BHAKTI YOGA

Bhakti yoga, or the way of devotion, is the most natural path to God-realization.  The devotee, called a Bhakta, need not suppress his emotions.  Indeed, he intensifies them and directs them to God.  The majority of believers in all religions of the world are fundamentally followers of this way.

There are four stages in Bhakti yoga, the first being bhakti, or the devotion itself.  Next is bhava, a state of intense ecstasy.  Only avatars and ishvarakotis can transcend this stage. 

Avatars are divine incarnations of God, while isharakotis are eternally free and perfect souls born in the world for the good of humankind.  An ishvarakoti, according to Sri Ramakrishna, has at least some of the characteristics of an avatar.

The third stage in Bhakti yoga is called prema.  This is a state in which the devotee forgets the world, including his own body.  Fourth is mahabhava, which is the highest manifestation of divine love.

Bhakti, however, conflicts with basic Hindu beliefs regarding karma.  Karma is the working out of one's destiny in light of past deeds.  According to karma, one is fated to undergo the consequences of his past lives, for whatever good or ill he may have done.  But in Bhakti, karma is set aside.  The devotee expects that God will reward his devotion by altering or ignoring the predestined course of his karma.