BHAKTI YOGA

Although devotion is not a matter of the mind but rather of the heart, some people need to satisfy the intellect before the heart can open freely. So here it goes, some information about Bhakti yoga!

Bhakti Yoga –What does it mean?

Bhakti comes from the root word “Bhaj”, which is usually translated as “to serve” or “revere”. Bhakti Yoga, or the Yoga of Devotion is mentioned in the Vedas, and is a path for liberation as important and viable as meditation or any other path you may be on. Although it’s clear that devotion to God isn’t particular to any religion, but rather explored differently depending on who you are and where you were raised, there is a particular Bhakti movement that is permeating the Western culture, and it began circa 1,000 A.D in Southern India. This article will cover Devotional Yoga from it’s origins all the way to how you can use this practice without feeling alienated.

The Vedas –the earliest Indian books of Devotion

The Vedas are the earliest texts of India -the oldest book found to date is around 1,500 years old, although the oral tradition that preceded it may go back many thousands of years. They include a vast amount of information on worship, rituals, devotional songs, etc. Priests, however, were the only ones responsible for the rituals and worship, which became increasingly more intricate. This hegemony on spiritual practices increased the perils that are sometimes present in many organized religions: the complicated rituals made it necessary to pay a priest to perform them, and thwarted the personal connection of the layperson to the Divine.

Although the Vedas speak of an all-pervading God entity with many manifestations, they are also filled with naturalistic polytheistic undertones. Hymns and rituals were performed towards the powers of the sun, the earth, the wind etc. and the deities were used as symbols to “connect” with these divine manifestations. However, with the advent of the Upanishads, the Puranas and other Hindu texts, the tendency towards a monistic ("all is one") view of the Universe was more predominant.

Hinduism – the next step for the Vedic Culture

Although it could be said that Hinduism was born out of the wisdom and culture that brought about the Vedas, it certainly evolved into a very complex religion with many different divisions and points of view. Those deities that had predominance in the Vedas disappeared or morphed into different shapes and names (save a few, like Brahma), and other deities gained predominance and were "rescued from obscurity". It is important to emphasize that in Hinduism deities are not different gods, but rather different symbols that represent a particular aspect of an all pervading, infinite consciousness.

As Hinduism evolved, certain people decided they preferred to connect to a certain aspect of God, for example “Vishnu” (the preserver of the Universe), it’s consort, and all of it’s incarnations, as if they were communing with the one God. It may seem hard for us to conceive of relating to one entity by worshipping so many different aspects of it, but evidently the culture passed down from the Vedic times had a very strong influence in how the Indians approach God.

The Bhakti Movement – a new expression of Hinduism

During the period of 500 to 1,000 A.D. India experienced the growth of many different schools of thought that challenged traditional Hinduism at its core. Buddhism, Jainism and the non-dualistic Vedanta schools were gaining popularity, and many Hindus began to pull away from the traditional approach to God through the intermediacy of the priests.   Some people went into the more atheistic Buddhism (Buddha never spoke about God), or the less ritualistic Vedanta philosophies, while others took refuge in a movement that bred new life into Hinduism: the Bhakti movement.

The Bhakti movement began in South India, lead mainly by the sixty-three Nayanars (Shiva devotees, or Shaivites) and the twelve Alvars (Vishnu devotees, or Vaishnavaites). During the 5th and 6th century A.D., these Indian saints wrote what is considered today a literary treasure: hymns, poetry and chants that spoke of an intoxication of love for God, expressed with “divine” inspiration. Not only were they responsible for creating new ways of expressing devotion, they actively promoted devotional Yoga as the quickest means to attain enlightenment.

The Bhakti movement spread to the North of India while it was under Muslim domination. The northern mystics and Bhakti followers were less inclined to separate themselves as followers of Shiva or Vishnu, but Rama and Krishna (incarnations of Vishnu) were the most popular deities worshiped. Some mystics created a more personal expression of their devotion that didn’t necessarily adhere to traditional Hindu customs, and Muslim mystics undertook the Bhakti influence and created their own devotional paths within their religion.

In a land usually divided by religious beliefs, the Bhakti movement was able to co-exist peacefully with the rest of the movements of Hinduism and Islam. Although in the beginning it was considered unorthodox because of its rejection to the caste system and the traditional priest-lead rituals, the movement became so popular (even within royal circles), it is now accepted as a viable and mainstream religious expression in India.

Kirtan – the most popular face of the Bhakti Movement

Have you ever heard of Krishna Das? He is the biggest “rock star” of the modern Bhakti movement in America. The devotion that he shares takes the form of Kirtan, or “call and response chanting”, perhaps the most important element within the Bhakti movement, and an important socio-spiritual component for the community where it’s practiced. The modern American Bhakti movement began mainly with followers of Neem Karoli Baba, an Indian Saint who was guru to Ram Das, Krishna Das, Bhagavan Das, Lama Surya Das, Jai Uttal, and many other prominent westerners. Neem Karoli Baba encouraged many of his devotees to sing the name of God in the tradition of Kirtan. Although none of them were Hindus (or practice it to this day), they learned traditional Hindu chants and brought them home, spicing them up with western flavored melodies and rhythms. Rather than favoring a particular deity, these modern kirtanists go through the entire pantheon of Hindu mythology, and sometimes even beyond it.

The repetition of mantras and different names of God in a constant melody leads to the quieting of the mind, and for those who are able to “let go”, a quite ecstatic feeling of merging with the Divine. It i’s very hard to describe the experience of Kirtan, so if you’ve never done it, I strongly suggest you try it!

The Bhakti Movement – Beyond Hinduism

The Bhakti movement changed the face of traditional Hinduism, influenced Islam, Jainism and Sikhism, and infused with joy and love what may otherwise be dry spiritual practices across the globe. But as I said in the beginning of this article, devotion wasn’t invented in India, it is the birthright or every human being who has ever felt awe, inspiration, and love for creation and it’s driving force. It is present wherever heartfelt spirituality is, and it is uplifting to anyone who dares try it with sincerity.  It doesn't have to be singing in Sanskrit, it could be dancing, or writing poetry... Dedicate your attention, your efforts, your life to God as if it was your lover, and you will be practicing Bhakti Yoga. Many Indian saints agree that this is the quickest path to liberation in this Kali Yuga.

I dream of a world where we can all sing the names of God in every language, from every religion, without ever feeling turned off or alienated. This would be the most beautiful expression of love for God in both the formless and in form, a universal brotherhood and sisterhood that embodies the maxim “Paths are many, truth is one”.

May you find yourself among your brothers and sisters, with the name of God on your lips, his breath in your heart, and her hand on your hand, basking in the infinite Love that the universe is made of.

Ohm.

                        Michael Brandwajn