The Bhakti Wisdom
Texts
The Importance of Knowledge
To have knowledge about something or someone is vital to understand and deal with a particular situation or person. If both a child and a scientist look through a microscope and observe cells, the scientist who is in knowledge understands what he or she sees whereas the child does not; although they are both seeing the same thing. In the same way, we are all living our lives but those who have transcendental knowledge about their true identity and the nature and workings of this material world live their life in a purposeful manner and make more meaningful decisions. By harnessing and applying spiritual knowledge from the bhakti texts, we can instantly improve our quality and outlook in life.
A Brief History of the Bhakti Texts
The bhakti knowledge texts make up the essence of a series of wisdom literatures known as the "Vedas". The word veda means "knowledge" in the age old Sanskrit language. The Vedas were originally passed down by great sages through recitation, attentive hearing and deep assimilation in the heart. However just over 5000 years ago, the Vedic knowledge was compiled and written down for the wellbeing of humanity. The Vedas provide extensive knowledge on a broad variety of topics such as government, ethics, economics, defence, health and more; however, the essential purpose of the Vedas is knowledge of bhakti and Krishna Consciousness.
Once, a great sage living in the Himalayas called Vyasadeva began the mammoth task of compiling the entire collection of Vedic literatures. After he finished, he still wasn't satisfied in his heart and he could not understand why. At that very instant his guru (spiritual teacher) called Narada appeared at his ashram and told him that he wasn't feeling elated because he had not specifically instructed humanity about their life's ultimate purpose. Taking this instruction from Narada, Vyasadeva compiled the bhakti yoga texts which were previously passed down by word of mouth into written form.
Foundational Bhakti Texts
Bhagavad Gita As It Is
The Bhagavad Gita is the crest jewel of spiritual knowledge and a definitive guide to self-realisation. The Gita is a recorded conversation spoken over 5000 years ago by Sri Krishna to his dear friend and warrior Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra. Disentangling topics such as identity, time, matter versus spirit, karma and reincarnation, the Gita solidly answers longstanding questions which have baffled humanity in the past, present and even into the future. The Gita's torchlight of knowledge makes you equipoised and satiated. The knowledge gives you tremendous confidence in life, quitens the raging mind and gives solace to the soul.
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Srimad Bhagavatam
The Srimad Bhagavatam is the ultimate encyclopaedia of the material and spiritual world. Though we have made tremendous progress in the fields of technology, material comfort, education and economic development, there remains a pin-prick in the social body at large - wars and mass violence, crime, environmental instability and so on. There is a need of a clue as to how humanity can become one in peace, friendship and prosperity. The Srimad Bhagavatam perfectly fulfills this need as it is a cultural presentation dedicated to the respiritualisation of the entire human society.
Chaitanya Charitamrita
Whereas the Bhagavad Gita As It Is and the Srimad Bhagavatam are considered to be the undergraduate and graduate study of spiritual life, the Chaitanya Charitamrita is said to be the post-graduate study. Chaitanya Charitamrita translates to mean the "characteristics of the immortal living force" and is the pinnacle spiritual treatise offering the reader a practical window on how to live a dedicated spiritual life following in the footsteps of Sri Krishna Chaitanya. Sri Krishna Chaitanya was a philosopher, saint, mystic and a divine incarnation who pioneered a social and transcendental movement in the 16th century and which is forecasted to inundate the entire world.
Contemporary Appraisals of the Bhakti Texts
"I love the history. I am 90 per cent through the Bhagavad Gita... My inner-Arjuna is being channelled." Will Smith - Hollywood Actor & Musician
"In the Bhagavad Gita, one of the oldest and most beautiful spiritual teachings in existence, nonattachment to the fruit of your action is called Karma Yoga. It is described as the path of 'consecrated action'." Eckhart Tolle - Spiritualist & Best Selling Author
“The Bhagavad-Gita is the most systematic statement of spiritual evolution of endowing value to mankind. It is one of the most clear and comprehensive summaries of perennial philosophy ever revealed; hence its enduring value is subject not only to India but to all of humanity.” Aldous Huxley - Writer & Philosopher
"That the spiritual man need not be a recluse, that union with the divine life may be achieved and maintained in the midst of worldly affairs, that the obstacles to that union lie not outside us but within us—such is the central lesson of the Bhagvad Gita."
Annie Besant - Writer, orator & Philanthopist
From Elliot's poem "The Dry Salvages": You who came to port, and you whose bodies Will suffer the trial and judgement of the sea, Or whatever event, this is your real destination." So Krishna, as when he admonished Arjuna On the field of battle. Not fare well, But fare forward, voyagers. T.S. Elliot - Playwright, Literary Critic & Poet
“I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad Gita. It was the first of books; it was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same questions which exercise us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson - Lecturer & Philosopher
