Sadhna for beginners-Bhakti Yoga

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Namaste all.

 

According to the 'Bhagavata Purana',

DEVOTION is of TWO kinds,

VAIDHI Bhakti and RAGANUGA Bhakti.

 

It says that a man WITHOUT A NATURAL SPONTANEOUS DESIRE for Lord

Krishna ADORES HIM in OBEDIENCE to the BIDDING OF THE SCRIPTURES

(Sastras).

 

Such Bhakti is called Vaidhi Bhakti.

 

It says that in the PATH of LOVING INCLINATION

(RAGA BHAKTI) he takes Lord Krishna as the OBJECT of his CHIEF

EMOTION, viz. as Master, Comrade, Child or Lover.

 

>From the SPROUT OF LOVE (PREMA) issues TWO things,

 

ADDICTION (RATI) and INTENSE EMOTION (BHAVA).

 

Cultivation of an INTIMATE FEELING for LORD is performed in NINE

Different Ways:

 

1. To HEAR of Spiritual Name, Form, Attributes, and Sports of Sri

Krishna

 

2. To UTTER His Name and Sing about the Lord with an especial stress

on Kirtana

 

3. To MEDITATE on and REITERATE all the EXPLOITS of Lord Krishna

 

4. Service of His Holy Feet

 

5. Worship and Adoration

 

6. Bowing down in humbleness

 

7. Doing everything that PLEASES Him

 

8. Friendship

 

9.Total SURRENDER

 

Devotion can be practised having different attitudes towards the

Lord.

 

These ATTITUDES are of FIVE different types POSSESSING different

ELEMENTS OF LOVE in an ASCENDING ORDER.

 

The attitudes are:

 

1. Shanta or Calm Neutral attitude as was seen in the cases of Rishis

(Ascetics) worshipping Lord Rama.

 

In this attitude there is devotion to God as well as CONQUEST of

WORLDLY desires

 

2. Dasya or the attitude of Servant, as was in Hanuman.

In it the ABOVE ELEMENT as well as SERVICE to Him were manifest.

 

3. Sakhya or the attitude of a Friend, as was in the case of Subala,

Sudama, and Arjuna.

 

The EXTRA factor of RELIANCE on Him was there.

 

4. Vatsalya or the attitude of a Parent, as was in the cases of

Yasoda and Nanda.

 

In it over and above the PRECEDING elements, TENDERNESS for God

developed.

 

5. Madhurya or the attitude of a LOVER, as was seen in the cases of

Radhika and the Gopis.

 

It has the SIXTH ELEMENT of LOVE and FORGETTING of ONE'S SELF.

 

DEVOTION IN ITS HIGHEST STAGE IS HIGHER THAN MUKTI OR LIBERATION FROM

THE WORLD.

 

As Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa would QUOTE a Vaishnava dictum:

 

Lord declaring-

 

"I AM NOT STRINGENT IN GIVING LIBERATION,

BUT I AM SO IN CASE OF DEVOTION."

 

To ACHIEVE THIS DEVOTION the devotee UNDERGOES

SEVERE ANGUISH from the SEPARATION OF THE LORD.

 

This is described as "Pain of God" in Mystical literature.

 

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu UNDERVENT different stages of REALIZATION

and SUFFERED and ENJOYED the corresponding Suffering and Bliss.

 

Sri Ramakrishna described the GOD-INTOXICATED STATE of Sri Chaitanya

in the following words:

 

"What is THIS DIVINE INTOXICATION?

 

In this STATE a man FORGETS THE WORLD.

 

He also FORGETS HIS OWN BODY, which is SO DEAR TO ALL!

 

Caitanya had this INTOXICATION.

 

HE PLUNGED INTO THE OCEAN NOT KNOWING IT WAS THE OCEAN!

 

HE dashed HIMSELF again and again on the GROUND.

 

HE was NOT AWARE of HUNGER, of THIRST, or of SLEEP.

 

HE was NOT at all CONSCIOUS of any SUCH thing as HIS BODY!

 

Sri Caitanyadeva used to EXPERIENCE THREE MOODS.

 

In the INMOST MOOD HE WOULD BE ABSORBED in SAMADHI,

(Trance) UNCONSCIOUS of the OUTER WORLD.

 

In the SEMI-CONSCIOUS MOOD HE WOULD DANCE IN ECSTASY

BUT COULD NOT TALK.

 

In the CONSCIOUS MOOD HE WOULD SING THE GLORIES OF GOD."

 

Sri RamaKrishna Paramahamsa added more:

 

"How does a devotee behold the Lord?

 

He beholds HIM AS HIS OWN, even as the GOPIS of Brindavan beheld Lord

Krishna.

Those milkmaids CARED NOT FOR THE COSMIC POWERS OF THAT GREAT SUPREME

BEING.

Krishna was their DARLING and They were SATISFIED with that!!!

To the Prema Bhakta, the Lord is his dearmost, innermost intimate

BELOVED and he is always absorbed in that loving feeling."

 

(Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa)

 

Saint Mirabai said in her song:

 

"mere to giridhra gopAla dUsaro na koyI

jAkE zira mora mukuta mero pati soyI"

 

"Giridhara Gopala alone is mine, none else!

He, on Whose head is the elegant crown of pea-cock feather, is my

eternal soulmate and the Lord of my heart."

 

"tAta mAta bhrAta bandhu Apano na koyI

chAdidaI kulakI khAni kAhA karI hai koyI"

 

"Father, mother, brother and kin, none are mine.

I have flung aside the pride of my family, and the royal etiqutte.

What harm can anyone do to me? "

 

"santana sanga baiThi baiThi loka lAja khoyI,

abata bAta phaila gayI jAne saba koyI."

 

"I have lost all the worldly shame by keeping the company of Rasik

Saints.

It is no more secret, every one heard the news now, that I am mad

after Him."

 

"asuvana jala sIMci sIMci prema-beli boyI,

abato ped phaila gayI Ananda-phala hoyI"

 

"I have watered the creeper of Love with my sincere tears. Now that

creeper has grown and spread well, its fruits shall be Divine Bliss

Itself."

 

"mIrA ke prabhu lagana lagI honaho sohoyI"

 

In the concluding verse -

 

"Says Mira, the Saint-Poet, the Maid Servant of Lord Giridhara,

having deeply involved in His Love, I am totally surrendered to the

outcome of His Grace."

 

Jaya Sri Radhey!