When I saw Bhakti Chai (as in ‘i’) listed on the vegan menu, I knew immediately what it was – both because of living in India for so many years and also being a practitioner of Bhakti Yoga. Chai is the Hindi word for tea, and bhakti means divine love, or more specifically the love exchanged between Krishna and each one of us.
The word chai is also used elsewhere – pronounced differently and with different meanings. Chai (here as in ‘say’) is part of the name Chaitanya, which means ‘living force’. It’s a also a Hebrew word which means ‘life’ – and spoken in another different way.
So putting it all together we could say bhakti chai is a cup of loving life or life filled with sacred love. How nice if we could buy ourselves a cup of that tea! We sometimes wish it were so easy but alas, such access to divine love is not so cheap.
And in truth, cheap things don’t last. To feel love, to hold love, and to grow in love takes time. It’s like digging a well. To get to the sweet water we have to go deep. We could dig less and have some kind of water, but if we wish the sweetest and purest kind we have to go down.
I began to think of the cup of chakti chai as the effort I am making this sacred month of Kartika to give a little more time to Krishna. Known as a ‘vrata’ (Sanksrit for vow), devotees give their word to do extra devotional service during this month – in ways that are suitable for them and their situation.
My daily chai for Kartika has 3 ingredients – I’m trying to eat less, I’m adding an extra hour of Krishna meditation every day, and I’m doing a half hour of physical exercise. Not very austere I know, but austerity is not the point. Feeling some feelings for Krishna is – and genuine feelings, not just going through the motions.
Eating less is an understandable vrata. Many give up different kinds of foods for Kartika – especially ones they love. Let me eat less, I decided, so I can feel Krishna more. Let me practice being less indulgent, less answerable to the cravings of my mind and body. Let me ignore them and whisper some names of Krishna instead.
Increasing my meditation on Krishna is my second ingredient. I’v added some bhajana time or reading, recitation of prayers or mantras, writing or listening to talks about Krishna. The mood is more contemplative – a thoughtful focus on all-attractive Krishna.
My third ingredient of daily exercise seems more mundane but it is inspired by a quote from Srila Prabhupada – “Keep yourself fit and work hard for Krishna. That should be our motto in life.” For me, exercise is austerity, so I am happy to do this in service and for better service.
So that’s my bhakti cup of chai for Kartika. Just as a warm drink of chai (the perfect blend of decaf tea, ahimsa milk and warming spices) can bring soothing relief and nourishing energy, drinking from the cup of bhakti chai can bring those things too, but oh, much, much more. It removes material desires, gives us direct perception of the the self, and awakens of love for Krishna. Now that’s a chai I might want to keep drinking long after Kartika is over (Nov. 24th).
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