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Real Bhakti   Real Yoga

The ancient science of yoga
culminates in bhakti

 Ancient Sanskrit Bhakti Texts

- click on books to read -

*self-realization
*transcending the world of dualities and anxiety
*attainment of pure happiness
*transferring oneself beyond the planets of birth & death

- athato  brahma  jijnasa -

"Now is the time, in this human form of life, to inquire into the Absolute Truth." - Vedanta Sutra

The Bhagavad-gita teaches, "Try to learn the truth by approaching a bone fide spiritual master". Our spiritual master, His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, is coming down in an unbroken chain of disciplic succession, from Lord Krishna Himself.

"Now is the time, in this human form of life, to inquire into the Absolute Truth." - Vedanta Sutra

Srila Prabhupada

 

Spiritual Master and Acharya (one who teaches by example) In The Gaudiya-Vaishnava, Bhakti-yoga Tradition

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was born a self-realized soul and pure devotee of the Lord.

He comes in an unbroken chain of perfectly realized teachers, guru parampara, dating back 5,000 years to Lord Krishna, the speaker of Bhagavad-gita. All the answers to your spiritual questions are given based on his teachings, always with reference to the many other Vedic texts. In 1966 Prabhupada came to the western world from India at the age of 70, founding the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. In the course of 10 years he wrote over 80 books of Vedic knowledge on the science of God. He opened108 temples throughout the world, and initiated thousands of full-time

young disciples. He finally entered samadhi in 1977.

...with Yogi Bhajan

...in Vrindavan

Dasarath das

Bhakti-yoga correspondent

Dasarath das Pandit, one of many disciples of Srila Prabhupada, is the main correspondent of this website.

He was initiated by his spiritual master into the order and

disciplic succession of the Brahma-Madhva Gaudiya sampradaya in 1971, and awarded brahmana initiation one year later. Since that time, he has learned and taught the Vedic bhakti tradition of devotion to Vishnu (Krishna), traveling widely throughout the world.

Since 1986, he has opened three Vedic Cultural Centers in Arizona, USA: in Tucson (1986), in Phoenix* (1996), and in Sedona (2006).

He presently resides near Sedona, and is attempting to help build the largest Vedic and Vaishnava project in North America - the Sedona Center of Vedic Culture.

 

* In 1996 Dasarath was awarded the “Person Of The Year Award”, by the Indo-Asian Community of Phoenix for his opening the first Vedic temple in that city.

The Eight-fold Yoga

 

…In the Sixth and Eighth Chapters of Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, explains that the eightfold yoga system is a means to control the mind and senses. This method, however, is very difficult for people to perform, especially in this age of Kali, an age characterized by ignorance and chaos.

Although this eightfold yoga system is particularly recommended in the Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord emphasizes that the process of karma-yoga, action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is superior.

…No one really wants to sit down and meditate. Why should we? We’re meant for positive activity, for recreation, for pleasure. In Kṛṣṇa consciousness, our recreation is dancing and chanting, and when we get tired, we take prasāda (spiritual food). Is dancing difficult? Is chanting difficult? We don’t charge anything to dance in the temple. If you go to a ballroom, you have to pay to enter, but we do not charge. It is natural to enjoy music and dancing and palatable foods. These are our recreations, and this is our method of meditation. So this yoga system is not at all laborious. It is simply recreation, susukham. It is stated in the Ninth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā (9.2) that this yoga is susukham—very happy. “It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.” It is natural, automatic, and spontaneous. It is our real life in the spiritual world.

 (from the book, The Path of Perfection by 

  Srila Prabhupada)

Perfection of Yoga

 

The actual word yoga mean to link to the Supreme. The ancient science of the eightfold yoga path leads one gruadually to understand, that one is not the material body, but an eternal spiritual being or soul (atma), temporarily entrapped in matter. The perfection of yoga is to get out of this material covering and return to our eternal, blissful life of full knowledge.

Generally in today's world, one thinks of yoga as simply asanas and pranayama. But as taught in the spiritual book of yoga, the Bhagavad-gita, no one can be a yogi without learning how to control the mind and the senses. The recommended method of easily controlling the mind and senses is to engage them in the service of the Supreme. That is called bhakti-yoga.

The Effects

of Chanting

 

 

In the Padma Purāṇa there is a statement: “For any person who is chanting the holy name either softly or loudly, the paths to liberation and even heavenly happiness are at once open.”

 

When a mantra or hymn is chanted softly and slowly, that is called japa. The same mantra, when chanted loudly, is called kīrtana. For example, the mahā-mantra (Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare) when uttered very softly only for one’s own hearing is called japa. The same mantra, when chanted loudly for being heard by all others, is called kīrtana. The mahā-mantra can be used for japa and kīrtana also. When japa is practiced it is for the personal benefit of the chanter, but when kīrtana is performed it is for the benefit of all others who may hear.

 

In the Liṅga Purāṇa there is a statement about glorifying and singing about the Lord. It is said there: “A brāhmaṇa who is constantly engaged in singing the glories of the Lord is surely elevated to the same planet as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Kṛṣṇa appreciates this singing even more than the prayers offered by Lord Śiva.”

 

In the Viṣṇu-dharma there is a statement glorifying this process of congregational chanting: “My dear King, this word ‘Kṛṣṇa’ is so auspicious that anyone who chants this holy name immediately gets rid of the resultant actions of sinful activities from many, many births.” That is a fact.

                                           - Srila Prabhupada

 

 

 

Mystic Meditation

 

"He who meditates on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me…is sure to reach Me.- Bhagavad-gita 8.8

"…In this verse Lord Kṛṣṇa stresses the importance of remembering Him. One’s memory of Kṛṣṇa is revived by chanting the mahāmantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa. By this practice of chanting and hearing the sound vibration of the Supreme Lord, one’s ear, tongue and mind are engaged. This mystic meditation is very easy to practice, and it helps one attain the Supreme Lord." (from the purport)

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