RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICES

What is Devotion To God (Bhakti Yoga)?

Devotion to God is devotion to the Universal Being and the forms Its takes to guide Its creation. It is not mere devotion to a religious leader or holy book, which is an external thing, but a recognition of the Divine Being as the inner Reality behind the universe.

Devotion may involve repeating the Name of God, chanting, singing, rituals and a deep meditation wherein we come into proximity to the Divine in our minds and merge into It. Devotion usually takes a form, which may be that of a particular Deity, avatar or teacher, though formless devotion exists as well.

It usually establishes a relationship with God as father, mother or beloved. Devotional practices, however, are not formalities or technicalities but a spontaneous unfoldment of the heart in its love of God.

Devotion is the most basic and easiest of all spiritual paths because love of God is inherent in the soul. Even if we cannot think of knowing God, we can uncover this spontaneous love of the Eternal Lord. Devotion is also the basis of wisdom because only if we love Truth can we properly learn what it is. All of our human problems occur from seeking love apart from the Divine. Seeking love in the Divine, which is to recognize the Divine love in all creation, is the end to all human suffering.

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