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1.4.4 bhakti yoga, 1.4.5 jinana yoga

Today I will speak upon the difference between the path of bhakti and the path of jina'na yoga. In the path of bhakti yoga there is devotion to the Infinite Being. That is to say, the emotions are engaged in a positive direction towards the Infinite. This is experienced as a feeling of love and devotion, a feeling of reverence. Now, in the path of jina'na yoga the spiritual aspirant is not emphasizing the emotional aspects but is emphasizing the intellectualdevelopment. The mind is engaged in ideation upon the qualities and characteristics of the Infinite. Now, a jina'ni yogi will attempt to understand not only the characteristics of the Infinite Being, but to have a very good grasp on the practical application of techniques for realizing that Divinity. They may have a very good grasp of the sutras, of the scriptures. They may have a very good grasp of the process of development. The intellect becomes very sharp, very perceptive and there is great emphasis on acquisition of knowledge. Now, a true jina'ni yogi will not only emphasize the mundane knowledge, that is the knowledge that can be gotten in books, but they will also emphasize esoteric knowledge that is acquired through direct experience of the Supreme Entity. This pursuit is done due to an overwhelming thirst for knowledge.

Now, the bhakti yogi, unlike the jina'ni, may or may not have this knowledge. They may or may not have read the scriptures. They may or may not know the practices. They may or may not comprehend the characteristics of the spiritual journey. They may or may not comprehend the qualities and characteristics of the Divine Entity but they most definitely will have some direct experience and the feelings of the bhakti will be engaged. They will be disposed to somewhat different practices, different approach than the jina'ni yogi. They will not like so much to read the books, but they will enjoy very much to sing songs, to chant the name of the Lord, to dance for the Lord. They will like to dance and dance until they have entered an ecstatic trance and the emotions are so elevated, so raised upward that they experience a transcendental love and visions of the Divine. These are the delights of the bhakti yogi.

Now, the jina'ni yogi takes delight in the Divine also, but in a slightly different manner. The jina'ni yogi will get so much enjoyment from the reading of great insights in the scriptures and even more enjoyment in the contemplation of those insights. They will be overawed by the great capacities and qualities of the Divine Entity. The jina'ni yogi will like to sit for long meditations and will enjoy a very scientific approach to meditation. They will like to calm all of the thoughts and to still the thoughts in a very systematic fashion. They will enjoy the essential qualities of the Divine, the peaceful qualities, the great wisdom held in the Infinite Entity. They will be so happy to experience the knowingness, the wisdom, the great omnipresent qualities and characteristics of the Infinite. They will be drawn to long meditations and to the reading of spiritual books. They will get much happiness from the experience of knowing that Divine Entity.

So, the approach of the jina'ni yogi and the approach of the bhakti yogi are not the same and even what they delight in, in the Infinite Lord, are not quite the same. One will delight in the aspect of unconditional love. The other will delight in the quietude, the peace, the knowingness, the knowledge of the Infinite. So, even the delight that is taken is somewhat different.

Now, there is one commonality between these two types of yogis. Do you know it? It is simple. The commonality is that they are both attracted to the very same entity. They are both attracted to the Infinite. That is the commonality between them. Their approach is different, their goal is different, and they see their lord in different ways but it is the same entity which they are seeing. Only they are emphasizing different approaches and different types of experiences of that Infinite Entity. But you know, if the bhakti goes very deep and comes to know that Entity very thoroughly, not only will they experience unconditional omnipresent love, but they will come to know the deep peace which resides in the heart of that Infinite Guru. Not only will they see the personalized form in the vision of the Lord, but they will merge in that personalized form. They will become one with the Lord whom they adore and they will experience the pure undifferentiated effulgence which is the very nature of the Infinite.

Likewise, the jina'ni yogi will also experience the unconditional love which is inherent in the Supreme Being as they go further in their meditations. They will discover that they have fallen in love with that being whom their mind was so attracted to. They will discover that they are heart and soul for that Infinite Entity, that they are emotionally stirred in devotional sentiment and the jina'ni at that point may become a bhakti. As the bhakti will eventually also become a jina'ni when the true knowledge is attained, likewise, the jina'ni who is sincere will gain love for the Lord, will begin to have visions of the Lord, and will become a bhakti.

So, these two paths are very different on the outside. They are very different in the beginning but in the end, they are the same. Only, there is one practical difference. The jina'ni, emphasizing the more abstract qualities of the Infinite Being from the onset, will have to maintain a much stricter discipline than the bhakti. The path of bhakti yoga is very sweet and gentle. It does not require strict discipline. It does not require arduous practices because, when the heart is awakened, the passions propel the mind with great force towards the object of one's ideation.

Now, the jina'ni is lacking that propelling force of the impassioned desire, so they must rely instead upon very strict disciplines, very arduous practices, very strict control of the propensities of the mind so they do not wander here and there. They must reign them in with strong discipline and direct them because, you see, the impetus, the forcefulness of impassioned love is lacking. The bhakti is very fortunate because this impassioned love is a very powerful force. All of the desires that the jina'ni must systematically reign in, in a disciplined fashion, will be automatically reigned by the bhakti and the bhakti will not even notice. The bhakti will not use discipline but will use passion to fight the war with the wandering desires. When the overriding passion becomes the desire to know the beloved Lord, when the bhakti can think of nothing else, can do nothing else, like the lovesick girl or the lovesick boy who has met the love of their life, all else becomes nothing to them and immediately all of their desires get redirected without any strict code of discipline, without any severe tapas. There need not be any abstentions. Automatically, all the desire is drained from all other areas because the heart is impassioned for God. So, one who acquires this type of overriding passion for the Divine is truly blessed.

Now, how is such passion developed? Does it come automatically? Can one analyze these two paths and say "I have decided that to be a bhakti yogi is easier so I will be passionately in love with God". I do not think this is characteristic of love. So, it is not simply a decision one can make, to become a bhakti. "I will be a bhakti, today I am becoming a bhakti, today I be impassioned for God, I have decided". It is not like this, it is not at all like this. This passion of the heart must be stirred and this process is not so automatic. It simply cannot be done by a personal decision. In fact, it cannot be done by the aspirant at all. Do you know? You cannot decide to be a true bhakti. You cannot decide, that is not the approach. You do the disciplines of yoga, you follow the strict codes like the jina'ni. You make the scientific approach and then you surrender everything to the Lord. You emphasize dance, you emphasize song, you emphasize sweet poetry if you would follow the path of the bhakti. You emphasize these practices, you follow the disciplines, and then you emphasize also surrender to God. And in your surrender, you ask the Lord, "Lord, please give me devotion to You", because that devotion only comes in one way. It comes through the grace of the Infinite Entity and no other way. That Lord of Lords will come to you and make love to you. That Lord of Lords will come to you and show you the infinite qualities and characteristics of Himself, of Herself, and then you will become a bhakti. So, it is only through revelation that the path of bhakti yoga is truly entered. One may do the practices to become a bhakti, but to truly stir the passion of the heart one must have the grace of the Supreme. It happens in no other way.

I say in the end, even the jina'ni will get that grace and will also become a bhakti, if he is sincere. Now, the person who enters the spiritual path, who becomes a spiritual aspirant and wants to follow the path of bhakti, who sees the logic of engaging the emotions, the heart as well as the mind; that person should do devotional practices and they should emphasize, in their spiritual life, surrender to God. They may also do one other act which is very, very important to the development of bhakti yoga, and that is service. A selfish person will never get the love of Guru, will never get the love of the Lord. The Divine Entity will not appear in visions to a self centered person because they will be so engaged in themselves that they will have no capacity to see that sweet and subtle entity. To develop the capacity to perceive such a sweet and subtle Entity it is essential to serve others, to give ones' self wholeheartedly to the service of others.

When the mind is very subtle one may answer that love is natural to living beings. Do you know that it is natural to feel communion with those around you, to feel a sense of love and affection for others? It is only through pain and suffering that this natural capacity becomes diminished in a living being and it must be reopened. In the beginning this may be done artificially by serviceful acts. The heart may not be in the acts, but still they should be done. Then, over time, the natural engagement occurs and the individual is then engaged in service in a heartfelt fashion.

Now, if only service is done, the person will be so merged in the activity that they will not reflect on their experience and they will get confused taking those people, those situations which have stirred their hearts, to be the object of their love and affection. They will not realize that the essential nature of those around them, of those who they have taken to be objects of their love. But if meditation is done, if contemplation upon the Great is done, if some knowledge of the Great is also attained, then that person will not be deceived. They will know that those whom they love are the very expressions of the Infinite Entity and so the heart will be opened through service and knowledge and devotional practice also will be helpful. Through these three, the true experience, the grace of the Infinite Entity will be showered upon you. You will experience the shower of grace and through that shower your heart will open. Your passions will become focused on the Infinite and you will no longer wonder what it is you love. You will know what you love. You will know how sweet that Entity is and you will only want that nectar and nothing else. So all that you see, all that you do, everything that you do will become directed to the attainment of that love. You will dance, you will sing, you will cry for that Lord of yours. So, the bhakti emphasizes the heart. But one does not usually start the path as a bhakti yogi unless there is a predisposition due to previous spiritual practice or by the grace of the Supreme Being.

So, if you want to have this love, this experience of ecstatic and unconditional love, you surrender yourself every day. You begin your day by giving your all to the Great and in your meditation you do this also. When you go to sleep at night, again you surrender yourself to that Great Entity, giving every action, every thought, every desire, everything you give to Him. And what do you ask in return? Do you say "I will give to you if you will give to me"? Is this the approach of your surrender? "I will give you everything, but you must give me a great vision, a high experience". No, no, no this is not surrender. Surrender means "I will give everything to you my Lord unconditionally because you are so kind, so great. I will give my all and I ask nothing. I give you everything". This is the attitude of the bhakti. Now, you know, love must be very strong to give that which we feel somewhat ashamed of but when the love for God is very strong, the bhakti realizes: "There is nothing which is outside of my Lord, nothing which does not belong to Him. I will give Him everything, even my feelings, even my weaknesses. They belong to Him, they are His, and I will give all to my Lord".

Such a person is bound to feel this sweet and gentle touch of that Infinite Entity, softly touching their mind, gently opening their heart until they can think no more.