Why Did Sufi Poets Like Kabir Emphasize Love in Bhakti? || Acharya Prashant (2024)
Video Information: 28.09.2024, Vedanta: Basics to Classics, Greater Noida
📋 Video Chapters
0:00 - Introduction
0:25 - The True Meaning of Affection
2:47 - The Duality of Dry and Wet Emotions
6:40 - The Importance of True Love Over Affection
Description:
In a compelling discussion, the questioner explores the role of affection in Sufi and bhakti poetry, particularly in the works of Kabir and Amir Khusrow, despite their intellectual backgrounds. Acharya ji clarifies that intellect and affection are not opposites; they coexist on the same plane. He explains that while intellect can be attached and exploitative, true love arises from genuine intelligence rather than superficial affection.
Acharya ji argues that affection is often tied to the ego and can be seen as an emotional disease, whereas saints embody real love that transcends emotional attachments. He emphasizes that both affection and emotional dryness stem from unfulfilled desires, highlighting their interconnectedness.
Ultimately, Acharya ji asserts that understanding the relationship between intellect, affection, and love is crucial for deeper insights into human emotions and spiritual growth. This understanding enriches our appreciation of the complexities of love in Sufi and bhakti poetry.
🎧 Listen to Acharya Prashant on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/2QmVEAAnsNE7Xs0MW0Li8Y?si=09fbcbc7c99c469b
#AcharyaPrashant #आचार्यप्रशांत #Philosophy #BhagavadGita
Video Information: 28.09.2024, Vedanta: Basics to Classics, Greater Noida
📋 Video Chapters
0:00 - Introduction
0:25 - The True Meaning of Affection
2:47 - The Duality of Dry and Wet Emotions
6:40 - The Importance of True Love Over Affection
Description:
In a compelling discussion, the questioner explores the role of affection in Sufi and bhakti poetry, particularly in the works of Kabir and Amir Khusrow, despite their intellectual backgrounds. Acharya ji clarifies that intellect and affection are not opposites; they coexist on the same plane. He explains that while intellect can be attached and exploitative, true love arises from genuine intelligence rather than superficial affection.
Acharya ji argues that affection is often tied to the ego and can be seen as an emotional disease, whereas saints embody real love that transcends emotional attachments. He emphasizes that both affection and emotional dryness stem from unfulfilled desires, highlighting their interconnectedness.
Ultimately, Acharya ji asserts that understanding the relationship between intellect, affection, and love is crucial for deeper insights into human emotions and spiritual growth. This understanding enriches our appreciation of the complexities of love in Sufi and bhakti poetry.
🎧 Listen to Acharya Prashant on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/2QmVEAAnsNE7Xs0MW0Li8Y?si=09fbcbc7c99c469b
#AcharyaPrashant #आचार्यप्रशांत #Philosophy #BhagavadGita
Category
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LearningTranscript
00:00Question is from Nishant Raj ji. He is saying, Acharya ji, I have been listening to Sufi
00:07and Bhakti poetry and despite being intellectuals and scholars, e.g. Kabir Sahab and Khushro,
00:13they put emphasis on affection, then smartness, cunningness and intellect. Is that because
00:18generally intellectuals are considered detached and to explore the opposite, they now are
00:23putting more emphasis to affection? No, no, not at all. In fact, intellect and attachment
00:35and the normal kind of affection, they go together. You know what is the dictionary
00:42meaning of affection? You will be surprised. What is affection? Just check. The pure meaning.
00:53The common meaning is affection means love, sneh. Figure it out and let me know.
01:05Intellect can be very, very attached. In fact, intellect will be attached.
01:22So, it is not as if intellect and affection are opposite of each other. No.
01:31If you want to understand the words that belong to these two dimensions, you will have to consider
01:40the respective sets. What goes with intellect? Attachment, ego, exploitation, the usual kind of
01:55emotional relationship. What goes with intelligence? Love. So, it is not as if love is the opposite of intellect.
02:13Real love comes with intelligence. With intellect, you do have love, the false kind of love.
02:26My hunch is that when you say affection, you are referring to this very false kind of love.
02:31That does not go against intellect. That goes with intellect.
02:38The false kind of love accompanies the intellect very smoothly.
02:47The common notion is, if you are an intellectual, then you are dry and if you are not an intellectual, then you are wet.
02:56Whatever that means. Not true. The plane of intellect is the plane of duality.
03:07You are dry one moment just to be drenched the next.
03:13They are not opposites. They belong to the same plane.
03:20The one that you see as very dry in the office will be very wet the moment he reaches home.
03:27In fact, all the hours of dryness will make him even more eager to get wet.
03:37These two go hand in hand. They are not things of different dimensions.
03:47They belong to the same plane. Kindly do not see differences where there are none.
03:55Intellect and affection go hand in hand. Intellect and the common kind of love, they go hand in hand.
04:01Because they both belong to the ego.
04:06They both belong to the ego. So, they go hand in hand.
04:11What does not go with intellect is real love, not affection.
04:16Real love comes with intelligence. That's a different plane.
04:21So, in your normal life, in your normal observation, experience,
04:31you have, as you say, dry people and wet people. They are one and the same.
04:38No difference at all.
04:43The one who is very wet for his family members, let's say, will be very dry towards the rest of the world.
04:48Is that not so?
04:53And the one who is dry is dry only because his wet ambitions could not be fulfilled.
05:00So, now he is frustrated against life and acting very dry.
05:07But the more dry he acts, the more he is proving that he is desperate to get wet.
05:12And that's why he is acting so dry. In fact, he is communicating it to the entire universe.
05:17I am unhappy. That's why I am dry.
05:22And I will continue to act dry till you fulfill my desires.
05:27And the day something rains on him, all his dryness is gone.
05:32In fact, his dryness is just to attract the rains.
05:37It's a very tested, proven script.
05:42Act extremely dry and then there will be an opportunity to get wet.
05:47Act extremely pricey. Chances are you will be picked.
05:59Act very reluctant.
06:09I don't want anything from you.
06:16Chances are you will be paid and also laid.
06:21Just act reluctant.
06:26I don't want.
06:31These dualities, they all belong to the same plane.
06:36The fool and the saint, they do not belong to the same plane.
06:44In your question, you named a few saints and you said they display affection.
06:49Is affection then the opposite of intellect? No, no, no.
06:54The saints don't display affection at all. Affection means actually disease.
06:59Affection means disease.
07:04The saints have no affection. The saints have love and love has nothing to do with affection.
07:09Affection and affliction go together.
07:19It is not affection that characterizes a saint. It is love that characterizes him.
07:24Affection and dryness, they go together.
07:29Always.
07:34And affection and love, they never go together.
07:39So you have to be very clear about what accompanies what.
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