Nov 09 2010
Shanti Meditation follows the fundamentals of Authentic Yoga. it is a five step meditation , however, all steps moves in one and merges the mind into higher consciousness which i term Peace Consciousness.
today five people in a session practiced meditation. they all experienced deeper peace, calm. body felt totally numb and freezing. mind was calm and new awareness took over.
Dec 03 2009
During the last 20 years serious studies indicated that yoga is not only preventive, promotive health care means but curative and proplytic as well. Later on, many experts used yoga practices for drug abuse and HIV treatment or management, and found that yoga can be successfully applied in the management of this disease along with cancer and other severe diseases as rehabilitative and after care applications.
Now this new millennium is witnessing a sudden rise of yoga practitioners around the world due to its halitosis approach.
Yoga is the cheapest mode of health care means, easy, reliable, and effective as well. Many researchers have also applied yoga is understanding the higher states of consciousness. Infact, Swami Rama could prove that a yoga expert or master can live in all states of consciousness consciously- waking, dreaming, awake and fourth state of consciousness. Many others have proved beyond doubt that yoga practices can bring tremendous strength and power, self-control and miraculous powers within this body. Few experts demonstrated that yoga practices could show the way to future psychology that is evolving in the flied of consciousness and parapsychology also.
It is very difficult to understand through the rational mind how yoga practices can influence the physiological and biochemical functioning is on one side and brings about a deeper understanding of paranormal phenomenon. However, it is true that yoga practices have repeatedly demonstrated this power, capacities, and abilities to the world. While, looking the manifold applications of the yoga practices, it is much more difficult to assess and summarize its applications in human life and its importance and benefits in daily life. However, a systematic approach has been followed to evaluate the effects of yoga and its importance in the light of problems and miseries human race if suffering in this new millennium.
1. Yoga for a whole man
Yoga is for whole man. The whole man means an individual and individual means that is indivisible. This indivisible entity is the search within man by yoga and the moment that search takes place; man enters into bliss as it is only his true nature. This true nature brings health, happiness harmony, delight, and knowledge. Modern science offers symptomatic treatment and treats the ideas while treats the whole man. This makes yoga very important in the present world when man is subjected to many stress, problems, miseries, conflicts, and diseases. Any disease cannot be focused on a particular organ or system as other systems and organs including mind emotion are adversity affected. Modern science while treating the heart ignores emotions, mental factors; while treating lungs ignores other important systems and organs; while treating mind ignores totally the body. Yoga treats the whole man as it considers that without treating mind, emotion, root cause of ignorance the disease cannot be treated or managed effectively.
The whole man means five layers – gross physical boy, the energy body or Pranamaya Kosha, mental body or mind, Annamaya Kosha or knowledge body and Anandmaya Kosha or the body of bliss consciousness are to taken together in order to offer effective treatment and management of many disorders in the modern world today. This will not only help human race to appreciate his place in the world as the most intelligent race but will bring a new level of awareness for better world order.
Yoga discovers this whole man within every human being and experience a total integration that brings qualitatively change.
2. Yoga as preventive and promotive health care means
You practice yoga regularly; you will prevent many diseases and promote health. When you practice yoga daily for a month or until you experience some qualitative change. Yoga is easy, reliable, effective, and cheapest mode of health care means and requires only will and dedication for result. Practice yoga regularly under the supervision of an expert and feel the difference in your life, health, and disease. Infact, many research studies have suggested that regular practice of yoga brings many physiological, biochemical and psychological changes- increase ESR, immunity, working of parasympathetic system; decrease respiration rate, heart rate; rings the level of cholesterol etc. there are many changes that proved that yoga practice makes man more integrated, relaxed, peaceful and harmonious. It is important to practice an integrated program neither only physical nor mental practices. Every integrated program designed by an yoga expert after understanding your physical body, level of your mind, emotion, and other personality factors will bring result shortly but ill organized and designed program will have no result at all.
3. Yoga as curative health care means
Research studies over a period of more than 50 years by medical experts all over the world suggest that yoga can be effectively applied in the management of many diseases like respiratory disorders, cardiovascular diseases, skeletal diseases, GIT disorders, endocrinal disorders etc. yoga can be applied as an alternative means replacing modern treatment with yoga treatment and as an adjunctive treatment means supportive treatment with medical treatment. There is a need of wider awareness of yoga amongst medical doctors so that yoga can be applied where medical treatment is either ineffective or patient is helpless. Yoga can be applied in judiciously even when the patient is in hospital or in rehabilitation or after care center. Take an example of a heart patient who had a stroke and was admitted in Intensive care unit for emergence treatment. After the patient regains consciousness, his mind is full of anxiety, fear, and stress about his future health. Yoga relaxation techniques can be easily and effectively applied there in the intensive care unit for better result as form of adjunctive treatment.
Similarly, persons suffering from Br Asthma, Diabetes, spinal disorders, constipation, indigestion, stress, depression, and other psychological disorders, yoga treatment can be easily applied for better and speedier result.
Infact any person who is conscious of him is in the hospital of either at home or in emergency room can practice yoga. The only thing that is important is how to apply yoga in that condition, what practices are to be given and duration of each practice so that they do not interfere in any way the medical treatment and must be supportive and complementary as well.
There is a long list of diseases for which yoga therapy was applied with very good results. They are respiratory diseases like Br Asthma, Bronchitis, Sinusitis, Allergic conditions; cardiovascular diseases like Angina, MI, Hypertension etc; endocrinal diseases like diabetes etc; skeletal spondylitical conditions; obesity, general disability; paralysis, rehabilitation and after care of HIV, Cancer, Drug addicts and many other serious diseases.
4. Yoga as rehabilitative and after care means
There is growing importance of yoga practices in rehabilitation and after care in the management of many diseases. Yoga management programs are being effectively applied for drug addicts, HIV, cancer, and many other diseases. Infact, yoga programs designed supports the medical treatment in general and in particular. There is ever increasing awareness about effectiveness of yoga in the management of heart patients and many psychological diseases as well.
After the medical treatment, if these patients take yoga practices regularly, they will find tremendous improvement and even faster relief from symptoms.
5. Yoga as Holistic health system
Yoga is mentioned above a holistic health system and can take up management, after care rehabilitation and promotion all together. Holistic health means yoga can treat mind, body, emotion, and other layers together and effectively. In fact, yoga must be applied either in all diseases as promotive health care means, curative or after care means or as integrative tool to manage after effects of disease.
Many hospitals in Britain successfully apply techniques of yoga for painless delivery, relaxation practices for patients of depression and d anxiety, meditation practices for mental patients and transformation of antisocial attitude amongst criminals. It is only an awakened yoga expert can find the role of yoga in the society, hospital and many other organizations destitutions for transforming the modern man towards more relaxed, more aware, more responsive, more integrative and healthy life.
6. Yoga in education
“Yoga is self conscious finding,” says one of the greatest yoga masters who revolutionized by integrating the modern psychology with ancient knowledge of yoga. Sri Aurobindo further says.” By Yoga, we mean ……… a methodizes effort towards self perfection by the expression of potentialities latent in the being and a union of human individual with universal and transcendent existence we see partially expressed in man and in cosmos.”
Yoga is discovery of self-consciously. Any discovery leads to knowledge and yoga leads to knowledge of self. It means, yoga brings the knowledge of all layers of human frame and existence so that they can be harmonized, integrated for happy, healthy, creative life. Yoga further brings on surface consciously the true being that responds integrally to the outer challenges of life with reference to truth and only truth of the being.
Yoga is a learning of self in relation to outer world and in relation to transcendental world of highest consciousness so that even the field of unknown becomes united with the known so that every action taken leads to joy, happiness, perfection, and integration.
Yoga is Infact education of the self and modern education is the education of external world. Yoga is education of self in relation to outer world and modern education is the education of the external world in relation to self.
What is modern education?
Modern education concentrates on the accumulation of information directed to meet the demands of animal instincts i.e. sex, money, and authority. Modern education strengthens the mechanical, habitual mind so that the information can be stored easily and effectively. This information gathering system has to be stronger in order to meet the demands of lower nature, ego, sex etc but it kills spontaneity, naturalness, and harmony within. The aim of modern education is definitely perfection but this perfection is not clearly defined, as there is no holistic concept in modern education system.
Yoga and modern education: essentials for
Modern education and yoga both are search for knowledge aspiring for perfection. One demands perfection in the outer world and the other in the external world. Both external and internal worlds of human being are important as they both together can bring true happiness, integration, and prosperity.
It is essential for the modern man to grow externally as well as internally so that there is total or holistic growth of human being in all directions. The person must also grow with knowledge grows in the mind will be the right education in the present world. It is further important to give due importance to the growth of subjective faculties with outer growth of information in the mind to bring about harmony in the external and internal world.
There had been lopsided development during the last 200 hundreds years of the brain. The left side of the brain has been developed at the cost of right resulting into loss of natural qualities of human beings that are essential to holistic development. Modern education is objective oriented and directed towards acquiring information in a particular area, which meets the demands of ones motive to lead a successful material life. Here, the subjective part of personality is much neglected which create a gap
Integral education for modern man- real education
Philosophy
Integral education means a search of knowledge aimed at perfection within and in the external world, harmonious relationship with ones body, mind, energy, emotions, intellect and ego on one side and ones relationship with society, family, nation, profession, people on other side. It is most important for human being to realize one place in the world set forth by the nature and ones place set forth by the conscious mind in the world. The aim set by ego can be met successfully in the world but aim set by nature for human race is constant evolution can be met by yoga. This aims at conscious evolution of mind, emotion, body, intellect, and ego to some higher principle.
Let there be perfection at physical, emotional, mental, intellectual and spiritual levels side by side with perfection in profession, relations, people and day-to-day actions in the world.
Yoga and modern education must meet together to bring about a total transformation. To accelerate the process of evolution, to help in realizing self esteem, self-discipline, self-evolution, and self-identity.
7. Yoga cures the greatest of all diseases or ignorance
Yoga considers ignorance or lack of awareness as the greatest of all diseases and treatment of this disease can only bring true happiness, health, and harmony in life. This ignorance is different form from illiteracy. Ignorance means lack of awareness of reality or truth that brings egoism, attachment and detachment and yearning desire to live with it. They all five create a vicious circle and bring miseries, problems and afflictions in human life. The cause of stress and stress related disorders are ignorance, ignorance is considered as not appreciating what is truth and ultimate reality. The entire philosophy of yoga is based on four fundamental truths
Suffering is eternal and there is suffering in life.
There is cause of suffering and can be avoided or transformed
There is a way to eliminate all sufferings from life
There is a state where there is total absence of all sufferings.
This total absence of sufferings is also known as self-realization or awakened or awareness of spiritual consciousness. Yoga practices aim at knowing what went wrong with us with reference to external and inner world that can and must be treated in odor to live a life full of \bliss, peace, beauty, delight, and love. The deeper understanding of the cause of suffering, the practices to transform them one by one, entering into a state different from and above the mind, experiencing blissful state have fascinated people all around the world irrespective of their profession, caste, religion, expertise. The very interesting thing about yoga is self-awareness and its constant growth until one reaches to ultimate have attracted people from all occupations.
This growth of self-awareness and perfection within is a deeper urge of every human being on earth who wants to pursue a life of creativity, beauty, bliss, perfection, and knowledge. In addition, every man gets what he wants and expects from yoga.
8. The dream of integrated personality can be realized by yoga
Sri Aurobindo is one of the greatest philosophers, spiritual person and realized soul who had shown the path of perfection while living the life by transforming the life, mind and body. This path is beyond all religions, race, caste, sex, and age as well. The ways and means shown are very much present in ones life and can be undertaken at anytime even in the midst of all activities. His philosophy came after his experimentation of this transcendental life and experience at every step. He had mastered every step that will be guiding light in future of science and had set the foundations for a life beyond stress and full of harmony, peace, delight, power, knowledge etc.
This integrated personality deals with the whole man and human frame unlike Psychoanalysis in which many parts of being are left without bringing any change. And this holistic living can be achieved by integrating all layers of ones existence and also with all possible branches of knowledge brought together including psychology an spiritual science this integration is not based on the objective of eliminating the abnormalities in the personality but also integrating with a view to transform every aspect of living and existence so that nothing remains untransformed. This lays the foundation of conscious evolution of man by which one can reach to the zenith of ones potentialities and can become very awakened person in relation to ones subconscious, super conscious and transcendental existence.
This personality is more than integral personality of modern psychology and much more comprehensive than any concept of modern science as it deals and takes care of every aspect of human frame –manifest and unmanifest. The whole man and its transformation is the aim set in this development of integrated personality.
It is difficult for modern psychologist to digest this concept, as they are more or less concerned about bringing about a balance in two conflicting movements of ego and id and also ego and super ego. This development of personality takes into consideration every possible aspects and layers, every emotional contents a d sentiments.
An integrated personality here not only transforms the surface personality of which modern psychology is fully aware of but also the hidden potential and all possibilities are awakened, unified and presented a s whole man in thought, speech and action.
In addition, this integration drops the ego as the central point for integration but brings in front the purest subtle and representative consciousness that guides the every moment of life. This spark of consciousness helps in constant evolution of human being to its fullest capacity and brings all success, happiness, harmony, creativity, peace, calmness, delight, powers, bliss, and eternity.
9. Yoga helps in transforming you as true religious person
Many people asked me,” I am a Muslim, can I practice yoga? Can I practice yoga, I am Christian.” There were many questions like this related to religion asked to me. In addition, my answer is very simple
You practice if you are a Muslim; it will make you a better Muslim.
If you are a Christian and practice yoga, it makes you a better Christian.
If you are Hindu and practice yoga, it makes you a better Hindu.
This is the beauty of yoga practices.
Yoga aims at knowledge of the absolute or divine consciousness. It aims at awakening the inner consciousness by which you can better appreciate your religion, practice your religion in much better way and can also realize and experience what your won religion says about life and living.
Religion if it means realize the divine then yoga means a methodized effort in the direction of realizing the divine. Yoga does not talk of any particular god or goddess but helps in appreciating your belief, brings you face to face with truth of god and offers many practices with whatever prayer you offer to your god of your religion to realize him.
10. Yoga awakens the brain.
There is only 7% of brain potential is awakened or used by normal man in the world. It is understood that even a genius uses about 9% of his brain like Einstein and Edison. What about the rest area of the brain? How it can be tapped and awakened so that human race can function much better? The one of the major causes of stress in modern life is the inability of the brain to translate all messages sent by mind to this brain. Mind is too fats but brain still follows the same pace for organizing the data received by the mind.
It is just like a Radio set. Radio set is the brain and radio station you tune is the mind. If the radio station has very subtle frequency or runs faster and radio set is old enough or not able to pick up the said frequency of that station then it is difficult to listen to that station clearly, similarly but at different levels same thing happens with mind and brain while living in the world. Yoga practices are meant to awaken this dormant area s of the brain so that what mind sends can be easily, speedily and fast translated into action by brain. This can only be possible if brain potential can be awakened and regulated to perform the task. In addition, what happens in yoga specially meditation and Pranayama that dormant areas of the brain is awakened, harmonized, and integrated to perform even very difficult task. This is due to enhanced level of awareness. Pranayama practices are very powerful practices that can awaken the dormant areas of the brain and awaken higher intelligence for a life full of peace, harmony, love, integration, and bliss.
Dec 02 2009
There was nothing in me that may have triggered your memory
You have forgotten me but I could not forgot you even now
O Divine! If you cannot listen my story then who will
Look at my intense aspiration that is narrating the story
In silence, when I meet you, you smile at me
People outside say as if I have become insane
First time, when my mentor introduced you to me
I felt as if knowing the Self for the first time
Passionate about you, O Divine! At all, time in life
Eaten by the zeal, I lost myself and found YOU
I offer YOU, what I am, possess and I have in life
Be the Doer deep within me, and I become instrument
Nov 30 2009
I am responsible for Sufferings and Peace in my life -1
Being Other Oriented vs Other oriented
All sufferings and pain that I experience in my life is part of Ignorance.
Ignorance is unconsciousness. Unconsciousness is part of cosmic ignorance that entered into us at the time of our evolution from animal to human beings.
When I say and experience that
• I have pain
• You are responsible for my pain and sorrow
• You have cheated me and created chaos in my life.
• You are responsible for my failure
The other oriented vs self oriented
Our mind is other oriented. This “other oriented” is the cause of all problems and sufferings in life. As we are searching Happiness and Peace outside our frame. It cannot be attained in life. This “other oriented” created a vicious circle in the mind that stops going within. This mind stops becoming aware and even if it becomes aware, it always becomes aware with reference to either pain or the event or person or conditions.
As long as one does not become self-oriented, one cannot become aware of oneself, deep within. Discovery cannot take place and ignorance will continue forever. That is why even after understanding intellectually, we deceive our intellect and start holding responsible people, events outside for our sufferings and pain and sorrows in life
Who is actually responsible? How –contemplate, Reflect and become aware
1. I live with you. You live in your own way and I live with my own. You are attracted with me. this attraction has come from unconsciousness. I never worked with this attraction. I never created this in my being, mind, or intellect. I consider it natural that has come from within me and I get attracted.
2. You are attracted to me but I am not. I am aware and consider this attraction as part of evolution in life. I had seen, experienced this attraction during the course of my evolution. I understand it and consider your attraction to me as part of your own evolution. But you feel as if I also attracted towards you. But this is not true. However, your conclusion came from I being the passive observer and Seer.
3. You move into this attraction and I make you aware of this attraction in life. However, you conclude again from your unconsciousness that I agreed and give consent to your attraction. Instead of meditating and reflecting upon this attraction, your unconscious mind is moving in attraction. There comes the social problem.
4. You are attracted and I create a moral wall around myself and tell you that nothing like attraction works in my life. Morally I am right, but spiritually I am wrong in life. Morally right because, I have followed the social laws and ignored to evolve you further. While ignoring, I have considerations of fear that society will not accept this attraction even when I am not for it. I do not want unconscious attraction to work in your life too. That is how spirituality becomes wrong in the society. That is why many people chosen the path to go into solitude and do not work in the society. Nevertheless, if they work, they have to face these challenges. These challenges becomes problem at social level even when spiritual awareness is never polluted.
Awakening is an answer
1. Awakening from attraction is an answer and only answer. If you are awakened, I become a good teacher, and if you are not awakened, you blame me, held me responsible for all your sorrows and sufferings in life.
2. When you are awakened, you become free and independent of attraction. This attraction is replaced by humility, peace, awareness and energy deep within. Because awakened mind moves in humility and peace, I become a great teacher. But when you are not awakened, I become a bad teacher and you hold me responsible for all your sufferings. How that is possible. Nevertheless, society makes this responsible to a person who has done nothing, who has never been attracted. I am simply moving in peace and awareness and in being passive, working upon you so that you get awakened. This passivity is again considered as problem as it becomes a strong tool for your mind to move into the unconsciousness and you become other oriented and held me responsible for your sufferings in life.
Examples in my life
3. I had many of these events in life but mentor says , “WALK ON” and transcend all of them. I asked one of my students to get married to one woman. After 10 years, woman came back to me and said,” How come you thought and allowed this guy(his husband) to marry me. He is stupid and made my life hell.” I listened to her talking for over an hour. When she calmed down, I asked her,” why did she come after 10 years and complaining against his (his husband) now. You did not come in the beginning of your married life as you were unconsciously enjoying physical relationship. You discovered that your husband is passionately busy in his work , and that too for you but you always wanted to pursue the life of cravings’ and passion. He changed from being a physical to mental person. He has become mature. But you consider this maturity as he lost all the attraction for you. You also experience that there is no emotional relationship as you are still pursuing your physical cravings from him. You are living consciously and he has started living consciously now and contemplates that life is much more than physical relationship. He knows that existence stands on integration of physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual layers but you are still a physical person and never thinks and moves beyond it. How long you think you will continue to have physical relationship with him. When you will have no strength, still, you will want to live with excitements by drugs and other medications. You sit at home and do nothing except daily works of cooking and washing and other physical works. Your consciousness is very involved into body and does not want to come out of it. It is imprisoned in the body. The Sanskrit name of animal is “pashu” meaning imprisoned. How long you will remain animal, as you have already seen the physical relationship now for over 10 years. You need to move on, evolve to being an emotional and mental person so that relationship will and can be given a new , fresh meaning.” She was listening to me patiently and but tears have started coming down from her eyes. She was drying up her tears but constantly looking into my eyes. I further said to her,” there is a choice with you – to live with him but start evolving from today. Do whatever you want to do for your evolution but evolve into emotional dn mental person that always keeps an eye on the progress. Progress is change. Change means rising above the physical consciousness. Set your goal to change until you discover the love for him. Change until you feel attraction for him again but beyond physical. Change until you discover peace and harmony within you. Change until you discover that you have found new meaning to life. This is yoga and spirituality in life.” After few months , she came back again . I saw smile on her face. She said to me ,” I was totally unconsciousness about me and my husband when I came to you. Now when I succeeded in dropping my unconsciousness even a bit, I discovered that my husband is doing his best in life not only for me but also for him. He is a fine person with caring heart and sharp head. He is the same but my perception has changed about me only because I set a goal to change in my life as told by you.” They both wanted to touch my feet but I held them in my arms. They both hugged me and tears started flowing out of their eyes. I said to them, “ this is just the beginning , you both now work and start meditation until you discover that you are both evolving together and there is nothing that causes any concern against each other.” They looked at me and left the house with peace and harmony. This couple lives in India. they have two beautiful kids. They have beautiful home and ever increasing wealth. They enjoy. Anyhow, they have also not forgotten me as they both talk to me every week for an hour as they feel that it evolves them both. I am aware they are still attracted to me as I am still moving in the same way I was moving towards them over 10 years ago. What relationship you name between them and me. Did I change? But they claim that I did not change but they are evolving. Everything changes in life with a touch of spiritual consciousness.
To be continued …………………………………………………….
Nov 14 2009
Live, Move and Act in Meditation-1
Meditation is a state of consciousness. This consciousness is independent of Body, Breath, Brain, Mind, Emotions, and Ego. Learn meditation from Acharya Girish Jha
Live, Move and Act in Meditation-2
What do you want – To allow meditation to embrace your entire life or to allow your life embrace meditation? The first is possible and second not possible.
Live, Move and Act in Meditation-3
To transcend the mind is to be in meditation as if darkness disappears the moment there is light. Light is not absence of darkness but darkness is the absence of light.
Live, Move and Act in Meditation-4
You do make efforts with darkness to disappear but your effort is allow lightness to manifest is termed as Sadhana (spiritual practices)
Live, Move and Act in Meditation-5
But who does meditation – your body, mind, intellect, ego, emotions or anything else- none of them can take one to meditation. However, each of them are required like car to take you to home but car does not enter into the home.
Live, Move and Act in Meditation-6
Only YOU – beyond body, breath, mind, emotion, ego enters into meditation. This YOU is always in meditation. Only we need to become aware of this truth.
Live, Move and Act in Meditation-7
As we never think of garbage after throwing it, we also never identify with Body, Breath and Mind , once meditative state is attained.
Live, Move and Act in Meditation-8
Concentration is an effort while meditation is effortless like swimming is concentration and floating is meditation. To know and become aware that YOU are floating into consciousness is meditation.
Live, Move and Act in Meditation-9
Sitting in a steady posture may be helpful in meditation but if mind does not awaken to body as a barrier to meditation even if one sits for hours together, will not help.
Aug 30 2009
Yoga is attracting more attention to American than any other country in the world today. why not understand Yoga based on texts, philosophy and its application when it was discovered in India and later evolved during the last over 6000 years. The present article explains why yoga is a science of spirituality
YOGA A SCIENCE OF SPIRITUALITY
A. UNIVERSAL SCIENCE
Yoga is more a spiritual science than a more religious one. It offers ways to the travelers of all sects and religions that are making their effort to read the inner way to the city of divine. Yoga can serve as the best tool to reach and realize divine within all of us while remaining and living within one’s cult, dogma, belief etc. It represents neither any sect nor a particular group but helps us to understand intellectually and to practice in order to reach and realize one and only one divine element within all of us for dwelling in the state of consciousness or Reality which is infinite, eternal, universal and transcendent. Yoga takes care of the material, universal and transcendental existence. It inspires to purify and understand the material; guides to comprehend the universal and realize the transcendental, which is basis of everything that this universe contains.
Yoga considers every individual as a unique and special entity in the earthly existence and calls him to understand his relationship with the vast universe (Prakriti) outside in order to reality. Yoga, being an experiential science stresses upon living a yogic life in order to bring miraculous transformation in one’s life at all levels of one’s existence viz social, physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual levels.
WHAT LIFE MEANT TO US?
Yoga begins with developing an understanding about life, its miseries problems, successes, failures, motives etc. The life of an ordinary human being is a pleasure seeking life dominated by animal instincts of food, sleep, sex and security or by prestige, recognition etc. Unconsciously directed by greed, anger, ego, attractions and repulsions. Many of us in our daily chore include prayer; worship and also yoga all more mechanical and concentrated on inner desires, needs and demands. We all concentrate on one question as how to live happily peacefully and successfully with more and more possessions at our disposal. We labour hard in the pursuit of pleasure but always remain one step behind everytime, In order to embarrass that, we again fall into mechanical urge for attaining that pleasure which does not appear to us as a mirage. The gross mind scattered in the external world of name and form, identifies with a particular goal leading to material happiness, labouring for pleasure within by seeking one thing or other always in this universe, appears never to be satiated with its achievements nor frustrated with failures but continue to aspire. This state or life what we call ourselves.
AWARENESS OF HIGHER LIFE
Who become aware of this kind of life as explained above? It is the mind or mental consciousness divided into subjective and objective parts. The subjective mind becomes aware of the objective world outside of life, mind and body. So first step in yoga is to become aware of life, we are living with its demands, problems, miseries aspirations, wants, ambitions etc and contemplate over every thought, speech and action that we express in order to seek continuity which enables realisation of significance or futility of each and every aspects of our being. The serious understanding of our place in the space, time and causation and movement in the vast universe pens the door to a life more refined qualitatively significant and higher, happier than the ordinary life.
CHOOSING THE HIGHER LIFE OR GRACE OF DIVINE
Ancient seers explained man as Manu or mental being through which one becomes aware of this universe and himself. Animals just below the human species are unconsciously directed by animal instincts, vegetative kingdom below the animal kingdom depends wholly on the universe for its survival and material kingdom do not require even this. All species below the human do not become aware or have the mental capacity of self awareness as that of man which can observe, control and choose right path for leading a successful life, while minimizing the impacts of outside nature in order to escape from pain problems and miseries. It is this self-awareness asks the basic questions what is life? Why I live? What is the reality underlying this universe? What are the path eliminating miseries from life? What is destiny?
The very first sutra of Brahma sutra
Athato Brahm Jijnasa (I-1)
Now the aspiration for divine and first sutra of Patanjali Yoga sutra
Atha Yoga Anusasnam (I-1)
Now the exposition of Yogic discipline in my opinion convey the essence of what is first explained. Veda Vyas in his commentary of this sutra of Patanjali venture to say “Yoga” as “Kamahi” signifies that there is a life beyond and above the life of material existence. And an understanding of an ordinary material life as a futile and unsuccessful attempt towards happiness and aspiration for a life beyond and above it turns the ordinary man into YOGA-SADHAKA- a traveler on the path of Yoga. This turning and determination to know and dwell in reality has been explained in various scriptures as a GRACE OF DIVINE. Avadhuta Gita says:
Ishwara anugraha deva punsamadwaita vasana.
Mahd bhaya paritrandwipramama upjayata. (I-1)
That means through the grace of God alone the desire for divine (non-duality) arises in wise men to save them from states of mind such as insecurity, despair and grief.
A burning desire for divine and divine realization changes the life all together as the mind is always occupied with one and only one thought to reveal the indwelling spirit.
KNOW YOUR MIND
Mind is in transition and a middle term between the divine and life-the unknown and the known. It is constantly evolving but choice is left with us to make it either the greatest enemy or the greatest friend.
Bhagwadgita says:
Manev manusyanam karanam bandha mokshyo
Bandhaya visayasaktam muktaya nirvisayam smritam
Mind is the cause of bondage (enemy) and liberation (friend). Mind attached to objects is bondage and detached is liberation.
Mind is the greatest enemy when it spreads itself to already know external world, seeks pleasure in possessions, enjoys duality and its continuity, asks for more and more things of the universe, takes the outer universe as separate and meant for its own satisfaction. This extension and disintegration of mind creates a multiple personality within human frame often in conflict with one another. This state of mind corresponds more or less to animal mind seeks its continuity in the field of known and can not be termed fit for yoga Sadhana.
Then man awakens from this level and says:
Sakhe manah kim bahujalpiten
Sakhe mahah sarvamidam vitarkyam
Yatsarbhutam kathitam maya te
Twam eva tatvam gagnoupmori (I-68)
Friend mind, of what use is much vain talk? Friend mind, all this mere conjecture I have told you that which is the essence; you indeed are the truth, like the sky.
Mind is the greatest friend when it is gathered within, concentrated, away from seeking pleasure from outer world, awakens to an understanding of futility of possessions, attractions an repulsions, greed, anger, violence etc. and continue to engage itself in the persuit of something beyond thoughts, emotions cherished desires, clinging etc. However this is only the beginning but a decisive step.
Mind steps beyond it self is the beginning of spirituality. Spirituality, yoga conforms, not found in any established cult or religion but in the midst of life when one goes beyond mind and tastes the divine. Yoga further asserts, rituals, prayer, worship etc. are good and aid to Sadhana if and only if they are done with a sole aim to transcend the mind, not done for satiating the demands of mind.
Kabir Das says:
Mana maya eka he, maya mana hee samaya
Teen loka sansya parah, kahe kahun samujhaya
That mind and this universe is one and all and this universe is absorbed in the mind. How to make one understand as all three worlds are in doubt.
WHAT IS YOGA?
Yoga lays great stress on understanding the mind, its mechanism, its ways, its nature states and qualities. It is then controlled, regulated, directed and transcended for spiritual development.
Patanjali says:
Yogah cittah vritti nirodhah (I-2)
Yoga is the restraint of modifications of mind
Restraining the modifications is nothing but transcending the mind is yoga.
Awadhuta Gita goes to the extent of refusing the existence of mind.
Meno ve gaganakaram mano ve sarvtomukham
Manoteetam manah sarvam na manah parmarthtah (I-9)
The mind is indeed is of the form of space. The mind indeed is omnifaced. The mind is the past. The mind is all. But in reality, there is no mind
Only the mind awakened to this level understands aims and practise of yoga and enters into spiritual life
BASES OF YOGA
There is universe seen by us is the vast universal consciousness of name, form and causation composed of five elements always changing or in motion due to three qualities namely of cognition, activity and inertia. The change in this universe identified by mind and experienced as birth, death, good, bad, hatred, love etc. Even the mind essentially a product of this universal consciousness or Prakriti or Maya but has the ability to separate itself and falsely acts as an observer. But why this Prakriti has been created at all. We have a beautiful answer from Patanjali.
Prakasha kriya sthithi sheelam bhutendriya atmakam bhoga apvargah artham drisyam
(II-18) Pantanjali Yoga Sutra
The seen (objective side of manifestation consists of the elements and sense organs is the nature of cognition, activity and stability and has for its purpose (providing the Purusha) experience and liberation. This Prakriti forms the first basis of yoga. We and all other objects are born, nourished, grow, act and die at last within and by this universal consciousness. Yoga sadhaka uses one or more aspects of Prakriti to evolve spiritually into transcendental consciousness, which forms the second basis of yoga. When mind is completely withderawn inward and throws its awareness on itself it realizes that it is mere an instrument of seer or Purusha or that transcendental consciousness.
Pantanjali says;
Drista drisimatrah suddhoupi (II-20)
The seer is pure consciousness but though pure, appears to see through mind.
Spirituality is realizing this seer and establishing oneself in it.
Tada driste swarupe avasthanam (I-3) Patanjali Yoga Sutra
Then the seer is established in his own essential and fundamental nature.
Pure consciousness alone is the reality of the Universe and seen or Prakriti is the manifestation of this reality. Matter is the lowest form of manifestation of this reality. A gradual process of understanding and withdrawal of this consciousness is the beginning of yoga and when it withdraws it self in its own fundamental nature is the consummation of yoga.
The human being forms the third basis of yoga whose objective manifestation of body, life and mind belongs to Prakriti and individualized consciousness or soul or divine element belongs to Purusha.
WHY SPIRITUAL LIFE?
But why Purusha and Prakriti have come together.
Patanjali says.
Swaswamisaktayoh swarupo uplabhihetuh sanyogah (II-22)
The purpose of coming together of Purusha and Prakriti is gaining by the Purusha of the awareness of his true nature and the unfoldment of powers inherent in him and Prakriti.
Yoga asserts that aim and purpose of human race is the spiritual life or to enter into the kingdom of God and become divine. But yoga literally explains this a higher state of consciousness present within every human being. A new level of awareness with human being is the sign of its further evolving into higher and beyond than itself. If this is the fact and purpose of human existence which means every human being is potentially divine and heading towards divine realization. Yoga is the method, which accelerates this process consciously. The only thing that is required for man is to awake to this; to understand the purpose of life and to devote one’s life for spiritual life.
WHAT IS THE WAY?
But what is the way to divinity? Patanjali say:
Viveka khatih aviplava hano upayah (II-26)
The uninterrupted practice of the awareness of the real in the means of dispersion of Avidya or spiritual life.
Now this constant awareness of the real or the seer or the Purusha comes through many ways. Patanjali explains one.
Yoganga anusthana asudhi kshaya
Janana dipitira vivakakhyateh (II-28)
Form the practice of the component steps of yoga, on the destruction of impurity, arises spiritual illumination, which develops, into Awareness of Reality.
METHOD
Lord Janaka known as one of the master yogis who followed the path of knowledge and realized the divine without any specific practice of asana and other aids. The natha cult gives many emphases on various practices of Hatha yoga to reach to the same goal. Meers and Mahaprabhu Chaitainya attained divinity with the path of devotion. So there are hundreds of examples but each followed the path unique in its own way, best suited for oneself as every path opens to divinity and leads one to the kingdom of God. It is the individual’s preparedness, readiness, aptitude, temperament and a burning desire that culminates into Sadhana and the Master with method appears before him to lead and spiritualize his life. Following a cult or a dogma or a belief unconsciously or in order to rationalize or satiate one’s demands of material existence does not lead anywhere. Yoga is a science and method free from these mental creations for leading a superficial life. A man turned into sadhaka of Yoga says.
I am thy servant as long as his consciousness remains in the body.
I am a portion of thee as long as his consciousness remains on the ego.
I am thyself as his consciousness burns to self
Even before entering into the city of spirituality entire life and mind and body constantly sings, contemplates and aware that
God is in all
All is in God
And all is God or God is all.
Here, melts all sects, cults, dogma and belief as he becomes Sadhaka of divine not have any cult or sects.
With this attitude of mind, life and body Bhagwadgita says,
Ne ha bhikramanaso sti
Svalapam apy asya dharmasya
Trayate mahato bhayat (II-40)
In this path, no effort is ever lost and no obstacle prevails, even a little of this righteousness saves from great fear.
Infact, the there are many ways of reaching to the goal of yoga. There are as many as 15 ways of Sadhana or practice of yoga explained in Bhagvad Gita alone besides Upanishads and other yoga scriptures. All Sadhana takes one to the journey to deeper psychology, and psycho spiritual discipline for awakening the hidden potential within leading to higher level of consciousness and realization of self within. Acharya will open all practices one by one in coming months.
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