How can knowledge of other yogas help in practicing bhakti?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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How can knowledge of Karma Yoga, Gyan Yoga, Ashtang Yoga help us in practicing Bhakti? It’s not necessary that we have to know all these processes for practicing Bhakti. But it is that if we know these processes or at least in terms of analytical position of how these processes are, then we can better appreciate the glory of Bhakti. And appreciating the glory of Bhakti, we will practice it with greater conviction.
So, knowledge itself does not foster devotion. But knowledge can foster the conviction that enables us to practice the process that fosters devotion. What this means is that knowledge, just by knowing philosophy, even by knowing about Krishna, just knowledge itself does not bring attraction towards Krishna.
But there is a process for cultivating attraction towards Krishna. If I chant the holy names, if I worship the deities, if I study Shastra in a devotional mood, if I go to holy places, all these activities, because they are exposing me to Krishna more and more, they will increase my devotion gradually. They will increase my attraction towards Krishna.
But if we have philosophical knowledge, then we will practice these processes with greater conviction. Many people chant Hare Krishna as a ritual. Many traditional people chant Hare Krishna or Ram Naam or whatever.
And they do it as a tradition, as a ritual. That is good. But they are not doing it as a sadhana.
So, when I am convinced about the glory of the holy name, I will focus on the holy name. And the more I focus on the holy name, the more my attraction to Krishna will increase. So, therefore, it is knowledge of the other processes.
If we understand them, then we understand, okay, these processes have so much difficulty, so much complexity. And after that also, the result that I am getting is not complete result. On the other hand, bhakti, it seems so simple, but you are going to get such a great result.
So, that knowledge will give us the conviction to practice bhakti. So, if we have an analytical frame of mind, where intellectual conviction plays a big role in our doing something, then we can go into the technical analysis of the Bhagavad Gita and understand how Krishna explains bhakti yoga in the best. But if we are not too intellectually inclined, we are not too much interested in technical analysis, and if we feel inspired to practice bhakti directly, then there is no need to go into technicalities too much.
Certainly, we should study the philosophy, but the technicalities of the philosophy, we don’t have to go into that. So, the knowledge helps us to practice the process that increases our devotion. And in that way, you can say knowledge indirectly contributes to devotion.
Knowledge