Bhakti-Courage: The Strength to Remain Open

Mirabai faced rejection, ridicule, attempted poisoning, and exile—and she chose devotion anyway. Bhakti-courage is not bravery in the conventional sense; it is the willingness to be broken open by love. It is choosing vulnerability despite the certainty of pain. In anticipatory grief, bhakti-courage means resisting the temptation to withdraw, to protect yourself by pulling away from the person who is dying. The pain you feel now is proportional to your love. You could numb it—through distancing, distraction, preemptive acceptance. But bhakti-courage invites you to remain open. To still make plans together even if they might not happen. To still dream together. To still laugh without looking ahead to the laughter ending. This courage is not denial but love's deeper commitment: I will keep showing up, keep being present, keep allowing this to matter, even knowing how it ends. This is the ultimate devotion—choosing openness when closing would be easier.