Upadesa Saram - Post 13

INTRODUCTION TO RAJA YOGA AND ASHTANGA YOGA

Raja Yoga is the king of all Yogas. It concerns directly with the mind. In this Yoga, there is no struggling with Prana or physical body. There are no Hatha Yogic Kriyas. The Yogi sits at ease, watches his mind and silences the bubbling thoughts. 

Patanjali Maharshi is the exponent of Yoga Philosophy. Now Patanjali is regarded as the last of the Avataras. You will find in Yajnavalkya Smriti that Hiranyagarbha was the original teacher of Yoga. 

Patanjali Maharshi is only a compiler or explainer of the Yogic precepts, doctrines and tenets taught by Hiranyagarbha.

According to Raja Yoga, there are three types of aspirants - Uttama, Madhyama and Adhama Adhikaris. To three classes of aspirants Raja Yoga prescribes three kinds of Sadhana. 

To the Uttama Adhikari (first-class aspirant) Raja Yoga prescribes Abhyasa and Vairagya. He practices meditation on the Self; 

To the Madhyama Adhikari (middling aspirant) Raja Yoga prescribes the Kriya Yoga - Tapas, Svadhyaya and Ishvarapranidhana. 

Tapas is austerity. Egolessness and selfless service are the greatest forms of Tapas. Humility and desirelessness are the greatest forms of austerity.

Svadhyaya is study of spiritual literature and also Japa of your Ishta Mantra. 

Ishvarapranidhana is self-surrender to the Lord and doing all actions as Ishvararpana, as offering unto the Lord. 

To the Adhama Adhikari, aspirant in early stage, Raja Yoga prescribes Ashtanga Yoga or the eightfold Sadhana - Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. 

Ashtanga Yoga

Patanjali's Raja Yoga is generally termed the Ashtanga Yoga or the Yoga of Eight Limbs, through the practice of which freedom is achieved. These eight limbs are: 

1.    Yama or Eternal Vows: 

·         Ahimsa (non-violence) 

·         Satya (truth) 

·         Asteya (non-stealing) 

·         Brahmacharya (continence) and 

·         Aparigraha (non-avariciousness); 

2.  Niyama or Observances: 

·         Saucha (purity) 

·         Santosha (contentment) 

·         Tapas (austerities) 

·         Svadhyaya (study) and 

·         Ishvarapranidhana (surrender to God); 

3.  Asana (firm, comfortable meditative posture); 

4.  Pranayama (the regulation of the Vital Force); 

5.  Pratyahara (abstraction of the senses and mind from objects); 

6.  Dharana (concentration); 

7.   Dhyana (meditation); and 

8.  Samadhi (super conscious state or trance) 

These eight limbs have been scientifically arranged and dealt with. They are the natural steps in the ladder which takes man from his human to the real divine nature. 

It is enough to know this much, before entering into the Upadesa Saram verses on Ashtanga Yoga from tomorrow.

Love.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

SEE GOD IN ALL

I have now come to a stage of realization in which I see that God is walking in every human form and manifesting Himself alike through the sage and the sinner, the virtuous and the vicious. 

Therefore when I meet different people I say to myself, "God in the form of the saint, God in the form of the sinner, God in the form of the righteous, God in the form of the unrighteous." 

GOD IS WITHIN YOU

Do you know what I see? I see Him as all. Men and other creatures appear to me only as hollow forms, moving their heads and hands and feet, but within is the Lord Himself. 

PERSEVERE IN YOUR SEARCH FOR GOD

There are pearls in the deep sea, but one must hazard all to find them. If diving once does not bring you pearls, you need not therefore conclude that the sea is without them. Dive again and again. 

You are sure to be rewarded in the end. So is it with the finding of the Lord in this world. If your first attempt proves fruitless, do not lose heart. Persevere in your efforts. You are sure to realize Him at last. 

TRUST COMPLETELY IN GOD

What are you to do when you are placed in the world? Give up everything to Him, resign yourself to Him, and there will be no more trouble for you. Then you will come to know that everything is done by His will. 

LOVE OF GOD IS ESSENTIAL

Unalloyed love of God is the essential thing. All else is unreal.

Ramakrishna.

Upadesa Saram - Post 12

Verse 10

हृत्स्थलेमनःस्वस्थताक्रिया|

भक्तियोगबोधाश्चनिश्चितम्||

hṛtsthale manaḥsvasthatā kriyā |

bhaktiyogabodhāśca niścitam ||

The mind in the place of the Heart is Self-abidance;

This is certainly action, devotion, yoga, and Knowledge.

This verse is neither part of this chapter on Bhakti, nor an introduction to the next chapter on Ashtanga Yoga. It gives the overall message of the entire text, which is to show that all paths lead to the same goal of Oneness, in different ways. 

The interesting point here is the positioning of the verse. It is a literary feature to locate it at the very centre of the four parts of this book, with two parts on either side of it. Located this way it is called “Deheli Deepa Nyaya” given in Sadhana Panchakam.

In this literary form, it is as if a lamp is positioned at the common doorway between two rooms so that it lights up both rooms. In this case this whole verse is that lamp and it applies to the two Yogas before it as well as the two after it. 

In other words, the verse “lights up” the entire text; it applies to all the four Yogas. The comment indicates in a graphic way that all four Yogas lead one to the same goal. 

Abidance in the Heart: 

Philosophically, the “Heart” represents the original source of our being, our very core – that is, our Self. Abiding in the Self is being pointed out as the common goal of all the four Yogas discussed in this book. 

Swastathe: “abide in itself”. This is another significant word. It carries connotations of being relaxed, contented, and being well established in the Self. This is referring to abidance in the Self. 

When, by attaining the above-said state which transcends meditation, the mind – which had to rise in order to do the actions of nishkamya puja, japa and dhyana – remains subsided in the source (the real Self) from which it had risen, that is the culminating point of karma yoga (the path of desireless action) and bhakti yoga (the path of devotion).

It is also the culminating point of raja yoga (the path which seeks union with God through various methods of mind-control) and jnana yoga (the path of knowledge). 

How such Self-abidance is brought about by karma yoga and bhakti yoga has been explained in the preceding verses; 

How it is brought about by raja yoga is explained in the following five verses; and how it is brought about by jnana yoga is explained from verse 16 onwards. 

Adi Sankara does not consider Bhakti as different from Karma yoga. Worship, Patanjali yoga, Enquiry- all are meant to help you gain knowledge. Bodha, enquiry, becomes the direct means of Knowledge whereas others are indirect means. Indirect in the sense, all other means lead to the Self Enquiry.

In another book, Sri Ramana says, 

 

‘Scrutinizing “To whom are these [defects], karma [action], vibhakti [non-devotion], viyoga [separation] and ajnana [ignorance]?” is itself karma, bhakti, yoga and jnana,

[because] 

when one scrutinizes thus, 

[the ego or individual ‘I’ will be found to be non-existent, and] without ‘I’ these [four defects] can never exist. 

Abiding as Self, alone is the truth.’ 

What does the above profound words of Ramana mean, if they have to be understood in a simpler manner?

1) Human beings generally suffer from any/all of the four defects as under:-

- Too much of actions only

- Lack of devotion

- Separation (from Lord/ Self)

- Ignorance (of one's divine existence)

2) He says, what is important is for each one of us to scrutinize as to who is having all these defects?? Whether our real, true existence or our believed existence that we are this body, this mind, this intellect, this vasana, this ahankara etc.?

3) If one does this scrutiny enquiry sincerely, each one of us is bound to come to a conclusion that all these defects are for the mistaken identity, the individual ego, I (the Ahamkara I), not the Aham I, the SELF.

4) Thus, this scrutiny is more important and let it be through any path - Karma or Bhakti or Jnana, which are the means. The End is more important!!

At least, He concludes, "ABIDING IN SELF or EXISTING AS PURE SELF (Divyatma svarupas, as Swami addresses us) IS THE ONLY TRUTH, THE SATH.

Love.