FROM BHAKTI TO INNER ENGINEERING: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MYSTICAL CONSCIOUSNESS IN MIRABAI, TULSIDAS, AND SADHGURU

Abstract

The mystical poetry of India has continued to emerge over the years while maintaining its focus on the spiritual aspect. The Bhakti school was one of the most important forces that molded the early mystical thought, which primarily dwelt upon bhakti or devotion, surrender, and experience. The modern approach to mysticism is more internal and experiential, having primarily addressed itself to the requirements of the modern and international audience. This paper will focus upon that by contrasting the mystical experience found in the poems of Mirabai, Tulsidas, and Sadhguru. Mirabai's poetry transmits her deep devotion to Krishna. Her mysticism is full of emotions and passion and remains highly personalized. Love and surrender are at the center of her spirituality. Tulsidas's approach to devotion is more disciplined and organized. His compositions relate mystic experience to righteous living and harmony in and around society with devotion to Rama. On the contrary, Sadhguru represents the modern approach to mysticism. His compositions are centered on self-awareness and self-change rather than ritual devotion to spirituality and mysticism. Through close reading and comparison, it will be revealed how this paper contends that there is no stagnant Indian mysticism, even as it adjusts to the changes that historically and socially occur, instead maintaining the spiritual goal that it strives for. Indeed, it will be observed that there is progress from devotions in bhakti towards inner engineering.