The Essence of All True Religions: Bhakti and Compassion

By Adis Duderija, New Age Islam 18 July 2024 In The Abrahamic Faiths as Well, The Ethic of Compassion Is Central. The Hebrew Bible Teaches, "Love Your Neighbour as Yourself," While Jesus Christ's Ministry Was Defined by His Radical Love and Compassion for The Marginalized and The Suffering. The Quran Instructs Muslims to "Be Kind to Parents, and to Kindred, and to Orphans, and to The Needy, and to The Neighbour Who Is Near of Kin and The Neighbour Who Is a Stranger." These Teachings Point to A Spirituality Grounded in Care, Kindness, And Concern for All ------ “The Essence of Hinduism Is the Same Essence of All True Religions: Bhakti or Pure Love for God and Genuine Compassion for All Beings.” - Radhanath Swami: Radhanath Swami, a renowned spiritual teacher and author, has beautifully encapsulated the core essence of Hinduism and, indeed, all true religions in a single insightful quote. He states that the heart of Hinduism, and by extension the heart of all authentic spiritual paths, is rooted in two fundamental principles: Bhakti, or pure devotional love for the divine, and genuine compassion for all living beings. At the deepest level, the world's great religious and spiritual traditions, when stripped of cultural trappings and dogmatic accretions, converge on these two universal spiritual truths. Whether one follows the bhakti-yoga of Hinduism, the Sufi path of Islam, the agape love of Christianity, the Bodhicitta of Buddhism, or the Tao of ancient Chinese philosophy, the common thread that binds them all is this divine love and universal compassion. Bhakti: The Yoga of Devotional Love The concept of Bhakti is central to the Hindu tradition. Bhakti refers to the intense, unwavering love and devotion that the practitioner cultivates towards the divine, whether that divine is conceptualized as a personal God, an impersonal absolute, or the sacred essence that permeates all of existence. In the Bhakti tradition, the seeker does not approach the divine out of a sense of obligation, fear, or desire for personal gain, but rather out of a pure, selfless longing to merge with the beloved, to experience union with the source of all being. This Bhakti paradigm stands in contrast to the more analytical, knowledge-based approaches found in traditions like Jnana Yoga or the philosophical schools of Advaita Vedanta. While these latter paths emphasize the cultivation of wisdom, detachment, and the realization of non-dual oneness, the Bhakti yogis focus single-mindedly on cultivating an intimate, loving relationship with the divine. Through devotional practices like chanting, prayer, pilgrimage, and sacred rituals, the Bhakta (devotee) seeks to obliterate the sense of separate self and surrender completely to the will and grace of the beloved. The depths of Bhakti can be seen in the ecstatic poetry of saint-poets like Mirabai, Tukaram, and Ramprasad Sen, who express their longing for the divine in the most passionate, poetic terms. Mirabai, for instance, sings: “O my Krishna, without you I cannot live even for a moment. You are the very breath of my life.” This intensity of love, bordering on divine madness, is the hallmark of the Bhakti tradition. Compassion: The Universal Spiritual Virtue Alongside this devotional love for the divine, the second essential element that Radhanath Swami highlights is the virtue of genuine compassion for all living beings. This compassion, rooted in the recognition of the intrinsic sacredness and interconnectedness of all existence, is a fundamental teaching found in the world's great spiritual and religious traditions. In Hinduism, the principle of Ahimsa, or non-violence and non-harm, is a core ethical tenet that flows directly from this understanding of the inherent divinity and essential unity of all life. The Upanishads declare, "Thou art That" (Tat Tvam Asi), pointing to the profound truth that the individual self (atman) is not separate from the universal divine ground of being (Brahman). This realization naturally breeds a sense of reverence and compassion towards all creatures. Similarly, in Buddhism, the cultivation of Karuna, or compassionate love, is seen as essential to the path of spiritual awakening. The Bodhisattva vow, taken by advanced Buddhist practitioners, is a commitment to postpone one's own liberation in order to work tirelessly for the enlightenment and liberation of all sentient beings. This boundless compassion, extending even to one’s perceived enemies, is a hallmark of the Buddhist worldview. In the Abrahamic faiths as well, the ethic of compassion is central. The Hebrew Bible teaches, "Love your neighbour as yourself," while Jesus Christ's ministry was defined by his radical love and compassion for the marginalized and the suffering. The Quran instructs Muslims to "Be kind to parents, and to kindred, and to orphans, and to the needy, and to the neighbour who is near of kin and the neighbour who is a stranger." These teachings point to a spirituality grounded in care, kindness, and concern for all. The Unity of Bhakti and Compassion What Radhanath Swami so eloquently points out is that these two spiritual principles – Bhakti (devotional love) and Compassion – are inherently linked and mutually reinforcing. True devotion to the divine cannot be divorced from a profound sense of reverence and care for all of God's creation. Conversely, authentic compassion for all beings flows naturally from the realization of our essential oneness with the divine ground of existence. The Bhakta, in their intense love and longing for the divine, sees the beloved everywhere – in the rivers, the mountains, the birds, the beasts. Their heart overflows with a universal love that knows no boundaries. As the mystic poet Kabir declares, "The Lord is in the water, the Lord is on the land, / The Lord is the fish in the deep, the Lord is the bird in the air." Similarly, the compassionate sage, who has glimpsed the sacred unity underlying all of existence, cannot help but treat every creature, every being, as a manifestation of the divine. Their love flows outwards, embracing all of life with the tenderness of a parent nurturing their child. In this way, Bhakti and Compassion constitute the twin pillars upon which the edifice of authentic spirituality is built. They are not separate or competing spiritual qualities, but rather two sides of the same sacred coin. One who has truly realized the essence of Hinduism, or any other genuine religious tradition, will embody both devotional love and universal compassion. The Timeless Relevance of Bhakti and Compassion In a world increasingly fractured by religious and ideological divides, the universal truths of Bhakti and Compassion hold the key to healing and transformation. As humanity faces the immense challenges of our time – climate change, growing inequality, political polarization, and the erosion of our shared sense of community – the spiritual antidote lies in rekindling these timeless spiritual virtues. At a time when organized religion is often viewed with suspicion or derision, the essence of Hinduism and other great faiths – love for the divine and care for all beings – provides a unifying vision that transcends the confines of dogma and doctrine. By rediscovering the common ground of Bhakti and Compassion, we can forge a new interfaith dialogue and a global spirituality capable of addressing the pressing issues of our age. Indeed, the great spiritual leaders and mystics of the past have long recognized that the truths of Bhakti and Compassion are not the exclusive domain of any single tradition, but are the universal birthrights of all humanity. From the ecstatic songs of the Sufi poets to the teachings of the Christian contemplatives, from the Buddhist bodhisattvas to the Hindu saints, we find this common chord of devotional love and universal care. As we navigate the complexities of the 21st century, the timeless wisdom of Bhakti and Compassion offers us a North Star to guide our individual and collective journeys. By cultivating these twin spiritual qualities within ourselves and our communities, we can rediscover our essential unity, transcend our petty differences, and birth a new era of harmony, justice, and sacred stewardship of our precious planet. In the words of the great Indian sage Sri Aurobindo, “The future of humanity is a luminous future, a future full of the Divine. All life is the Eternal's play of consciousness, and all forms are the Eternal's forms.” It is through the portal of Bhakti and Compassion that we can catch glimpses of this luminous future, and commit ourselves to its realization. ---- A decades old patron of New Age Islam, Dr Adis Duderija is a Senior Lecturer in the Study of Islam and Society, School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science; Senior Fellow Centre for Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue, Griffith University | Nathan | Queensland | Australia. His forthcoming books are (co-edited)- Shame, Modesty, and Honora in Islam and Interfaith Engagement Beyond the Divide (Springer) URL: https://www.newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/essence-religions-bhakti-compassion/d/132733 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism