← Home
soteriology

Bhakti

The path of loving devotion and self-surrender to a personal deity as itself sufficient means of liberation — the Gita's 'to those constantly devoted, I come forward as their deliverer,' Kabir's and the Sant poets' love-religion, the devotional stream that parallels Sufi love-mysticism. Distinct from mystical_union (the resulting state), fana_annihilation (the ego's unmaking at the path's end), ladder_of_love (eros staged toward Beauty), and prayer (the practice of address): bhakti names devotion as the soteriological road itself.

74 passages · 7 traditions
christian_mysticism: 58 passageschristian_mysticism58hinduism: 6 passageshinduism6theosophy: 3 passagestheosophy3biblical: 2 passagesbiblical2native_american: 2 passagesnative_american2western_esoteric: 2 passageswestern_esoteric2zoroastrianism: 1 passagezoroastrianism1
christian_mysticism58
Revelations of Divine Love | Chapter I-a
“"A Revelation of Love—in Sixteen Shewings" This is a Revelation of Love that Jesus Christ, our endless bliss, made in Sixteen Shewings, or Revelations particular. Of the which the First is of His precious crowning with thorns; and therewit…”
Revelations of Divine Love | Chapter II
“"A simple creature unlettered.—Which creature afore desired three gifts of God" These Revelations were shewed to a simple creature unlettered, the year of our Lord 1373, the Thirteenth day of May. Which creature [had] afore desired three gi…”
Revelations of Divine Love | Chapter III-a
“"I desired to suffer with Him" And when I was thirty years old and a half, God sent me a bodily sickness, in which I lay three days and three nights; and on the fourth night I took all my rites of Holy Church, and weened not to have lived t…”
Revelations of Divine Love | Chapter III-b
“But in this I desired never bodily sight nor shewing of God, but compassion such as a kind soul might have with our Lord Jesus, that for love would be a mortal man: and therefore I desired to suffer with Him. THE FIRST REVELATION…”
Revelations of Divine Love | Chapter IV
“"I saw ... as it were in the time of His Passion.... And in the same Shewing suddenly the Trinity filled my heart with utmost joy" In this [moment] suddenly I saw the red blood trickle down from under the Garland hot and freshly and right p…”
Revelations of Divine Love | Chapter V
“"God, of Thy Goodness, give me Thyself;—only in Thee I have all" In this same time our Lord shewed me a spiritual sight of His homely loving. I saw that He is to us everything that is good and comfortable for us: He is our clothing that for…”
Revelations of Divine Love | Chapter VI-a
“"The Goodness of God is the highest prayer, and it cometh down to the lowest part of our need" This Shewing was made to learn our soul wisely to cleave to the Goodness of God. And in that time the custom of our praying was brought to mind:…”
Revelations of Divine Love | Chapter VI-b
“And therefore we may with grace and His help stand in spiritual beholding, with everlasting marvel of this high, overpassing, inestimable Love that Almighty God hath to us of His Goodness. And therefore we may ask of our Lover with reveren…”
Show all 58 →
hinduism6
The Bhagavad Gita | Chapter VII, Section 1b
“Whichever form (of deity) any worshipper wishes to worship with faith, to that form I render his faith steady. Possessed Of that faith, he seeks to propitiate (the deity in) that (form), and obtains from it those beneficial things which he…”
The Bhagavad Gita | Chapter IX, Section 1a
“CHAPTER IX. Now I will speak to you, who are not given to carping, of that most mysterious knowledge, accompanied by experience, by knowing which you will be released from evil. It is the chief among the sciences, the chief among the myst…”
The Bhagavad Gita | Chapter X, Section 1a
“CHAPTER X. Yet again, O you of mighty arms! listen to my excellent words, which, out of a wish for your welfare, I speak to you who are delighted (with them). Not the multitudes of gods, nor the great sages know my source; for I am in ev…”
The Bhagavad Gita | Chapter XVIII, Section 1c
“Agriculture, tending cattle, trade, (this) is the natural duty of Vai s yas, And the natural duty of S ûdras, too, consists in service. (Every) man intent on his own respective duties obtains perfection . Listen, now, how one intent on on…”
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Book I | Sutra 23
“Or spiritual consciousness may be gained by ardent service of the Master. If we think of our lives as tasks laid on us by the Master of Life, if we look on all duties as parts of that Master's work, entrusted to us, and forming our life-wor…”
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Book II | Sutra 1
“The practices which make for union with the Soul are: fervent aspiration, spiritual reading, and complete obedience to the Master. The word which I have rendered 'fervent aspiration' means primarily 'fire'; and, in the Eastern teaching, it…”
theosophy3
The Secret Doctrine | Page 13 (part 8)
“Although these matters were barely hinted at in " Isis Unveiled ," it will be well to remind the reader of what was said in Vol. I., pp. 587 to 593, concerning a certain Sacred Island in Central Asia, and to refer him for further details…”
The Secret Doctrine | Page 27 (part 5)
“We bow to thee, in the nature of Brahma uncreated, undecaying ( avyaya ), who art in our bodies and in all other bodies , and in all living creatures , and beside whom nothing exists. We glorify that Vasudeva, the lord of all, who is witho…”
The Secret Doctrine | Page 55 (part 2)
“T HE Progenitors of Man, called in India "Fathers," Pitara or Pitris, are the creators of our bodies and lower principles. They are ourselves, as the first personalities, and we are they. Primeval man would be "the bone of their bone and…”
biblical2
The Gospel According to John (American Standard Version, 1901) | 14:12-15:3
“[14:12] Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father. [14:13] And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do,…”
The Gospel According to John (American Standard Version, 1901) | 15:4-15:27
“[15:4] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me. [15:5] I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same be…”
native_american2
The Soul of the Indian | Chapter II-a
“THE FAMILY ALTAR Pre-natal Influence. Early Religious Teaching. The Function of the Aged. Woman, Marriage and the Family. Loyalty, Hospitality, Friendship. The American Indian was an individualist in religion as in war. He had neither…”
The Soul of the Indian | Chapter II-d
“Names of any dignity or importance must be conferred by the old men, and especially so if they have any spiritual significance; as Sacred Cloud, Mysterious Night, Spirit Woman, and the like. Such a name was sometimes borne by three generat…”
western_esoteric2
The Book of Ceremonial Magic (A.E. Waite) | Page 12 (part 2)
“May the blessing of the Patriarchs and prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and of all the saints of God, be with me for ever ✠ , Amen. May the blessing of all the heavens of God be with me for ever ✠ , Amen. May the majesty…”
The Book of Ceremonial Magic (A.E. Waite) | Page 12 (part 3)
“O most sweet Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the great living God, Thou hast Performed most mighty miracles by the sole power of Thy most precious Name, and hast enriched the poor most abundantly, so that by force thereof the demons flee away, th…”
zoroastrianism1
Avesta (Gathas) | Ushtavaiti Gatha, Yasna XLIII, Section 1c
“when with the Good Mind's grace Thy Sraosha (Obedience) approached me, (and said): Let the quiet and long-enduring better mind with understanding teach (thee); let not a foremost 5 man p. 106 conciliate the wicked (as sycophant desiring ai…”