Jñāna literally means “knowledge, wisdom, understanding, or cognition,” and refers to existential knowledge. The Greeks called this revealing power epiginosko (ἐπιγινώσκω). The word yoga means “union.” Thus, jñāna-yoga is a path that aims to realize the essential...
The path
Bhakti-yoga
Bhakti yoga is the yoga of love. Devotees aspire to a love different from the love in romance novels: it is not sentimental love that begins with sweet promises and ends in bitter disappointments, nor is it emotional love that arises from physiological processes and hormonal needs. For bhakti yogis, love does not depend on an external relationship. Instead, it is a state of the soul. Far from being an interaction with another person, love is the perfume that emanates from our own presence, here and now. Bhakti is the purest and most elevated love. It arises from the depths of consciousness and the peace and silence of meditation. When we experience this love, we discover that it is not an emotion or a feeling, but what is real within us. Because transcendental reality can only manifest itself in pure hearts, bhakti yoga offers a process of spiritual cleansing and purification.
Although it is said that the path of bhakti is accessible to everyone, I would say that it is a journey exclusively for those who hear the call of love from the depths of their souls. The message of bhakti yoga is unequivocal: love is the means and the goal. Without devotion, spiritual practice seems dry, prayer turns into unnecessary chatter, and religion becomes boring; it is reduced to a mere collection of laws, commandments, and ceremonies, and becomes more political than spiritual. Indeed, only by surrendering yourself to your own heart can you know what religion truly is..
(An excerpt from Prabhuji’s book Bhakti yoga, The Path of Love)
