| The Fourfold Yoga - Part IV | | | | difficult to practise them. On the other hand, |
| Union via Universal Love ( Bhakthi Yoga ) | | | | there are no restrictions in Bhakthi Yoga. The |
| The noblest Union is Union via Love. Love is an | | | | process of spiritual evolution is automatic and all |
| outpouring of the heart and Love is Love's | | | | blocks will be removed by Divine Grace. |
| reward. | | | | In the Geetha, He hath declared that Bhakthi is |
| Love is a glory from Eternity's spheres | | | | the greatest of all yogas. The bliss that accrues |
| He is still the Godhead that can make all change | | | | from sheer devotion is ineffable ! |
| Love should never cease to be upon the earth | | | | The basic dictums of Bhakthi Yoga are simple. |
| Love is the bright link betwixt earth and heaven | | | | They are |
| Love is the far Transcendent's angel here | | | | Love All |
| Love is man's lien on the Absolute ( Aurobindo ) | | | | Serve All |
| All other yogas are difficult to practice. Raja Yoga | | | | Help Ever |
| ( Union via psychic control ) is difficult because we | | | | Hurt Never |
| have to keep up Brahmacharya ( continence ), | | | | Hate None |
| Jnana Yoga is difficult because of the philosophic | | | | Nurture All |
| subtlety of the concepts & Karma Yoga is difficult | | | | Educate All |
| because its end is far, far away. On the other | | | | If we can do this spontaneously, we have |
| hand Bhakti Yoga or Union via Love is simple to | | | | reached Universal Love. |
| practise because there are no restrictions in this | | | | "I shall deliver thee from all sin and evil" says He in |
| noblest and blest Union via Love. | | | | the Geetha. The debit in our Karmic balance sheet |
| Having a Tutelary Deity is the first step. This | | | | will be exhausted & we become eligible for |
| Deity should be worshipped in thought, word and | | | | Self-Actualisation. |
| deed. | | | | As Robert Bach said " At the end of our |
| " By giving thyself up in heart and soul to Me, | | | | terrestrial journey, one question will be asked. |
| thou shalt overcome all difficulties by My Grace " | | | | How much did we love and what is the quality of |
| says He in the Geetha. | | | | our love ? " |
| Only Universal Love can redeem the world. The | | | | Love your neighbour because he is like you; and |
| salvation of the world is in love and through love. | | | | love your enemy because enmity is a |
| "Take away Love and the whole world becomes | | | | misunderstanding. |
| a tomb" said Byron | | | | Start the day with Love |
| Man is endowed with many positive qualities. | | | | End the day with Love |
| Truth, Ethics, Peace, the Discriminative intellect & | | | | Spend the day with Love |
| Love are the major five positive qualities in man. | | | | Fill the day with Love |
| Of these, Love is the greatest positive quality. | | | | That is the way to the Divine ( Sai ) |
| If we incorporate love, we can see that our lives | | | | The simple wisdom which is Love can redeem us |
| become peaceful & spiritually resplendent. We are | | | | & this world! |
| asked to incorporate this supreme quality, which is | | | | Economists say that Money makes the world go |
| a prerequisite for Liberation or Self-Realisation. | | | | around. While this statement is true superficially, |
| Freud identified Thanatos ( Death Instinct ) as the | | | | when we go deeply, we find that some other |
| destructive element in Man. Contray to Thanatos | | | | emotion makes the world go around. It is Love |
| is Eros or the Life Instinct. It is true that | | | | that makes the world go around! |
| Thanatos ( Death Instinct ) or the Vedantic | | | | When we ask one thing, God gives that one thing |
| Thamas is the villain of the piece as far as this | | | | but when we ask nothing, He gives everything, |
| sin-sick world is concerned. The Mr Hyde in man is | | | | He gives Himself & also the spontaneous boons |
| very powerful. In Man there is an eternal fight | | | | of His love! Our prayer should be like the prayer |
| going on between Conscience and Expedience. | | | | of the poet who prayed " I desire nothingfrom |
| between Eros and Thanatos! We have not yet | | | | Thee, I desire only Thee ! ". |
| defined the Life instinct. This anti-Thanatos | | | | The Fourfold Dharma & the Fifth Dharma |
| principle is Love ! | | | | The Law asks us to practice the Fourfold Dharma |
| So the preserving quality is Love. Love alone is | | | | They are |
| the Saviour, Love alone is the Redeemer. He who | | | | 1) Brahmacharya - During pre-marriage days one |
| embraces Love is blessed and he alone can save | | | | should steadfastly follow Dharma |
| the world. | | | | 2) Garhastya - Once married, should do both |
| His light and life is given to balance here | | | | duties - worldly & divine |
| The dark account of mortal ignorance! | | | | . |
| It is this quality which is highly favoured by | | | | 3) Vanaprastha - Once responsibilities are over, |
| Heaven ! | | | | one should seek the Divine |
| Love rules the court, the camp and the grove, | | | | 4) Sanyasa - To walk in the Self; to embrace |
| All men below and saints above | | | | none but Him. |
| For Love is Heaven and Heaven is Love ! | | | | There is a fifth Dharma. It is called Prajna |
| As one Great One said | | | | Dharma, the Highest Wisdom is Love! |
| Love all beings | | | | The Four Purusharthas ( objectives ) & the Fifth |
| That is enough ! | | | | Purushartha |
| Or Alexander Pope | | | | There are four purusharthas. They are Artha ( |
| He prayeth best who loveth best | | | | Wealth ), Dharma ( Ethics & Morality), Kama ( |
| Both bird and man and beast | | | | Desires ) & Moksha ( Self-Realisation ). |
| When it comes to Jnana & Bhakti Yogas, it is said | | | | There is a fifth Purushartha. It is Prema, Love ! |
| that He, before whom even the Vedas remain | | | | Premam Brahma - Love is He ! The highest |
| mute, prefers Union via Love to Union via | | | | knowledge is Love ! |
| Wisdom. | | | | The equation of Jnana Yoga - Prajnanam |
| It is like the wife and lady love. Jnana Yoga is the | | | | Anandam Brahma (The Self is Consciousness & |
| wife and Bhakthi Yoga is the lady love. | | | | Bliss ) is replaced by the more powerful equation |
| Jnana Yoga is like the wife. It asks " Why didnt | | | | of Bhakthi Yoga - Premam Anandam Brahma ( |
| you actualise the Self ?" | | | | Self is Love and Bliss ) ! Love alone can confer |
| Bhakti Yoga is like the lady love. It asks " No | | | | Bliss! |
| problem ; there is still time for you to actualise" | | | | Love is a manna sent from Heaven, a spark of |
| More information about Transcendental Philosophy | | | | the Immortal Fire, sent by the Lord to elevate |
| & Yoga can behad from | | | | our low desire! |
| In the Divina Commedia, Beatrice criticises Dante | | | | The heart is 60 times more powerful than the |
| for following Philosophy and not Religion. Under | | | | brain. There is only one language and it is the |
| Beatrice's compulsion Dante changes over to | | | | language of the heart! |
| Bhakti Yoga, away from Being and Becoming ! | | | | " Only via Love can anybody reach me " says |
| I wake amaze and in the windows blaze | | | | Lord Krishna in the Gita. Same statement is |
| The forms of saints & holy men who died | | | | attributed to Jesus " No one cometh to the |
| Hereafter martyred and hereafter crucified | | | | Father, but via Me ". All these smack of the high |
| And the Great Rose upon its leaves displays | | | | importance the Yogis have given to this supreme |
| Love's triumph and the angelic roundelays | | | | quality, Bhakthi or Universal Love ! |
| With splendour upon splendour multiplied | | | | All wisdom is contained in Love and love alone can |
| And Beatrice again at Dante's side! | | | | heal this sin-sick world, as love is divine medicine! |
| No more rebuking but smiling her words of praise | | | | It is said that the Lord is playing hide and seek! |
| ( Longfellow ) | | | | Himself the play, Himself the player, Himself the |
| The strict restrictions in other Yogas make it | | | | playground! |