One Word, A Thousand Feelings: A Reflection on Bhakti Yoga

by Blessilda Beatriz E. Atacador (Grade 11 HUMSS Block 1)

Love really is powerful. It transcends everything. It makes us feel invincible. It helps us

bring out the very best within us. Love is what makes the world balanced. Amidst all the hate,

greed, envy, and violence that fills this world with evil, love still prevails and will prevail above

all. What is love?, a question that has millions of answers. If you asked several people, you

will get several answers. Perhaps these people would answer the love chapter from the Bible or

something like: Love is like a rosary, full of mysteries., Love is a many splendored thing., or

even the most clich, Love is blind. No matter how people view or define this one word, it will

not change how it will continue to be omnipresent in this world. Sometimes, we question love. If

it is everywhere, why do some still suffer? If it is invincible, why do some people still get hurt?

If love is for everyone, why do some still feel lonely and unloved?

How do we show love? We can show it through words, actions, and even things. But

love, is not as simple as it seems. Love is not just about the kisses, the hugs, the flowers, the

chocolates or I love yous. Love goes to the extent to the depths of who we really are. It goes as

far as surrendering everything, without holding anything back. Love is showing devotion to

anything we do, anywhere and anytime.

We love ourselves, our family, our friends, our lovers, but do we love the One who is

responsible for love? Have we thanked God for the wonderful gift He gave us all? Do we

reciprocate all the love He had offered us since we came to this world? It is not too late for us to

show Him our gratitude for all the blessings He had given us. Through Bhakti Yoga or the Yoga

of Love, we can express our unconditional love to our Creator.

 According to the Narada Bhakti Sutras, bhakti is intense love for God. It is a deep

longing to experience love in its purest and highest form, to unite with that which is eternal and

unchanging. We fell this through our worldly relationships, especially with those who have

touched our hearts the most. As the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad states, we do not really love

others for their own sake but rather for the Divine Self that resides in them. Bhakti Yoga is not

limited to Hindus, but to everyone. It allows us to use all our senses, emotions and actions to

declare our love to our God, whether it is Jesus Christ, Allah, Yahweh, Krishna, Hanuman or

some other aspect. Bhakti Sutras explain the bhakti yoga is both the means and the end:

aparabhakti, or lower bhakti, is the way to cultivate and deepen our devotion, parabhakti, or

higher bhakti, is union with the Divine the ultimate goal.

The nature of aparabhakti lies with immortal bliss. Through this, the soul becomes free

from suffering and attains satisfaction, having no more desires. Through this, we realize and

understand that we are all the same no separation. It is a way to channel and transform our

powerful emotions into positive, creative expressions of love and devotion to God.

One way to perform Bhakti Yoga is praying. Swami Rama, an influential Indian yogi,

enumerated the two kinds of prayer ego-centered prayer and genuine prayer. An example of

ego-centered prayer is when we pray to God for a favor, genuine prayer, on the other hand,

comes from within. In this inner sacred prayer, Swamiji said, we do not pray to an external

divine principle, but to the highest principle within ourselvesnot for any external favors or

gifts but rather only for the strength to face and resolve with serenity all of the many problems

that fill our lives. Such prayers, which are completely selfless and pure, are always answered.
 Another powerful way to channel our devotion is by chanting or singing. Personally, I

use singing as a therapeutic method to release stress and spread good vibes, what more if we sing

for the glory of the Lord? Singing lifts up and purifies our spirits. Through our voices we reach

out to our God and make Him feel our deepest feelings of love and devotion.

Contemplation or meditation is another practice of devotion. Knowledge helps us

determine which is right or wrong, eternal or fleeting. By studying holy scriptures, whether it is

the Koran, Bhagavad Gita, Bhakti Sutras or the Bible, we can ponder and reflect on the lessons

and verses we read, in order for us to establish a philosophical understanding where we will

anchor our lives to find direction or goals to accomplish.

Love is everywhere; thus, we can perform Bhakti Yoga by incorporating love with

everything we do in our daily lives. A simple prayer from the heart is uplifting, especially when

we are troubled. I have tried this and it never fails to bring me hope. Sometimes when praying, I

was driven to the verge of tears. This is how powerful genuine prayers are. It gives us the

satisfaction that God loves us and we love Him back. Whether doing it alone or in groups,

singing is really an effective and creative way of expression. We can shout out our highest

praises and gratitude to the Lord. Being alone, soul searching is enlightening especially when I

experience those times when I feel like losing myself, those times when I feel like everything I

do does not have any meaning at all. Being optimistic about life gives us meaning, direction, and

another reason why we need to continue striving. The most ancient traveller in the world is

love. Swami Rama is indeed right. Love has always been there from the start and will continue

to be. We fail, we lose, but we should never give up because love will always give us a reason to

keep on fighting. (Reference: https://yogainternational.com/article/view/a-seekers-guide-to-

bhakti-yoga)