Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti yoga – is the technique of transferring the sense of identity from the self to an external object. The transference can be to a personal deity (ishtadeiva) or a Guru/ master/ teacher or even a concept such as any religion, communism etc. Over time, the individual’s sense of identity gets subsumed by the identity of the deity which is worshipped. As the aspirant progresses, there is conscious and unconscious suppression and isolation of personal behavior, value system leading to breakdown of one’s conditioning (svadharma) into the identity of the deity. This process leads to exposure of one’s own identity and liberation.

The Bhagavata Purana (chapter 7.5.23-24) propounds nine primary tools: of bhakti, as explained by Prahlada:

\ Sravana (listening to achievements of the deity) – here the deity’s life is analysed as a role model, an ideal way of living. One then tries to emulate these qualities in one’s own life. A classic is a sticker on the back of many cars which reads.. “what would Jesus do”, exhorting Christians to live as Jesus might in a similar situation.

\ Kirtana (praising the achievements of the deity) – here, one subordinates ones achievements to that of the deity. Many forms of prayer use this method, examples being bhajans in Hinduism, hyms and psalms in Christianty or quawwali in Islam.

\ Smarana (retaining an image of the deity at all time) – this element has 2 parts; retention of the deity in and external form and another within the memory as an image. The objective is to ensure “top of mind recall” at all times so that the sense of personal identity is subsumed over time.

In society, this is used extensively – nations use flags, companies use brands and logos; only here the transference of identity is nominal, to the extent of building and retaining a bond for a specific purpose.

\ Pada-sevana (pada= feet + sevana = service) – pada sevana can mean washing the feet, which requires that one subsumes the sense of identity to another. It can also mean service at the feet of the other, which can be interpreted as service as expected by the deity or guru/ master, essentially subsuming one’s personality to serve the deity.

In society, this can mean any service rendered to a cause which is not intended to increase one’s sense of identity; this will include all religions, communism, nations, cults and causes.

\ Srchana (worshipping the deity with hyperbole) – Almost all prayers, no matter which religion, deal in hyperbole. This gives the deity an unassailable position, lending credence to the worshippers surrender.

Leaders and dictators around the world often use this technique to become larger than life – Hitler was called fuehrer, Mao Zedong was actively quoted through his little red book, the Kim family of North Korea etc.

\ Vandana (worshipping the deity) – Whilst Srachana is worshipping with hyperbole, vandana is deep integration of the deity with the self with the intent of integrating the personal identity with the deity. All prayers of all religions have this as the intent, the ultimate dissolution of the personal sense of identity into that of the deity.

\ Dasya (servitude) – Dasya comes from the root “dasa” or servant. The yogi serves the deity as a master and dedicates all his actions and outcomes to the deity, thus negating the sense of personal achievement, opinion and identity.

This is an intrinsic part of the Gurukula form of teaching in Oriental societies. Here, the yogi or student stays with the teacher and slowly imbibes non-verbal teaching through service. There is a famous story in the 1950’s regarding the 2 famous Quality Guru’s Deming and Juran when they were invited to Japan for training the Japanese on Quality. Many of the delegates were found trying to mimic Deming and Juran in their walk, talk and eating styles. Their intent was to imbibe the character of these masters in it’s fullest.

\ Sakhya (retaining a base of friendship) – Maintaining momentum in such an endeavour is always difficult, especially as the personal identity will not get subordined so easily. Company of likeminded individuals helps in feeding off enthusiasm between the group and maintaining momentum.

\ Atma – nivedana (atma=soul + nivedana = state of no schism) or state where there is no difference between the yogi and the deity. Initially, the aspirant always views the deity as different, but when the practice of the above techniques reaches an advanced stage, the aspirant sees no difference between himself and the deity.

All major religions subscibe to mysticism and mystic experiences, where the practitioner sees no difference between the self and the deity.

A classical example in India is Meerabai who was a mystic devotee of Lord Krishna.

Sufism, a branch of Islam is very similar to Bhakti Yoga, prescribing – Dhikr or remembering God, Sema which is a form of devotional music and dance like a combination of srachana and smarana, muraqaba or meditation which is akin to vandana with the aim of experiencing ecstatic states (hal), purification of the heart (qalb), overcoming the lower self (nafs), extinction of the individual personality (fana), communion with God (haqiqa), and higher knowledge (mrifat).

Other religions, such as Buddhism, Christanity, Sikhism and Judaism also proscribe to mystic, with techniques similar to Bhakti Yoga.

It is important to remember that the direction of Bhakti can be to a deity or a person. In the case of a person, when the influence of the master overwhelms the aspirant, it can result in the formation of a cult or a society dominated by an individual.

What you should know after reading this blog;

Ø  What is Bhakti Yoga?

Ø  What are the elements of Bhakti yoga and how do they impact yoga?

Ø  How is Bhakti Yoga implemented?

Ø  How is Bhakti Yoga used in daily life?