We two young aspirants, Nantin Baba and I, lived in the Laria Kanta forests of Nanital when I was sixteen years of age. At that time Anandamayi Ma, a well-known spiritual leader of India, was going on a pilgrimage with her husband. Although they traveled together they did not have the usual husband/wife relationship, but had mutually developed an understanding of the value of abstinence and had decided to live as celibates. They were both in their forties and were totally dedicated to the Lord. On this pilgrimage they were accompanied by a large group of followers and were traveling from Manasarowar to Kailas, which is near Mount Everest, the highest of the Himalayan mountains. A pilgrimage to this site is considered to be the greatest of all, and on the way the people aspire to have a glance of the sages and to meet the adepts.

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Anandamayi Ma heard about us two young renunciates and came to visit us on her way to Kailas. When she returned from Kailas two months later she again passed through Nanital, and at that time we met her again and attended her group meetings in the evenings. She was a follower of this path of love and devotion, and regularly offered discourses on the path to her large following.

 

There are many paths to enlightenment generally referred to in yoga, but actually there are six main paths, and bhakti yoga, the path of devotion, is one of them. This path of love is a path of self-surrender, and music is one of its devotional expressions. Bhakti yoga is based on self-sacrifice, reverence, and compassion. In this path humility, gentleness, purity, simplicity, and sincerity are important virtues. It is the path of the heart. This means that the followers direct the power of emotion toward God. Many on this path start flowing tears when they hear talk of God or when they assemble for chanting. Philosophically, the aspirant on this path does not want to merge his individuality in God, but prefers to have a separate identity and to be always in the service of the Lord. The philosophy of liberation, according to this path, is nearness to God. Liberation means attaining status in the celestial plane where one can constantly remain near to God. Many follow this path, but it is not as easy to follow as most people think. Bhakti yoga is not the path of blind followers.

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Jñana yoga is a path of knowledge, and is called the yoga of the intellect. This study involves not merely the cognitive intellect, but rather that intellect which has been sharpened by listening attentively to the sayings of the great sages as they are taught by a competent teacher, and then contemplating on these sayings to finally attain a state of freedom. This path is like the razor’s edge, and if one does not tread it with discipline he might become egotistical. Constant company of the sages and contemplation with the help of non-attachment are important requisites in this path.

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Karma yoga is a path followed by those who believe in doing duties selflessly. These aspirants understand that all the fruits of one’s actions should be surrendered to God, who dwells in everyone’s heart. Selfless action performed skillfully liberates one from the bondage created by the fruits therein. Knowledge of karma yoga is essential to attaining liberation. By performing right actions which do not create bondage, and by attaining higher knowledge, one liberates one’s self from the rounds of births and deaths.

 

Kundalini yoga is one of the aspects of yoga which is practiced by those who understand a great deal about the body, the nervous system, and the various channels of energy in the human body. The special disciplines that help the aspirant to control his bodily functions and internal states are essential. The primal force, which remains in the sleeping state at the base of the spinal column, is consciously awakened and led through the sushumna to the highest of the chakras, where the Shakti principle unites with the Shiva principle. [Sushumna is the most subtle channel on which the primal force travels. Without its application, that kundalini force cannot rise. Chakras are the wheels of life used for the subtle body. Shakti is the Divine Mother who manifests the universe. She is the universal power which can function only through that Mother force.]

 

Raja yoga is a path of systematic discipline which leads the student upward along the eight-runged ladder to a state called samadhi, or union with the absolute Reality. This is the most comprehensive path and is a highly systematic and evolved science in which karma, bhakti, kundalini, and jñana are combined. The philosophy of raja yoga is based on Sankhya philosophy.

 

Sri Vidya, in which the microcosm and macrocosm are thoroughly understood, is the highest of all the paths and is practiced by only very few accomplished ones. It is a practical path, but it requires strong philosophical understanding before it is trodden. Practice based on the mere information of books could be time-consuming as well as dangerous. A competent teacher is necessary in this spiritual practice, and the principles of tantra and other philosophies need to be thoroughly understood before a student takes such a venture. This extremely rare path is followed only by the highly accomplished sages.

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Nantin Baba and I attended a gathering of Anandamayi Ma’s students, in which everyone was chanting in Bengali and Hindi. We enjoyed listening to the chants, but felt more like observers than part of the group. We were both more inclined toward meditation and were on the paths of raja yoga and jñana yoga, although we also appreciated the other paths. If a person follows one particular path it does not mean that he hates the other paths. Nonetheless one of Anandamayi Ma’s students came up to us and tried to convince us that the path of devotion was the highest one and that we should switch to it.

 

He asked, “Why are you not participating in the chanting?” I told him, “The horse that pulls the buggy does not enjoy pulling it, but the person who is seated in the buggy enjoys the ride and benefits by witnessing and sitting quietly. The person who is performing the action does not enjoy it as much as the wise man who is witnessing it. Some people chant, and others enjoy chanting silently. We are enjoying more than anybody else. How do you know that we do not follow the path of devotion?”

 

In his ignorance this student was very adamant that his path was the only one. Our discussion soon led to an argument, and Anandamayi Ma intervened by saying to her follower, “Don’t argue with these two young renunciates. One should try to understand one’s own inner worth and then follow the path best suited to him. The path of devotion does not mean dumb devotion. Devotion means total dedication, surrender, and love for the Lord. It is the path of the heart, but it does not contradict that intellect or reason which solves many problems of life. Devotion is also part of the other paths. It is not possible for the jñana yogi to attain enlightenment if he does not also have devotion. Everyone wants to follow bhakti, the path of devotion, thinking that it is very easy and simple. But that’s not true. The path of devotion means accepting the existence of the Lord instead of worshipping one’s own existence. Those who weep, shiver, become emotional, or act in a funny way cannot be called the followers of bhakti yoga. Tranquility of mind should be cultivated; then all the paths can be understood—and not before that. Purification of the mind is necessary, and is achieved by disciplining one’s mind, action, and speech. Argumentation is a state of learning and not a state of being.”

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I remember her remarkable discourse even today. I asked her, “Is it true that your path is superior to other paths and that only what you are doing is authentic? Do you think that others are wasting their time?”

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She replied, “My path of devotion suits me, but do not change your paths. Those who do not have guidance become confused and often change their paths. A confused mind is not fit to follow any path. Seekers of truth should learn to search for competence and guidance by seeing certain signs and symptoms in the teacher, such as selflessness, truthfulness, sincerity, and control of mind, action, and speech.

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“Students also commit mistakes when they become idealistic without observing their capacity or following any discipline. They see only what they want to see. This prevents them from learning, and then they get attached to the path which they think they are following. They become very fanatical and egotistical and even begin fighting with people. This can happen to any seeker if his inferiority complex goes on developing and creating boundaries, closing all the doors of knowledge and making him selfcentered, uncommunicative, and egotistical.”

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Ma confirmed our ideas and strengthened those principles which we were following. She said, “Learning the scriptures is very good and helpful, but without satsanga such learning can also make anyone egotistical. A learned man having satsanga is very humble, communicative, and gentle in his behavior.

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“Beginners often argue and boast about the superiority of their way, but one who has trodden the path knows that all paths lead to the same destination. There is no superior or inferior path. It is immaterial which path one follows, but one should carefully watch one’s own modifications of mind and learn not to identify with them.” As she stared at the eyes of her husband, which were like cups of wine full of devotion, we said goodbye to Anandamayi Ma, and I went to the quiet place where I often used to hide myself.

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This is an excerpt from Swami Rama's book "Living With the Himalayan Masters"