Dublin Krishna Temple
83 Middle Abbey St, North City, Dublin 1, D01 EV91, Ireland
OUR TEACHINGS & PRACTICES
BHAKTI YOGA
Today, some yoga practitioners consider the physical benefits of yoga to be the end in themselves. But according to the traditional yoga systems, physical exercises are just one step on the path of God realisation. The Bhagavad-Gita (the core spiritual text of the Hare Krishna movement) explains bhakti-yoga (the path of dedication and love) as the culmination of other yoga practices. Bhakti-yoga focuses on developing our dedication, service and love for the divine Lord Krishna.
MANTRA MEDITATION
Meditation is a spiritual practice found in practically all religious and spiritual traditions, although the methods differ.
The Vaishnava tradition recommends the chanting of the names of God to be a particularly effective method of spiritual awakening, simultaneously opening us to an incredibly empowering experience. Bhakti-yogis use mantra meditation both on an individual level and collectively through mantra music and singing called “kirtan”.
CONSCIOUS LIVING
The lifestyle of a bhakti-yogi is one of intentional actions and choices that are in favour of becoming conscious of the Supreme. Through a variety of activities, a bhakti-yogi aims to become a devotee of the Lord, training the mind along with our actions towards selfless service to all living beings and ultimately to Lord Krishna. Living in this way, we reduce our karmic reaction because our daily activities are intentionally devoted to the divine who is the controller of karma.
Some of the activities we do daily are: meditate, sing mantra music, study and live by the sacred Vedic wisdom, have daily philosophy discourses, eat only karma-free vegetarian food, and try in all spheres of our life to live in a way that upholds the principles of truthfulness, mercy, austerity, and cleanliness.
KARMA-FREE DIET
We believe that the sourcing, preparation and eating of food should be based on principles of compassion, non-violence and balanced living. Thus, bhakti-yogis advocate a strict vegetarian diet, avoiding any animal products. In the Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna tells His friend and disciple, Arjuna, to offer everything to Him and in this way everything he does, thinks, and eats becomes freed from sinful reactions, or karma. In Sanskrit, this is called “prasadam”, which means mercy. This is sanctified food that has been offered to Krishna with love and devotion.
