Bhakti as Radical Presence

Bhakti, the yoga of devotion, is not about transcending emotion but about meeting it with full consciousness and love. Mirabai didn't turn away from her grief over Krishna's absence—she dissolved into it, singing songs that trembled with yearning. In collective mourning, Bhakti as Radical Presence means refusing the urge to 'move on' too quickly or spiritualize tragedy prematurely. When a beloved public figure dies or tragedy strikes, bhakti calls us to stay present to the rawness of loss. This is not wallowing; it is witnessing. It is the spiritual practice of saying: I will not numb this. I will not explain it away. I will sit with this burning in my chest and let it teach me about love, fragility, and what truly matters. True devotion includes devotion to grief itself.