The Second Path to Liberation: Devotion

The Second Path to Liberation: Devotion 

The second path is religious devotion. The best-known (but not the only) tradition of devotion is the ISKCON movement (the Hare Krishnas). This path seeks the union of the lover with the beloved through celebration, the repetition of the divine name, and ongoing dedication of the self's mind to the deity. Devotion is embodied in the countless temples of India, as the figures that represent the divine Lakshmi, Shiva, Devi, and others are paraded, dressed, "fed", and glorified.

Devotion in Action: The Puja

By far the most widely-practiced approach to Hinduism, the puja is the worship of a deity or deities. It can happen at home or in a temple, and even at an outdoor shrine on a busy street. Pujas are carried out daily in many homes, and special pujas are held in the home and in local temples for festivals like Diwali (the Hindu Festival of Lights) or the birthdays of various gods and goddesses.

The puja may well be a descendant of the sacrifices carried out by the Brahmin priests thousands of years ago. The fire lamp is reminiscent of Agni, the fire god whose presence at the animal sacrifice was critical if the animal’s meat were to be cooked and its entrails sent heavenward in smoke. The prayers reflect the priestly focus on sound (the sacred syllables and chants) as the connection between the sacrifice and the gods. Because the puja is so typically home-centered, some have seen its practice as anticlerical; that is, the notion that the Brahmin priests were necessary gobetweens in the sacrifice is rejected. For this reason, it is appealing to imagine that the puja is the “push-back” by the indigenous Dravidians (who had carried their traditions to the south of India) against the imposing Aryan tradition of the north.

In simple terms, the puja is doting on a deity. The puja’s concern is the relationship between the individual, family or village and the universe’s ultimate power, rather than the maintenance of a cosmic order.

The typical Hindu home has a shrine where the images of a deity (either in statue or in painting) is kept. Because individuals are free to choose the gods or goddesses on which they will focus, there are often several deities in a family shrine. In the morning, the image of the deity is taken from its resting place, and bathed and dressed to prepare it for the day. Offerings of flowers, incense, various foods, hymns and prayers are presented to the deities. A small lamp is lighted, and the devotees pass their hands above the flame, drawing its light to the forehead. The ritual enacts the hope for enlightenment.