Doctrines or dogmas or rituals or books or temples or forms
are but secondary details.”
Swami Vivékānand
The main goal of life is to experience the divinity within. To achieve this union or Yog with the supreme, four major paths are prescribed. We have the choice of selecting a path depending on our physical, mental, intellectual, and spiritual development, aptitude, opportunities in life, etc. One can follow any one or a combination of more than one ways to achieve our goal. Ultimately all paths end up in the same place. The values described in Ch.
8 are common to all the paths and have to be practiced by all.
Four paths are:
1. Bhakti Yog – path of devotion
2. Karma Yog – path of action
3 . Gnān Yog – path of knowledge
4 . Rāj Yog – path of Meditation
One may meditate in the morning, go to work in the afternoon, stop over for a Bhajan (devotional song) session or a temple in the evening, and read scriptures before going to bed, all in one day.
1. Bhakti Yog
Is the path of love and devotion for a personal God. Mind and emotions play predominant role in bhakti. This is the path of total surrender to God. God can be imagined as a mother, father, friend, child, wife, or husband. Mirabai, a queen, gave up her family, a life of luxury, and got completely immersed in devotion to Shri Krushń (Krishna) as if He was her husband.
In the end she was prepared to take poison rather than give up her devotion to Shri Krushń.
The mind is focussed on God as if He/She is a living person, all selfish desires are given up and a state of peaceful existence is reached.
Nine varieties of devotional activities are described in Bhāgavat Purāń: 1. Shravań - listening to scriptures, bhajan- s (devotional songs), etc.
2. Kirtan - singing bhajans, shlok- s, etc.
3. Smarań – remembering and recalling holy names e.g. Vishnusahastranām (thousand names of God).
4. Pāda sévan – service at the feet of Lord in a temple 5 . Archanā – ritual pujā
6 . Vandanā – prostration in front of a Murti
7. Dāsy – being a servant of God. Cleaning floors or serving food in a temple is a good example.
8. Sākhy – intimate friendship with God.
9. Ātm- nivédana – total and continuous surrender to God or Samādhi merging with God.
In the Védic period there were no temples. Temples were built later on and became centers for those who want to follow the path of Bhakti Yog. Ideally they were also meant to be centers for education, music, classical dance, health care, and other social programs. Some other views about temple worship are as follows:
Your heart is the temple where God should be enshrined.
Your good thoughts are the flowers,
your good words the hymns,
your good deeds, rituals and love is the offering.
Mata Amritanandamayi Ma
Kerala-based hugging saint
Go not to the temple to put flowers upon the feet of God,
First fill your own house with
the Fragrance of love and kindness.
Go not to the temple to light candles before the altar of God,
first remove the darkness of sin, pride and ego,