Is Bhakti Eternal or Not?

Question: Scriptures say that spiritual merit earned through devotion is eternal and can never be taken away. However, we are also warned against losing it. How can these two seemingly contradictory ideas be reconciled?

Answer: You've identified a key paradox in spiritual philosophy. The resolution lies in the distinction between earning spiritual merit and having access to it.

Spiritual merit, or the detachment from the material world and attachment to God, is indeed eternal. It’s stored in a spiritual "bank account" that can never be emptied. However, our actions in this life determine whether we have access to that wealth.

The Nature of Bhakti and Our Free Will

True bliss can only be found by attaining God. The Vedas define bliss as

यो वै भूमा तत्सुखम्॥
yō vai bhūmā tatsukham.
"That which is unbounded and everlasting is Happiness."

We are endowed with free will, and our choices in this life determine our spiritual path. While our past sanskars (accumulated impressions from past lives) give us a starting point [3], they do not guarantee our success. For example, some devotees, due to their past merits, make rapid progress, as seen with saints like Mirabai and Tulsidas. Their devotion seemed to appear "out of nowhere," but it was the fruition of efforts from previous births.

Conversely, without continuous, dedicated effort in this life, our spiritual growth can stagnate or even reverse. This is where the warnings come in.

The Danger of Losing Access

The biggest threat to our spiritual earnings is kusang (bad association). The scripture Radha Govind Geet states:

A single moment of negative influence can cause a spiritual downfall, even for a soul who has made great progress. This is especially true with namaparadh (spiritual transgression), or undermining a genuine saint's spiritual stature. A devotee who commits such a grave error for sure lose access to their spiritual merit and suffer for millions of lifetimes.

Think of it this way: your spiritual merit is like a treasure securely locked in a safe. The key to that safe is your devotion and good association (satsang). If you are careless and lose the key through negligence or negative actions, you still own the treasure, but you cannot access or enjoy it. You must then undergo suffering until, by the grace of the same saint, you find the key and regain access.

Therefore, the paradox is resolved: spiritual merit is eternal, but our access to it is not guaranteed. We must constantly practice devotion, avoid bad association, and associate with a true saint to ensure that we continue to enjoy and grow our spiritual earnings. This is the key to our spiritual happiness.

LEARN MORE

• Spiritual Merit: For more on what Bhakti gives you behind the scenes, see What Does Bhakti Really Give You? and What Does Bhakti For You Behind the Scenes?.
• Fate and Free Will: To understand how your past affects your current life, see Who Really Shapes Your Fate?.
• Spiritual Dangers: For more on how to avoid spiritual downfall, see Fight Kusang Before it Consumes You, Namaparadh-Spiritual Transgression and The Sin Scale - From Minor to Unforgivable.