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Bhakti yoga is often demeaned as a gross simplification of Hindu spiritualism,
and sometimes for good reason. It needn't be, though, because bhakti devotionalism
can also offer a rich fullness that permeates daily life. In this commentary
on the Narada Bhakti Sutras, American yogi Prem Prakash explains
that unlike other yogas, bhakti yoga does not involve special activities
or heavy thinking. In appearance, bhakti comes off like the 20 minute workout
of religions--easy, quick, and guaranteed to give results. But as its name
suggests, more than anything bhakti requires devotion. In a page or two
of comments on each of the 84 verses of the Narada Bhakti Sutras,
Prakash examines the straightforward doctrines of devotionalism and the
calm joy that results. For example, he outlines the four methods for developing
devotion, which entail relinquishing all attachment to the external world,
unceasing worship ("orienting our minds away from selfish preoccupations
and toward unselfish, unceasing love), engaging the world with love and
joy, and accepting the grace of God through the teachings of a loving guru.
If bhakti doesn't appear so simple after all, just remember that the devotional
practitioner "is the most simple of men, finding his natural place in the
rhythm of life and gaily dancing." --Brian Bruya |