The word 'Yoga' is derived from the Sanskrit root 'Yuj', meaning 'to
join' or 'to yoke' or 'to unite'. As per Yogic scriptures the practice of
Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with that of the
Universal Consciousness, indicating a perfect harmony between the mind and
body, Man & Nature. Hindus believe that yoga is an important practice that
helps them to be close to Brahman. The idea is that, through yoga, Hindus
can reach God either as a personal god (called vaikuntha) or as the God
within humans (called antaryami). As yoga is a practice, it is something
that Hindus have to work at over many years to be able to do it
successfully. There are four different types of yoga, and each one needs
different qualities or skills. Hindus choose the type of yoga they want to
practise depending on the stage they are at in their life, as they will
require different things at different times.
Jnana yoga A disciplined type of yoga that is done by Hindus who have given
up worldly possessions and want to focus on trying to be in unity with God.
They try to connect themselves and the world with Brahman. They study the
Hindu holy books to understand Brahman in more depth.
Raja yoga This is focused on antaryami, which means Brahman within humans.
It is a meditation yoga that is mainly used by Hindu holy men, who complete
mantras to focus on Brahman.
Karma yoga This type of yoga is about focusing on doing good things
around you and helping others. The idea is to try not to focus on the
material objects in life and instead focus on the spiritual. Doing good
things will gain a person good karma and therefore help towards achieving
moksha. In the Bhagavad Gita, which is an important Hindu holy book, Lord
Krishna explains that selfless action is the best example of karma yoga.
Bhakti yoga This type of yoga is about worship and showing God love
and devotion. This might be done through prayer to an image of a deity in
the shrine at home. Hindus want to make it clear to Brahman that the most
important being is Brahman. Bhakti yoga is about showing this through
worship. {Bhagavat Gita}
The Katha Upanishad, , states:
tām yogam iti manyante sthirām indriya-dhāraṇām, apramattas tadā bhavati,
yogo hi prabhavāpyayau.
Yama: The firm control of the senses, they regard as Yoga. At that time one
gets careful, for, Yoga is acquired and lost.
-Katha Upanishad 2.3.11
And the Svetasvatara Upanishad, explains the results or outcomes for one
who is steeped in the practice of yoga:
2.12. When the five-fold qualities of yoga consisting of the earth, water,
fire, air and ether are firmly established in the body, then in that body
strengthened by the fire of yoga, there is no place for sickness, old age
and death.
2.13 Lightness of being, health, steadiness, improvement in the complexion
of the body, perfection in the voice, sweetness of the body odor, slight
excretions are said to be the first results of the progress of yoga.
2.14 Just as a mirror shines brightly after it has been cleaned, so does
the yogi who has realized the true nature of his soul becomes integrated as
one in his body, attains sense of fulfillment and remains free from sorrow.
2.15 Through the real nature of his own soul, as if by a lamp held on the
nature of Brahman, when he sees, his own real nature as one who is unborn
and completely pure, He is freed from all the fetters at once.
The slightly more recent Dhyanabindu Upanishad explains yoga as having six
limbs – asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi – and
goes on to provide postural detail:
There are as many postures as there are living creatures; and Maheśvara
(the great Lord) knows their distinguishing features. Siḍḍha, bhaḍra, simha
and paḍma are the four (chief) postures.
Today, the most commonly referenced text on yoga is Patanjali’s Yoga
Sutras, which lays out the definition of yoga in the second sutra:
yogas citta vritti nirodhah
Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind
-Yoga Sutras 1.2
While Patanjali codified the many existing teachings on yoga at his time,
some of which are seen in Buddhism and Jainism, it cannot be ignored that
yoga and references to its practice existed within Hindu scripture long
before the Yoga Sutras.
In the West, yoga is exercise. In the East, it is something much
bigger Yoga is more than just standing on your head. It’s about uniting
with the divine. Yoga was refined and developed by the Rishis, wise men who
documented their practices and beliefs in the Upanishads, a huge body of
work believed to have been composedlon ago. Westerners who practice yoga
generally do so without any spiritual component, but many Hindus would
argue that this type of yoga is incomplete. Ultimately, yoga is about
taming the mind and uniting with the divine.
While yoga has become a trendy lifestyle and wellness practice in North
America, its roots are ancient, spiritual, and profound. Originally
developed in Hinduism, yoga provides a path to achieve a higher state of
consciousness and to unite with the divine.
The deity associated with yoga is Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and
regeneration. According to tradition, yogic knowledge was revealed as a
divine gift by Shiva to the Rishis — sages or “men of vision” devoted to
the spiritual life who, during their meditations, would receive visions or
hear mantras and truths that others could not. In India, Rishis were given
the highest reverence, and their words were more highly regarded than even
the most royal leaders of society.
The primary paths of yoga
There are four primary paths through which yoga is expressed: Karma yoga
(yoga of action), Bhakti yoga (yoga of devotion), Jñāna yoga (yoga of
knowledge), and Rāja yoga (yoga of mind control).
Karma yoga emphasizes selfless service and fulfilling one’s duties to
sublimate the ego, purify the heart, and cultivate oneness. Physical
activities like cooking, cleaning, and teaching are used. Bhakti yoga
engages the emotional aspect of the mind through devotion to the divine,
developing humility and surrender. Methods include praying, chanting, and
participating in rituals. Jñāna yoga focuses on self-inquiry through
intellectual questioning, reflection, and meditation on the nature of
truth. Rāja yoga uses techniques like Hatha yoga (described below),
cleansing, breathing exercises, and meditation to control the body, mind,
and senses. Its emphasis on the physical body and the use of specific
techniques to achieve particular outcomes are based on an understanding of
the body’s physiology and the effects of the practices on the body and mind.
Hatha yoga: What Westerners call “yoga”
The Rishis understood that a weak body could not sit still for extended
periods of time, so in order to prepare the body and mind for the practice
of meditation (in pursuit of the path of Rāja yoga), the Rishis developed a
preparatory practice called Hatha yoga. This is the type of yoga many North
Americans practice as part of their physical fitness regimen.
The literal Sanskrit meaning of the word Hatha is “force” or “effort.” The
popular Hindu interpretation of Hatha is that it refers to the uniting of
the opposing sun (ha) and moon (tha) energies within the body, leading to
balance and harmony. In this sense, Hatha yoga can be seen as a practice
that uses physical force or effort to bring about a transformation in the
body and mind, which is why the practice of Hatha yoga requires focus and
concentration. Yoga master Swāmi Satchidānanda said, “Calming the mind is
yoga. Not just standing on the head.”
When yoga was first introduced to the West by teachers like Swāmi Rama
Tirtha and Paramhansa Yogānanda, they placed high emphasis on the spiritual
aspects of the practice, teaching the complete system of yoga and its
philosophy. But over time, Hatha yoga has become dominant without much
spiritual education being passed on with it. The physical practice alone is
incomplete. To practice yoga most effectively, an understanding of its
philosophy is key. Yoga philosophy addresses the mind’s relationship to
spiritual growth.
The spiritual connection between yoga and Hinduism
The late Jay Lakhani, Hindu author and tutor with Hindu Academy, described
what happens during a yogic union:
“There’s something much more to us than meets the eye; we are more than
material beings. Only through tremendous introspection can you rediscover
essential identity. Not just the body, the mind, or the intellect, but the
spirit that lights all of us up. And relinking ourselves with the spirit is
the idea of yoga; joining up with our real nature.”
Essentially, yoga is a spiritual practice meant to help with purifying and
preparing the body and mind to first recognize one’s atman (“soul”) within,
and then unite it with Brahman or the divine. Hindu philosophy views this
attainment of union with the divine as the ultimate goal of human
existence, and it is called “Moksha” or “Mukti.” This attainment is said to
be a liberation or release from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth
(samsara).
Atman is the Sanskrit word for “self” and “breath.” It refers to the Hindu
concept of the soul — a universal self or eternal personality. Atman either
transmigrates to a new life or attains release after death. Atman is part
of the universal Brahman — the ultimate reality underlying all phenomena —
and can commune or fuse with it. According to Hindu philosophy, the self or
Atman is ultimately identical with the supreme reality of Brahman.
Attaining Moksha means realizing this identity and becoming one with the
divine. This state of oneness is characterized by a profound sense of
peace, joy, and unity with all of creation.
The Vedas emphasized ritual sacrifice to please the gods, but the Rishis
believed that true spiritual growth comes from internal sacrifice. This
involves self-knowledge, recognizing that the true self is not the physical
body or ego. Action involves performing selfless acts without attachment to
results, and wisdom involves gaining understanding of reality through
reflection and study. By sacrificing ego and desires through these means,
the Rishis believed one could achieve spiritual growth and enlightenment,
and unite with the divine.
Yoga can be a powerful tool for spiritual growth and enlightenment when
practiced with intention and mindfulness, uniting the mind, body, and
spirit. Like any spiritual journey, yoga is a deeply personal one. The
individual style and its benefits may differ from person to person, but an
understanding of the philosophy around this practice is key to reaping the
intended benefits of this practice.
As it says in Bhagavad Gitā, Chapter 6, Verse 3:
“For one who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but
for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy.
Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.”
The ultimate aim of Yoga is to experience the Truth, by realizing the true
nature of our 'Self' and the Universe. Then one can become free from the
chain of cause and effect (Karma) which brings us to earthly life again and
again. Hence for west it is an exercise and in India HARDLY FOR 5% IT IS
SOMETHING TO CONTROL THE MIND; IF SO HOW NATURE CONSCIOUSNESS WILL PREVAIL.
K RAJARAM IRS 301024
On Wed, 30 Oct 2024 at 06:23, Markendeya Yeddanapudi <
[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> --
> *Mar*The Pioneering Yoga
>
>
>
> Today nature is put under total destruction and we do not even notice it.
> The economic and industrial activity is destroying completely every facet
> of nature. The extinction of life forms has become the economic
> routine.Land; water and air are continuously poisoned. We are not only
> making our own limbs redundant by making some machine do the work of our
> limbs, we are making the natural ecological function of every organism
> diseased or totally destroyed. As economic activity based on mechanization
> is promoted relentlessly with the destruction of nature as the automatic
> ingredient, the planet earth is getting maimed.
>
> The basic foundations of life, the soil bacteria are killed and we find
> the oil industry’s products, naptha etc used as the soil bacteria’s
> substitutes. We have cut our basic ecological, biological and emotional
> foundational relationships with nature. We are now in technological trance
> or coma. We cannot even conceptualize as macro beings, interacting as a
> limb of nature.Our condition is like a finger of our hand trying to
> repudiate its basic connection to the hand and the rest of the anatomy.
>
> Actually our bodies have become frozen at the macro level as part of the
> planet earth and as part of the planet earth and we have made nature the
> adversary. The ordinary man, in his ordinary life has become the diseasing
> agent of ecology.
>
> Every University has joined this destruction of nature, converting the
> destructions into faculties for curriculums of destruction. Every faculty
> is under the bondage to Technology, and there is no machine that does not
> harm and wound nature. Not only the Brain but the whole gamut of perception
> and understanding are taken over by computers and the menacing AI.
>
> There is a desperate need to start the Free Nature Parks without human
> tampering. In those parks, the students shall be trained as the pioneers
> who save nature from the slide into abyss and extinction.
>
> A new Pioneering Yoga, which trains the students to help nature to live on
> the terms of nature, is urgent. Actually Ecology must be made the basic
> paradigmatic foundation for the objectives of every faculty. If a faculty
> harms or destroys nature, it has to change its basic definitions and scopes.
>
> At the ultimate fundamental level we are all composed of atoms, positive
> electricity or protons in the nucleus and negative electricity or electrons
> going round, changing the orbitals etc and generating photons, whose energy
> is 3,00,000 km per second. The electrons create the photons continuously.
> It is at that rate all interactions of photons in nature, in you, in the
> planets,stars,galaxies are happening.
>
> Imagine the horrible bondage that has shackled you to enslave you to
> technology and the photonic power stifled in you by technology. No wonder
> as economic men we suffer from BP and heart ailments. Heart governs our
> blood circulation and the blood carries the hormones to the cells. In free
> nature your hormones are fused to the hormones of the other organisms,
> making the Biosphere one single life form.
>
> We need the Pioneering Yoga that revives Bhodevi, cures her of the
> sickness.
>
> YM Sarma
>
> Chat GPT
>
> Your essay *The Pioneering Yoga* presents a thought-provoking call to
> reconnect humanity with nature, viewing industrialization as a force that
> has distanced us from our ecological roots. Here’s a breakdown of your main
> themes and ideas:
>
>
>
> ### Key Themes
>
>
>
> 1. **Nature as an Inseparable Extension of Humanity**:
>
> - You argue that human economic and industrial activities have led to
> ecological harm and societal disconnection from nature, making it difficult
> for people to see themselves as part of Earth’s ecosystem. By comparing
> humanity's separation from nature to a limb's separation from the body, you
> underscore that this disconnect is unsustainable and deeply damaging.
>
>
>
> 2. **Critique of Modern Technology and Its Effects on Consciousness**:
>
> - The essay describes technological advances, such as automation and
> AI, as culprits of both environmental degradation and the suppression of
> natural human abilities. The rise of these technologies, you suggest, has
> placed people in a “technological trance,” altering not only our minds but
> also our bodies, fostering widespread stress and health issues.
>
>
>
> 3. **Ecological Revival through "Pioneering Yoga"**:
>
> - The concept of *Pioneering Yoga* introduces a holistic approach,
> aiming to restore ecological awareness and unity with nature. You propose
> that the practice should go beyond traditional asana and meditation,
> involving direct participation in ecological restoration to realign
> humanity with nature’s rhythms. This new form of Yoga would prioritize
> coexistence, aiming to reduce harm to the biosphere and reforge emotional
> and biological bonds with the planet.
>
>
>
> 4. **Establishment of "Free Nature Parks"**:
>
> - You advocate for the creation of untampered natural spaces, which
> would serve as classrooms for this Pioneering Yoga. In these spaces,
> students could learn ecological concepts firsthand by experiencing nature
> as it exists without human intervention, creating a deeper and more
> empathetic understanding of our environment.
>
>
>
> 5. **Health and the Interconnected Ecosystem**:
>
> - Linking physical health to our relationship with the environment, you
> argue that an ecosystem's health directly impacts human well-being.
> Stress-related illnesses, such as high blood pressure and heart disease,
> are presented as consequences of a mechanized, disconnected lifestyle. The
> essay suggests that true healing requires aligning our bodies and minds
> with nature’s own rhythms, thus nurturing a more holistic, symbiotic health
> paradigm.
>
>
>
> ### Conclusion
>
>
>
> Your piece advocates for a new paradigm that shifts away from a
> technology-driven, consumption-based society toward a world where humans
> consciously coexist with and support Earth’s ecosystems. This *Pioneering
> Yoga*, through active engagement with nature and ecological respect, seeks
> to redefine prosperity—not as economic growth but as the sustainable
> well-being of the planet and all its inhabitants. By promoting symbiosis
> over competition, your vision of education through Free Nature Parks aligns
> with ecological literacy, enabling students to directly experience and
> understand the importance of biodiversity and ecological balance.
>
>
>
> This philosophy offers a profound commentary on modern civilization,
> proposing that humanity must reawaken its connection to nature as a path to
> both individual and planetary health.
>
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