The Bhakti Sutras (Part 1) - Edwin Bryant

Welcome to our in-depth lecture series on the Narada Bhakti Sutras, presented by the renowned scholar Edwin Bryant! This series delves into the timeless teachings of the Narada Bhakti Sutras, a foundational text that explores the philosophy and practice of Bhakti (devotion) in the Indian spiritual tradition.
In this lecture series, Edwin Bryant covers:
• Introduction to Bhakti: Understanding the essence of Bhakti and its significance in the spiritual journey.
• Verses 1-10: Exploring the nature of pure devotion and the characteristics of a true devotee.
• Verses 11-20: Discussing the various forms and expressions of Bhakti and the importance of unwavering faith.
• Verses 21-30: Analyzing the obstacles to devotion and the means to overcome them.
• Verses 31-40: Delving into the benefits and ultimate goal of Bhakti, including the experience of divine love.
• Verses 41-50: Understanding the relationship between Bhakti and other spiritual paths, such as Jnana (knowledge) and Karma (action).
• Verses 51-60: Examining the qualities of a perfect devotee and the role of grace in the path of Bhakti.
• Verses 61-68: Reflecting on the teachings of various saints and sages on the path of devotion.
Join us as we explore these profound teachings, gaining a deeper understanding of the philosophy and practice of Bhakti through the expert guidance of Edwin Bryant.
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📚 Recommended Reading:
Narada Bhakti Sutras by Narada
Commentaries on the Narada Bhakti Sutras
Works by Edwin Bryant on Indian Philosophy
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For further exploration, check out our playlist on classical Indian philosophies and stay tuned for more in-depth discussions!

[@The06201980]

I want to become a complete bhakti devotee but I don’t know which Ishvara to devote myself to. I bounce around my devotion through all religions and doubt

[@EdwinBryantOfficial]

Hare Krishna! Please do not worry. This is how we all start our journey in bhakti, with confusion and a lot of doubt. I too started this way but later, I realized there cannot be 2 supreme Gods, creation would simply be impossible if there were 2 supreme beings existing independently, which is also what Śankara admits. So we have to pick one name and follow it with full conviction. I also read the Gita later on and all my doubts were dispelled.
According to the Gita, only Krishna alone exists, but he manifests different paths for different people with different natures. He manifests Lord Śiva, the auspicious one so that even ghosts and spirits can have a chance to be liberated. He manifests Lord Brahma, the creator of our current universe so that us Jīvas can find our way to him. He manifests different demigods, so that people who are materially inclined can worship them and gradually purify themselves.
This is why Krishna says in the Gita:
BG 7.20: "Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures."
BG 7.21: "I am in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul. As soon as one desires to worship some demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that particular deity."
BG 7.22: "Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone."
So it's not like if you worship another devatā, you'll be mislead. No, not at all but if you want to follow Vedānta, and the great ācāryas like Śankara, Rāmānuja, Madhva, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then you can simply chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and it might change your life just like it changed mine.
Read about Krishna, his stories, his pastimes, his appearance and you'll keep falling in love with him again and again. Keep chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, it'll purify you and lead you towards the highest form of sattva.
Associate with devotees (online or in-person), chant the maha-mantra and you'll develop the love all bhaktas seek. If you keep moving here and there, you might get confused and there's a chance that you might even give up everything altogether. This almost happened to me, because modern-day Hinduism is very confusing and misleading as it tries to appropriate all the different traditions and Vedic religions under one umbrella.
So keep things simple. Chant, read and associate with bhaktas. You can read several books on the vedabase website and develop your understanding. Thank you and let me know if you have any other questions!
Warm Regards,
Mayank,
Channel Admin

[@The06201980]

@@EdwinBryantOfficial Hare Krishna! Thank you for your kind and thorough response. I do appreciate it 🙏🏻. The reason I follow this channel is that I Edwin Bryant’s Bhakti Yoga book and it was the best book I’ve read on the subject…a subject I had recently become interested in. Does Dr. Bryant have sangha he leads, or are these videos from his online courses through his university? Also is there an online group of devotees you can recommend? Outside of facebook, which I’m not on. Thanks again for your encouragement 🙏🏻

[@EdwinBryantOfficial]

@@The06201980 These videos are from his svādhyāya courses. As far as I'm aware, he has no regular sangha group. He's currently tackling a Sanskrit course, after which he might focus on the bhāgavatam, but at the moment I don't think he has a community like that.
As for online communities, there are plenty thankfully. I personally am very active on reddit's r/HareKrishna community (please avoid r/Hinduism, it's quite chaotic and might lead you in the wrong direction since there aren't many bhaktas there). Along with that, there's r/Vaishnavism also.
On Telegram, I personally manage a group 🙂 I made it especially for new devotees, who would like to have online association or guidance. Please feel free to join our Telegram group if you want. You can find a link to it on HareKrishna's reddit sidebar.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Hare Krishna!
- Mayank

[@dilipsutradhar7685]

❤