Devotion to the Living Guru

Spiritual devotion to God often gets a boring rap in our culture – I think that’s because the stereotypical images of devotion we see are of people sitting at Church, lacking enthusiasm, looking for the nearest exit in hopes that some event will cause the torture to end sooner than expected. And spiritual devotion to a living Guru rarely gets talked about in the West. When it does, most find it abhorrent if someone admits being devoted to a Guru, despite the constant idolization of celebrities, influencers, politicians and business people like Elon Musk in our culture. Or you might get the stereotypical accusation of being in some sort of cult.

It saddens me a bit that more people don’t get to experience devotion to a living Guru. Why? Well, simply put: because devotion is amazing! It’s outstanding! It’s both the most satisfying and coolest thing to be doing. It’s alive and lived, it’s sweet and pure, it’s the feeling of joy as one’s very being!

Why are you doing anything other than devotion right now? What experience are you searching for that will satisfy you? Are you looking for the rush of finding a new intimate partner? Are you spending your energy thinking of new ways to make money so you can get that better house, vacation, or car — or even better, to finally be ok with your retirement plan? Are you strategically trying to become a better version of yourself, one that you will be happy with, maybe one with better abs, more discipline, or better habits?

I’ve tried all those things – now that’s boring! Why not skip them all? That’s not life – that’s sitting in a chair tapping your foot to the beat. Devotion is getting up and dancing!

Why do anything other than devotion friends? What feels better than repeating your Guru’s name in love and being transported directly into the Ocean of Her Heart? What feels deeper than singing in loving devotion to your Guru? What’s more fun than losing yourself in loving service to the One that is freeing you? What’s more thrilling than going all-in in loving the Divine in living form?

Want to experience your heart melting in bliss or exploding in a dance of colors? Want to experience the overwhelming enjoyment of being a bhakti? Want to wake up and taste the gushing rain of delight in your heart?

Devotion, baby. Get with it.