This is an essential realization for anyone who wants to transcend death and enter into the spiritual world beyond. It is not simply a matter of saying “I am not this body,” but of actually realizing it. This is not as simple as it may seem at first. Although we are not these bodies but are pure consciousness, somehow or other we have become encased within the bodily dress. If we actually want the happiness and independence that transcend death, we have to establish ourselves and remain in our constitutional position as pure consciousness.
The word bhakti refers to divine love; bhakti is the love that is dormant within the heart of every living being, it is the pleasure that everyone is seeking, and it is the highest potential in all beings. The true self, the atma, or soul, is seeing through the eyes, tasting through the tongue, touching through the body and so, things of this world can give some amount of satisfaction to the mind and senses, but they cannot reach the true self, it is only love that gives fulfilment to the heart. Bhakti is the purest form of that love which connects our true self to its source; Krishna, and as a result connects us to every other living being in the most meaningful way.
Beginning around the sixth century C.E., a bhakti revivalist movement developed around the writings of mystics who were extracting the essence of the ancient scriptures. These mystics were mostly in South India, and they expressed their intimate love and longing for God through philosophy, song, and poetry. Their devotional revelations were gradually expanded on by their disciples and organized into schools of devotional yoga by scholars and saints like Ramanuja (1017–1137), Madhva (1238–1317), Nimbarka (circa eleventh century), Vallabha (1479–1531), and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1533).
Focusing on sincerity of intent and development of character, these revered teachers ushered in a movement that is still growing. In the 1960s, the bhakti movement finally left India in the hands of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and arrived on the shores of countries all over the world. Still, while history provides an interesting context for the development of the bhakti movement, bhakti itself is timeless. Love for the Supreme is the eternal nature of all souls, and all religions or philosophies that strive to help their adherents awaken that love are essentially practicing bhakti.
Sri Krsna, Brahma, Narada, Vyasa, Madhva. Padmanabha, Nrhari, Madhava, Aksobhya, Jaya Tirtha, Jnanasindhu, Dayanidhi, Vidyanidhi, Rajendra, Jayadharma, Purusottama, Brahmanya Tirtha, Vyasa Tirtha, Laksmipati, Madhavendra Puri, Isvara Puri, Lord Caitanya, Rupa, Raghunatha, Jiva, Krsnadasa, Narottama, Visvanatha, Jagannatha, Bhaktivinoda, Gaurakisora, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,
This is the authentic succession of Vedic knowledge originally given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna 5000 years ago.
Books such as the Bhagavad Gita As it Is, Srimad Bhagavatam and the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (featured below) are some of the most prominent and essential books in the tradition of Bhakti Yoga.
This is an indication that from the birthplace of Lord Caitanya the inundation of love of Godhead should be spread all over the world, for this will help everyone, including old men, young men, women and children. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so powerful that it can inundate the entire world and interest all classes of men in the subject of love of Godhead. – Srila Prabhupada
Hare Krishna Kansas City is an ISKCON Rupanuga Vedic College center for sharing Krishna Consciousness. Though still relatively small, many knowledgeable persons feel it offers the finest program in the world for sharing the art of self-realization.