How to Do Mental Service?
How does 'mental service' begin? Is it a practice that is cultivated through effort, or is there another, more natural path for it?
1. Mental Service is Not Effort, But the Fruit of Attachment
Many sadhak, when they 'attempt' to do mental service, find only darkness on the mind's screen. In this state, neither the Lord's form becomes clear nor the objects of service. Mental service is not something that is done through effort. It naturally begins when a bhakt has developed deep attachment in their manifest (physical) sewa.
A principal way to deepen this attachment is to do abundant naam jap during manifest sewa. This is exactly like how a mother's thoughts naturally and repeatedly return to her beloved child; she needs not make any effort for this.
Similarly, when you do your manifest sewa with deep love and naam jap, the Lord's form and thoughts of His sewa naturally begin to move in your mind. This is the natural beginning of mental sewa.
2. Limited Manifest Service is the Gateway to Limitless Mental Service
The materials used in physical sewa may be limited, but this very limitation opens the door to the mind's infinite possibilities.
You offer some flowers to the Lord in the manifest, but in feeling you can shower endless roses, lotus, champak and jasmine blossoms.
You can mentally have the Lord wear a golden crown and sparkling earrings, even though they may not be present in physical form.
Thus, manifest sewa becomes the first spark that awakens that infinite mental sewa.
3. When Matured, Mental Service Becomes a Real Experience
When mental sewa matures, it ceases to be mere imagination and becomes a real experience.
In this state, the bhakt begins to have a real sensory experience of their mental sewa.
The bhakt begins to actually smell the fragrance of the flowers offered mentally.
The taste of the offering imagined mentally begins to be felt on their tongue.
The most wonderful example of this is that even while eating ordinary bread and lentils, the bhakt can experience the taste of rabri offered mentally, because their feeling has become so powerful that it overpowers physical reality.
Conclusion
In the end, it is clear that the path to deep mental sewa does not go through forced effort, but through true and loving manifest sewa.
Instead of focusing on "beginning" mental sewa, one should focus on deepening love and attachment in their manifest Thakur sewa.
Some other helpful blogs on Thakur sewa are given below:
Original article: bhajanmarg.com
Related
- Whenever the mind feels sad, anxious, or troubled, read this! — When the struggles of life are engulfed by the darkness of mental sadness, anxiety, and restlessness, the vision of discernment becomes obscured. The scriptures have called this…
- Naam Jap Will Defeat You First! — Most people adopt the path of "naam jap" in search of peace, prosperity, and liberation from sorrows. But have you ever thought about why troubles and mental upheaval increase in…
- Is it right to lie to protect one's bhajan? — When it comes to protecting one's bhajan and inner peace from worldly pollution, this 'lie' is merely a protective shield. On the spiritual path, 'display' is the greatest enemy…
- Keys to Conquering the Mind — Imagine the sadhak who listened to satsang for years, claimed to have assimilated the guru's words, but when a wave of desire arose, all that knowledge came to nothing. The…
- What Should Be the Nature of a Sadhak? — We chant naam for hours, but when it comes to behavior, the same old deceit and anger emerge. Have you ever thought about why your years of sadhana have not been able to change…
- Just Do This, and Any Bad Habit Will Be Gone! — Often we resolve firmly to give up some impure subject matter or old desire, but the very next day we find ourselves back in the same mire. The more strength we put into 'giving…