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RAMAKRISHNA ANANDA

Being a Bhakta

Find out how to turn suffering into delight

What is it like to be a bhakta, a lover of God? Bhaktas have tender feelings for God and all living creatures. They know what pain and suffering is like and, in their compassion, they want to help bring spiritual light into the world. How do you know if you are a bhakta?

Ask yourself this question:  If God came to me now, what would I ask for? If your answer is power over outer circumstances, then you are not a bhakta. A bhakta wants only God and has an attitude of, “Lord, give me Yourself. I leave the details to You.” Find out how this attitude can turn suffering into bliss and happiness.

Bhakti Yoga Talks, Devotion

What is a Bhakta?

Are you willing to look upon everything you have as God’s? Are you willing to look upon all your friends, your family, as belonging to the Lord? That’s how a seeker of the inner kingdom lives. “Lord, what do You want to do with my energies, my resources? What do You want to do with me?” That’s a devotee. That’s a bhakta.

  • Learn how the Lord places a bhakta in an inner kingdom called svarupa (soul)
  • How only those who approach God with no desire for eternal reward are admitted to the kingdom; if you want the Lord to manipulate the external world for you, you’re not a bhakta
  • Hear how Sri Ramakrishna even rejected the good karmas offered by the Divine Mother
  • Find out what is meant in the Vedas:  “The bhakta gains the kingdom, becomes the master of the world.”

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The three steps of classical kriya are self-study, self-discipline and devotion. These make it easier for busy people to experience spiritual awakening.

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