Differentiate Between The Bhakti Yoga And Karma Yoga (Essay Sample)

Bhakti yoga and Karma yoga
Name
Institution
Bhakti yoga and Karma yoga
Introduction
Yoga is considered to be a spiritual and mental discipline that enhances the knowledge that the individual-to-soul and the world-to-mind are one (Van Voorst, 2008, p.51). Yoga, in Hinduism, is not a form of exercise as perceived by the Western World, but rather, it is a discipline that is devoted to religion. According to Smith (1991, p.28), four types of yoga that cater for different spiritual personality types. The essay explores the bhakti yoga and karma yoga, and their relevance to the non-Hindu to have a better life.
Bhakti yoga aims at directing the devotion and the emotions of the yogi to God the love that dwells in every soul (Smith, 1991, p.32). In this respect, Bhakti yoga is considered to be the path of devotion that is suitable for people who receives their input through emotions. Bhakti yoga develops from the premise that loving God and devoting to His principles will enable the yogi to show love to everything around him. According to Smith (1991, p.33), Bhakti yogi will ensure that he identifies with God and reject any suggestions that God is oneself. Bhakti yoga is being applied widely in Christianity through prayers, worship, and teachings (Smith, p.35). Bhakti yoga is relevant to all the non-Hindu in many respects; for instance, people who have been entrusted with leadership positions should stand for what is right for all the people. The examples of leaders that are associated with bhakti yoga include Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Junior (Carrico, 2007). Again, the non-Hindu can develop love for all the people that come their way without considering class, age or race. For instance, Mother Teresa is seen as a bhakti yogi for her devotion towards taking care of the poor, the sick, and the weak members of the society that included children and the elderly (Carrico, 2007). In Smith’s perspective, having different modes of love is significant in strengthening the love to God, and therefore, all should be adopted (p.36).
Smith (1991, p.37) points out that Karma yoga is designed for people with “active bent.” Karma yoga is a path of self-service; the principle of Karma yoga is that the experiences people have today are determined by the actions they took in the past (Smith, 1991, p.37). Karma yoga emphasizes that a person should have a life of non-attachment to be free from the bondage of evil; in this respect, the person will work serving God because he will not suffer any form of disappointment (Smith, 1991, p.39). People should carry out their work and also become an instrument for God’s work to purify their minds and realize that the outcome of their work is not in their abilities, but as a result of God’s intervention. Karma yoga is relevant to non-Hindu in many aspects; for instance, engaging in volunteer activities fulfills the purpose of Karma yoga because the participant is not working for material gains. Vo...