Guest guest Posted January 3, 2005 Report Share Posted January 3, 2005 Hare Krishna, Bhakti-yoga The process of bhakti-yoga involves reawakening the natural relationship that exists between the individual conscious self and the Supreme Person, Krishna. A relationship is always existing between the living entity(or 'jivatma') and the Supreme God, but in the materially embodied state the jivatma is not conscious of this relationship, and it is consequently one-sided. In this condition the jivatma is not directly aware of Krishna, and either ignores Him or appeals to Him as a vaguely conceived supplier of material needs. The fundamental postulate of bhakti-yoga is that this is an abnormal state of affairs. Since the jivatma and Krishna are of the same qualitative nature, there is a natural symmetry between their respective personal characteristics and tendencies. In the Bhagavad-Gita it is stated that Krishna is constitutionally the dearest friend of all other conscious beings, and that He is always caring for them out of natural concern for their welfare. Similarly, the jivatma has a natural tendency to care for the happiness and well-being of Krishna, and in a state of pure consciousness the jivatma serves Krishna without desire for personal benefit. In this state a loving reciprocal relationship develops between the person and Krishna. One secondary consequence of this relationship is that by directly contacting the Supreme God, the person is placed in touch with the source of all knowledge. The goal of bhakti-yoga is to purify the person's consciousness so that his natural relationship with the Supreme God can be reawakened. This comes about through the performance of practical devotional service to Krishna. Just as a lame person can regain the ability to walk by practicing walking, so a person in material consciousness can revive his relationship of loving service to Krishna by actually beginning to practice such service. This can be accomplished if an initial link can be established that enables the person to actually serve Krishna through the activities performed by his material body. Bhakti-yoga and Modern Science The world view of modern science rests on the idea that nature is a product of impersonal processes that lie within the reach of human understanding. Following this idea, many scientists view nature as a passive object of conquest and exploitation , and they try to extract the secrets of nature forcibly by the power of their minds and senses. In contrast, bhakti-yoga is based on the idea that nature is the product of a supreme intelligence that is beyond the understanding of the human mind. The approach of bhakti-yoga is not to dominate this intelligence, but rather to cooperate with it. It is not possible for a person to acquire real knowledge about Krishna by the power of his limited mind. The key to bhakti-yoga is that by the mercy of Krishna, such knowledge is readily available to a person who approaches Him with a sincerely favorable attitude. Change in Attitude is the Key If a person maintains an inimical or aggressive attitude toward the absolute truth and regards it as a field of conquest for his mind, then he will have to depend completely on his ordinary sensory and mental powers in his search for knowledge.But if the person adopts a genuinely agreeable and favorable attitude toward Krishna , then by the mercy of Him, the person's internal and external circumstances will gradually be so adjusted that absolute knowledge becomes accessible to him. The essential element is the change in attitude. Please Chant :Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare HareHare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare HareAnd Be Happy. Sri Krishna Dasa India Matrimony: Find your life partner online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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