YOGA AND ITS OBJECTS

Yoga Philosophy is one of the six systems of Hindu Philosophy which exist in India. Unlike so many other philosophies of the world, it is a philosophy that is wholly practical. Yoga is an exact science based on certain immutable Laws of Nature. It is well known to people of all countries of the world interested in the study of Eastern civilisation and culture, and is held in awe and reverence as it contains in it the master-key to unlock the realms of Peace, Bliss, Mystery and Miracle. Even the philosophers of the West found solace and peace in this Divine Science. Jesus Christ himself was a Yogi of a superior order, a Raja-Yogi indeed. The founder of the Yoga Philosophy was Patanjali Maharshi, who was not only a Philosopher and a Yogi, but a Physician as well. He is said to have lived about three hundred years before Jesus Christ.

Patanjali defines Yoga as the suspension of all the functions of the mind. As such, any book on Yoga, which does not deal with these three aspects of the subject, viz., mind, its functions and the method of suspending them, can he safely laid aside as unreliable and incomplete.

The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root “Yuj” which means “to join.” Yoga is a science that teaches us the method of joining the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. It is the merging of the individual will with the Cosmic or Universal Will. Yoga is that inhibition of the functions of the mind which leads to the absolute abidance of the soul in its own real nature of Divine Glory and Divine Splendour. It is the process by which the identity of the individual soul and the Oversoul is established by the Yogi. In other words, the human soul is brought into conscious communion with God. Yoga is the Science of sciences that disentangles the individual soul from the phenomenal world of sense-objects and links with the Absolute, whose inherent attributes are Infinite Bliss, Supreme Peace, Infinite Knowledge and unbroken Joy.

Yoga is that state of Absolute Peace wherein there is neither imagination nor thought. Yoga is control of mind and its modifications. Yoga teaches us how to control the modifications of the mind and attain liberation. It teaches us how to transmute the unregenerate nature and attain the state of Divinity. It is the complete suppression of the tendency of the mind to transform itself into objects, thoughts, etc. Yoga kills all sorts of pain, misery and tribulation. It gives you freedom from the round of births and deaths, with its concomitant evils of disease, old age, etc., and bestows upon you all the Divine Powers and final liberation through super-intutional knowledge.

The word Yoga is also applicable in its secondary sense to the factors of Yoga, viz., self-training, study, the different actions and practices that go to make up Yoga as they are conducive to the fulfilment of Yoga and as such indirectly lead to emancipation. Union with God is the goal of human life and that ought to become the touchstone of all human endeavours. That is the be-all and end-all of existence.

Equanimity is Yoga. Serenity is Yoga. Skill in actions is Yoga. Control of the senses and the mind is Yoga. Anything by which the best and the highest in life can be attained is also Yoga. Yoga is thus all-embracing, all-inclusive and universal in its application leading to all-round development of body, mind and soul.

The object of Yoga is to weaken what are called the five afflictions. The five afflictions are: Ignorance, Egoism, Likes, Dislikes and the instinct of self-preservation (or clinging to bodily life). Ignorance is the fertile soil which bears an abundant crop of the rest. On account of ignorance only egoism has manifested. Wherever there is egoism, there invariably exist likes, dislikes and the rest side by side. Clinging to bodily life or fear of death is born of likes only. It is nothing but attachment.

Egoism is a specific form of ignorance. The mind gets itself attached wherever there is pleasure. If the mind likes pomegranate, it gets itself attached to this fruit, as it derives pleasure from eating it. The mind runs after things that have been associated with agreeable experiences in the past. This is attachment (like). The mind runs away from objects which have caused pain. This is dislike. These are all the faults of man himself. The world can never hurt you. The five elements are your best teachers. They help you in a variety of ways. The things created by the Lord are all beneficial. It is only the creation of man that brings pain and misery. These five afflictions bind you to the outside objects and reduce you to piteous slavery. These afflictions remain as tendencies even when they are inoperative. These afflictions and tendencies can be attenuated by Yogic discipline.

On account of ignorance you have forgotten your primitive Divine Glory. On account of this evil you are not able to remember your old status of Godhood, your original immortal, blissful, divine nature. Ignorance is the root cause of egoism, likes, dislikes and the rest. These five afflictions are great impediments to Yoga. They stand as stumbling-blocks to the attainment of Self-realisation.

These five afflictions remain in a dormant, attenuated, overpowered or fully developed state. When the husband begins to quarrel with the wife, his love for her becomes dormant and he shows dislike for her for the time being. In a Yogic student these afflictions become thinned out or attenuated by the spiritual force of his Yogic practices. But they do exist in a subtle state. They cannot do any havoc. They are like the cobra whose poisonous fangs have been extracted by the snake-charmer. The “overpowered state” is that state in which one set of impressions is kept under restraint for some time by another powerful set of impressions; but they manifest again, when the cause of the suppression is removed. In a worldly man with passions and appetites these can be seen operating in fullest swing. But in a fully developed or full-blown Yogi these afflictions and impressions are burnt in toto.

Owing to ignorance you have mistaken the physical body for the Self and this is all the mistake you have committed. But it is a serious mistake indeed. By changing your mental outlook, by purifying your heart and intellect, you can attain Knowledge of Self. Mind, Prana, body and the senses are all instruments only. The real Seer is the Self who is pure, unchanging, eternal, self-luminous, self-existent, self-contained, infinite and immortal. When you begin to identify yourself with this immortal, all-pervading Self, all miseries will come to an end.

Likes and dislikes are the causes for doing good and evil deeds. Good and evil deeds bring pleasure and pain. Thus the round of births and deaths is kept from time immemorial by the six-spoked wheel of Likes, Dislikes, Virtue, Vice, Pleasure and Pain.

The Yogic student should first try to weaken these five afflictions. Three practices are prescribed for this purpose. They are: Austerity (Tapas), Study of Scriptures (Svadhyaya) and Resignation to the Will of the Lord (Isvara-pranidhana). The practitioner should have intense faith in the efficacy of his practices. Then the energy to carry on with the practices will manifest by itself. Then the real memory will dawn. When there is memory, then there is no difficulty in practicing concentration. If there is concentration, discrimination will dawn. That is the reason why Patanjali says: “Samadhi will come through faith, energy, memory, concentration and discrimination.”

Therefore, to get success in concentration, meditation and the practice of Yoga, you must have tremendous patience, tremendous will and tremendous perseverance. Plunge yourself in concentration. Merge the mind in the one idea of God and God alone. Let the mind fully get absorbed there. Forget other things. Let the whole body, muscles, tissues, nerves, cells and brain be filled with the one idea of God. This is the way to positive success. Great sages and saints of yore have practiced Yoga in this way only. Work hard. You will reach the goal. You will also become a great saint. Whatever one has achieved can be achieved by others also. This is the Law.

THE TREE OF YOGA

Yoga is frequently likened to a tree. Akin to a tree, it is a living, vibrant system, comprised of many branches and limbs. Akin to a tree, it sprouts new growths as it develops and evolves over time. Each of these branches and limbs has its individual name, as well as its own subsystems with their unique names. It is for this reason that yoga can sometimes seem confusing. Anyone interested in yoga soon comes to realize the myriad diversity of these systems of yoga—hatha yoga, power yoga, kundalini yoga, tantric yoga, and Iyengar yoga are just a few of the more frequently encountered terms. Understanding that yoga has developed over a 5,000-year period and has extended its reach into many cultures and belief systems can help explain why there are so many approaches to yoga. It is important to realize, however, that as a tree, all the branches and limbs of yoga developed from one initial seed: the goal of liberating the self through the union of body, mind, and soul.

Virtually each system of yoga represents a path of inquiry that unfolded from a single starting point: responding to the question, “Who am I?” Each of the systems of yoga represents a particular approach to realizing self-understanding and liberation. None of the systems is superior or inferior to any other. Each system or approach merely emphasizes certain aspects of yoga as the path to liberation. These systems do not have to be viewed as mutually exclusive. Each system offers valuable insight.We have arrived at an exciting time in the development of yoga. As practiced in India for millennia, yoga has frequently entailed detailed study of a particular path of yoga under the tutelage of a venerated teacher, or guru. As the tree of yoga is becoming embraced in the West, it, in turn, is being influenced by and benefiting from the uniquely individual and creative input from the haracteristically Western style of thinking. By understanding what each system of yoga teaches and emphasizes, each individual can decide for himself which elements are most appropriate to his needs. He can then create a uniquely personal practice by drawing selectively from the best elements of yoga.Those men who prefer a more methodical,organized approach are also free to follow the teachings of a particular school or teacher in the time-honored tradition of guru study. Your practice of yoga will be your own personal decision. The following outline of the major branches and limbs of yoga will help demystify the many diverse names you may have heard for systems of yoga. It will help you to get a bird’s eye view of the overall organizational system of yoga without becoming overwhelmed in the intricacies of the details of each. You can then choose, through the remaining chapters in this book, to learn more about a particular style of yoga or practice. Throughout this book,you will also find a wealth of resource information to help you learn more about a particular approach to yoga you might like to explore further.

The Branches of Yoga

While yoga is a diverse system of practice comprised of many approaches to self realization,

many authorities on yoga concur that there are four major branches of yoga that

over time have served as a point of origin for developing a practice of yoga. In addition to

these four branches, there are several other systems of yoga that have gained widespread

interest and attention in building a yoga practice. These might be considered offshoots, or

mini-branches, of the main four branches of yoga. The following descriptions will help you

understand the four main branches of yoga, with some of their most important offshoots.

The Four Major Branches of Yoga

As most commonly presented, the four major branches of yoga are bhakti yoga, jnana

yoga, karma yoga, and raja yoga. Understanding the nature of each can help you incorporate

yoga into your life in the most meaningful way.

Bhakti Yoga: The Yoga of Devotion

Bhakti literally means “devotion” in Sanskrit. Bhakti yoga is known as the yoga of

devotion. Following the path of bhakti yoga requires one to surrender oneself completely to

a force or power greater than oneself. That power might be a deity, saint, revered teacher, or

a quality, such as love. Through the force of opening one’s heart with undivided love and

devotion to this higher force, one enters the grace of self-realization. Faith, grace, and love

are the hallmarks of bhakti yoga. Mahatama Ghandi and the Dalai Lama, with their open

hearts and unswerving devotion to serve, are excellent examples of a bhakta, the term that

describes a practitioner of bhakti yoga.

Jnana Yoga: The Yoga of Knowledge

Jnana literally means “wisdom” or “knowledge” in Sanskrit. Jnana yoga is known as the

yoga of wisdom. Of all the branches of yoga, this path requires the greatest concentration of

mental activity. Jnanins (“knowers”), or practitioners of jnana yoga, seek enlightenment

The Tree of Yoga

through the power of mental discrimination and inquiry—learning to differentiate the real

from the unreal, and the limited personal self from the unlimited infinite self that is the

source of all being. Meditation is the most powerful tool used in the practice of jnana yoga.

Karma Yoga: The Yoga of Action

Karma literally means “action” or “cause” in Sanskrit. Karma yoga is known as the yoga

of action. Following the path of karma yoga involves seeking liberation through one’s actions

in the world. Devoting selfless service to others and practicing one’s tasks in life—

professional, familial, and otherwise—with perfect awareness and mindfulness without regard

for success or failure permits the practitioner of karma yoga to achieve enlightenment and

self-liberation. Through karma yoga, even simple and routine tasks such as driving a car or

mowing the lawn can be acts of yoga practice if they are offered selflessly and to benefit

others in an act of service. Many people associate yoga with asceticism and withdrawal from

the external world and the company of others. Karma yoga offers those who are interested

in pursuing its path a way of practicing yoga actively in the world.

Raja Yoga: The Royal Yoga

Raja means “royal” in Sanskrit. Raja yoga is known as the royal road to yoga, or the

yoga of enlightenment. Of all the branches of yoga, raja yoga is probably the best-known

approach to yoga in the West. The practitioner of raja yoga follows a carefully prescribed

path composed of eight practices, or limbs, known as ashtanga (“eight limbs”), to achieve

self-realization. These limbs include many of the best-known and most frequently engaged

yoga practices, including physical postures, breath control, and concentration. (These practices

will be described in much greater detail in the chapters that follow.) Raja yoga is

sometimes referred to as classical yoga because the practices that comprise it are detailed in

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, one of the earliest extant texts on the practice of yoga.

The four major branches of yoga form the overall umbrella under which all other yoga

practices are subdivided. Each branch, however, need not be considered mutually exclusive.

Some practices, such as meditation, are common to more than one branch of yoga. A

follower of yoga can also engage in practices from more than one branch—a man can open

the heart through bhakti yoga, engage the world mindfully and dutifully through karma

yoga, seek mental discernment through jnana yoga, and engage in the liberating practices

of raja yoga all at the same time. In fact, a devotee who follows the teachings of all the

branches of yoga will find in yoga a nearly perfect system leading to right living, thinking,

and self-realization.

The Eight Limbs of Yoga

Raja yoga is frequently described as the scientific path to yoga. This is because it lays

out in a very clear, simple, and systematic way a series of steps that a practitioner of yoga

can follow to achieve enlightenment. These steps, which are detailed in Patanjali’s Yoga

Sutras, form a sort of ladder, each practice building sequentially on the practice that precedes

it. The eight limbs, or rungs, of raja yoga, presented from the first to the eighth are as

Introduction Of Yoga

Yoga is a millennia-old body of wisdom that is now exploding in popularity.From urban health clubs to rural retreats, more and more men are experiencing firsthand yoga’s power to relax, rejuvenate, and restore balance, harmony, and inner peace.my own exploration of yoga began more than 30 years ago when I was a young Fulbright teaching assistant pursuing postgraduate studies in Paris. One of my French teaching colleagues invited me to accompany her to a yoga class she was taking to de-stress her life.Curious about this practice called yoga, I accepted her invitation. The class was taught by a young housewife in the somewhat crowded living room of her suburban home. I do not remember much about the actual exercises or other practices we did in that first class. In fact, I slept through much of the hour-and-a-half class despite the intermittent cries that emanated from the upstairs bedroom where children were at play.I do remember, though, how relaxed and rejuvenated I felt as a result of the class. I was so impressed with yoga’s power to balance and to heal that yoga has remained an integral and important part of my life in the decades since then. Upon returning to the united states, I discovered that instruction in yoga is available virtually anywhere.My life has taken many twists and turns since my student days in Paris. I have earned multiple graduate degrees, and have pursued numerous career paths, including working in publishing, teaching, and wielding the power of a senior financial executive for several of the world’s largest and most prestigious companies. And along every step of my way, yoga has been there to support, guide, and encourage me not only to optimize my physical well being, but also, and perhaps most important, to become who I truly am. without the courage of self-knowledge that yoga has allowed me to access, I doubt that I could have made any of these changes.