Lessons from a Mango: From Practice to Perfection (How Sadhana-bhakti Ripens into Prema-bhakti)
In today’s session, we explore a sweet and meaningful analogy that Śrīla Prabhupāda often used to describe our spiritual development in Bhakti Yoga—the analogy of a mango ripening.
Just like a mango (or any fruit) starts off unripe and firm before becoming juicy and sweet, our practice of devotional service (Bhakti Yoga) matures gradually as we engage in the spiritual practices (sādhanas) of Bhakti Yoga. Along the way, we move through nine stages of spiritual advancement, developed as we engage in any of the nine powerful processes of devotional service.
By the end of this video, you’ll have a clear picture of how Bhakti Yoga works—how the small seed of our initial bhakti grows, how it sweetens over time, and how each step we take brings us closer to spiritual perfection: the uncovering of the eternal, loving relationship that already exists between each of us and the Supreme (Krishna).