Bhakti conflicting with Advaita

May 23, 2007

Om Namah Sivaya “Jnana Yoga is exceedingly difficult in this age of Kali. In the first place, our life in this age depends entirely upon food. Secondly, the term of human life now is much too short for this purpose. Thirdly, it is almost impossible in this age to get rid of all the illusion that the Self is one with the body, which cling to us. Now the conclusion which the Jnani must come to is: ‘I am not the body, I am one with the Universal Soul, the Absolute and Unconditional Being.’ ‘ As I am not the body, I am not subject to the conditions of the body, such as hunger, thirst, birth, death, disease and the rest.’ One subject to these physical conditions and yet calling oneself a Jnani, is like a person who is suffering from intense pain caused by a thorn that has run into his hand and

who nevertheless says, ‘Why, my hand is not at all scratched or torn. It is all right.’ THIS KIND OF TALK WILL NOT DO. First of all the thorn of body-consciousness has to be burnt into ashes by the fire of Jnana." -------------- Sri Ramakrishna

Jnana and Bhakti are essentially the same! Look at the various Stotras that Sri Adi Sankaracharya composed. They indicate clearly that he had developed devotion to a very high degree. Self-surrender leads to Jnana; and Jnana is synonymous with Para Bhakti (extreme devotion). People nowadays condemn Bhakti and think that it is inferior to Jnana Yoga. They have no understanding of Bhakti. They think that they can jump at once to Jnana Yoga Sadhana. They have really no faith in God. They just acquire some intellectual conception of God. This does not serve them. Jnana Yoga without the necessary preparation is of no use.

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