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The principle of bhakti yoga is that of utilising the usual life
ties characterised by the play of the emotions to come into possession
of the beloved. The yoga of love operates upon the physical level.
The Sanskrit word bhakti comes from the root bhj which means 'render
honours,' 'cult,' 'service.' The one who serves with dedication
and abnegation feels love for God to such a degree that he turns
his back upon all worldly attraction. An Possessed by Divine Fury: It is a natural human need to want to be protected. To abandon oneself to the power of the divinity in order to feel complete is a great virtue. The devotee develops such a great devotion that it is as if they are possessed by a divine fury. They get bsorbed in me master, me instructor or cosmic beloved. As he advances on the path, individuality loses all meaning for him. Madhusudhana Sarasvati defines bhakti as that path of love which
assumes the form of the divinity. J n the path of the intellect,
man raises himself by an act of will, so there is an ascent. In
the path of bhakti, the devotee empties himself of all psychological
content so that the Lord may descend and save him through grace.
This is the descent. Bhakti is divided into aparabhakti and parabhakti, lesser and higher, non-supreme and supreme. Aparabhakti is concerned with the 'lesser mysteries' and works upon the plane of purification of active ethical qualities of psychological harmonisation. Parabhakti operates upon the plane of transfiguration of oneself so as to reach the perfection of the father and identity with him. Aparabhakti is exoteric, while Parabhakti is esoteric; the former reveals itself at the individual, particular and general level, the latter on the universal plane as the plane of the principle. The former is concerned with asceticism and the latter with pure mysticism. The Christian way is the path of Bhakti. Jesus incarnated as the principle of love. Christ is the son of the father. Because love, with will and knowledge, is coeval to god. The Mysteries of Love: Prema Yoga or the path of love is seen in five stages of the life of Christ himself: Baptism-purification, Transfiguration, Crucifixion, or 'death' of the ego individuality, Ascension, and Union. The first three stages are of an active kind, where the individual takes himself in hand. The other two are phases of abandonment, allowing oneself to be captured, absorbed. Baptism-purification: This corresponds to Yama and Niyama, the first two angas of Raja Yoga. There arc three steps, first withdrawing to the coincidental centre in such a way as to create a 'distance' with the entire reactive psychic world. Second, using mantra which has the power of ultrasound, so as to dissolve subconscious contents. Third, stabilisation of the point at the centre of consciousness. Harmony or Discord: Purification does not involve only strengthening moral qualities. It implies transforming the vibratory state of the individual. Psycho physical individuality is a vibratory complex which may resound harmony or discord. During the process of purification, if daring discrimination and
detachment (Vairagya) and so on are lacking, the ego cannot be brought
to the necessary level, and transfiguration with subsequent crucifixion
or death of the Adamic complex will not take place. In this first
stage, the mantra intervenes to solve the problem of subconsciou
fossilisation (Vasana). The struggle to dissolve and dissipate this fossilisation must be undertaken, supported by the grace of divine love. The individual must act at various levels and beware the sophisms hat the ego may advance. Transfiguration: When the consciousness becomes free of vibratory disharmony the heart is ready to receive another mantra which represents a harmonic universal love. This must be vibrated in the right place in order to open up in us a window to the desired plane. The work of transfiguration implies profound withdrawal into oneself,
solitude and psychic silence. The inner eat is tuned to the musicality
of the inner divine.This invocation, evocation, precipitation and
stabilisation of the universal sound within one's own heart. This
immortal word is Sabdabrahman. When this deeper transformation occurs, the two Chakras or centres, anahata and ajna, arc harmonised. Love is pervaded by knowledge and knowledge by love The Sahasrara begins to be activated. Crucifixion-death: When consciousness gets anchored in the true life, it lead the death of ego-individuality, crucifixion of the ego involve multiplicity. God/Christ is experienced dynamic yet subtle and opera way; not outside one's consciousness, but within it. It is revelation, omni-comprehension, unity with the sound that reverberates in space (akasa), the rejoicing mantra. One may experience sounds, forms and non-formal colours. This must not distract, but lead to oneness with love. Ascension and Union: Love is at last freed from instinct, from emotion-sentiment and
from psychic conceptualisation. Love freed from profane and involves
spiritual passion, glows of a light uncontaminated by manasic dialectics.
In Sankalpa Samadhi, the being goes beyond names and forms and is
absorbed by the |