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Thread: Bhakti ?

  1. #1

    Bhakti ?

    I should have asked this a long time ago. How do I practice Bhakti?

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    Re: Bhakti ?

    vannakam Tirisilex

    In my heavily subjective view. Bhakti is devotion. There are prescribed rituals for Bhakti yoga, but I do not necessarily ascribe that these alone are enough to perform Bhakti. Instead, I believe that people can perform Bhakti in ways that they may understand as devotional to the supreme immutable being. For example, I perform japa to the divine aspect Ganesh, but I do it by listening to somewhat profane music, dancing and reciting my mantra. In this way I reach the supreme, but not necessarily by the prescribed traditional routes.

    That is not to say that the traditional rituals such as having a house shrine and murti is wrong, it is to say that there are more ways to show devotion than just the rituals.

    But of course this is my opinion, so you must take it with a grain of salt

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    Re: Bhakti ?

    Namasté Trisilex
    Narada's Bhakti Sutra may be helpful. Here are a couple of links:

    http://naradabhaktisutra.com/en1

    or

    http://www.sankaracharya.org/narada_bhakti_sutras.php
    Last edited by Onkara; 20 February 2011 at 08:35 AM. Reason: typo corrected

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    Re: Bhakti ?

    Vannakkam Tirisilex: Even as one who occasionally describes himself as a bhaktar, I find your question difficult. Bhakti (like the Self) is really hard to explain, because it goes beyond words and intellect.

    Here are some standard things bhaktars do:

    japa - by repeating the names of God, one tries to get the mind 'thinking' or concentrated on god alone

    pilgrimage - Drop the world, and wander, travel, focus on God. Think of nothing else. Now this can be as complicated as a trip to the other side of the planet or walking 300 k across the hot Southern Plains of India. it can also be as simple as walking to a local flower shop and back to retrieve some flowers for your next home puja. The idea of 'dropping the world' is key, just like it is when a person goes on a holiday. You don't take your job with you.

    puja - Much has been written lately about performing puja on HDF.

    Bhajan - Learn to sing, but sing with intent. Find a few bhajans off the internet you enjoy and praise witgh song

    temple attendance - go to temple at least once a week, with open mind - prostrate full out, putting yourself in the most vulnerable position, mentally thinking, "I'm yours" or such thoughts.

    These are the external things one can do. But I'm guessing your question was more along, "How can I cultivate bhakti?"

    That's another story. The outwards stuff helps, to be sure, but the mental imagery happening may not be as you wish. I personally believe that it is almost part of a person's makeup - some are more inclined naturally to bhakti. So in that sense it would be like cultivating tallness. There may not be a whole lot you can do. Another observation is that its easier generally speaking to mold oneself when you're younger.

    Not sure if this was any help at all, but..

    Aum Namasivaya

  5. #5

    Re: Bhakti ?

    Namaste,
    That's a wonderful summation of bhakti sAdhanA by Eastern Mind.
    Are you not the one who likes Lord KrshNa ? So,

    Let's start at the very beginning
    A very good place to start
    When you read (shravaNam) you begin with Bh. Gita and Bhagavatam
    When you sing (kIrtanam) you begin with "Hare KRshNa"
    The 16 syllables happen to be:

    Hare KRushNa Hare KRushNa KrushNa KrushNa Hare Hare
    Hare RAma Hare RAma RAm RAm Hare Hare


    Why read - shravaNam - to get to know all about KRshNa - qualities, pastimes, infinitude, oppulences and sweetness.

    Why sing/chant - kIrtanam, japa - 1. To purify ourselves of material vices/desires 2. To dovetail our life to KRshNa's Will
    3. To please KrushNa and ask

    "O my Lord, O Radha KrushNa , how may i serve you ? Please make me worthy of serving you."

    "Hare" is vocative for "Hari" (KrishNa) as well as for "HarA" = RAdhA = KrshNa's pleasure potency(energy) - HLAdani shakti, bliss, Anand. (He has 2 other potencies).

    Bhakti = Bhajan = Service to KRshNa, Guru and ultimately all beings as He resides in their hearts.

    WebLinks: http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/sho...25&postcount=3
    Read in particular:
    1. Activities favorable and unfavorable for Bhakti
    2. Offering food to BhagavAn (gives a list of forbidden foods, animal sources in packaged foods...)

    Hare KRushNa


    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

  6. #6

    Re: Bhakti ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Eastern Mind View Post
    Not sure if this was any help at all, but..

    Aum Namasivaya
    I am sure it was helpful to many readers. That is a wonderful summation of sAdhanA bhakti, Eastern Ji
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

  7. #7

    Re: Bhakti ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Onkara View Post
    Narada's Bhakti Sutra may be helpful. Here are a couple of links:

    http://naradabhaktisutra.com/en1
    Perfect. Narad Muni is the mind of BhagavAn. Who else can explain bhakti better than NArad Muni ?

    nArAyaN ~ nArAyaN ~ !
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

  8. #8

    Re: Bhakti ?

    Quote Originally Posted by smaranam View Post

    Let's start at the very beginning
    A very good place to start
    When you read (shravaNam) you begin with Bh. Gita and Bhagavatam
    When you sing (kIrtanam) you begin with "Hare KRshNa"
    The 16 syllables happen to be:

    Hare KRushNa Hare KRushNa KrushNa KrushNa Hare Hare
    Hare RAma Hare RAma RAm RAm Hare Hare



    Sound of Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_hcXiGb6_s

    Why read - shravaNam - to get to know all about KRshNa - qualities, pastimes, infinitude, oppulences and sweetness.
    When ~ you ~ know ~ the ~ notes ~ to ~ sing ~....

    Why sing/chant - kIrtanam, japa - 1. To purify ourselves of material vices/desires 2. To dovetail our life to KRshNa's Will
    3. To please KrushNa and ask

    "O my Lord, O Radha KrushNa , how may i serve you ? Please make me worthy of serving you."
    .... You ~ can ~ sing ~ most ~ anything ~

    A doe a deer a female deer
    ray a drop of golden Sun ....

    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

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    Re: Bhakti ?

    hari o
    ~~~~~~

    namasté

    (from a prior conversation)

    There is no doubt that bhakti is of key import. Now , if I may let me offer a view for your consideration.

    If we consider the word bhakti we know it to be defined as devotion , homage , worship , piety , faith or love. Yet there is another definition of bhakti. It is ( in the feminine gender) defined as separation or partition. Why is this relevant?

    For bhakti to bloom to its fullest, one must be offering this bhakti from one's own Being, on a most pure level (śuddha&#185. That is, a person possessed of the Self, of Being, of brahman. So there is first a separation (bhakti) of what is Self and what is non-Self (ātmānātma vivekaḥ). This is on the level of ātman which is outside of activity, perfectly silent from the body-sense which is in activity and the to-and-fro of life's permutations. It is from this level of Being that bhakti is most fruitful and deserving.

    Now one says, what of bhakti that is offered before being possessed of the Self? This is fine and is good training, and perhaps makes the heart swell with devotion. Yet the blossoming of the fragrant scent of devotion comes with the possession of the Self, as it also adds to one's evolution to higher states of Being.

    This is the secret of the ages. If one studies the bhāgavad gītā the notion of devotion does not come in until kṛṣṇa-ji firmly establishes knowledge, the idea of yoga, and being without the 3 guna's. Then on this foundation one then can bring in devotion. It must be on stable ground for it to take firm root.

    praṇām

    words
    śuddha - complete; cleansed , cleared , clean , pure , clear
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  10. #10
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    Re: Bhakti ?

    Yajvan, can't we refer to the progression of yogas as exposed by the Gita to realize that Bhakti is... Extremely, extremely HARD and a thing that should sprout naturally after due practice of previous yogas and not to be faked or pretended?

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