Bhaavna: To understand and walk the path...
We have been blessed with many powers & gifts – writing, hearing, speaking, walking, touching, smelling – but among all, the saintly believe the following two powers to be of greatest value:
1 Bhaavna(...to do with feelings, emotions & sentiments) – Jazbaa/Fire
2 Baudhakta (...to do with intelligence & understanding) – akal – soch
Bhaavna
The connection of Bhaavna is with the element of Fire (Agni ). The one who lacks fire /jazbaa is a cold person. Such a person is unable to establish relationships with other people. The quality of Jazbaa is important to establish relationships.
Baudhakta (Samajh)
Baudhakta /Samajh is based on understanding things. Samajh (understanding) will work well when in one direction.. When samajh is spread-out (khaler), everything will remain incomplete (adhoora).
Therefore, Samajh may also be only in one state/direction (dasha) in one moment of time. A great singer may not be a great poet. Most singers are dependent on the Poets. And top poets are not painters, top painters are not Saints...and so on.
Samajh is called Baudhakta and Jazba is called Bhaavna. These two are very important boons we are blessed with. If one has only Bhaavna without Baudhakta (understanding), it is difficult to understand the relationships established.
The world of science
In today’s world we see that each part of the body is becoming an entity of its own, that each part is having a specialist. This did not exist earlier. There was just one traditional doctor (Hakim /Vaid) – who checked and operated on the ears, or eyes or teeth. Fever or any other diseases – all were treated through one Hakim. Today there are specialists for each body part (Ang). Eye, brain, heart etc specialists. Today there is so much knowledge, but still the specialists are thinking there is more to learn. Each part is great in the way. We have more knowledge of everything; is true, but have we completely understood it ?– the scientists do not believe this.
Samajh can work well in one direction only. If we try to know everything – we will be left with everything incomplete (adhoora).
The dilemma of Samajh first (understanding) or Bhaavna first (be One with it)?
So first what do we do – understand or become one (judna) with it?
Guru Nanak, a saint and philosopher says first understand (samajh / sayaan). Adopt it later, first understand. There are some people in this world who understand later, but become one with it first. There are some that understand well, but because of low Bhaavna they cannot connect.
Man can be bamboozeled by the fact that how much there is to know. It is incredible. Samajh (understanding) is a lot, and often when one has a deep understanding of things and is far on this journey and thinks understanding about it is all that can exist then emotionally they could become cold.
A higher sense of development
These two powers are really incredible. It is said that some people in this world are Emotionally higher developed (Bhaav pradhaan) and some are developed higher with their understanding (Baudh pradhaan). Some philosophers have even described it as that Women are Bhaav Pradhaan and Men are Baudh Pradhaan. Bhaavukta has a greater place in women than baudhakta, Baudhakta has a greater place in Men than Bhaavukta.
By this standard, both are incomplete.
Baudhakta is called eyes. Bhaavna is called the feet. If you have seen the path, then to walk, we need the feet. If we have eyes and have seen the path, but have no feet – we cannot walk the path. If we have feet, but no eyes, we will stutter everywhere – left and right.
Some philosophers argue that Bhaavna is Mahaan in comparison to Baudhakta. These people have called Women great. The one who has Bhaavna pradhaan, is maybe called like is a women like.
Sigmond Freud: has said that India’s holy people are women-like. They may have a body of men, but are on the inside Bhaav pradhaan (emotionally highly developed). However, in his statements Freud was making fun– that these holy people are lost on their lives.
His idea behind saying that, was that Bhaavna makes you feel lost. If you can’t see (understand / Baudhakta) you will always stutter and bang into everything & everywhere.
The spiritual saints on the other hand say, if you have no eyes and stutter everywhere – maybe one day you may still reach where you want to. Because at least the walk exists. But the one who just has eyes, but no feet, will spend his/her entire time in seeing. Without feet you cannot walk the path.
Often the intelligent remain behind, the Bhaavuk (with Bhaavna) reach.. (their destination - oneness).
It is said that first our responsibility is to understand, and then walk that path.
Ayurveda & the finding our ‚balance’ with Bhaavna and Baudhakta
The founder of Ayurveda– Vaid Dhanantar – is a jewel of Bharat (India). He was blessed with the understanding of the various herbs and its combinations. He says that Ayurvedic medicines do not cure the person, but rather bring the person in balance (santulan).
For example the body needs a certain warmth – if it is too much then the body becomes pit pradhaan (heavy) – if more water – kaf pradhaan – if our lifestyles have become sedantary then balance of air has been lost in the body.
If the Balance (Santulan) is lost for a long period of time, then the whole bodily system suffers. Just as a car making noise and if we dont correct it, all of the car machinery may be spoilt at some point.
Everyone has similar Bhaavna and Baudhakta – but because of our lifestyles the santulan (balance) is disturbed.
Iqbal, a sufi poet says –
„Tere seene main dam hai, dil nahin hai
Tera dam garam ye mehfil nahin hai“
Explanation: Baudhakta is a light of the path, that one can see the path. But the onus is on us to then walk the path. Do not let our jazbey/fire become cold. With Bhaavna (feet) there is a 1 in a 1000 chance that we may still reach our destination. But with Baudhakta (eyes) only we cannot reach anywhere. We need to walk the walk.
Iqbal further says–
„Ye theek hai, dil ke paas rahe paasbaane akal
Lekin kabhi kabhi ise tanha bhi chhor de“
Explanation: For protecting the innocent-emotional heart, its good to have the protection of the brain (akal), but sometimes we must also leave the heart alone.
For example; if a mother always wants to take the hand of an adult child (like when the child was young), but mom insists she had made him walk like that and insists also now to do it, the child will become challenged.
When you have to meditate (Jap) then put your akal to the side. The path to oneness is with Bhaav as jazbaa will create sanctity inside.
And the ones within which this bhaavna for Oneness is born – is called Bhakt. Bhakt is a Sanskrit word – a combination of Bhaav & Ankit. If Bhaavna has this moment of stillness – (ankit ho jaana) it means you have started walking the path.
„Pandit, Soor, Chatar-pat Raaja
Bhakt baraabar aur na koye“
Spiritual saints have said that Baudhakta (Akal) has advanced a lot – science has made progress leaps and bounds, but the heart has been left behind. Bhaavna has been left far behind.
Bhaavna – attachment, love and devotion
Bhaavna helps us establish relationships – with families, friends etc. This relationship is of Moh (attachment). If therer would be no Moh, no mothers would take care of their children, no fathers would take this children on their shoulders and show the world. That the families don’t scatter, Moh is important from this perspective.
· Attachment
Bhaavna, when it flows downards, it become attachment. In attachment there are demands, a sort of a selfishness.
For example: If a child grows and cannot make its parents happy (sukh), they get angry. If they give then unhappiness, the parents may even curse them. Familial relations find their basis in attachments.
· Love
When Bhaavna flows in the middle (sam-tal) at an equal level, it is called Love. Attachment has demands and is based on give & take. In Attachment there is no fulfilment, no quenching of the thirst. But in Love, there is sacrifice.
For example: a child may give his hand in fire (to play – unaware of its effects). The mother may pull the child’s hand and the child may cry. The mother may hit the child as a lesson not to do it again. The child may think of the mother as a demon as she didn’t allow the child to play.
In love, their is sacrifice.
The stories of Laila and Majnu , Sohni and Mahiwaal, their relationships are relationships of love. Histroy bears testimony to their glorious sacrifices for love.
· Devotion
Bhaavna when it flows upwards, it becomes devotion. It flows like a fountain – with a spring in its feet. The bliss of Devotion (Bhakti).
In Love, all your thoughts are lost. In Devotion all bad thoughts and deeds at the level of mind are drowned.
In Bhakti, the Bhaav has been Ankit. In other words feelings, emotions and fire within are in Oneness... Ik.
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Sources:
1. Sri Guru Granth Sahib
2. Adapted from lectures of Sant Maskeen ji