).

Jai Guru Datta! Sri Guru Datta!