- Bhakti yoga – a spiritual practice within Hinduism (including Vaishnavism) that consists in developing a loving relationship (bhakti) with God
The philosophy and development of bhakti yoga
Bhakti is a term for intense, selfless love of God, who may appear as Father, Mother, Child or in any other relationship the devotee longs for. Bhakti makes personal contact with God possible through communion with the deity. This is why you can find a vast variety of gods and goddesses in India, often worshipped only by small groups of followers or by single families.
As a form of yoga, bhakti seeks to establish and maintain contact with God – and it should be stressed that this is meant to be a spiritual contact, not bound to the material body. The nature of this relationship is largely shaped by the religion practised (Shaivism or Vaishnavism), yet nine ways of developing it can be distinguished:
atma-nivedanam – surrendering everything to God
The bhakti religious movements, grounded in the teachings of Vedanta, were a force that “refreshed” Hinduism, bringing to it an intense expression of faith by linking emotional and philosophical elements. One example of this is the bharatanatyam dance.
The idea of liberation through loving devotion first appears in the cult of Varuna (a god described in the Rigveda).
The Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita is a source of inspiration for many religious groups and for many philosophers, but above all it is the “cornerstone” of bhakti theism, and of Vaishnavism in particular. In it Krishna declares that love and pure intentions are the greatest forces supporting his devotees on the spiritual path to liberation. It is a very concise yet comprehensive account of the attitude a bhakta (devotee) takes towards the world, whatever form of God they worship.
In the chapter of the Bhagavad Gita entitled Bhakti Yoga you can read Krishna’s words: “[…] those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me – for them, O son of Pritha, I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death. Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt.” (Bhagavad Gita, chapter 12, verses 6–8)
Unlike other philosophical schools, bhakti does not work by trying to persuade people to change the way they think. Bhakti appeals mainly to positive emotions (above all love), seeking to channel them and involve them in the process of self-realisation.
Bhakti yoga finds expression in many areas of culture and art, such as literature, music, painting and sculpture.
First published (Polish original): 12 January 2009. Written by astrologers and esoteric specialists working with our editorial team; edited and translated for HOROSCOP.SPACE. © All rights reserved.
