4/8/2024 0 Comments Srimad bhagavad gita quoteIt is a call issued by one’s heart-a call that clears away fears and past faults. The call of the self is to know the Self. And if some of us find ourselves drawn to Krishna’s stories and teachings, we are not compelled in yoga to accept Krishna’s tradition. When we are summoned by Krishna’s voice, however, we are not expected to join a new religion or develop a sentimental dependence upon a teacher. The name Krishna is derived from the Sanskrit verb root krsh, a word that means “to draw or pull in, to draw to one’s self.”Īlthough I am unmanifest, the unwise think that I am that form of my lower nature which is seen by mortal eyes: they know not my higher nature, imperishable and unsurpassed. Like a flower whose form and color attracts wandering bees, Krishna is the voice of beauty and truth within us-drawing us inward to drink from our own being. He is also the indwelling force that is constantly calling to us, drawing us to our self. The name Krishna is derived from the Sanskrit verb root krsh, a word that means “to draw or pull in, to draw to one’s self.” Krishna is not merely an embodied teacher. They speak with the voice of Light that is aimed at every human heart.īut who is Krishna? And what is his spiritual authority? His name gives us an important clue. ![]() They are virtually identical to the words of Jesus and other great teachers who also inspired followers on the path of bhakti. Verses like these resound throughout the middle chapters of the Gita. For be aware, Arjuna, that he who loves me shall not perish. He will soon become pure and reach everlasting peace. I am the same to all beings, and my love is ever the same but those who worship me with devotion, they are in me and I am in them.įor if even one who does evil were to worship me with all his soul, he must be considered righteous, because of his righteous will. It is signaled by a change in language: when Krishna talks about the path of devotion, he is no longer speaking in the third person. The path of devotion begins with a shift in our perspective-a shift that Krishna himself initiates in the Gita. For example, as practitioners, are we expected to devote ourselves to a certain person, god, or tradition? What is the nature of devotion in yoga? And how is it given voice? Let’s see what the Gita says in response. We can avoid this by asking questions about bhakti yoga at the outset. Most of us know of persons whose fanatical faith in a teacher or dogma has resulted in disappointment or worse in the end. For others, gratitude toward yoga matures into love and respect for a teacher, for a system of practice, or for the natural universe.Ī false sense of devotion, however, may lead us in the wrong direction. For some, its appeal stems from an inherent attraction to God. The path of bhakti yoga unfolds spontaneously. On the path of bhakti yoga, help is proffered and spirits are healed through love-through the soul’s love for that which is eternal, and through the love of the eternal for each soul. Ultimately, this path is about uplifting human hearts. But you do not need to be an artist or a member of a religious order to find joy on the path of devotion. This path is commonly associated with those who express themselves through music, poetry, dance, and other fine arts, and it is synonymous with a life of service, prayer, and meditation-a life devoted to God. In Chapters 7–12 of the Gita he teaches the path of devotion and love, bhakti yoga. ![]() On the path of bhakti yoga, help is proffered and spirits are healed through love-through the soul’s love for that which is eternal, and through the love of the eternal for each soul.īut Krishna does not stop there. Karma yoga, he says, is the ability to conscientiously evaluate one’s motivation, to act with skill and determination, and yet not be attached to the outcome of the action. Krishna is persuasive, setting out guidelines that are as true for gardening as they are for waging war. The Gita opens as Krishna champions the yoga of action, or the path of karma yoga. They are the path of action, the path of devotion, and the path of knowledge. Each, he says, is a kind of yoga-a way to live in the world and at the same time maintain inner peace. ![]() In the Bhagavad Gita (the Song of the Lord) Krishna comforts and advises his troubled disciple Arjuna by telling him about three paths.
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