Exquisite Love

The Narada Bhakti Sutra is a collection of 84 aphoristic statements in Sanskrit, dating to the 10th - 11th centuries in India, on the nature of love for Divinity, which that text describes as the highest, most exquisite form of love. Translating, explaining and interpreting twenty of those short phrases, William K. Mahony brings these teachings into our contemporary world through his extended reflections on the qualities of this love and on the contours of a life oriented toward strengthening, refining and elevating it.

Basing his reflections on the understanding that God is of the nature of absolute Love, Mahony speaks of the divine Heart that is expressed in our own human sentiments of love. He offers readers guidance into ways a Heart-centered life can open them evermore fully to the reality of Love itself.

“Exquisite Love takes us into the very depths of the Indian devotional tradition, combining rigorous scholarship with the kind of insight that can only come through deep practice. William Mahony enters the heart of the Nārada Bhakti Sūtra, offering its secrets to readers in a way that takes us into the very essence of this powerful text. Not only does this book teach you about the sutras, and their background in the tradition, it unveils a genuine experience of the inner states that are the core of the yoga of the heart. A must read for anyone who wants to understand and deeply experience this profound path to yogic union.” — Sally Kempton, author of Meditation for the Love of It

“Exquisite Love is not only a clear exposition of the Heart, but it is a luminous guide to help people skillfully connect to the graceful, loving Presence at the very center of their Being. In addition to wonderfully presenting a set of reflections on how we can become more immersed in the Heart through yogic sadhana, Exquisite Love inspires us to deepen and refine the experience of Love within our lives.” — John Friend, Founder of Anusara yoga