Bhakti Yoga

"The yoga of devotion...Bhakti Yoga is the path to self-realization and union with the ultimate force of the universe...in which a parctitioner cultivates faith and devotion, surrendering to the Divine. This is achieved by channeling one's energy and devotion through posture, chanting, singing, scriptural study, ritual, and service to one's particular divinity. Sanskrit is central to this path, as it is the language of the sacred scriptures, chants, and mantras, used for devotional practice...Bhakti Yoga is based on complete faith and surrender to God, but it is not a passive surrender; indeed, one's whole being is active in the process." Sacred Sanskrit Words, Leza Lowitz & Reema Datta, pp. 53-54

Each Sunday will be my blog day for Bhakti Yoga. I want to share with you chants, rituals, scriptural study (that will come from all religions), and of my journey to surrender completely to the Divine.

Today I have two thoughts to share

My heart holds within it every form,

It contains a pasture for gazelles,

A monastery for Christian monks.

There is a temple for idol-worshipers,

A holy shrine for pilgrims;

There is the table of the Torah,

And the Book of the Koran.

I follow the religion of LOVE

And go whichever way his camel leads me.

This is the true faith; This is the true religion.

-Ibn Arabi

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy, But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil AND the good, and sendeth rain on the just AND on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? BE YE THEREFORE PERFECT, EVEN AS YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT.

-Jesus

(My thoughts on this command to be perfect: the passages that I have written here speak of loving EVERYONE...this is how we become perfect, it's about LOVE.)