The Principles of Bhakti Ethics in Hinduism

Abstract

Bhakti is one of the paths in Hinduism to get closer to God. Bhakti is defined as religious devotion. Although it contains religious nuances, devotees often do not understand it fully. The spiritual and profane aspects of bhakti are often separated. Some people think bhakti is only enough to be done with certain rituals or offerings. Meanwhile, external aspects such as respect for others, compassion, empathy, charity, and so on are ignored. There are exclusive bhakti practitioners, who consider themselves the most loved by God so that they demand special treatment from the people around them. To prevent deviations in the implementation of bhakti, this research examines the integral aspects of bhakti both vertically and horizontally. Because basically, bhakti must include both. When a person worships or expresses his affection for God, at the same time he must also respect and love others. In Hinduism, there is a concept that God (Brahman) and the creatures in the world are one. In the context of creation, there is also a very close relationship between one creature and another. Unfortunately, material deception (maya) makes humans unable to see these similarities. Differences in skin color, race, form, species, and other appearances often trigger ignorance. Through bhakti, attunement of consciousness can be practiced. In different aspects, the implementation of bhakti can then be evaluated towards perfection. The purpose of this study is to summarize the ethical principles of bhakti as they were originally conceived. This is qualitative research with a descriptive approach. The principles of bhakti ethics in Hinduism include the ethical principle of surrender and respect, the ethical principle of love or compassion (ahimsa), the ethical principle of sincerity (lascarya), the ethical principle of service (sevaka dharma), and the ethical principle of empathy.