The Right Bhav

By

Sri Swami Atmaswarupananda

Early Morning Meditation Talk given in the Sacred Samadhi Hall of Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh

Many great spiritual teachers have taught only one yoga. It is the way they have realised God, so it seems to them to be the easy way. That was not Gurudev’s way. He recommended to us an integral yoga.

He believed that head, heart and hand should all be developed. Perhaps it was because in his experience he had seen that those who followed just one path often ignored parts of themselves that are vital to all-round development. He noticed that those who followed only the path of Vedanta, instead of realising the ultimate truth, would often become dry Vedantins, arguing this way and that way about minor points. Those who would only repeat God’s name or follow devotional practices would be caught up in their feelings and often have no actual idea of the real goal of the spiritual life. And while Gurudev, from beginning to end, was an advocate of karma yoga, he knew that without the development of understanding, without proper devotion, karma yoga would not be yoga at all, but just karma–work–thinking you were making spiritual progress, but actually not moving at all.

However, in actual fact, even integral yoga doesn’t necessarily guarantee that we will make spiritual progress. Just as those who follow only the path of head or heart or hand can get stuck, so too, if we follow integral yoga, we can also get stuck if in our heart of hearts we ignore the ultimate truth of the spiritual life, if we ignore that which we are meant to realise.

The declaration of the scriptures is that all this is Brahman and That thou art. And whether we practise an individual yoga or integral yoga, if we don’t bring into our spiritual life the ultimate truth of the scriptures in a real way, how can we possibly dream that we can have the fruit of the scriptures? Therefore, sooner or later, our spiritual life must be done from the point of view of the truth of the scriptures. If all this is Brahman and I am That, it is not an individual ego that is doing the spiritual practice at all, whether it be an individual yoga or integral yoga. It has to be the Lord Himself.

It is this bhav–that feels that it is the Lord that is doing our yoga, that everything is the Lord–that can make any yoga successful. It can be an individual yoga or integral yoga. It doesn’t matter. The important thing is the bhav with which we do our practice: That which is doing the yoga is nothing except the Lord Himself, because there is nothing except the Lord. Even the feeling that there is separation is nothing except the Lord. It is this understanding that will lead us towards our goal and make our present yoga successful.

The Right Bhav

The Right Bhav is the foundation of true spiritual life, devotion, meditation, selfless service, and God-realisation. The teachings of The Right Bhav explain that spiritual practices become meaningful only when performed with sincerity, purity, humility, faith, love, and devotion. Bhav means the inner attitude, feeling, or spiritual mood with which one approaches God, prayer, meditation, chanting, Yoga, and service. The wisdom of The Right Bhav teaches that even simple actions become spiritually powerful when done with divine awareness and selfless intention. Devotional India continues to preserve and spread these sacred teachings of Bhakti, Vedanta, Yoga, and divine living for the upliftment of humanity.

The message of The Right Bhav reminds seekers that external rituals alone are not enough without inner purity and devotion. A person may perform worship, meditation, prayer, chanting, or selfless service, but without The Right Bhav, spiritual growth remains incomplete. Through truthfulness, compassion, humility, surrender, patience, and constant remembrance of God, seekers gradually cultivate The Right Bhav in daily life. The teachings of The Right Bhav inspire humanity to overcome ego, selfishness, pride, anger, attachment, and negativity through sincere spiritual effort. Devotional India encourages seekers to practise devotion, meditation, self-control, and divine consciousness with the right inner attitude.

The spiritual wisdom of The Right Bhav also teaches that every thought, word, and action should become an offering to the Divine. When seekers act with love, faith, purity, and selflessness, the mind becomes peaceful and spiritually awakened. The teachings of The Right Bhav guide humanity toward self-realisation, inner transformation, compassion, and divine bliss. Devotional India continues to spread the eternal message of spirituality, universal love, devotion, and righteous living through timeless spiritual wisdom.

-Spirituality Means Willingness to Change