Guest guest Posted April 24, 2002 Report Share Posted April 24, 2002 Dear Ones...I have been researching bhakti on the net, and I ran across this group. After having read a few posts, I can see how ignorant I am of all this. I have read Ramakrishna and Vivekenanda, but that is all. I am very interested in living my christian life according to the precepts of bhakti yoga. I'm rather an odd christian in that I don't believe that Jesus is the ONLY way, and I know that all sincere paths lead back to God. I happen to love Jesus with all my heart...or at least I want to. Western christianity does not offer much in the way of techniques to further one along the path. I was hoping you all might have some suggestions. I would appreciate any feedback. Mani has been very kind when I have emailed him about this, and I so appreciate the words of wisdom. Blessings...Katie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 24, 2002 Report Share Posted April 24, 2002 >I am very interested in living my christian life >according to the precepts of bhakti yoga. I'm rather an odd >christian in that I don't believe that Jesus is the ONLY way, and I >know that all sincere paths lead back to God. I happen to love >Jesus with all my heart...or at least I want to. Western >christianity does not offer much in the way of techniques to further >one along the path. I was hoping you all might have some >suggestions. I would appreciate any feedback. Dear Katie, First and foremost, one really does not have to be a "Hindu" or follow Bhakti Yoga to be righteous infront of Jehovah, Yaweh, Allah or Krishna. I would highly reccomend that you read Stephen Huyler's Book "Meeting God". Give paramount importance when reading the preface written on the book. The Author of the preface states that one can derive a lot of inspiration from hinduism and still continue to be a christian and follow the example set by Yashua Ben Nazareth (aka Jesus Christ). aano badraha kruthvo yantu vishwataah (May Noble Thoughts come to us from All sides) - Rig Veda "I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any." - Mahatma Gandhi Gandhi Says that one should maintain one's unique individuality while still deriving the good out of every culture. Regards, Malolan Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts http://uk.my. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2002 Report Share Posted April 25, 2002 Dear Katie, I am glad to see a pious devotee like yourself. The designations like Hindu, Christian, European, Indian, Chinese etc. are bodily designations and don't apply to the soul. First we must try to answer the question - "who am I?" Am I this body or am I something else. From the Vedic literature we get full information about who we really are. We are spirit souls inhabiting this physical body. We are not matter. I am not this body, but my body is my property. Just as I go to a shop and buy a car and I own the car, similarly I have "bought" this body of mine by my karmas done in my previous life. My karmas have determined what type of body I have acquired in this life. By doing good actions and dedicating them to the lotus feet of Vishnu (GOD), I can free myself from the reactions of Karmas and go to the ETERNAL kingdom of God, from where there is no return. There I will live with God forever. In the Vedic literature this eternal abode is called VAIKUNTHA. Of course you can continue to remain a christian and enter the same celestial abode as us Hindus. Lord Krsna says in the Bhagavad Gita - "Aham bija prada pita" (I am the seed giving father). Therefore God is my father as well as yours. He bestows his grace equally on all with no discrimination. We just have to shelter under his lotus feet, whether we are inhabiting a Hindu body or christian body. Jesus himself praised his father(GOD) in the bible by saying "Hallowed be thy name!". Therefore we have to chant his holy name always. The Lord's holy name is called Hari-nama. There is a great power in Hari-nama or the name of God. Hope this helps. Thanks, rohit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2002 Report Share Posted April 25, 2002 Dear Katie, What did you find or hope to find in Bhagavat Gita that you cannot find in Bible? I am asking this question since there are a lots of papers published in Journal of American Academy of Religion which compares Bhagavat Gita and Bible. Sundararajan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2002 Report Share Posted April 25, 2002 Katie: I appreciate your note and your desire to further progress along the path of Bhakti. This desire itself is a major step in the right direction that the Lord has created in you. I would like to add my own 2 cents worth to what Rohit had written. First of all, those who believe that Jesus is the only way, are also indeed saved - for their faith does not go in vain. All our prayers in whatever form it may be, reaches that ONE SUPREME SOURCE Keshava whose grace ultimately descends on the sincere and aspiring soul. Once His grace starts working, one becomes a Sattvika and finds solace thinking of His lotus feet and His lotus feet alone. However, the pull of Maya is so strong that we may get back to our old ways forgetting the supreme Lord. Great scriptures like Srimad Bhagavatam and Ramayanam teach us the techniques to progress along the path of Bhakti and they can be summarized as follows (extremely preliminary steps): - Discipline and self-control (AnushtAnam is the word we use) and performance of prescribed duties. - Chanting and remembering the Lord through the SaharanAmam or 1000 names and other means. - Attending Sat-sanghs that glorify Him. - Being in the company of such like-minded people (such as the Bhakti net) The above things, sincerely performed, will lead you to seek an achAryA who will intercede on your behalf and do 'bhara-samarpanam' or 'sharanAgati' for you. This is the ultimate step that puts you into a state where nothing else needs to be performed. I hope this (simple as it may sound) helps. S. Vijayaraghavan Buffalo, NY >"squeakpal" <squeakpal >bhakti-list >bhakti-list >Christian interested in Bhakti >Wed, 24 Apr 2002 13:54:54 -0000 > >Dear Ones...I have been researching bhakti on the net, and I ran >across this group. After having read a few posts, I can see how >ignorant I am of all this. I have read Ramakrishna and Vivekenanda, >but that is all. I am very interested in living my christian life >according to the precepts of bhakti yoga. I'm rather an odd >christian in that I don't believe that Jesus is the ONLY way, and I >know that all sincere paths lead back to God. I happen to love Jesus >with all my heart...or at least I want to. Western christianity does >not offer much in the way of techniques to further one along the >path. I was hoping you all might have some suggestions. I would >appreciate any feedback. Mani has been very kind when I have emailed >him about this, and I so appreciate the words of wisdom. > >Blessings...Katie > > > >----------------------------- > - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH - >To Post a message, send it to: bhakti-list >Group Home: bhakti-list >Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/ > > >Your use of is subject to > > _______________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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