See how much more effective it is to present the positive side of your beliefs than to whine about somebody "attacking" them?
And didn't it *feel* better? I rest my case... --- In [email protected], "Ingegerd" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Thank you for a very profound explanation, that I appreciate very > much. > Without knowing the term Bhakti - it seems that I the last year > uncounscious has chosen the traditional Bhakti path. I am very > aware of mood-making. But when it comes natural - it feels > natural. Not permanant - maybe in the future. > Thank you again. > Ingegerd > > > Bhakti is a Sanskrit word which means devotion, adoration, love or > > worship of the Divine or the Guru as a manifestation thereof. It > can > > also mean the love of God toward the devotee. As a sentiment, > Bhakti > > can be part of many path,but there is also a specific path called > > 'Bhakti Yoga' (Path of Devotion) as opposed to 'Jnana > Yoga'(wisdom) or > > 'Raja Yoga' (meditation). It is the contention of many Saints like > > Ramana Maharshi or Ramakrishna, that all these paths are not > > contradictionary, but finally merge into each other.Somebody (I > don't > > remember whom) once said that while Ramakrishna was a Bhakta on the > > outside, he was a Jnani inside, and Ramana Maharshi was a Jnani > > outside and a Bhakta inside. A Jnani (Sage, a saint who followed > the > > path of wisdom) will also, automatically develop devotion, his > path is > > also a way of surrendering the intellect. So has Ramana Maharshi, > who > > almost exclusively taught self-enquiry, written many devotional > hymns > > to Shiva in the form of Mount Arunachala.Besides that, in all Hindu > > related faiths, the reverence and adoration of the Guru is > prescribed, > > independend of the path. > > > > The Bhakti path explicitely seeks to use emotion to be a way to > unite > > or come near to God. This usually employs a dualistic conception, > > since it is thought, that love requires an object. Yet in the > > non-dualistic philosophies, like Advaita, Bhakti still plays a > role, > > either in the love to the Guru, who is traditionally helt to be an > > embodiement of God, or in the form of a Istha-devata, a Form of the > > ultimate, especially chosen for worship, which in the case of > worship > > is identified as the formless Brahman, adopting a form for the > sake of > > worship. > > > > Worship can have many forms, almost as many as there are people. > > Traditionally Bhaktas (Adherents of Bhakti) will do Japa, i.e. > > repetition of the name or names of their chosen ideal. They will > sing > > Kirtanas (again rythmic repetitions of divine names) and Bhajans > > (devotional songs and poems), do pujas (ceremonies similar to the > TM > > puja) etc. Service is also regarded as a Bhakti practise. > > > > The Narada Bhakti sutras deline different modes of feeling (Bhavas) > > or attitudes of the Bhakta to the deity: > > > > Servant: the relationship of a servant to a master, like that of > > Hanuman to Rama > > > > Friendship: The relationship of a friend, like that between Arjuna > and > > Krishna. This relationship is closer than the previous. > > > > Parental relationship: God is seen as one's child - even closer. > > > > Husband/wife relationship: God is seen as romantic partner, like in > > the case of the Gopis and Krishna. > > > > At all there are 9 such modes or Bhavas. > > > > In my references to this topic, I made no proposal for the explicit > > path of Bhakti Yoga - contrary to what Barry and others here > claimed, > > but was referring to the spontaneaus Bhakti that may arise on any > path > > at any stage, the feeling of adoration and love towards a Guru, the > > natural opening of the heart as a mystic process. I was making the > > suggestion, that those who had experienced such an opening, would > also > > recognize it in the expression of others, even if the follow a > > different ideal (God/Guru) or religion (Islam). I thought this to > be > > quite natural among advanced spiritual practitioners. > > > > Actually most of conventional religion may be termed as a sort of > > Bhakti Yoga. > > > > In terms of TM: Maharishi rarely uses this term but he makes very > > definite allusions to the Bhakti path or rather element in his > > teaching, when he speaks of 'the finest feeling level', which in > his > > eyes 'has to be protected'. In Maharsihis philosophy Bhakti plays > the > > essential role on the path between CC and GC. He also said that the > > greatest enemies on the path are doubt, disappointnment, and there > was > > a third one I forgot. > > > > You could say: > > Karma Yoga > CC > loss of identification with the Doer. (Non- > doership > > of the Gita) > > Bhakti Yoga > GC > Increased perception of the Self in the outside, > > the finest relative > > Jnana Yoga > UC > Ultimate merging of the Self inside with the Self > > everywhere. Seeing everything in terms of the Self. Thus the > > fulfillment of Bhakti. > > > > There is a certain trap in CC: As everything is witnessed, there > is a > > basic separation between the Self and the world. Action becomes > > spontaneus, and there is no incentive to go on. Thats why MMY once > > said that rather than dying in CC, one should smoke a cigarette. > > Meaning, you can't go further when dying in CC. It is only Love > that > > can bridge the gap between Self and the world when being in CC. > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/UlWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! 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