As an adult, I continue to pray once in a while. And I find Sufi & Bhakti poetry really elegant and inspiring. It was only in 2013 that I paid close attention to several Sufi and Bhakti songs and sought help from my parents and friends to understand their meaning. See Translations of Sufi & Bhakti Poems. I grew up in a Sikh family in India with Punjabi spoken at home. Familiarity with concepts in Punjabi and Urdu languages was helpful in understanding poetry written in these languages.
Through analysis of Sufi & Bhakti poetry, I learnt two main concepts: (a) Why do these poets repeatedly describe 'union' and 'separation' in their poems? and (b) How may union be experienced? Only through 'submission', 'annihilation of ego' and 'acceptance' (of God's Will).
But what exactly do we mean by God's Will? Understanding this concept is tough because we have to understand the boundary between 'I' and 'God' (often called 'You' or the Beloved in Sufi & Bhakti poetry). In other words, we have to really understand the notion of 'God'. I feel that some form of meditation is necessary to understand this concept.
A common form of meditation in the Bhakti tradition is mantra-based (Japa). Among the Sikhs, this technique is called Naam Simran. I have practiced Naam Simran only a little. Perchance, I learnt a different meditation technique in 2007: Breath Meditation and Vipassanā Meditation. It was through personal experience with these techniques that I was able to develop some understanding of what 'submission to God's Will' means in Sufi & Bhakti poetry (my understanding is intellectual; much effort is required to make it a part of my daily life). Later, with the help of a good friend, I was able to intuit the key message of Advaita Vedanta teachings as well; that tradition use a different terminology: non-attachment.
I was delighted to discover that all of these traditions: Sufi, Bhakti, Advaita Vedanta and Buddhism, have exactly the same goals: eradication of mental impurities; experiencing positive emotions like peace and joy; excellent personal conduct in day to day life. Even the main practice is exactly the same. It goes by different names like 'acceptance', 'equanimity' and 'non-attachment'. Only the techniques employed to learn the main practice and the reminder systems employed by different cultures are different. These insight brought me great joy and I have strived to share them with people around me.
My daily practice is weak. I ought to practice more. I have a large number of mental impurities to work through. However, I am happy to share some techniques that have helped me.
My favorite line in Sufi & Bhakti poetry is from Gurbani: "Tera Bhana Meetha Lage" (translation: "Your Will is as sweet as nectar"). I like this line because it has two components: "Tera Bhana" (Your Will) and "Meetha Lage" (is as sweet as nectar). These two components remind me of 'awareness' and 'equanimity' taught in Buddhist meditation: Breath Meditation helps us develop 'awareness' and Vipassanā Meditation helps us develop 'equanimity'.
A good friend taught me this technique to be applied during times of distress (when negative emotions have arisen and mind has started churning): Ask yourself, 'What am I not accepting right now?' In other words, 'What is it that I don't like in this moment? What would I like to be different? That's exactly what I have to accept!'
Another idea is to notice things around yourself (including your own body and mental phenomena like thoughts) and remember, 'this is You, this is You'. This practice is described in 'Tera Tera', a story from Guru Nanak's life.
On any given day, several negative emotions arise within me, and the quality of my personal behavior drops. During those times, I don't always remember to apply the above techniques. Further practice is necessary for me to even remember the teachings and the techniques more frequently.
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