Bhakti Quotes

Holy name alone is sufficient to take you back home back to godhead. However to cultivate the mood of surrender You need a Guru. ~ Bhakti Charu Swami

We're too insignificant and small to really be able to do anything, except cry, not unhappily, but an inner cry, a feeling of reaching to God: ~ Frederick Lenz

One important aspect of the Gita which remains is that even though it presents to us some diverse paths as a way of life, such as action, devotion, knowledge and meditation, it does not impose any of these paths on an individual. Rather, it leaves the choice to the people, because the followers of all these paths are essential for the smooth functioning of the world, and any en masse inclination towards only one of them would jeopardize the society by causing an imbalance in its system. The Gita also recognizes that the path that one should follow is determined primarily by the free choice of man as well as his inherent nature, which can be interpreted as a genetic inheritance he is endowed with. ~ Nihar Satpathy

Arise! Arise! A tidal wave is coming! Onward! Men and women, down to the Chandala (Pariah) - all are pure in his eyes. Onward! Onward! There is no time to care for name, or fame, or Mukti, or Bhakti! We shall look to these some other time. Now in this life let us infinitely spread his lofty character, his sublime life, his infinite soul. This is the only work - there is nothing else to do. ~ Swami Vivekananda

Love comes from ourselves, not from someone else. ~ Frederick Lenz

In the Yoga of Love we see that matter and spirit are one. It's only the ego that separates. ~ Frederick Lenz

Love knits families together, friends, lovers, societies, nations and perhaps oneday a world. ~ Frederick Lenz

In love we listen. We listen to what others say. We listen to what our own being is telling us about the nature of existence. ~ Frederick Lenz

If one has an enlighened teacher and you come to this person with love, they will show you the ways of love. ~ Frederick Lenz

I would like to love more deeply and purely, more completely, and if it is your will, I will do that, if it is not, I won't and I'll accept that. I 'll just love you as best I can and love everyone as best I can. ~ Frederick Lenz

I teach Zen, tantric mysticism, jnana yoga, bhakti yoga, Tibetan mysticism, occultism and psychic development. I also teach poetry and literature, film and many other different things. ~ Frederick Lenz

As we love truly and deeply, we see the white light of truth in them. Seeing this reminds us that the same light exists within us too - As the Tibetans say: "Recognition is liberation." ~ Frederick Lenz

One who practices the yoga of love is like child. When the child has a problem, it cries. When it cries, someone comes and helps the child. ~ Frederick Lenz

Love of God is not a thing which we produce in ourselves by excessive brooding or by self-hypnotism or by any other method. It is a permanent flame, slowly burning in the caverns of all our hearts. […] The basis of all religions is this love of God. For if this love of God were not vital to us, all that the great prophets have been trying to preach would have been unreal and futile. If it were not a real experience which in some sense is shared by us all, an experience which ennobles us and raises us far above the selfish pettinesses of life, no prophet and no religious deed would be able to appeal to our higher natures and establish the claims of religion. ~ Surendranath Dasgupta

The path of love. Good luck. May your love guide you through the bardo to eternity. ~ Frederick Lenz

Bhakti is the one essential thing.
To be sure, God exists in all beings.
Who, then is a devotee? He whose mind dwells on God.
But this is not possible as long as one has egotism and vanity.
The water of God's grace cannot collect
on the high mound of egotism. It runs down. ~ Ramakrishna

When you've become strong enough and developed enough, the teacher will fall away. ~ Frederick Lenz

Those who are lacking in bhakti (devotion), lacking in faith, are ill qualified to interpret the scriptures. ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Spiritual life is not dry, it is also exceuted happily, 'susukham'. The result of that is not just happiness, but bliss, spiritual joy. ~ Bhakti Charu Swami

Why are we not tasting the bliss of Bhakti? Because we are taking shelter of stone boats. We are sinking and drowning in Maya & still we are further taking shelter of stone boats and this can go on life after life. ~ Radhanath Swami

Bhakti and Humility cannot be separated like sweetness cannot be separated from sweet. ~ Radhanath Swami

Only love for the Supreme Lord is true Bhakti. Love for any other being, however great, is not Bhakti. The "Supreme Lord" here means Ishvara, the concept of which transcends what you in the West mean by the personal God. "He from whom this universe proceeds, in whom it rests, and to whom it returns, He is Ishvara, the Eternal, the Pure, the All-Merciful, the Almighty, the Ever-Free, the All-Knowing, the Teacher of all teachers, the Lord who of His own nature is inexpressible Love." ~ Swami Vivekananda

Forget not the central truth that God is seated in your own heart. Don't be disheartened by failures at initial stages. Cultivate the spirit of surrender to the workings of His will in you and outside you until you have completely surrendered up your ego-sense, and have known He is in all and He is all, and you and He are one. ~ Swami Ramdas

In the yoga of love, one has a teacher. It is the teacher whom one loves. ~ Frederick Lenz

It's far better to love impefectly than not to love at all. ~ Frederick Lenz

To struggle is difficult but to surrender is easy. Surrender is the beginning of devotion. ~ Bhakti Charu Swami

We are the Sublime Radiance, the Star of India, and the Sun of Glory," said the emperor, who knew a thing or two about flattery himself, "yet we were raised in that shit-hole dump of a town where men fuck women to make babies but fuck boys to make them men- raised watching out for the attacker who worked from behind as well the warrior straight ahead ... Is that how a king should be raised, Bhakti Ram Jain?" the emperor roared, tipping over the basin in his wrath. "Illiterate, ass-guarding, savage- is that what a prince should be? ~ Salman Rushdie

The yoga of love is for those who want an all-consuming relationship with their teacher. They see the teacher as an extension of God, of eternity - which all of us are. ~ Frederick Lenz

The message of love is self-acceptance in the smaller sense and self-acceptance in the large sense - the Self as eternity. ~ Frederick Lenz

It is dangerous for a spiritual master to accept almost any aspirant. Although it is an aspect of mercy, it is dangerous. The danger also depends on the spiritual potency of the particular guru. Without sufficient potency, a few offensive or faithless disciples can lead to the guru's fall. ~ Bhakti Tirtha Swami

By being immersed in yoga bhakti (yoga-sthah, transcendental consciousness) in a purified state we understand that we are part and parcel of Krishna. In chemical terms, we become fully miscible. ~ Anil B. Sarkar

Real spirituality and love is always manifest. It always goes to those who are with us and around us. ~ Frederick Lenz

Go to God, your beloved, and say: ~ Frederick Lenz

If you want spiritual life you have to pay the price. The price is the four regulative principles. ~ Bhakti Charu Swami

Substance of Bhakti is Surrender and Humility. ~ Radhanath Swami

Most people suffer in love because of attachment. Attachment means we're interested in a net return on our investment. ~ Frederick Lenz

One is the path of devotion, what in India is called BHAKTI yoga, the path of love and devotion - a Meera, a Chaitanya, dancing and singing, losing themselves completely in the act. When Meera is dancing there is only dance, there is no Meera; the dancer is completely merged into the dance. When Chaitanya is singing and dancing there is no Chaitanya; he has become one with the act. ~ Rajneesh

When we become connected to the supreme spirit then we automatically becomes situated in our spiritual identity. ~ Bhakti Charu Swami

Love leads us to ourselves - this is the mystery of love. ~ Frederick Lenz

On the path of love we don't feel we necessarily have control. In the yoga of love we feel it's only God who does everything. We can't breathe one breath without God. ~ Frederick Lenz

If we examine the essence of existence, we'll find that the essence is love. There really is nothing that isn't love. ~ Frederick Lenz

If you really love, then you're willing to step outside of your own love to do that which is right. ~ Frederick Lenz

The one great advantage of Bhakti is that it is the easiest and most natural way to reach the great divine end in view; it's great disadvantage is that in its lower forms it oftentimes degenerates into hideous fanaticism. The fanatical crew in Hinduism, Mohammedanism, or Christianity, have always been almost exclusively recruited from these worshippers [sic] on the lower planes of Bhakti. That singleness of attachment (Nishthâ) to a loved object, without which no genuine love can grow, is very often also the cause of the denunciation of everything else. All the weak and undeveloped minds in every religion or country have only one way of loving their own ideal, i.e., by hating every other ideal. Herein is the explanation of why the same man who is so lovingly attached to his own ideal of God, so devoted to his own ideal of religion, becomes a howling fanatic as soon as he sees or hears anything of any other ideal. ~ Swami Vivekananda

He who has really prayed to the Master, even once, has nothing to fear. By, praying to him constantly one gets ecstatic love (Prema Bhakti) through his grace. ~ Sarada Devi

Enjoy being with yourself, hanging out with yourself, doing things by yourself. ~ Frederick Lenz

Higher position means greater service and an apportunity to purely represent Srila Prabhupada. Hence our management must be based on humility and tolerance. ~ Bhakti Charu Swami

Let my idle chatter be the muttering of prayer, my every manual movement the execution of ritual gesture, my walking a ceremonial circumambulation, my eating and other acts the rite of sacrifice, my lying down prostration in worship, my every pleasure enjoyed with dedication of myself, let whatever activity is mine be some form of worship of you. ~ Adi Shankaracarya

As long as our consciousness is materialistic, there is no room for joy. However on the spiritual platform three things automatically happen: eternity, knowledge and bliss. ~ Bhakti Charu Swami

Evil company is always to be shunned; because it leads to lust and anger, illusion, forgetfulness of the goal, destruction of the will (lack of perseverance), and destruction of everything. (Narada Bhakti Sutra) ~ Swami Vivekananda

Everything is a formation or an aggregate of love. ~ Frederick Lenz

There is nothing to become. The Truth shines here and now. Awareness IS. One does not become it. The Sun shines. One can simply enjoy it or be busy otherwise. That's it. The Sun shines irrespectively.
Awareness. Fire. The Song.
IT IS.
Stop fighting. Stop. ~ T.R. Cordon

Give and take is business not bhakti ~ Radhe Maa

The Kirtaniyas are in the new wave of younger Kirtan artists bringing
the divine practice of Bhakti from the ancient to the modern world.
With fierce drumming and passionate singing they light up everyone
around them and spread the deep joy of God's names. An evening with
the Kirtaniyas will never be forgotten! ~ Jai Uttal

The tender plant of spirituality will die if exposed too early to the action of a constant change of ideas and ideals. Many people, in the name of what may be called religious liberalism, may be seen feeding their idle curiosity with a continuous succession of different ideals. With them, hearing new things grows into a kind of disease, a sort of religious drink-mania. They want to hear new things just by way of getting a temporary nervous excitement, and when one such exciting influence has had its effect on them, they are ready for another. Religion is with these people a sort of intellectual opium-eating, and there it ends. ~ Swami Vivekananda

We cannot say that you are spiritually advanced if you are unkind to those around you. ~ Frederick Lenz

It is only if you have the courage to follow your heart that you will succeed on the path of love. ~ Frederick Lenz

What is important is not the specific manner in which God is worshiped but the degree to which the devotee is filled with love. (48-49) ~ Prem Prakash

Vairâgya or renunciation is the turning point in all the various Yogas. The Karmi (worker) renounces the fruits of his work. The Bhakta (devotee) renounces all little loves for the almighty and omnipresent love. The Yogi renounces his experiences, because his philosophy is that the whole Nature, although it is for the experience of the soul, at last brings him to know that he is not in Nature, but eternally separate from Nature. The Jnâni (philosopher) renounces everything, because his philosophy is that Nature never existed, neither in the past, nor present, nor will It in the future. ~ Swami Vivekananda

We don't have to become big scholars, we don't have to become big supermen. We simply have to become a humble servant of Lord Krishna. ~ Bhakti Charu Swami

One way for attaining Bhakti is by repeating the name of God a number of times. Mantras have effect: the mere repetition of words ... To obtain Bhakti, seek the company of holy men who have Bhakti, and read books like the Gita and the Imitation of Christ; always think of the attributes of God. ~ Swami Vivekananda

Who cares for your bhakti and mukti? Who cares what your scriptures say? I will go into a thousand hells cheerfully if I can rouse my countrymen, immersed in tamas, to stand on their own feet and be men inspired with the spirit of karma-yoga. I am a follower only of he or she who serves and helps others without caring for his own bhakti and mukti! ~ Swami Vivekananda

We learn that those around us are an extension of ourselves, both animate and inanimate. All things have a life and form. We learn to love them all. ~ Frederick Lenz

The yoga of love is the yoga of acceptance. Love teaches us that which is most important is self-acceptance. ~ Frederick Lenz

Jnana, bhakti, yoga and karma - these are the four paths which lead to spiritual freedom. One must follow the path for which one is best suited. But in this age, special stress should be laid on karma yoga. ~ Swami Vivekananda

In my own spiritual journey, I became a swami on the Hindu path of Bhakti. In the Hindu tradition, a swami is a monk who forgoes regular family life for the purpose of making the whole world his family and channels his full energy into spiritual practice, devotion to God and service to humanity. ~ Radhanath Swami

Bhakti cannot be attained, it is a gift. ~ Radhanath Swami

Spiritual nature is inconceivable and unlimited. Therefore, the activities of that realm will always remain beyond our mental speculation and intellectual concept. ~ Bhakti Charu Swami

Life does not mean mere karma or mere bhakti or mere jnana. ~ Vinoba Bhave

Actually everyting is right, even the errors. ~ Frederick Lenz

What can you give God but bhakti bhava? He owns it all anyway. ~ Radhe Maa

The ultimate goal of Bhakti is to get Krishna and we get it by taking shelter of the holy name. ~ Bhakti Charu Swami

The Path of Love, the path of Bhakti Yoga, is the path of Jesus Christ.
Love is not a technique.
Love knows no technique, so the path of love has no method or technique.
If you bring technique to the path of love, you will destroy love.
The whole existence is love, and the birds need no technique to love, trees need no technique to love the mountains need no technique to love.
Love only needs that you drop the ego, and drop into your heart. It is just like a rose flower opening. You need not open it, it has the capacity to open already. The capacity is intrinsic, and of it's own accord the rose flower will open - and in the same way the heart opens.
The heart needs no technique, the heart needs no training.
Jesus says: "God is love". If you can love, it will happen by itself.
Jesus path is the way of love, of prayer. It is a deep love for the whole existence. ~ Swami Dhyan Giten

We sit in meditation and cry to God, we cry to the light, as little children, knowing God will do everything for us. ~ Frederick Lenz

Please act in and through me. Please let my love increase, if it is your will. I feel that's the right thing; but even if it's not the right thing, I'm willing to abide by your judgment. ~ Frederick Lenz

The real test on the path of love is are you willing to give up everything for your love? ~ Frederick Lenz

The pure mystic wishes to approach his God only in the all-embracing love. The yogi, too, walks toward one single aspect of God. The bhakti-yogi keeps to the road of love and devotion, the raja and hatha yogi choose the path of self-control or volition, the jnana yogi will follow that of wisdom and cognition. ~ Franz Bardon

Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics, Bhakti or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship. (Mukherjee ~ Madhav Godbole

By only becoming aware of Krishna's greatness we can become aware of our minuteness. That's the way to become Humble. ~ Bhakti Charu Swami

Love is the strongest force in the universe ~ Frederick Lenz

Usually, when people hear the term Yoga, many of them associate it with various physical exercises where they need to twist, turn and stretch their body in complex ways that are known as Asanas, but this is only one type of Yoga, called "Hatha-Yoga". In reality, Yoga is an umbrella term for various physical and mental exercises that lead to the overall well-being of a person.
By origin, Yoga has mainly five forms:
1.Raja Yoga - The realization of divinity through intense meditation
2.Karma Yoga – The realization of divine bliss through your own daily activities and duties
3.Hatha Yoga – The realization of divine well-being through various physical exercises
4.Jyana Yoga – The realization of inexplicable bliss in the pursuit of knowledge
5.Bhakti Yoga – The realization of ecstasy through love and devotion for your Personal God
The purpose of all Yogas is to set your consciousness lose into the vast domain of the unknown, where your brain circuits simulate various fascinating mental states that are usually unimaginable and unattainable in your everyday consciousness. But the whole yoga thing has nothing to do with God or something of that sort. It is all about various states of the human mind. ~ Abhijit Naskar

The enlightened teacher is someone who has become absorbed in eternity. While they may have a body like others, the essence of their being is light. ~ Frederick Lenz

Humility does not mean to think yourself less, but to less think of yourself. ~ Bhakti Tirtha Swami

Humility and level-headedness are traits, which have accrued upon me over the years, during the rites of my passage through time. They were thrust down my throat by the hands of Destiny and the Almighty, both of who are far greater, far grander, and far more mysterious and mystic, than all that we ordinary mortals can ever humanly conceive or comprehend.
- Bhakti Vedanta Anandamurthy Thiruvadiar. ( A Character in the book) ~ Biju Vasudevan

The Lord dwells in the hearts of all. Who then is his devotee? He who dwells in Him with his whole soul, heart, and mind. Such a devotee not only sees God in his own heart and realizes his oneness with Him, but he sees the same Lord in the hearts of all, and serves God in all mankind, knowing His oneness with all. 'Love your neighbour as yourself,' because your neighbor is your self. ~ Prabhavananda

Practice love and self-acceptance and you'll have an absolutely beautiful life. ~ Frederick Lenz

The soul can only be satisfied in the Absolute Beauty; any partial representation of the Absolute, or even eternal existence, cannot satisfy his quest. ~ Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja

Certainly, you may have been hurt beofre in love, but just because you get one bad apple doesn't mean they are all bad - and you can learn from the difficult ones. ~ Frederick Lenz

Spiritual life is absolute reality. Krishna is real but we have lost the ability to realize him. ~ Bhakti Charu Swami

So in the path of love - rather than pulling our willpower together, using our discrimination, or working - we just cry inwardly. ~ Frederick Lenz

As you pass through bhakti yoga, as you pass through love, you're elated. You're fulfilled and you're joyous. ~ Frederick Lenz

Have you ever seen a stereogram?
The 'Truth' the Stereogram shows us is there in front of us. Training and work doesn't make us see it.
It's a point of view, a different way of looking at it.
When you see it you try to explain it to someone else and you
realize you can't.
It simple, super simple, yet almost impossible to explain.
There are 'techniques' to see them but some people may spend
years trying without results. Others can do it in seconds.
It doesn't change the fact that the image is there all the time in
front of us.
And it's Beautiful. ~ T.R. Cordon

For success in life you need yukti (skill) and shakti (strength), Bhakti (Devotion ) and Mukti (Freedom). ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

If they love another, let them love! ~ Frederick Lenz

Love teaches you to love your own mortality, just as we love the flowers that bloom for a short time and pass on. ~ Frederick Lenz