Bhakti Yoga (Essence of Spirituality)

Hello Everyone!

I am also a Spiritualist Practicing since many Years. I have found spirituality to be essence of a human life, and realized that without spirituality one is nothing less than an animal.

I have found a Deep Profound Answers, in India's Vedic Wisdom. Especially in the path of bhakti yoga, which teaches that to love god is the essence of spirituality, and teaches how one can love God.

I have been inspiried by an American Swami called radhanath swami whose teachings has given me knowledge, wisdom, enthusiasm and Inspiration. I found his sites to very interesting and answers all one's Question.

Dr Carl O Helvie, Host, Holistic Health Show, interviewed Radhanath Swami and Betsy Thompson on yesterday’s show on BBS Radio.

Radhanath Swami is dedicated to “God’s service”, has taken a vow of poverty, celibracy and abstinence from intoxicants and has no property, no bank account, and not a penny to his name. But he has found the one thing many strive for: the path to enlightenment. On the show he talks about this path and his book The Journal Home: Autobiograpy of an American Swami.

[iamthat]

Minor correction. Radhanath Swami's book is called The Journey Home: Autobiograpy of an American Swami. It is an interesting read. Bear in mind that he is a disciple of Swami Prabhupada who established Krishna Consciousness in the West, so his path is not for everyone.

Bhakti Yoga suits those of a devotional temperament, but others are more drawn to Karma Yoga, others to Jnana Yoga, or any of the various yogic paths.

One of the oddities of bhakti yoga which I occasionally come across is that the devotee may not actually want to become one with the Divine. They would rather remain separate so they can continue to worship the Divine in whatever form as a separate Being. This seems somewhat strange.

Peace

Originally Posted by iamthat

Bhakti Yoga suits those of a devotional temperament, but others are more drawn to Karma Yoga, others to Jnana Yoga, or any of the various yogic paths.

They can also be sort of a cycle, merging into each other. If some understanding of your ishta devata catches your mind or heart (bhakti) it inspires you to try to understand them better (jnana) and spend time with them (meditative yogas, mantra etc.). The more you know them, the more you love them, and if you come to know them as being present in everyone, it is only natural to want to serve them by serving others (karma).

I started my example with bhakti because that is predominantly my own temperament, but it could conceivably start at any point in the cycle, also depending on temperament.

Originally Posted by iamthat

One of the oddities of bhakti yoga which I occasionally come across is that the devotee may not actually want to become one with the Divine. They would rather remain separate so they can continue to worship the Divine in whatever form as a separate Being. This seems somewhat strange.

Do you have a preferred form of the Divine?

While I don't feel this way myself, I have sympathy for it. There is a point where, to become one with your most cherished form of God seems almost like separation. When you are two, there can be interaction, or at least the illusion of interaction. When you are one, you are alone.

To taste the sugar or be the sugar, that is the question.

My personality trends strongly analytical and to a lesser extent towards the introverted side, though the latter is not black-and-white. I'd say I'm an introverted extrovert or perhaps an extroverted introvert. I'm very comfortable alone or in the company of others.

It's no great mystery why I dive into the knowledge and contemplative aspects and my preferred Karma Yoga technique is Work as Witness, though I sometimes find myself more in a Work for God frame of mind. Know what I am via Jnana, experience what I am via Raja and as often as possible living that identity via the Karma technique of Work as Witness.

That being said and because I was raised a Roman Catholic including 12 years of Catholic school I do have great love, admiration and respect for Jesus as both the man and incarnation of the Divine. This has only been reinforced by Vivekananda's sentiments and writings about Jesus.

I do have great respect and understanding for those who only follow a devotional path. That would be my mom and her two sisters and I witnessed first-hand its power. They were all very near saintly in nature and navigated life's trials and tribulations accordingly.