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| The Yoga of Devotion |
Bhakti means "devotional service", in the mood of Divine love where everything is but a manifestation of the
divine and all else is meaningless. This yoga teaches all who follow how to perform the simple and natural
method of loving the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Vedic scripture Srimad Bhagavatam recommends that
in this age of Kali, everyone should practice Bhakti Yoga, or devotional service to the Supreme Lord. In the
Bhagavad-Gita Lord Krishna says that 'of all yogis, one who is engaged in My service is the most elevated'.
Bhakti yoga helps us to cultivate love into devotion and then complete surrender. It sounds simple, but one of
the greatest challenges in Bhakti Yoga is cultivating a great love for God. Especially those of us who are from
western culture where it is the loving propensity within us that is often stifled, it opens one’s spiritual heart. It is
advised in the scriptures that the devotee of Bhakti or the Bhakta should seek out a genuine spiritual teacher to
guide him. In the beginning the bhakta will learn to see God within his Guru or teacher and gradually this love of
Guru and the Supreme will become universally manifest towards all souls. In whatever form the Bhakta finds the
divine, all other forms are magically present.
Some renowned Bhaktas are Jesus Christ, the Jewish mystic Baal Shem Tov, the Sufi known as Rumi and Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu who introduced the chanting of the Maha Mantra for all of human society to develop loving
devotion for the Supreme Lord. This mantra is:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is understood by his devotees to be Sri Krishna Himself, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, manifest in a hidden incarnation as a devotee of Lord Sri Krishna. He appeared in the Kali yuga (the
present age) in 1486 AD, in the mood of His own greatest devotee and consort, the divine Srimati Radharani.
Though He inspired His direct followers to produce prolific writings, Caitanya Mahaprabhu left behind the essence
of His teachings in only eight verses called the Siksastaka. Each of these verses is a pearl of spiritual wisdom,
which if understood properly under the guidance of a qualified spiritual master, can elevate a person from the
mundane plane of materialism to the highest form of devotion; Bhakti yoga.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu predicted that the Holy Names of the Lord would be spread to every village and town
all over the world. This prediction came to pass recently in 1965 when a small Bengali monk at the age of 70
years traveled to the United States and started to spread this love of Krishna, God, which he called Krishna
Consciousness. His name was A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and he started the Hare Krishna
movement. When asked why he had come to the West he said, “I have come here to teach you what you have
forgotten: love of God”.
He also said, “We are constitutionally sat (eternal), Cit (all knowledgeable) and ananda (blissful). We are serving
our own temporary pleasures in this world, which never brings satisfaction. This samsara wheel (cycle of birth,
old age, disease, and death) never stops turning round and round so all material gains are destined to soon
become extinct. When you chant Krishna’s name, God is with you, in your heart always, but now dancing on your
tongue. He and His name are non-different and equal, for it is a transcendental sound vibration. When we chant
‘water, water,’ that is a material sound, and our thirst is not quenched, but when we chant the Hare Krishna
mantra, the sound/name ‘Krishna’ and Krishna the Supreme Person are one and the same. We feel God’s
presence at every step. This process is so easy, even a child can do it.”
In this way it is understood that loving God is not a one-way street. He responds a thousand fold and returns
that love, so the Bhakta is in a complete state of absolute joy and bliss. All material illusion is wiped away and all
life becomes completely transcendental.
TOP
divine and all else is meaningless. This yoga teaches all who follow how to perform the simple and natural
method of loving the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Vedic scripture Srimad Bhagavatam recommends that
in this age of Kali, everyone should practice Bhakti Yoga, or devotional service to the Supreme Lord. In the
Bhagavad-Gita Lord Krishna says that 'of all yogis, one who is engaged in My service is the most elevated'.
Bhakti yoga helps us to cultivate love into devotion and then complete surrender. It sounds simple, but one of
the greatest challenges in Bhakti Yoga is cultivating a great love for God. Especially those of us who are from
western culture where it is the loving propensity within us that is often stifled, it opens one’s spiritual heart. It is
advised in the scriptures that the devotee of Bhakti or the Bhakta should seek out a genuine spiritual teacher to
guide him. In the beginning the bhakta will learn to see God within his Guru or teacher and gradually this love of
Guru and the Supreme will become universally manifest towards all souls. In whatever form the Bhakta finds the
divine, all other forms are magically present.
Some renowned Bhaktas are Jesus Christ, the Jewish mystic Baal Shem Tov, the Sufi known as Rumi and Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu who introduced the chanting of the Maha Mantra for all of human society to develop loving
devotion for the Supreme Lord. This mantra is:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is understood by his devotees to be Sri Krishna Himself, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, manifest in a hidden incarnation as a devotee of Lord Sri Krishna. He appeared in the Kali yuga (the
present age) in 1486 AD, in the mood of His own greatest devotee and consort, the divine Srimati Radharani.
Though He inspired His direct followers to produce prolific writings, Caitanya Mahaprabhu left behind the essence
of His teachings in only eight verses called the Siksastaka. Each of these verses is a pearl of spiritual wisdom,
which if understood properly under the guidance of a qualified spiritual master, can elevate a person from the
mundane plane of materialism to the highest form of devotion; Bhakti yoga.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu predicted that the Holy Names of the Lord would be spread to every village and town
all over the world. This prediction came to pass recently in 1965 when a small Bengali monk at the age of 70
years traveled to the United States and started to spread this love of Krishna, God, which he called Krishna
Consciousness. His name was A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and he started the Hare Krishna
movement. When asked why he had come to the West he said, “I have come here to teach you what you have
forgotten: love of God”.
He also said, “We are constitutionally sat (eternal), Cit (all knowledgeable) and ananda (blissful). We are serving
our own temporary pleasures in this world, which never brings satisfaction. This samsara wheel (cycle of birth,
old age, disease, and death) never stops turning round and round so all material gains are destined to soon
become extinct. When you chant Krishna’s name, God is with you, in your heart always, but now dancing on your
tongue. He and His name are non-different and equal, for it is a transcendental sound vibration. When we chant
‘water, water,’ that is a material sound, and our thirst is not quenched, but when we chant the Hare Krishna
mantra, the sound/name ‘Krishna’ and Krishna the Supreme Person are one and the same. We feel God’s
presence at every step. This process is so easy, even a child can do it.”
In this way it is understood that loving God is not a one-way street. He responds a thousand fold and returns
that love, so the Bhakta is in a complete state of absolute joy and bliss. All material illusion is wiped away and all
life becomes completely transcendental.
TOP
