Smoldering Love

I recently read a story about firefighters in LA and the work involved in containing wildfires. One group is designated to walk miles and miles every day to put out smoldering ashes. Sometimes, they are buried deep and have to be dug out. They are a hidden danger and, if not discovered, have the potential to ignite and start a new fire.  

What a great word, smoldering, and it made me think of what emotions might be smoldering within us. What have we buried, consciously or unconsciously, that could burst forth at any time, or especially the wrong time?

What hurts are we holding on to? What fears shadow us? What are we sweeping under the carpet with shame, regret, or embarrassment? What resentments are smoldering?

Sometimes we are surprised by unwelcome emotions and wonder where they come from. Likely, it has been smoldering in our subconscious for Lord knows how long. To see the emotions and be brave enough to process them, practicing Bhakti Yoga shines a bright light on our efforts.

If done with care, having a steady daily chanting and reading practice will, to quote a famous verse, ‘stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence.” (Siksastakam).This is a natural outcome of a good spiritual practice, and we feel it when we are able to love more, fear less, be honest about our shortcomings, and let go of all past experiences of failure or loss that we might be holding on to. 

But here is the sweet spot. Along with putting out the fires of misery, the bhakti process takes the notion of smoldering in a different direction. A great teacher in our line, Srila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakura, explains it like this: “Although fire is present within smoldering wood, it blazes forth when we stir the wood around. Similarly, although the Personality of Godhead is indirectly present everywhere, when we chant and hear His glories with love and devotion, the Lord is stirred into manifestation and directly appears before His devotees.”

Now that’s smoldering worth keeping and a fire worth starting.