Bhakti Yoga means "Union with God through devotional practice". Through
this article it is my intention to offer a pure and simplistic understanding
of Bhakti Yoga based on my personal practise rather than from having studied
traditional perspectives. Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, the modern day father
of Ashtanga Yoga says, 99% practise, 1% theory. Likewise with this devotional
approach, Bhakti is only experienced when the practitioner is absorbed in
the practise.
Surrender to Love
Bhakti is a beautiful path. It effortlessly purifies the mind and opens
the heart. It is said by the sages of old that Bhakti Yoga is the surest,
safest, simplest and easiest way to liberation. It is also deeply satisfying
as a practise and highly contagious. Whilst Bhakti is primarily an internal
practise, it is also an amazing way of unifying with others. Spending time
in group practise such as praying, chanting, singing, playing sweet and
rousing music together often evokes transcendental states of consciousness
such as bliss, love and deep peace and contentedness.
All religious traditions sing, pray or chant which is essentially a way
of consciously engaging in a relationship with God. Singing, praying and
chanting are all aspects of devotional practise; they are simply expressed
in different ways. These expressions range from being alone in quiet contemplative
reverence to being in large and wildly ecstatic groups. Bhakti is the nectar
of devotion that pours into and out of the devotee when engaging this Yoga.
All is Vibration
We become what we focus upon. Everything we say, think, and do carries
vibration and therefore carries consequences. The human condition is always
subject to the Universal law of cause and effect. What we focus on is reflected
back to us and becomes the reality we perceive, and therefore what we become.
All religious traditions stress the importance of keeping ?right company?.
Surrounding ourselves, where possible, with those who reflect our highest
spiritual aspirations is very important if we are sincere in our intention
to make manifest these aspirations. However, whilst we think of our external
relationships as the primary company we experience, the truth is our mind
is the primary company we keep. When we acknowledge this we might consider
whether we rate our own mind as good company. Generally speaking our minds
are completely out of control and running the whole show of our life without
our conscious permission. The minds true purpose is to serve the Being,
not the other way around. For the mind to serve the Being it has to be
brought under control, at least to the point where we are able to objectively
question the validity of what it comes up with, and therefore to be able
to respond to it intelligently, rather than automatically; following through
with pre-conditioned unconscious reaction. If we are to find peace within
ourselves we are wise to give the mind something constructive to do that
supports our natural attraction to the more transcendental states of consciousness
such as peace, bliss, love and happiness. The mind is a natural worker;
it likes to be engaged, so why not give it something useful to do?
Chanting Mantra
The lower mind likes to think and be busy, for this reason it makes a lot
of sense to use this characteristic to our advantage. Having a mantra repeating
over in the mind has its distinct advantages. It creates a vibrational
shift in the basic quality of consciousness experienced, and keeps us mindful
of our Divine Nature. The mind becomes purified of useless thought and
becomes increasingly absorbed in the Divine. The mind becomes stiller and
simpler and life respectively becomes more peaceful and blissful.
Mantra is a formula of words infused with the potency of sacred intention.
They are a prayer, and usually chanted in ancient languages such as Sanskrit,
Aramaic, Arabic etc. Often mantra is an invocation of a deity or Divine
quality. They are chanted either out loud, under the breath or internally.
Some people use beads or a rosary to help keep the mind focused on the
mantra.
The Divine Names
It is said that the names of the Divine and the Divine itself are one and
the same. To chant or sing the names (Krishna, Shiva, Allah, Buddha, Jesus,
Divine Mother) means to engage the Divine Being directly and therefore to
partake of the blessing force or mercy of this Being. It is said by the
Avatars of this age that simply repeating the names of God with sincerity
and total devotion will ensure liberation. When the individual self becomes
lost in devotion, all sense of separation disappears and so naturally the
devotee unifies with God and experiences the unparalleled bliss of Divine
Union. When singing mantra the combination of the potency of the Divine
Name and the sonic waves vibrating within the body creates a shift in consciousness
which has a purifying healing effect on the whole being.
Devotional Music/ Bhajans/Kirtan
The aspect of Bhakti Yoga that is closest to my heart is Bhajan or Kirtan.
This is singing mantras or prayers, usually with musical accompaniment,
and most commonly with harmonium, drum, kartels and guitar. This can be
done both alone and with others. Singing in this way is an opportunity to
pour ones Heart out to the Divine. Joining in song and voice we can open
to Pure Consciousness, and lose our little selves in the great resonance
of universal harmony. When you sing or chant in such a way your worries
in life simply dissolve away.
Deity Worship
This plays a large part in the overall picture of traditional Bhakti Yoga
practise, though in the western evolution of the Bhakti movement kirtan
singing is more widespread. Deity worship is more specialised and is usually
undertaken by devotees who have gone more deeply into Bhakti Yoga as a spiritual
path and have taken on a religious way of life. There is great potency
in this form of worship, and it can take a high level of commitment. ISKCON,
the Hare Krishna movement are masters of this practice.
Developing Personal Practice
Devotion is not something that can be accomplished by force of will, it
is something that happens spontaneously when the conditions are correct.
Having said this it is true to say that there are environments where the
experience of Bhakti is more likely to occur, such as whilst sitting at
your altar, whilst serving others, in the presence of your Guru or in the
company of others who are absorbed in their practice. Devotion occurs when
the heart is humble, sincere, and surrendered. Will is a useful ally when
used correctly. In this case the best use of will is to see that you regularly
place yourself in a devotional environment where you can catch this contagious
condition.
Listening to devotional music is a great way to immerse yourself, the long
term effect of which is to change the background noise of the chattering
mind to the transcendental vibration of the Holy Names. Imagine waking
up in the morning to the already present sound of the Holy Names cascading
through your mind instead of an accumulating list of things to do clamouring
for attention. Live in Bliss..
Warning: The Bhakti condition will drive you out of your mind!
Bhajans every Friday night at
Shekinashram, Dod Lane, Glastonbury, UK
7.30pm - 9.30pm No charge.
