WHAT IS BHAKTI YOG SADHANA? ?WHAT IS THE ROLE OF YIN ENERGY IN BHAKTI YOG ?THE FOUR PATHS OF YOGA-07

WHAT IS BHAKTI YOGA SADHANA?- 05 FACTS;- 1-God is the Inner Ruler of your heart and mind. He is the silent witness of your thoughts. You cannot hide anything from Him. Become guileless(free from insidious cunning) and straightforward. 2-A devotee of Hari is always meek and humble. Name of God “Hari” is always on his lips. He sheds profuse tears when he is alone. He is very pious. He is friendly towards all. He has equal-vision. He does good always. He never hurts the feelings of others. He has a spotless character. He never covets(to desire wrongfully) the property of others. He sees Hari in all beings. 3-Bhakti can move mountains. Nothing is impossible to it. It was the devotion of Mira that converted a snake into a flower garland, poison into nectar and a bed of nails into a bed of roses. It was the devotion of Prahlada that turned fire into ice. 4-A devotee should become an embodiment of goodness. He must be ever ready to do good to living beings. That devotee who is intent upon the welfare of all beings obtains the peace of the Eternal. He who rejoices in the welfare of all, gets the Darshan of the Lord. He develops Advaitic consciousness eventually. 5-Service of Bhagavatas, repetition of God’s name, Satsanga, singing His name, study of the Bhagavata or the Ramayana, living in Brindavan, Pandharpur, Chitrakuta or Ayodhya, are the six means for developing Bhakti. 6-Anger and lust are the two inner enemies that stand in the way of developing Bhakti. HOW TO IDENTIFY A BHAKTA? 14 FACTS;- Lord Krishna has given a description of them. We can find it in Bhagavatam;- 1- They do not care for anything. 2-Their hearts are fixed on Me. 3-They are very humble. 4-They have equal vision. 5-They have no attachment towards anybody or anything. 6-They are without ‘mine-ness’. 7-They have no egoism. 8-They make no distinction between sorrow and happiness. 9-They do not take anything from others. 10-They can bear heat, cold and pain. 11-They have love for all living beings. 12-They have no enemy. 13-They are serene(calm). 14-They possess exemplary(example) character.” SADHANA FOR ADVANCED DEVOTEES;- EXERCISE ONE Here is a Sadhana for advanced Bhaktas.This is highly useful for getting quick, solid progress in the spiritual path. 1-Get up at 4 a.m. Start your Japa on any Asana you have mastered. 2-Do not take food or drink for 14 hours. Do not get up from the Asana. 3-Control passing urine till sunset if you can manage. 4-Finish the Japa at sunset. Take milk and fruits after sunset. 5-Householders can practise this during holidays. 6-Practise this once a fortnight or once a month or once weekly. EXERCISE TWO Live on milk and fruits for a week. Endure cold and heat, hunger and thirst. Do not injure any creature to the slightest degree. Live a contented life. Regard applause and censure equally. Derive happiness from thy soul. EXERCISE THREE Here is another Sadhana for 10 days,which can be done during holidays;- 1- Shut yourself in an airy room. Do not talk to anybody. Do not see anybody. Do not hear anything. 2-Get up at 4 a.m. Start Japa of the Mantra of your Ishta Devata or your Guru Mantra and finish it at sunset. 3-Then take some milk and fruits or Kheer (milk and rice boiled with sugar). Take rest for one or two hours. But continue the Japa. 4-Then again start the Japa seriously. Retire to bed at 11 in the night. 5-You can combine meditation along with Japa. 6-Make all arrangements for bath, food, etc., inside the room. Have two rooms if you can manage, one for bath and one for meditation. 7-Repeat this four times a day. This practice can be kept up even for 40 days. 8-You will have wonderful result and various experiences. 9-You will enter into Samadhi. You will have Darshan of your Ishtam,surely. EXERCISE FOUR Here is an Anushthana for 40 days. 1-You will have to do Japa of Rama Mantra one Lakh and twenty five thousand times in the following manner for 40 days, at the rate of 3000 daily. 2- During the last five days do 4000 daily. Get up at 4. a.m. Write down in a thin paper ‘Rama, Rama’ 300 times. 3-Then cut it into small pieces. Each piece will contain one Rama Nama. 4-Then roll it with a small ball of Atta (wheat flour paste). 5-Writing will take two or three hours according to your strength and capacity. Then you will have to cut one by one. You will have to do the whole process by sitting on one Asana. 6-If you find it difficult to sit on one Asana, you can have change of Asana. But you should not leave your seat. 7-Some use a special ink made of saffron, musk, camphor, etc., and special writing pen made up of a sharp-pointed thin, Tulasi-stick. 8-You can use ordinary ink and pen if you cannot get the above special ink and special pen. 9-You will have to do the Anushthana on the banks of Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Kaveri or Narmada, at Rishikesh, Benares, Hardwar, or Prayag. 10-You can do it at home, if you find it difficult to move to these places. 11-Take milk and fruits (Phalahar) during these days. 12-Throw the balls in the Ganga or any river for fishes. You will develop wonderful patience. You will get Divine Grace. EXERCISE FIVE Study the whole of the Ramayana 108 times with purity and concentration. This can be done within three years if you can devote three hours daily. 2-You can go through the book three times in a month. 3-You will acquire Siddhis. You will have Darshan of Lord Rama. EXEMPLARY BHAKTAS & JNANI;- 06 FACTS;- 1-Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga are not incompatibles like acids and alkalis. One can combine Ananya Bhakti (one-pointed devotion) with Jnana Yoga. 2-The fruit of Bhakti Yoga is Jnana. Highest love (Para Bhakti and Jnana are one. Perfect knowledge is love. Perfect love is knowledge. 3-Sri Adi Shankara, the Advaita Kevala Jnani, was a great Bhakta of Lord Hari, Hara and Devi. 4-Jnana Deva of Alandi, Poona, a great Yogi of late, was a Bhakta of Lord Krishna. 5-Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa worshipped Kali and got Jnana through Swami Totapuri, his Advaita Guru. 6-Lord Chaitanya was a fine Advaita Vedantic Scholar, and yet he danced in streets and market places, singing Hari’s names. . It behoves(to be fitting) therefore, that Bhakti can be combined with much advantage with Jnana. SADHANA FOR HOUSE-HOLDERS ;- That house is really a Vaikuntha where the husband and wife lead an ideal Divine Life, singing Hari’s Name, repeating His Mantra 200 Malas daily, studying the Ramayana and the Bhagavata, controlling the Indriyas and serving Bhaktas and Sannyasins. On the contrary ,that house is a miserable place, veritable hell on earth wherein the husband or the wife moves up in spirituality and the other one pulls him down in sensual grooves and vice versa. They should be harmoniously blended or joined by the thread of the knowledge of the Self, each aspiring eagerly for attaining God-consciousness.Here are some patterns to improve;- 1-Kirtan At Home 2-Study of holy scriptures 3-Simple rules to follow 1-SIGNIFICANCE OF KIRTAN;- 05 FACTS;- 1-This is an easy way for attaining God-consciousness. At night all the members of the house should sit in a circle and do Kirtan for one hour before the picture of Lord Krishna or Ishta Devata. The servants of the house also should be included. 2-Sing any Name of the Lord as Shiva, Hare Ram, Sita Ram, Raghupati Raghava Rajaram, etc., in a chorus with one Svara, Tala harmoniously. Nada Brahman will be generated. 3-You will forget the body and the world and enter into ecstatic state. Practise, try and feel yourself.Just as the intoxication that you get by taking a dose of opium lasts for hours, the Divine intoxication that you get from Kirtan will last for some hours during the following day also. 4- At night you will be free from bad dreams. During Kirtan a special spiritual wave comes from the indweller of your heart and purifies the mind and Pranamaya Kosha. All diseases are cured thereby. 5-Sattva flows from the Lord to your mind, just as oil flows from one vessel to another vessel. Kirtan gives you strength to face the difficulties in the battle of life. Singing the Names of the Lord is a mental tonic. 2-STUDY OF HOLY SCRIPTURES;- 03 FACTS;- 1-In the evening four people can join together and read regularly the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana or the Bhagavata. 2-Svadhyaya or study of holy scriptures is Kriya Yoga. It is of immense benefit for householders who do not find much time for serious spiritual practices and constant meditation. The study itself is a form of meditation. 3-When the mind is concentrated on Divine thoughts, it is filled with purity. The gross mind is rendered subtle. 3-SIMPLE RULES TO FOLLOW;- 09 FACTS;- 1-Start that pure life of a Yogi ;No leniency to mind. Self-reliance is indispensably requisite.We can get suggestions from outside. But we will have to tread the path ourself, to place each step yourself in the spiritual ladder.We will have to train your partener also. He/She also will have to do rigid Sadhana. 2-Renunciation is mental. Renunciation brings peace. There is no loss in renunciation. You renounce the illusory sense pleasure to get the Supreme, Eternal Bliss and Immortality. Bear this in mind. 3-Do not be guided and influenced by public opinion. March boldly and cheerfully in the path of Truth, consulting your inner conscience and hearing the inner, small, shrill, sweet voice of the soul. 4-Do not be hasty in doing any outward renunciation. The world is the best teacher. Unfold the Divinity by remaining in the world alone. Nivritti Marga is extremely difficult. Ninety per cent fail in this path,so take benefit of pravritti Marga. 5-Save as much money as possible. Do 200 Malas of Japa. Cut off society. Keep company with one Sattvic man. Spend every second profitably. Serve sick people. Share what you have a small portion with poor people. 6-Purity of food leads to purity of mind. This implies that all the objects which are grasped by the senses must be pure. The ears should hear the sublime utterances of Gita, Ramayana and the Bhagavatam, and the kirtans (hymns) of Lord Hari. 7-Let your clothing be satvic (or pure). Let your speech be pure. Let your companions be satvic persons. Let the books you study be pure. Let the place you live in be satvic Let the meditation room be decorated with satvic pictures of the Lord. Then only you will soon attain God-consciousness. 8-Without love a man's life is empty. Without love man lives in vain. Love is vital. Love is a great power. Give love and it shall be given unto you. Cultivate this love through service, japa (repetition of God's name , satsanga (holy company) and meditation. Strive ceaselessly to live in God, then only will you be able to conquer time or death. 9-God is always with you. He will protect and deliver you. Take refuge in him. His blessings will overflow in your life and will transform your mind and body. Develop your consciousness of spiritual things. Make a special effort daily to exercise control over your thoughts, words and actions. Feel his presence in your room. Pray daily. Meditate daily.Faith can work wonders. Faith can move mountains. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF YIN ENERGY IN BHAKTI YOG ? From the beginning God has made it clear that woman is very special, and he has also very clearly defined her position, her duties, and her destiny in the divine plan.Man is the image and glory of God, and that woman is the glory of the man; also that the man is not without the woman in the Lord.You will note that significantly Shiva is mentioned in connection with this great partnership, and we must never forget that one of Shakti's greatest privileges, blessings, and opportunities is to be a copartner with Shiva in bringing his ansh children into the world. 09 FACTS;- HER DEVOTIONAL NATURE;-. In India, religion is maintained by the ladies only. There is peculiar religious instinct in them. Hindu ladies are highly devotional. They infuse the religious spirit in the males through their daily conduct and practical life. They get up in the early morning, wash the house, take bath, do Japa, make a small temple in their house and keep there pictures of the Lord and Pooja vessels, etc. 2-They keep the place sacred and in the evening do Arati and prayer. The atheistic male members of the house are forced to do some prayer or other through their influence, on account of fear. In reality the ladies of the house govern the house. They are the manifestations of Shakti. The husband is not entitled to do any religious rite without her presence by his side. 3-ACCORDING to Manu Smriti ;- “Yatra naryastu pujyante ramante tatra devatah, Yatrai tastu na pujyante sarvastatraphalah kriyah” “Where women are honoured, there Devas are pleased; but where they are not honoured, there no sacred rite is fruitful.” Such is the glory of Hindu ladies. WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF WOMANHOOD?

21 FACTS;- 1-From time immemorial Sita, Savitri, Damayanti, Nalayani, Anasuya and Draupadi have been regarded as sacred ideals of Indian Womanhood. They are sublime and exemplary characters who have exalted womanhood to the height of divine perfection. 2-Modern women should draw inspiration from their lives and try to tread their path. As long as such characters continue to exercise their influence upon the lives and character of Indian ladies, so long they will be looked upon with admiration and reverence by their sisters of other countries. 3-All of them were subjected to very severe tests in which their purity, courage, patience and other virtues were put to and nobly did they come out through those tests. Hindu women are, since the dawn of the early civilisation, distinguished for their disinterested love and self-abnegation(self-sacrifice). 4-What a wife is to a Hindu husband is well illustrated by a verse in the Ramayana where Sri Rama referred to Sita says: “In counsel she is my counsellor, in action she is my servant, in religious performances she is my partner, in tolerance she is like the earth, in affection she is like unto my mother, in bed she is like the celestial Rambha and in play she is my companion. Such indeed, O Lakshmana, is my beloved...” This is the Hindu ideal of a wife. 5-The eternal fidelity (the quality of loyalty) of a Hindu woman to her husband makes her an ideal of the feminine world. It makes her sublime and lofty. This sublime virtue still runs deep in the heart of hearts of every Hindu woman of India superior to any of the other countries in national integrity and honour. 6-They should sing the Name of the Lord in the early morning as soon as they get up. They should train their children also to sing the Names. The whole house will be charged with spiritual vibrations. Even when they cook and do household works , they should be singing in mild tone the Names of the Lord. A strong habit of repeating the Names of the Lord will be formed in two months. This itself is quite sufficient for attaining God-consciousness. Singing the Names of the Lord is a very easy method for getting Darshan of the Lord in this Kali-Yuga. Even when anyone dies, the habit of singing the Name of the Lord will come to his rescue. 7-The inspiring force of the home is woman. The home is the origin and the beginning of every form of social organisation. It is the nursery of the nation. It is the sweet place or centre wherein children are trained for future citizenship. The woman illumines the home through the glory of motherhood. Man is incapable of doing the domestic duties incident upon the rearing up of the children. 8-Good habits, right conduct, formation of character are created in children spontaneously in a well-regulated home under the personal influence of the mother. The loving kindness and the cultured gentleness of the mother help the children to unfold their native talents and dormant capacities quickly. Children absorb ideas by suggestion and imitation. Early training and impressions are lasting formation of character can be done by efficiently by mothers at home. Therefore, home is the beautiful training ground for the building up of character in children under the personal guidance of the mother. 9-Women are the backbone or bedrock or the basis for sustaining religion and national strength and prosperity. There is no difference between her and Lakshmi, the Goddess of Beauty, Grace and Prosperity. Manu says, “That woman who does always good, who is efficient in work, sweet in speech, devoted to her Dharmas and service to her husband, is really no human being but a Goddess.” If the mother trains her children on the right lines she is rendering a great service indeed to the nation and the national culture. 10-Women have got ample opportunities to improve and increase the national health and prosperity. They really build the nation. They can utilise their talents and abilities in making the home the cradle of culture character, personal ability and religious upheaval. It is therefore wrong to say that their life is cramped or stunted by attending to the duties at home and that no scope is given for evolution and freedom. This is a sad mistake indeed! The life of a woman is as noble and serious as that of a man. There is no doubt of this. 11-It is the women that keep up the life and happiness of the home through their smile, tender affection, sweet speech, charming personality, grace and angelic presence. The home will be a real void without them. It will lose its peculiar charm and beauty without their presence. 12-There is Kanva Rishi’s advice to Sakuntala on the eve of her departure from his Ashram to King Dushyanta’s residence. Kanva Rishi says: “Sakuntala! Serve all your elders. Though your Lord is angry with you at times, do not go against his wishes. Do not be too much attached in enjoyment. Treat your dependants and co-wives with motherly affection and tenderness. Be an affectionate companion to your sisters-in-law. Be obedient to your mother-in-law. These attributes will make you the true mistress of the house. Otherwise, you will give pain and trouble to the whole family.” 13-It is the duty of the lady of the house to get up before her husband in the early hours of the dawn, take her bath and perform the household work.To a lady the husband is indeed the highest ornament of all ornaments. Being separated from him, she, however beautiful, does not shine. 14-The Hindu scriptures say that the wife must be very obedient and that the husband is God to her. Some ignorant persons take advantage of this and exercise undue authority over their wives and keep them under extreme subordination. Is this not a sad mistake? 15-Woman is in no way inferior to man. The home is a co-operative organisation. It flourishes on the principle of division of labour. The husband should not think that he is superior to his wife, simply because he is the earning member of the family. Women have a definite field of their own. They are mothers of the house. The extraordinary abilities and intellectual attainments, and the magnetic personality of the modern women are a standing monument to their undoubted equality with men. 16-The personal influence of women at home is essential to unify the various interests of the family. It is women alone who can rear and nurse children. Hindu wives are queens in their own homes. The husbands should treat their wives with intense love and respect. They should be regarded as equals in all respects and be held in the light of partners in life. 17-Manu says, “The householder should first serve his relatives and dependants with food and then take the remaining food along with his wife,” hinting thereby at the position of equal footing on which she is to be treated. If a man earns and the wife stays at home, it does not mean that the woman is a parasite and a slave. She is indeed the builder of the nation. Verily, women exercise an authority over their husbands through their love, tenderness, affection, grace, beauty, selfless service and fidelity, purity and self-abnegation. 18-In the west the woman is wife;In India the woman is the mother. Mother is worshipped. Mother is considered as the Goddess Lakshmi of the house. The Srutis emphatically declare, “Let thy mother be thy God.” The late Ashutosh Mukherji, Vice-Chancellor of the Calcutta University used to wash the feet of his mother and drink the water before he went to his office. This water is called ‘Charanamrit’. It is a great purifier of the heart. In the West the wife governs the home. In an Indian home the mother rules. In the West the mother has to be subordinate to the wife. In India the wife has to be subordinate to the mother. 19-If woman be pure she can save and purify man. Woman can purify the race. Woman can make a home a sacred temple. The Hindu women have been the custodians of the Hindu race. The Hindu religion, the Hindu culture and civilisation still survive in spite of the many foreign invasions, when other civilisations have come and gone, on account of the purity of the Hindu women. The women are taught to regard chastity as their most priceless possession . Religion is ingrained in the Hindu women from their very childhood. Hindu women illumine and enliven the house through the glory of their purity. This is the secret of the endurance of the Hindu religion, civilisation and culture. 20-It is of great concern to all who understand this glorious concept that Satan and his cohorts are using scientific arguments and nefarious propaganda to lure women away from their primary responsibilities as wives, mothers, and homemakers. We hear so much about belittling the role of motherhood, all of which is Satan's way of destroying woman, the home, and the family--the basic unit of society. 21-Some effective tools include the use of radio, television, and magazines where women are being debased and disgracefully used.With modern electronic devices of communication and speedy transportation, much more is being heard throughout the world by; having its degrading influence and effect and destroying the moral values, and further deteriorating the minds and thought processes.At present,this is the alarming time to save ourselves with this tornado...& a question mark on yin energy to decide her role.

........SHIVOHAM...