Inner silence is said to be the heart of yoga and all religions.
But how do we recognize when inner silence is truly operating through us?
There is a deep longing in me to let God—this inner silence—act through my life. I want to step aside and become the witness, allowing this higher intelligence, which is inherent in all of us, to move freely.
An intense pull of bhakti (devotion) is present in me nearly all the time. It raises a question for me: can bhakti alone be a complete path to God? What happens when devotion becomes so strong that it can no longer be moderated or balanced?
I’ve read about saints who awakened through bhakti alone, and that inspires me. Right now, there is such a strong desire in me that almost every waking moment feels like a search for God.
I would really appreciate hearing others’ experiences or guidance on this path.
Last weekend, my family was driving past the village church at around 9 p.m. and I noticed that the lights were still on. I told my sister - hey they forgot to turn the lights off and she answered - no, there is a group praying all night, tonight. A feeling arose in me - Jealousy!!! I haven’t felt jealous in years, I had practically forgotten what jealousy felt like. Then, I thought - oh, I am so gone… hopelessly in love with God case.
Yes, I believe people do awaken through devotion alone. In fact, I would say that it is the most common factor for awakening. What happens when devotion becomes so strong that it can be no longer moderated? Note that this is a red-flag and you should start self-pacing. Well, many things can happen, I expect. You can become super-annoying talking about God to everyone, all the time
You can have spiritual visions, revelations, feel bliss. If Bhakti is too strong, it will feel uncomfortable, irritating like someone rubbing sand through your energy. It can manifest as kundalini heat.
Yeah.. usual overloading symptoms.
Over years of practice you do come to the point where every emotion is turned into bhakti. It happens naturally over time.
I’m not very knowledgeable about such matters, but I do know for certain that the saints Mirabai and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in India became famous for their unbridled love for God, which filled their entire consciousness, sometimes causing external discipline to take a back seat. Their lives show that devotion in and of itself can be a powerful catalyst for inner transformation. Inner stillness and the ability to witness what is happening often arise naturally when devotion reaches the depths of the heart. Sometimes intense bhakti may seem “uncontrollable,” but this does not mean losing one’s way—on the contrary, in this state it is important to gently guide oneself through observation, humility, and attention to the breath and to small daily actions. Even the most intense currents of love and devotion find harmony when mindfulness is present.
Leading with love and gratitude has been a powerful byproduct of rising inner silence from my AYP practice. Lord Shiva became my Ishta a few years ago after I encountered a mesmerizing depiction that immediately registered in my heart center, thus became the gatekeeper to liberation, as indicated by my inner guru. The simple act of falling quiet and open and inviting his presence tugs the heart strings every time.
Hi Cosmos, I don’t have too much to add to your question, but I think that this is a really beautiful thing that you are describing! This yearning should be cultivated and supported with regular practices, of course, taking care not to take practices to an extreme, as these can be powerful when supported by these emotions for the divine
Bhakti is a complete path in itself since the lover and beloved get drain in that what they are: love. In deep love and devotion where does gods love end and your own love start? in this love we do not have any question left, we just want to be in this state. Thus transcending all forms into pure beingness.
In gods infinite being Krishna as pure conciousness and Radha as Mother of all forms start their tantric dance. In deep devotion to the conciousness that sees the form „I am“ we can understand our true nature as that in which Krishna and Radha love each other eternally. The ONLY question left is: who are we? Who is this seer, who understands, who knows he exists, who loves. The answer will always be : „I“
so than: what is this I, where does it belong? is it form, is it conciousness, is it void?
Love and devotion to this inquiry keeps attention in the heart center where the feeling of love arises, and so does the world, krishna, radha and I….
