Bhakti Yoga
Friday, September 3, 2010
This website is still under construction and has a long way to go. We hope you will return in the future, as we plan to make all explanations about this knowledge and bhakti-yoga a joy to study and know, with high visual content.
A Brief Explanation of
Bhakti Yoga
The path of self-realization or mysticism is described in the Bhagavad-gita. The basic principle of self-realization is knowledge that the living entity is not this material body but that he is different from it and that his happiness is in eternal life, bliss and knowledge. These are transcendental, beyond both body and mind.
The process of linking oneself with the Supreme is called yoga. It may be compared to a ladder for attaining the topmost spiritual realization. This ladder begins from the lowest material condition of the living entity and rises up to perfect self-realization in pure spiritual life.
According to various elevations, different parts of the ladder are known by different names. But all in all, the complete ladder is called yoga and may be divided into three parts, namely jnana-yoga, dhyana-yoga and bhakti-yoga.
After nirvana, or material cessation, there is the manifestation of spiritual activities, or devotional service to the Lord, known as Krishna consciousness.
Maya, or illusion, is the condition of spiritual life that is affected by material consciousness, that "I am this body."
Freedom from this material consciousness means that one realizes one's original eternal position. citi-sakti, or transcendental pleasure, is real life. This natural transcendental pleasure is the ultimate goal of yoga and is easily achieved by execution of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service to God in Krishna consciousness.
Krishna means God, who is all-attractive.
Direct Krishna consciousness is bhakti-yoga. Krishna consciousness means to work in full knowledge of one's relationship with the Supreme Absolute, and the perfection of this consciousness is full knowledge of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
A pure soul is the eternal servant of God as His fragmental part and parcel. He comes into contact with maya (illusion) due to the desire to lord it over maya, and that is the cause of his many sufferings. As long as we are in contact with matter, we have to execute work in terms of material necessities.
Krishna consciousness, however, brings one into spiritual life even while one is within the jurisdiction of matter, for it is an arousing of spiritual existence by practice in the material world.
While this site is under development, for extensive knowledge about Krishna consciousness, bhakti-yoga and the science of self-realization, please visit the official ISKCON website www.Krishna.com
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