Bhakti yoga

Bhakti yoga is the path of devotion that can lead every sincere seeker to self-realization. This book explains the devotional evolution that starts from an experience of a personal God and culminates in the unity of the lover and the loved. With astounding insight, Prabhuji describes a process that divinizes the earthly, spiritualizes the material, and transforms worldly attachments into transcendental love. This yogic path reveals that far from being an interaction with another person, love is the perfume that emanates from our own presence, here and now. When we experience this love, we discover that it is not an emotion or a feeling but what is real within us. Bhakti is the purest and most elevated love arising from the depths of consciousness and the silence of meditation. Prabhuji is a writer and a mystic who has chosen to retire from society and lead a solitary life. He spends his days completely secluded from the public, writing in silence and absorbed in contemplation. Prabhuji does not offer any sat-sangs, courses, or lectures, nor does he accept disciples or followers. He shares his teachings only through books and online videos. We ask everybody to respect his privacy.

Prabhuji was born in Santiago, the capital of Chile, on March 21, 1958. He is an artist and an avadhuta mystic who suggests evaluating the problems of modern man with oldest wisdom known to humanity.
A mystical experience that occurred at the age of eight transformed him into a passionate seeker of Truth that delved into a great diversity of religions.
During his years of searching, he traveled to South America, North America, Europe, the Middle East, and India to visit sages, swamis, roshis, rabbis, priests, and masters of various spiritual paths.
Between 1995 and 2010, he accepted a few monastic disciples who expressly requested to be initiated by him. In 2010, he took the irrevocable decision to stop accepting monastic disciples, followers, devotees, or even visitors.
Since then, his main activities have been writing, painting, composing music, distributing food to people in need, and guiding a small group of disciples who asked to stay with Prabhuji, whom they consider to be their spiritual guide.
For Prabhuji, meditation is not a method, a technique, or a practice, but a way of life. His message speaks of the peace, love, truth, meditation, and enlightenment that lie at the core of all religions. His teachings point to the very essence of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Jainism, Sikism, Tantra, Hasidism, Vedanta, Tao, Zen, Shamanism, and Yoga.

Mägalacaräa - Dedication 7Acknowledgements 12Preface 15Introduction 19Love 25Levels of love 27Expansion of love 32Sublimation of love 34God 37The souls 43The cosmic manifestation 46The worship of Isvara 50The nine limbs of bhakti yoga 55Sraväa, "listening" 58Kirtana, "glorification" 61Smaräa, "remembrance" 66Pada-sevana, "service to the feet" 69Arcana, "worship" 80Vandana, "reverence, prayer" 92Dasya, "being the servant of God" 97Sakhya, "friendliness" 101Atma-nivedana, "surrendering to God" 104Devotional Joy 109The ocean of nectarean devotion 110Bharata Muni's theory of rasa 112Abhinavagupta's theory of rasa 117King Bhoja's theory of rasa 119Rupa Gosvami's theory of bhakti-rasa 122Art and religion 133The development of devotees in sagüa-bhakti 135Kani--hadhikaris, "novice devotees" 136Madhyamadhikaris, "intermediate devotees" 137Uttamadhikaris, "the most elevated devotees" 139The evolution of sagüa-bhakti 145Sadhana bhakti, "bhakti in practice" 145Bhava-bhakti, "bhakti in ecstasy" 148Prema-bhakti, "bhakti in pure love for God" 150Para-bhakti, "transcendental devotion" 155Love is unity 162Religion 167The spiritual search 169The religion of bhakti yoga 172The person of religion 175Glossary of Sanskrit terms 177Sanskrit pronunciation guide 184About the author 189About the mission 193