Which yoga path do you follow?

[StarryNightshade]

Bhakti? Jnana? Raja? Karma? Which of these paths do you (primarily) follow?

I tried Bhakti, but it didn't feel right to me. I certainly do have my devotion, but it is not my primary focus. Personally, I try my best to follow Jnana yoga. I feel knowledge, wisdom, education and experience are important in my religious practice.

 

[Jainarayan]

Bhakti.

 

[Twilight]

I find practicing jnana on it's own is not enough. In my (limited) experience you gain something from bhakti that is impossible to get from jnana alone. I guess one can compare it to the difference between reading a love story and actually being in love... If someone has experienced being in love the story will make much more of an impact than if they had never had that experience.

 

[StarryNightshade]

I find practicing jnana on it's own is not enough. In my (limited) experience you gain something from bhakti that is impossible to get from jnana alone. I guess one can compare it to the difference between reading a love story and actually being in love... If someone has experienced being in love the story will make much more of an impact than if they had never had that experience.

Like I said, I do have my devotion. I go to puja, I meditate, I pray, I try to live my life as compassionately as possible; but there is something about experience and knowledge that fullfils my spirituality greatly.

 

[Twilight]

but there is something about experience and knowledge that fullfils my spirituality greatly.

Me too

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

While I do practice Bhakti Yoga, I find that I feel most connected to God and others through Karma Yoga.

 

[Valjean]

Jnana

 

[Philomath]

Bhakti? Jnana? Raja? Karma? Which of these paths do you (primarily) follow?

I tried Bhakti, but it didn't feel right to me. I certainly do have my devotion, but it is not my primary focus. Personally, I try my best to follow Jnana yoga. I feel knowledge, wisdom, education and experience are important in my religious practice.

I practice Jnana yoga.

 

[Maya3]

Jnana

Maya

 

[Poeticus]

Namaste,

Sadly, I do not do yoga.

M.V.

 

[arpankhandelwal]

I tried Bhakti, but it didn't feel right to me. I certainly do have my devotion, but it is not my primary focus. Personally, I try my best to follow Jnana yoga. I feel knowledge, wisdom, education and experience are important in my religious practice.

My brother, as you wrote about knowledge and If you want to go for Bhakti then use divine knowledge to create unbreakable faith in the god with true deep love and then it will be easier to follow Bhakti yoga.


Truly there is in this world nothing so purifying as knowledge.- (Bhagwad Gita [4.38])

 

[Poeticus]

Truly there is in this world nothing so purifying as knowledge.- (Bhagwad Gita [4.38])

Namaste,

I believe the above citation from the Shrī BG just proves my stance that the Holy Shrī Rig-Veda is the most important.

"Rig (Rc/Rg)" = Praise

"Veda [knowledge] (of Vid: to know/to learn)"

Thus, "Praising Knowledge" is the most purifying karma (action) in the universe.

M.V.

 

[Vinayaka]

Bhakti? Jnana? Raja? Karma? Which of these paths do you (primarily) follow?

I tried Bhakti, but it didn't feel right to me. I certainly do have my devotion, but it is not my primary focus. Personally, I try my best to follow Jnana yoga. I feel knowledge, wisdom, education and experience are important in my religious practice.

This is only one approach to the concept of 4 yogas, each a distinct path. There are several ways in which it is viewed and this is just one, and it was popularised by Vivekenanda's 4 books, which separated them.

Some other ways in which they are viewed ...

- Pick the one that best suits your personality, and follow it. This means one really predominates, so the bhakti schools like ISKCON, it is bhakti. Shools like the Sai trust or Amma follow mainly karma or seva. Yet others pick Jnana, like the Vedanta philosophical schools. Generally though, in this method, if you choose jnana, it is the iintellectual version of jnana.

- Some teachers would suggest you pick the one you are least good at, because your soul needs to work on that skill.

- A third way is top put equal emphasis on all 4.

- A fourth way is a mix of 3 that leads to the fourth. this is my path. I use bhakti, raja, and karma (seva) to all help my path's culmination of jnana. Jnana is the goal, but this jnana is very different from the intellectualised jnana so oft written about.

 

[Ekanta]

- A fourth way is a mix of 3 that leads to the fourth. this is my path. I use bhakti, raja, and karma (seva) to all help my path's culmination of jnana. Jnana is the goal, but this jnana is very different from the intellectualised jnana so oft written about.

This is how I see it too. Shankara seems to use this system also, since the "3" are connected with agentship (karma) and jnana is realization of non-agentship.

Edited... Some examples:

Bhagavad gita
3.3 The Blessed Lord said -- O Arjuna, two kinds of steadfastness in this world were spoken of by Me in the days of yore - through the Yoga of Knowledge (jñāna-yoga) for the men of realization; through the Yoga of Action (karma-yoga) for the yogis.

Yoga sutras
2.1. Tapas, self-study, devotion to the Lord, are the yoga of action (yogaḥ-kriyā /karma-yoga).
2.17. The Seer-Seen (puruṣa-citta) conjunction (avidy&#257 is the cause of what is to be escaped.
2.26. Unwavering Knowledge-of-the-difference (jñāna) is the means of release (from avidy&#257.

 

[ratikala]

namaskaram :namaste

My brother, as you wrote about knowledge and If you want to go for Bhakti then use divine knowledge to create unbreakable faith in the god with true deep love and then it will be easier to follow Bhakti yoga.

perfect :namaste one canot love what one does not know , ... and here lay the cause of much missunderstanding , here arpankhandelwal ji is saying ''divine knowledge ''
to me this is experiencial knowledge not aquired knowledge , this is very important . first we begin by aquiring knowledge , then through that aquisition of transmited knowledge we reflect upon that knowledge and gain our firsthand experience , and through that first hand experiencial knowledge we develop love .

if we develop love with out any experiencial knowledge this is not realy love it is aspiration to love .

Truly there is in this world nothing so purifying as knowledge.- (Bhagwad Gita [4.38])

so now please read this two ways and decide what krsna is realy saying ...

Truly there is in this world nothing so purifying as (aquierd) knowledge.-(aquired knowledge, having been told about the ultimate nature of the lord)
or Truly there is in this world nothing so purifying as (experiencial knowledge) knowledge.-(having some experiencial knowledge of the ultimate nature of the lord)

this is like the difference between looking at food and eating food , or looking at a person from across a room and getting to know that person , ...if one says they love that person at first glance , this is aspirational love , one is attracted by what one sees , and one wants to know more . but when one knows the character of that person from the experience of personal exchange then a deeper love grows this love is both true bhakti and true jnana .

in my most humble opinion :namaste

 

[ratikala]

namaskara maitra varuni ji :namaste


please forgive me for being cheeky here

I am wanting to clarify something I feel is important .

Namaste,

I believe the above citation from the Shrī BG just proves my stance that the Holy Shrī Rig-Veda is the most important.

firstly the translation from the verse given is incomplete and assumes that one knows the full or true meaning ..... the depth of of meaning of the entire text .

but none the less yes it supports your comment

"Rig (Rc/Rg)" = Praise

"Veda [knowledge] (of Vid: to know/to learn)"

secondly ''veda'' from vid , to know , to learn ....

I am simply wanting to stress first to learn (to aquire knowledge)
................second to know (to assimilate knowlwedge)
................thirdly to KNOW (to experience deeply within oneself)

if I am not wrong it is both the ataining and the perception .

Thus, "Praising Knowledge" is the most purifying karma (action) in the universe.

M.V.

Ah this is true :namaste .... as such is surrender to the supreme , which is the most purifying of all :bow:

 

[arpankhandelwal]

namaskaram :namaste



perfect :namaste one canot love what one does not know , ... and here lay the cause of much missunderstanding , here arpankhandelwal ji is saying ''divine knowledge ''
to me this is experiencial knowledge not aquired knowledge , this is very important . first we begin by aquiring knowledge , then through that aquisition of transmited knowledge we reflect upon that knowledge and gain our firsthand experience , and through that first hand experiencial knowledge we develop love .

if we develop love with out any experiencial knowledge this is not realy love it is aspiration to love .

so now please read this two ways and decide what krsna is realy saying ...

Truly there is in this world nothing so purifying as (aquierd) knowledge.-(aquired knowledge, having been told about the ultimate nature of the lord)
or Truly there is in this world nothing so purifying as (experiencial knowledge) knowledge.-(having some experiencial knowledge of the ultimate nature of the lord)

this is like the difference between looking at food and eating food , or looking at a person from across a room and getting to know that person , ...if one says they love that person at first glance , this is aspirational love , one is attracted by what one sees , and one wants to know more . but when one knows the character of that person from the experience of personal exchange then a deeper love grows this love is both true bhakti and true jnana .

in my most humble opinion :namaste

Namaste,

I believe the above citation from the Shrī BG just proves my stance that the Holy Shrī Rig-Veda is the most important.

"Rig (Rc/Rg)" = Praise

"Veda [knowledge] (of Vid: to know/to learn)"

Thus, "Praising Knowledge" is the most purifying karma (action) in the universe.

M.V.

My sister & brother, I was not referencing "Bhagwad Geeta" to support my reply, the quote from "Bhagwad Geeta" is a slogan for me that I write below my message in my posts. I have been using the same slogan from long time. You can refer my earlier posts as well.



Truly there is in this world nothing so purifying as knowledge.- (Bhagwad Gita [4.38])

 

[Poeticus]

I was not referencing "Bhagwad Geeta" to support my reply, the quote from "Bhagwad Geeta" is a slogan for me that I write below my message in my posts.

Namaste,

Yes, now I understand. I took your signature initially for something else. My b, brother.

M.V.

 

[ShivaFan]

Namaste

I am happy when I hear another is following one of the authorized paths of yoga. Jnana Yogis often get all the attention from some, I love them too. But as a "Western Hindu" I have observed that Bhakti Yoga, or combination of Bhakti and Karma Yoga are very, very successful for the West. Viz "Best for the West". But I do not exclude any other yoga for someone, no.

I practise Bhakti Yoga as my primary yoga with Karma Yoga. I am very much an "action and adventure" type. I love this Yoga.

Om Namah Sivaya

 

[Jainarayan]

I practise Bhakti Yoga as my primary yoga with Karma Yoga. I am very much an "action and adventure" type. I love this Yoga.

Om Namah Sivaya

I think bhakti yoga and karma yoga go hand-in-hand.

"He who sees Shiva in the poor, in the weak, and in the diseased, really worships Shiva. He who has served and helped one poor man seeing Shiva in him, without thinking of his caste or creed or race or anything, with him Shiva is more pleased than with the man who sees Him only in temples." - Swami Vivekananda

"In this world all actions, unless they are done as an offering to God, become causes of bondage. Therefore, work for the sake of God without personal attachments." - Bhagavad Gita 3.9