| From The River Of Heaven |
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| Books By David Frawley |
| THE PATHS OF YOGA : YOGA | |
| But
the form is a means to the formless, a symbol to aid in the
concentration of the mind. As we move along the path of devotion we
begin to find the Beloved, our form of the Divine, everywhere and in
all things. We move from the outer form of the Divine, the person,
to the inner form which is the Word, to the true nature which is
Being itself. Eventually we must come to realize our Beloved as the
Divine presence in our own hearts, our own inner or true Self.
Devotional practices consist of rituals (puja), singing (kirtan), chanting names of God (japa), and meditation on a form of the Divine (upasana). Women may worship the Divine in the male form like Shiva, Krishna or Rama. Men may worship the Divine in a female form as the different aspects of the Goddess (Devi). This reflects our natural impulse to find our opposite in love. Such deities become the muse or inner guide along the path. Yet we may also worship the Divine in a kindred form; the ascetic yogi worshipping Shiva or the female yogini worshipping the form of the Divine Mother she seeks to incarnate. Every variation is possible and each has its beauty and purpose in creation. India has always taught freedom of worship. This is the real reason for the great variety of Gods and Goddesses in the teaching. It is not some primitive polytheism, though less developed souls may use it in this way, but a great creative openness which provides a form of the Divine approach for each individual.
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