The Path of Devotion

Bhakti means Devotion is not what we do or have but what we are. Bhakti Yoga means using the intensity of one's emotion to transcend one's limitations. The Sanskrit word bhakti comes from the root bhaj, which means “to adore or worship God.” Bhakti yoga has been called “love for love’s sake” and “union through love and devotion.” Bhakti yoga, like any other form of yoga, is a path to self-realization, to having an experience of oneness with everything. This spiritual practice has liberation from your ego as its core element. Everyone has their own idea or feeling of what ‘God’ is as we discussed in the earlier blog. For me, bhakti means dedicating myself to the supreme being. Just me and the supreme being, neither my mind nor my body but just my soul. Because I think that is the way of connecting yourself with the supreme being(by dedicating your true self). In its purest form, bhakti burns like a devotional fire in the heart. There are many examples of bhakti in Indian culture. Bhakti as a form of union with the Infinite must be as old as human civilization. Formally it got recognized as a way of expressing love for the Infinite, or God, in Shvetashvatara Upanishad. Bhakti yoga is one of six systems of yoga. We will know more about five other systems in the upcoming blogs.

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