Bhakti Yoga 7: The Mantra – OM
This is the seventh chapter in the series on Bhakti Yoga by Swami Vivekananda. But we are now considering not these Maha-Purushas, the great incarnations, but only the Siddha-Gurus (teachers who have attained the goal); they, as a rule, have to convey the germs of spiritual wisdom to the dsiciple by means of words (Mantras)…
Bhakti Yoga 6: Incarnate Teachers and Incarnation
This is the sixth chapter in the series on Bhakti Yoga by Swami Vivekananda. Wherever His name is spoken, that very place is holy. How much more so is the man who speaks His name, and with what veneration ought we to approach that man out of whon comes to us spiritual truth! Such great…
Bhakti Yoga 5: Qualifications of the Aspirant and The Teacher
This is the fifth chapter in the series of Bhakti Yoga by Swami Vivekananda. How are we to know a teacher, then? The sun requires no torch to make him visible, we need not light a candle in order to see him. When the sun rises, we instinctively become aware of the fact, and when…
Bhakti Yoga 4: The Need Of A Guru
This is the fourth chapter in the series on Bhakti Yoga by Swami Vivekananda. Every soul is destined to be perfect, and every being, in the end, will attain the state of perfection. Whatever we are now is the result of our acts and thoughts in the past; and whatever we shall be in the…
Bhakti Yoga 3: Spiritual Realization, The Aim of Bhakti-Yoga
This is the 3rd chapter on the Bhakti Yoga series by Swami Vivekananda. To the Bhakta (devotee) these dry details are necessary only to strengthen his will; beyond that they are of no use to him. For he is treading on a path which is fitted very soon to lead him beyond the hazy turbulent…
What is Bhakti Yoga?
An often asked question among many Yoga enthusiasts and practitioners is – What is Bhakti Yoga? In this post, we’ll understand what is Bhakti Yoga in simple bulleted points taking references from the 1st chapter of the Bhakti Yoga by Swami Vivekananda Bhakti Yoga – Definition Bhakti-Yoga is a real, genuine search after the Lord,…
Who is the founder of Yoga?
A questions often asked by users is around the origins of Yoga. The debate around origins of Yoga and who exactly founded Yoga has had multiple explanations. To keep the answer simple, the founder of Yoga as it is known today including many of its off-shoots is Patanjali. Yoga in Vedas and Upanishads The word…
Which Veda Mentions About the Elements of Yoga?
The evidence of Yoga is mentioned in the oldest Vedic texts – The Rig Veda where the presence of Yogi-like ascetics has been mentioned. It’s only in the late Vedic age, the practices that can be related to classical Yoga have been described in texts – The Upanishads. The Upanishads place a greater emphasis on…
Latest This Week – Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga & Swami Vivekananda
This has been another exciting week at the World Yoga Forum. This week marks the completion of Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda as committed last week. Raja Yoga is Swami Vivekananda‘s interpretation of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. It has been a seminal work on Yoga and has helped spread the ancient knowledge of Yoga. We’ve completed…
Bhakti Yoga 2: Philosophy of Ishvara – Swami Vivekananda
This is the 2nd chapter of the series on Bhakti Yoga by Swami Vivekananda. Bhakti Yoga is one of the key literary works by Swami Vivekananda, where he has discussed the path of devotion (bhakti) in detail. Who is Ishvara (god)? Janmadyasya yatah — “From whom is the birth, continuation, and dissolution of the universe,” — He is…
Bhakti Yoga 1: Prayer – Swami Vivekananda
This is the 1st chapter of the series on Bhakti Yoga by Swami Vivekananda. Bhakti Yoga is one of the key literary works by Swami Vivekananda, where he has discussed the path of devotion (bhakti) in detail “He is the Soul of the Universe; He is Immortal; His is the Rulership; He is the All-knowing,…
Independence – Swami Vivekananda
This is the last and final part of the series by Swami Vivekananda from his work – Raja Yoga. The work of Raja Yoga is essentially an explanation of the Yoga Sutras (aphorisms) by Patanjali. Most of the modern day Yoga in some form or the other originates from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. We’ve covered the…