Which is the Best Spiritual Path ?

Hare Krishna ! Pranams to Bhagavan Sri Krishna and Bhaktas,

Though there are many spiritual paths, there are mainly three, Bhakti yoga (yoga of devotion), Karma yoga (yoga of action) and Jnana yoga (yoga of knowledge). The purpose of all yogas is control of the mind, which means thoughts. Whatever may be the path, attainment of the goal is possible only if the `vasanas' (habits) are attenuated.

All paths lead to the same goal, and all paths incorporate devotion or love as essential to the practice.

All yogas aim at `samatva bhav ` (attitude of equality). What is known as yoga is `samatva'. Whatever may be the path, that state ( equality) should be attained. Any spiritual path, whichever it may be, involves renunciation. Without practising renunciation, the desired benefit will not be obtained. Whatever the path is, `sadhana' should be performed and should be known through experience.

The field that is the mind should be irrigated with the water of bhakti , so that the seed of knowledge can be sown. Then we can harvest the crop of liberation.

Which Path Should I Follow?

Which path to follow depends on the spiritual disposition one has inherited from the previous birth. This birth is a continuation of the previous one. Whatever path you follow, the mind should flow spontaneously towards it. Love is necessary. To connect with your *Ishata-deva* is the best way to find your path.

You cannot simply adopt any path that you feel like. Each one will have a path, which they followed in the previous birth. Only if that path is followed will one progress in one's practice.

Different people's experiences cannot be the same . They can only happen according to each individual's unique spiritual constitution, the path he follows, the amount of effort he or she puts forth, and the `samskaras' he or she has inherited from previous lives. What you experience now is not a beginning ; it is a continuation of the past. Also, you must remember that the Guru gives only what is needed, and that whatever he gives is for your own good.

Which is the Best Path for a Common man ?

Whether it is in the East or in the West, one's spiritual path can only be indicated according to one's inherited spiritual disposition and mental constitution. One path cannot be announced in a public address as the one and only path for all . The advice given is particular to the individual . Each person is a patient with a different disease. Some people are in the beginning stages of a disease while others are in the middle stages . In addition, we find people with chronic diseases and still others who are half-cured . Therefore, the treatment for each person cannot be the same. The medicine will be different and the dosage will vary. But generally speaking, the path of devotion is the easiest and least complicated. While anybody can love, not all can do pranayama (breath control) or hatha yoga (yogic postures). Only certain people endowed with a certain mental and physical constitution can do these. But love has no prerequisites. Whoever has a heart can love, and everyone has a heart. To love is an innate tendency in human beings.

Bhakti-yoga (the yoga of devotion) , is the best path for common man . Of course, this is a general statement. Now a days, people even from early childhood, are intellectual and take an intellectual approach to everything. It is the product of their `modern' education. They are fed with all kinds of factual information about the empirical world, and the emphasis is on science and technology. So their analytical minds are well developed, but their hearts are dry. In most cases, the hearts of modern educated people remain underdeveloped and imperfect . The head is big, but the heart is shrivelled up and dry.

The path of bhakti teaches love. First, you develop one-pointed love towards your Ishta-deva . When that love becomes the centre of your life and as the devotional practices become more and more intense, your vision changes. You come to understand that Bhagavan dwells in all beings, including you. As this experience becomes stronger and stronger, the love in you also grows until, at last, you become That . The love within you expands and embraces the entire universe with all its beings. You become the personification of love. This love removes all dryness from you. This love is the best cure for all emotional blocks and for all negative feelings. Therefore, Bhakti-yoga is the best for common spiritual seekers.

Which is Superior , Bhakti or Karma Yoga?

We can't really say that bhakti yoga and karma yoga differ from each other, because a true karma yogi is a real devotee, and a true devotee is a real karma yogi . Every action isn't necessarily karma yoga. Only those actions performed selflessly, as an offering to Bhagavan, can be called karma yoga . Neither does doing four circumambulations, raising your arms, and offering salutations to the deity qualify as bhakti. Our minds should dwell on Bhagavan, and our every action should be a form of worship. We should see our beloved deity in everyone, and offer them our love and service. We should surrender to Bhagavan with all our heart . Only then we can say we have bhakti. A true karma yogi keeps his mind on Bhagavan while engaged in each action . We should have the attitude that everything is Bhagavan. Then it is bhakti. On the other hand, if we think about other things while we are doing puja (ritual worship), then the puja cannot be considered bhakti yoga, because it is just an external action and not real worship. But even if our job is cleaning lavatories, if we chant the mantra while working, with the attitude that it is Bhagavan's work, then it is both bhakti yoga and karma yoga.

Why so much importance of the path of devotion?

There are many reasons why we should consider the path of devotion the most suitable path for most people . First of all, it gives much contentment to the practitioner. A contented person will have enthusiasm and vigour . Such a person will be very optimistic and endowed with an adventurous mind . Their attitude is that life and everything that happens in life is a gift, and this gives them immense patience and strength . Unlike those who pursue other paths, such a one does not believe that happiness is a right to which he or she is entitled . As far as they are concerned, there are no rights, there are only gifts . This attitude helps them to accept everything as a gift, both good and bad, and also instils them with courage and faith. Such a person will have a loving and compassionate heart, a childlike innocence and a pleasing nature. Not wanting to injure anyone or hurt anybody's feelings, he or she cannot harm anyone. They will also have the power to renounce comforts and pleasures for the happiness and peace of others. He or she will experience the same problems in life as everyone else, but he will have the mental ability and balance to remain calm and quiet when adversity arises. He or she practices acceptance, for such a one's attitude is that life and everything that happens in life is a gift, not a right.

The path of devotion is the best and the easiest since most people are predominately emotional in nature. Not only that, bhakti marga (path of devotion) has no complications like the other paths. There are no harmful techniques or complications involved in love. Simply love Bhagavan. Love is not aggressive; it is a constant flow.

Jnana Yoga

Jnana is intellectual knowledge while vijnana is transcending the intellect, negating even that as untrue, and affirming pure experience alone as the Supreme Truth.

It is hard to become established in jnana without devotion. With gravel alone we cannot build anything ; we need to add cement as well, and make concrete. We cannot build the steps leading to Bhagavan without adding the binding quality of love.

Are the different names and forms of Bhagavan real ?

The names and forms are needed for people like us with the kind of mental calibre that exists today. It will help our spiritual growth. Therefore, whether it is meditation on the Supreme with attributes or the Supreme without attributes, the goal is to attain perfect God realization . Give up all such doubts about gods and goddesses and do your sadhana by fixing your mind on your Ishta-deva .

The Supreme God ( Parabrahman) is nameless, formless and attributeless. To provide easy access to the Bhaktas, Parabrahman has manifested as Sri Krishna .

The sweet and blissful feeling that one gains from singing the glories of Sri Krishna is an incomparable and inexpressible experience. It happens due to Bhagavan's mercy to His bhaktas .

All the names and forms mentioned in the Vedic scriptures , whatever they are, are originated from Bhagavan . But this is not the case for one who has not reached the state of perfection. He or she may say that all names and forms are unreal and that Brahman alone is true and real. However, if they have not experienced perfection, it is meaningless to go around declaring the unreality of forms.

Everything is Brahman, that is right . But have you realised That ? It is like a blind person saying that there is light everywhere. Why do you talk unnecessarily about some thing that you have no idea about at all ? You constantly experience the world and its objects, but you talk about something which you have never experienced.

When we worship Sri Rama or Sri Krishna, we adore the eternal Vedic ideals which manifest through Them . If they were mere individuals, nobody would have worshipped Them. When they are worshipped, a true seeker is not adoring a limited individual but the same all-pervading cosmic intelligence which you believe is the only Truth.

There is Rama and Krishna

Everyone ultimately reaches the same place, but you need an upadhi (focusing factor) for doing sadhana. How can you say there is no Rama or Krishna? Even if you don't see Guruvayoor on a map of India , can you say there is no place called Guruvayoor ? Your sense of Advaita is just limited to your words. It is not possible to bring it into your experience without devotion.

Obey Bhagavan's instructions wholeheartedly

The Supreme God ( Parabrahman) is not easily accessible in a formless entity . But His *Poornavatara* ( complete manifestation) Sri Krishna is readily accessible to the Bhakta . Gita and Bhagavatam are Bhagavan Krishna's literary forms which He mercifully gifted to Bhaktas . By surrendering to Bhagavan and constantly chanting His names, a devotee can easily attain HIM .

Please chant :

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!! !