There is nothing sweeter in the world than the Divine name. The Name and the Form go together. The inextricable connection between name and form has to be rightly understood. The name is a form of wealth. The form is an object to be purchased. Once you have money you can buy whatever you want. Likewise with wealth of the Lord’s Name in your hands, you can obtain whatever you desire. Therefore every devotee has to acquire the wealth of the Name. This can be through Bhajans and meditation on the Name of the Lord. In this context, devotees have to develop four types of spiritual discipline Maitri (friendliness), Karuna (compassion), Mudita (rejoicing) and Upeksha (freedom from attachment and aversion). These appear to be simple terms, but they embody all human values. Each quality has to be cultivated in a spirit of devotion and dedication to the Divine. (SSS Vol.22, pp. 202-204)
Many people think that Ekanta Bhakti means dedication to one idol or form and experiencing mental vision of that one Form, exclusively in privacy. This is not correct. Ekanta Bhakti is a subtle state achieved by effective control of the mind and experiencing one’s self (Antaratma). It is not correct to think that control of the mind means holding it steady without wandering around. To be able to cleanse the mind of impure thoughts it is correct meaning of ‘Ekanta’. This is a Sadhana to be practised in a lonely atmosphere, in a quiet place free from noise or disturbance of any kind. The best time for this practice is from 3-00 A.M. to 5-00 A.M. which is called ‘Brahma muhurta’. Selecting a particular time in this period, closing the door, contacting no one else, one should sit quietly and adjust the rate of inhaling and exhaling of breath. It is important that the pace of inhaling and exhaling must be the same. By gradual practice, the number of breathings per minute must be reduced from eight or ten a minute to two or one. You can take your own time; proceed gradually in the process of reduction of the number of times of inhaling and exhaling. Because of the flow of thoughts in the mind (Sankalpa and Vikalpa) the breathing also gets affected and disturbed. To control the breath in this manner and direct it in the proper path, there is a very effective discipline that can be followed. The tip of the tongue must gently touch the rear of the teeth. When it is kept in this position, the thoughts in the mind become less and one can concentrate on the control of breath. When you control the Sankalpa and Vikalpa of the mind and detach yourself from thoughts of the body and thoughts and around you, you come to the stage when the mind is without thoughts and desires, when it can concentrate on God.
In the state of Ekanta Bhakti the mind is dissolved and is in a still stage. God is everywhere in everyone; when experienced by people with Ekanta Bhakti. If you take a small tumbler with very little water and place it before the Sun, you can see the reflection of the Sun in the water. Though the quantity of water is very little, because it is steady and clear, you can see the reflection. On the other hand, if you try to look into the vast expanse of water in the sea nearby, you don’t see the reflection because the water is always moving as tides and waves. Nor can you see the reflection of the sun in a well where the water is muddy. Even in the sacred river Ganges you can’t see the reflection of the sun because it is ever flowing, though the water may be pure and the bed is sandy. Similarly, God will not be reflected in a mind full of likes and dislikes and desires or a mind that is disturbed with impure thoughts. If you want to realise the presence of God in the beings, you must recognise the importance of purity and steadiness of mind. When the mind is pure and steady Divinity will be resplendent everywhere.
To experience Divinity in this way Ekanta Bhakti alone will help you. On any other path you may experience visions of different types. These are nothing but hallucinations and products of imagination. Without virtuous qualities, you cannot control your mind. How can you build a house without bricks and mortar? To achieve purity and Ekanta Bhakti is not obtained by locking yourself in a room and worshipping an idol with devotion. This can only be called Ekaki Bhakti after all, the idol is only created object. You should experience your Atma Swarupa and not a created object. You should have vision of the Primordial Divinity, whose reflection is your Atma. Worshipping an idol is necessary as first step! But do not devote all your lifetime on the first step!
By continuous training and practice of Ekanta Bhakti, you will be able to know the ‘Atma’ within yourself. The Atma is in you. You can’t see it because of impurity and waves of likes and dislikes hovering round. When you remove these impurities, the mind tests in a pure state. At that stage, if you turn your eye inward you will have the vision of the Divinity, the ‘Sakshatkara’. This is Ekanta Bhakti we read about in books, Ekanta Bhakti appears simple. It is not so. Ekanta Bhakti is realised only when you turn vision inward away from sensory objects and experience the pure Atma. Ekanta Bhakti is Antar Drishti or inner vision, while Bhautika Bhakti is Bahir Drishti or outer vision. (SSS Vol.11, pp. 239-240)