to the still, contemplating practitioner. The raja-yogin seeks to quiet all aspects of his body and mind, and enter into a transcendent state beyond nature. Some schools define the highest samadhi as taking place when the breath has stopped, obviously necessitating that the body be in an immobile posture. Patanjali is generally recognized as the foremost exponent of Raja-Yoga, and his Yoga-Sutra is the primary text of this discipline. Baba Hari Dass, 1997Bhakti: Way of Devotion or Love Bhakti-Yoga is the path of love and devotion. Traditionally, this has involved the use of external props and external relationships. Rites, rituals and ceremonies comprise the props, and adoration of gurus and an external Supreme Being are the focus of the relationships. The beauty of Bhakti-Yoga is that it is so accessible to anyone, regardless of spiritual development, because the aspirant is free to establish a relationship with God in any form that he finds attractive. In addition, it satisfies the primal craving inherent in the soul of all beings — the desire for love. Bhakti-Yoga satisfies this urge within a spiritual context, permitting love and devotion to be cultivated and directed in a healthy manner. The Narada's Bhakti-Sutra and portions of the Bhagavad-Gita outline this path. The disadvantage of Bhakti-Yoga is that it can become an escape from the rigors of the deep self-examination required for spiritual growth. Devotion can all too easily deteriorate to a dreamy sentimentalism if it is not balanced with honest introspection. In addition, an overly emotional dependence on anything outside of oneself, regardless of how apparently "divine," prevents one from reaching the state of spiritual maturity. This has been the problem in those sects in which "grace" from the guru is supposed to be the fuel which drives the rocket of the disciples growth. Gurus who claim to do the work the disciples must do for themselves are misleading ...
