Swami Vivekananda: The Philosophy and Practice of Bhakti Yoga
Introduction to Bhakti (Devotion) by Swami Vivekananda (translated into Spanish by )
Bhakti Yoga, as presented by Swami Vivekananda, is a real and genuine search for God that begins, continues, and ends in Love. While often contrasted with Jnana Yoga (Knowledge), Vivekananda emphasizes that these paths are like the two wings of a bird, eventually meeting at the same point of spiritual realization.
Under the expert translation and analysis of Pedro Nonell, we explore how the "Philosophy of Ishvara" (the Personal God) serves as a bridge for the human heart to reach the infinite Absolute. This journey takes the seeker from the "kindergarten of religion"—temples, symbols, and forms—to the supreme intensity of love where all sectarian boundaries fade away.
The Search for the Divine: Realization through Love
Bhakti has been the only constant theme of the Hindu sages. Apart from the specialized writers on Bhakti, such as Shandilya or Narada, the great commentators of the Vyasa-Sutras, evidently defenders of Knowledge (Jnana), also have something very suggestive to say about love.
Subject Syllabus:
- Definition of Bhakti
- The Philosophy of Ishvara
- Spiritual realization: the goal of Bhakti Yoga
- The need for the Guru
- Applicant and teacher qualifications
- Embodied Masters and Incarnation
- OM mantra: word and wisdom
- Worship of substitutes and images
- The chosen ideal
- The method and the means
- Para-Bhakti
Source: “The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda” by Swami Vivekananda. Volume 2,3 and 4
Translated into Spanish by
When an Incarnation comes, a tidal wave of spirituality
breaks over the World
“He is the Soul of the Universe; He is Immortal; Thine is the Kingdom; He is the Omniscient, the Omnipresent, the Protector of the Universe, the Eternal Ruler. No one else is as efficient to rule the world eternally. He who at the beginning of creation projected Brahma (that is, the universal consciousness), and who gave him the Vedas, seeking liberation I seek refuge towards the Effulgent One, whose light turns the intellect toward the Self (Atman).” Shvetashvatara-Upanishad, VI. 17-18.
The Converging Paths: How Jnana and Bhakti Meet
There really is not as much difference between Knowledge (Jnana) and love (Bhakti) as people sometimes imagine. In the end they converge and meet at the same point. The same thing happens with Raja Yoga, when it is pursued as a means to achieve liberation (Realization of the Bhagavad Gita).
The one great advantage of Bhakti is that it is the easiest and most natural way of attaining the great divine end in view; Its great disadvantage is that in its lower forms it often degenerates into a frightful fanaticism. This danger exists only in that stage of Bhakti which is called preparatory (Gauni).
When Bhakti has matured and passed into that form which is called the supreme (Para Bhakti), there is no longer any fear of these horrible manifestations of fanaticism; that soul which is dominated by this higher form of Bhakti is too close to the God of Love to become an instrument for the spread of hatred.
Jnana (Knowledge) is one wing, Bhakti (Love) is the other and Yoga is the tail that maintains the balance of the bird
Jnanis hold that Bhakti is an instrument of liberation, Bhaktas consider it both the instrument and the thing to be attained.
Bhakti is a series or succession of mental efforts in religious realization beginning with ordinary worship and ending in a supreme intensity of love for Ishvara.
It must always be understood that the Personal God worshiped by the Bhakta is not separate or different from Brahman. Everything is Brahman.
These three letters (AUM), pronounced in combination as Om, may well be the generalized symbol for all possible sounds. The letter A is the least differentiated of all sounds, which is why Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita “I am A among the letters.”
“Sri Krishna: Of the letters, the letter A; of the compounds, I am the Dvandva; I am the imperishable time; I am the Creator who is present everywhere” Bhagavad Gita 10.33.
The man whose heart never entertains even the thought of harming anyone, who rejoices in the prosperity of even his greatest enemy, that human being is the Bhakta, that is the Yogi, that is the Guru of all.
We find that in many different religions, holy figures have been worshiped. They worship Krishna, they worship Buddha, they worship Jesus, and so on. Then, there is the worship of the Saints; Hundreds of them have been worshiped around the world, and why not? The vibration of light is everywhere.
Temples or churches, books or forms, are simply the kindergarten of religion, to make the Spiritual child strong enough to take higher steps; and these first steps are necessary if you want religion.
Realizing God
With thirst, longing for God, comes true devotion, true Bhakti. Who has the desire? That is the question, neither in dogmas, nor in intellectual argumentation; It is being and becoming, it is realization. We hear so many people talk about God and the soul, and all the mysteries of the universe, but if you take them one by one and ask them: “Have you realized God?” Have you seen your Soul? How many can answer affirmatively? And yet they are all fighting each other!
However, all these forms and symbols are simply the beginning, not the true love of God.
As long as man thinks of God as a Being sitting on the clouds, with rewards in one hand and punishments in the other, there can be no love.
Under the impetus of that love, Christ gives his life for humanity, Buddha even for an animal, the mother for the child, the husband for the wife.
Thus we arrive at what is called Bhakti, supreme devotion, in which forms and symbols fade away. He who has achieved that cannot belong to any sect, because all sects are in him.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does Vivekananda mean by the "kindergarten of religion"?
He refers to temples, books, rituals, and symbols. While necessary for the spiritual "child" to grow, they are not the end goal. Real religion begins with the direct realization of God in the heart.
What is the philosophy of Ishvara?
Ishvara is the Personal God—the highest manifestation of the Absolute (Brahman) that the human mind can conceive. Vivekananda teaches that we must worship the Absolute through the Personal to make love tangible.
Can Bhakti Yoga exist without a Guru?
Vivekananda emphasizes the need for a Guru to transmit the spiritual "impulse." However, the teacher must be one who has realized the Truth and whose only motive is selfless love.
What is Para-Bhakti?
Para-Bhakti is Supreme Devotion. At this stage, the devotee no longer needs rituals or symbols because they see God everywhere. Fanaticism becomes impossible because the seeker sees only Love in all beings.
Conclusion
Swami Vivekananda’s vision of Bhakti Yoga is a call to move beyond dry dogmas and intellectual arguments. It is an invitation to feel the "thirst" for God.
By following the path of Love, we do not lose our reason; rather, we find its fulfillment.
As Pedro Nonell highlights in his translations, whether we follow Christ, Buddha, or Krishna, we are all seeking the same light. When we realize the Soul, all sects disappear, and only the "Maremoto" (tidal wave) of spirituality remains.
Listen to the video of Pedro Nonell with English subtitles
Introduction to Bhakti (Devotion)
by Swami Vivekananda (Philosophy of Yoga)
Introduction to Bhakti by Swami Vivekananda
Yogi: Self-control, equanimity, universal love
(c) Gita Institute & Pedro Nonell
