Yoga and Yogic philosophy is occasionally misunderstood because some people have not been informed of the universal principles that are not threatening to any belief or disbelief. Many people who do not practice Yoga are often surprised to find detailed dietary suggestions contained within their Yoga training. Yoga aids the student toward better health in every possible aspect. So, Yoga requires and in depth explanation.
Let?s start with the meaning of Yoga, which literally means ?unity? or ?union.? Your next question might be, ?Unity with what?? Yoga does help unify the mind and body, but it also unifies the spirit or soul within you with God. The soul is sometimes known as the ?Atman? and can also be referred to as pure or true consciousness. Yoga is not a religion, but it can be practiced in harmony with any religion.
Before we go any further; it should be noted that many students from a variety of religions have practiced Yoga and feel a deeper connection with God as a result of the mind, body, and spirit unification process. Therefore, Yoga is doing no harm to anyone of any religion. Yoga philosophy does not preach a ?Better than thou? doctrine. This has been mankind?s excuse to wage war, since history was first recorded and even before.
The concept of another person?s religion, nationality, ethnic background, race, and gender; being less, have always been convenient reasons for bigotry, slavery, and cruelty. Tolerance of others is not a new idea in Yogic philosophy.
There is no group that has the exclusive rights to Yoga. India is the birth place of Yoga and the people of India have gladly shared their gift with the rest of the world. There is no exclusive group that practices Yoga or teaches Yoga classes. Yoga was not designed to be an exclusive practice and Yoga has evolved for the best over 5,000 years to this day.
For the sake of being ?politically correct,? many Yoga teachers omit the spiritual aspect of Yoga in their Hatha Yoga classes. This is fine, since the masses of some cultures object to learning about a method to connect to God. However, what does it say about a culture that is to busy to talk or think about God?
It means many things and some societies are showing signs of systematic spiritual illness. However, if you teach Hatha Yoga under these circumstances, you might be best to leave religion outside your classes. Unless, you are teaching Bhakti Yoga or something similar such as Jewish, Moslem, or Christian Yoga, the union of mind, body, and spirit does not usually occur in a typical Hatha Yoga class.
? Copyright 2006 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
Showing posts with label Atman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Atman. Show all posts
February 27, 2009
February 25, 2009
Yogic Way of Controlling of Thoughts
As described in my earlier article… thoughts in the mind generate because we have five senses. So broadly there are five kinds of thoughts. Again each thought may either be of pleasure or of pain. This way there are ten types of thoughts. Patanjali further describes each of these ten types of thoughts may be based on proof(pramana), or an opposite(viparyay), or an alternative(vikalpa), or forming sleep(nidra) or forming memory(smriti).
Patanjali emphasized that thoghts based on proof should be accepted, because these are directly perceived. There are six things in the world which can be directly perceived; these are sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and soul(true self). While senses perceive sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, soul(atman) is perceived in the mind through total concentration(samadhi). No seventh thing exists in the whole universe that can be perceived directly. The thought of God and heaven as separate from soul is opposite to proven thought. This is because those who are unable to realise true self or are ignorant about the greatness of true self, depend upon alternative thought or dualism where soul is separate from and inferior to God. Such people remain in constant sleep and bear in themselves all past memories which include all traditional and religious believes and practices.
In order to control thoughts Patanjali teaches - thoughts may be controlled throgh practice(abhyasa) and detachment(vairagya)(I.12). Then he describes what practice is. Practice is to stay there carefully(I.13). But where is to stay? The answer lies in his previous instruction. A seer or practitioner should try to reach or stay there in true self.
In order to practice controlling of thoughts, one has to practice eight limbs(parts) of Yoga. The eight limbs of Yoga shall be described in a later article. At present, there are numerous Yoga shops operating accross the globe and selling yogic exercises, breathing exercises and meditation practices. But these are flawed and hazardous. Practitioners shall get the benefit of exercise only. They may not achieve the aim of Yoga, which is to realise true self.
This practice should continue regularly for a long time with sincerity and confidence(I.14). The final result may come later; but once a seeker starts practicing, he feels the difference. The body and mind becomes pure and light by dispelling undesirable elements like germs and disease from the body and evil thoughts from the mind. Mind becomes pure and intelligence becomes sharp. Such a mind overcomes ignorance, bondage and fear of death.
Now let us see what detachment(vairagya) is. Patanjali teaches - to remain dispassionate and to subjugate those things that are seen or heard of, is detachment(I.15). The world constitutes of all living beings and material things and to bring this world under control is subjugation(vashikara). Subjugation is not to bring everything under control through power, but to remain dispassionate to everything. This subjugation is detachment. One does not have to run away from the society; but by remaining in the society one may subjugate everything and develop detachment. Detachment is non-attraction. One should not be attracted to those things that are seen or heard of.
We see the attractive and beautiful objects of the world. But we should not be attracted towards them. Because the world is ultimately false. Objects that are seen and thoughts relating to them are based on proof. But they are of no use in realisation of true self. Similarly we should not believe those things that are heard of only. Gods and Goddesses, heaven and hell, angels and ghosts are only heard of. So Patanjali instructs a seer should not be attracted to those things that are either seen or heard of.
Author Mr Premansu Chand, 40, is and Indian and Govt. servent. He reads scriptures and practices Yoga. He has published a book “Quest for Truth: the spiritual and yogic way” recently. The aim is to spread true spiritualism and yoga.
http://www.bookstobelievein.com/questfortruth.php
premansu_chand@rediffmail.com
Patanjali emphasized that thoghts based on proof should be accepted, because these are directly perceived. There are six things in the world which can be directly perceived; these are sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and soul(true self). While senses perceive sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, soul(atman) is perceived in the mind through total concentration(samadhi). No seventh thing exists in the whole universe that can be perceived directly. The thought of God and heaven as separate from soul is opposite to proven thought. This is because those who are unable to realise true self or are ignorant about the greatness of true self, depend upon alternative thought or dualism where soul is separate from and inferior to God. Such people remain in constant sleep and bear in themselves all past memories which include all traditional and religious believes and practices.
In order to control thoughts Patanjali teaches - thoughts may be controlled throgh practice(abhyasa) and detachment(vairagya)(I.12). Then he describes what practice is. Practice is to stay there carefully(I.13). But where is to stay? The answer lies in his previous instruction. A seer or practitioner should try to reach or stay there in true self.
In order to practice controlling of thoughts, one has to practice eight limbs(parts) of Yoga. The eight limbs of Yoga shall be described in a later article. At present, there are numerous Yoga shops operating accross the globe and selling yogic exercises, breathing exercises and meditation practices. But these are flawed and hazardous. Practitioners shall get the benefit of exercise only. They may not achieve the aim of Yoga, which is to realise true self.
This practice should continue regularly for a long time with sincerity and confidence(I.14). The final result may come later; but once a seeker starts practicing, he feels the difference. The body and mind becomes pure and light by dispelling undesirable elements like germs and disease from the body and evil thoughts from the mind. Mind becomes pure and intelligence becomes sharp. Such a mind overcomes ignorance, bondage and fear of death.
Now let us see what detachment(vairagya) is. Patanjali teaches - to remain dispassionate and to subjugate those things that are seen or heard of, is detachment(I.15). The world constitutes of all living beings and material things and to bring this world under control is subjugation(vashikara). Subjugation is not to bring everything under control through power, but to remain dispassionate to everything. This subjugation is detachment. One does not have to run away from the society; but by remaining in the society one may subjugate everything and develop detachment. Detachment is non-attraction. One should not be attracted to those things that are seen or heard of.
We see the attractive and beautiful objects of the world. But we should not be attracted towards them. Because the world is ultimately false. Objects that are seen and thoughts relating to them are based on proof. But they are of no use in realisation of true self. Similarly we should not believe those things that are heard of only. Gods and Goddesses, heaven and hell, angels and ghosts are only heard of. So Patanjali instructs a seer should not be attracted to those things that are either seen or heard of.
Author Mr Premansu Chand, 40, is and Indian and Govt. servent. He reads scriptures and practices Yoga. He has published a book “Quest for Truth: the spiritual and yogic way” recently. The aim is to spread true spiritualism and yoga.
http://www.bookstobelievein.com/questfortruth.php
premansu_chand@rediffmail.com
February 24, 2009
Self Remains in Four States of Consciousness
Presently most Yoga Masters teach Yoga just as a therapy or as a means to keep body and mind healthy. to keep body and mind healthy is not everything; it is the base of Yoga. The apex of Yoga is to realise the true self(atman). According to the Indian Scriptures Atman is Brahman, the Ultimate Reality. So practitioners should try to understand the ’self’ first.
Like all living beings, man has consciousness. For this he feels that he has existence. Dead matter has no consciousness and so it cannot know either its own existence or the existence of others. Since conscious man knows his existence, he has a Self. Self is intimately related to his consciousness. Consciousness awakens knowledge in him. This knowledge tells a man that he has a Self or has an existence in relation to others.
According to the Upanishads, this Self remains in four states - waking, dreaming, deep sleep and true self(atman). The practice of Yoga is to move inwards of consciousness from waking through deep sleep to true self states.
In the waking state, consciousness of man spreads everywhere through his sense organs. Self is knowledgeable about the gross body and the gross world outside. It is the enjoyer of this gross material world. It enjoys what it has imagined and created. Gross world has no real existence. If at all it exists, it exists in the consciousness of beings. Gross world is an imagination and creation of all beings. For this, in the waking state, Self is called Universal(vishva).
In the dreaming sate, consciousness spreads inwards i.e. in the subtle dreaming world. Self is knowledgeable about its subtle body and subtle dreaming world. This world is its own creation and very much private. Through its own creation, it enjoys its own creation. The same mind and senses work here. The difference is everything is subtle here and everything is an illumination only. For this Self is called Illuminous(taijasa).
When one goes to sleep, one passes from waking state to dreaming state. Body and world change from gross to subtle. But the same mind and senses remain active. For this dreaming world appears to be as real as waking world. However no world is real.
When one enters into deep sleep state, mind and senses cease to function. For this one sees nothing or hears nothing. Mind and senses immerse in the consciousness. For this consciousness is pure here or Self attains purity. there is none other than the Self. For this one sees nothing or hears nothing. There is no dualism and there is oneness of all. Gods and Goddesses, beings and worlds, hell and heaven become one here.
In the absence of dualism, there is neither virtue nor vice, neither joy nor sorrow; Self is intelligent and blissful. Brightness acts as a sense organ and through this Self enjoys only the bliss. For this after a deep sleep one remains blissful and peaceful. In the deep sleep state, Self is called Intelligent(prajna). This Intelligent Self is the God of all. It becomes the cause of all worlds. This is the state where creation, sustenance and destruction of all beings are determined.
Waking and dreaming states are experienced by all, because mind is active in these two states. Effect of deep sleep is only felt and not realised. The fourth state is neither felt nor realised by all. Only a true Yogi may feel and realise third and fourth states. deep sleep may be realised by a Yogi through meditation when he has risen above body and senses. Throgh meditation mind enters the deep seep and realises it. Then in total concentration(samadhi) he may realise the fourth state again through the mind.
In the fourth state, Self has neither the knowledge of the outside world nor of the inner world; Self is neither intelligent nor ignorant. Only there is the manifestation of true self(atman) which is peaceful, graceful and unique. Self is called soul(atman) here, which is the only thing to be known and to be realised in the whole universe.
So practitioners should learn that Yoga from him, who clears all ignorance and shows true divine or spiritual path. Awake and arise and stop not till the goal is achieved.
Author Premansu Chand practices and teaches Patanjali Yoga. Those who want to know more about spiritualism and yoga may go through his book ‘Quest for truth: the spiritual and yogic way’ published in USA or may email to him.
http://www.bookstobelievein.com/questfortruth.php
premansu_chand@rediffmail.com
Like all living beings, man has consciousness. For this he feels that he has existence. Dead matter has no consciousness and so it cannot know either its own existence or the existence of others. Since conscious man knows his existence, he has a Self. Self is intimately related to his consciousness. Consciousness awakens knowledge in him. This knowledge tells a man that he has a Self or has an existence in relation to others.
According to the Upanishads, this Self remains in four states - waking, dreaming, deep sleep and true self(atman). The practice of Yoga is to move inwards of consciousness from waking through deep sleep to true self states.
In the waking state, consciousness of man spreads everywhere through his sense organs. Self is knowledgeable about the gross body and the gross world outside. It is the enjoyer of this gross material world. It enjoys what it has imagined and created. Gross world has no real existence. If at all it exists, it exists in the consciousness of beings. Gross world is an imagination and creation of all beings. For this, in the waking state, Self is called Universal(vishva).
In the dreaming sate, consciousness spreads inwards i.e. in the subtle dreaming world. Self is knowledgeable about its subtle body and subtle dreaming world. This world is its own creation and very much private. Through its own creation, it enjoys its own creation. The same mind and senses work here. The difference is everything is subtle here and everything is an illumination only. For this Self is called Illuminous(taijasa).
When one goes to sleep, one passes from waking state to dreaming state. Body and world change from gross to subtle. But the same mind and senses remain active. For this dreaming world appears to be as real as waking world. However no world is real.
When one enters into deep sleep state, mind and senses cease to function. For this one sees nothing or hears nothing. Mind and senses immerse in the consciousness. For this consciousness is pure here or Self attains purity. there is none other than the Self. For this one sees nothing or hears nothing. There is no dualism and there is oneness of all. Gods and Goddesses, beings and worlds, hell and heaven become one here.
In the absence of dualism, there is neither virtue nor vice, neither joy nor sorrow; Self is intelligent and blissful. Brightness acts as a sense organ and through this Self enjoys only the bliss. For this after a deep sleep one remains blissful and peaceful. In the deep sleep state, Self is called Intelligent(prajna). This Intelligent Self is the God of all. It becomes the cause of all worlds. This is the state where creation, sustenance and destruction of all beings are determined.
Waking and dreaming states are experienced by all, because mind is active in these two states. Effect of deep sleep is only felt and not realised. The fourth state is neither felt nor realised by all. Only a true Yogi may feel and realise third and fourth states. deep sleep may be realised by a Yogi through meditation when he has risen above body and senses. Throgh meditation mind enters the deep seep and realises it. Then in total concentration(samadhi) he may realise the fourth state again through the mind.
In the fourth state, Self has neither the knowledge of the outside world nor of the inner world; Self is neither intelligent nor ignorant. Only there is the manifestation of true self(atman) which is peaceful, graceful and unique. Self is called soul(atman) here, which is the only thing to be known and to be realised in the whole universe.
So practitioners should learn that Yoga from him, who clears all ignorance and shows true divine or spiritual path. Awake and arise and stop not till the goal is achieved.
Author Premansu Chand practices and teaches Patanjali Yoga. Those who want to know more about spiritualism and yoga may go through his book ‘Quest for truth: the spiritual and yogic way’ published in USA or may email to him.
http://www.bookstobelievein.com/questfortruth.php
premansu_chand@rediffmail.com
February 23, 2009
Beauty and Youthfulness
In all ages, the endeavor of man has been to remain beautiful and youthful. For this he spends all his income in housing, food and dress. However as he gains age, nothing helps him in his endeavor to remain beautiful and youthful, diseaseless and ageless. This is because of thousands of years of ignorance, prejudice encoded in the mind.
Body is just like a burning flame. A flame exists and gives light so long as oil or wax burns. Fresh oil is drawn up into the flame and burnt out oil leaves the flame into the atmosphere. Similarly food, water and air enters into the body and used up and toxic materials leaves the body in the form of sweating, urine and stool. The body remains as burning flame giving beauty and youthfulness.
However the difference is that oil in the body is inexhaustible. It is the life-force(prana) pervading all parts and all cells in the body. The source of this life-force is the soul(atman) within each living being. Soul and its life-force is eternal, unending and uncontaminated. Hence so long as this life-force exists in the body, the body should be beautiful, youthful and uncontaminated with disease and death.
Again if we view the body scientifically, the cells in the body are being regenerated continuously. After every seven years all old cells are replaced by newly created cells. So after every seven years we get a new body and never remain the same. Hence the body should always remain beautiful and youthful.
So long as we don’t realise our life-force(prana) and source of this life-force i.e. soul(atman) or true self, we cannot remain youthful. In order to realise true self one has to practice Yoga. Yoga is a method to control body and mind and finally the mind. We are nothing but a mind. What our mind thinks up it materialises. When we practice Yoga to remain youthful and beautiful it really happens. We rule over the body and mind and overcome disease and death. This is liberation and this may come right in this birth.
Contrary to this, religious leaders would declare that disease and death is truth. So pray for the mercy of God and after death one may enter into heaven. Hell, heaven and God are imaginary things which have remained as ignorance and prejudice for thousands of years. They have no real existence; they exists in the mind only. These things have been created by a few in order to rule over the majority. The real truth, the real divinity and the real bliss lies in soul, life and consciousness only.
So one should give up ignorance and prejudice at once and get liberated. One should search for real truth which only give peace, beauty and youthfulness. In order to hold the truth firmly one has to practice that Yoga which may drive out ignorance throgh the dawn of right knowledge.
For reading more about Yoga and spiritualism readers may go through the book ‘Quest for Truth: the spiritual and yogic way’ published with Thornton Publishing, Inc. Also readers may email to the Author for guidance.
http://www.bookstobelievein.com/questfortruth.php
premansu_chand@rediffmail.com
Body is just like a burning flame. A flame exists and gives light so long as oil or wax burns. Fresh oil is drawn up into the flame and burnt out oil leaves the flame into the atmosphere. Similarly food, water and air enters into the body and used up and toxic materials leaves the body in the form of sweating, urine and stool. The body remains as burning flame giving beauty and youthfulness.
However the difference is that oil in the body is inexhaustible. It is the life-force(prana) pervading all parts and all cells in the body. The source of this life-force is the soul(atman) within each living being. Soul and its life-force is eternal, unending and uncontaminated. Hence so long as this life-force exists in the body, the body should be beautiful, youthful and uncontaminated with disease and death.
Again if we view the body scientifically, the cells in the body are being regenerated continuously. After every seven years all old cells are replaced by newly created cells. So after every seven years we get a new body and never remain the same. Hence the body should always remain beautiful and youthful.
So long as we don’t realise our life-force(prana) and source of this life-force i.e. soul(atman) or true self, we cannot remain youthful. In order to realise true self one has to practice Yoga. Yoga is a method to control body and mind and finally the mind. We are nothing but a mind. What our mind thinks up it materialises. When we practice Yoga to remain youthful and beautiful it really happens. We rule over the body and mind and overcome disease and death. This is liberation and this may come right in this birth.
Contrary to this, religious leaders would declare that disease and death is truth. So pray for the mercy of God and after death one may enter into heaven. Hell, heaven and God are imaginary things which have remained as ignorance and prejudice for thousands of years. They have no real existence; they exists in the mind only. These things have been created by a few in order to rule over the majority. The real truth, the real divinity and the real bliss lies in soul, life and consciousness only.
So one should give up ignorance and prejudice at once and get liberated. One should search for real truth which only give peace, beauty and youthfulness. In order to hold the truth firmly one has to practice that Yoga which may drive out ignorance throgh the dawn of right knowledge.
For reading more about Yoga and spiritualism readers may go through the book ‘Quest for Truth: the spiritual and yogic way’ published with Thornton Publishing, Inc. Also readers may email to the Author for guidance.
http://www.bookstobelievein.com/questfortruth.php
premansu_chand@rediffmail.com
February 22, 2009
Spiritualism and Yoga
In all religions voluminous scriptures relating to spiritualism are available. However the divine truth is very simple and everybody has free access to it. Like free air and free water available to all, everybody can realise the truth freely and without anybody’s interference.
In the whole universe there are only two things - one is conscious and other is inert; one is truth and other is false. all living beings are conscious whereas matter and material things are inert. Matter always changes its state(solid, liquid, gaseous, plasma and ethereal space) and matter is nothing but a form of energy. Again the sum total of all energies(kinetic and gravitational of celestial bodies) is zero. So matter is ultimately false, both spiritually and scientifically. As in the dream, all objects appear to be real, so in the waking state, all things we see and hear appear to be real. When we wake up from dream, the dream objects appear to be false; so after death this visible world shall appear to be false.
Hence only the consciousness is truth and it is found in all living beings only. This consciousness not only guides us from birth till death, but has guided us in our numerous births through which we have been evolved. So consciousness is eternal, indestructible and uncontaminated. One’s consciousness is not isolated. The same consciousness pervades in all beings. It is Universal and this Universal Consciousness may be called God.
We should not search for God outside in the heaven. All living beings are the home of God(see my article ‘Home of God’). For this it is said that when we realise ourselves we realise God. Then what we should realise in ourselves? Body is not permanent. What is permanent and eternal in us is our consciousness. It is expressed in us as mind and intellect and the source of this consciousness is soul(Atman in Indian Philosophy). Subtler part of mind is intellect and subtler part of intellect is soul. In fact mind, intellect and soul are one and same. Since body is destructible, soul is the real being or true self of a being. When soul or true self is realised everything is realised. So the only way left for us is to follow our consciousness and become more and more conscious. It will lead us towards knowledge, liberation, immortality and divinity.
This spiritualism can be realised through the practice of Yoga. Yoga is defined as the cessation of thoughts arising in the mind. The moment one dispels all thoughts from the mind, one realises one’s true self or soul. One does not have to remain in this state always. After realising true self, again a Yogi returns to his normal state and resumes worldly activities.
Yoga gives emphasis on mind, because we are nothing but a conscious mind. With this powerful mind we have achieved so much in the 21st century. However the aim of spiritualism and Yoga is to initiate a voyage inwards through the mind. Outside there is pain, inside there is bliss; outside there is loss of energy, inside there is gain of energy; outside there is disease and mortality, inside there is health and immortality. If consciousness is an ocean, mind is the waves along the seashore. We see only the sea waves, not the oceanic bottom. To realise true self is like finding out oceanic bottom.
What we believe in ’self’ is our gross body and gross mind. However this is not the true self of a being. Gross body and gross mind constituting our external self is a manifestation of our true self or soul only. A lone body is the manifestation of a lone soul and this world is the manifestatio of all souls of all beings. God is nothing but the sum total of all souls. For this world is not different from being, being is not different from soul and soul is not different from God. All are one and the same. World is an appearance and manifestation of consciousness only.
So the task before a spiritual seeker or a Yogi is to become more and more conscious. When one becomes more conscious one becomes more free from worldly thoughts which give pain and sorrow, disease and death. When one becomes absolutely free, one becomes absolutely free from virtue and vice, pain and sorrow and disease and death. Birth and death comes under his control and one gets liberated right in the present birth. One achieves immortality. Indian scriptures, the Upanishads teach men to get immortal right in the present birth.
I see that my articles on Yoga are read well. But I am in total darkness if these articles are appreciated. So my earnest appeal to readers is that they should send their comments through emails. Those who accept my and my Master’s views on spiritualism and Yoga, should come forward and unite on a global platform. In order to help me both emotionally and financially readers may buy my book ‘Quest for truth: the spiritual and yogic way’ published in USA.
Author is a desciple of late Master Munishvar Shiv kumar Shastri who has established Muni Samaj. Those who wish to learn Yoga as interpreted by the author may email to him who resides in India.
http://www.bookstobelievein.com/questfortruth.php
premansu_chand@rediffmail.com
In the whole universe there are only two things - one is conscious and other is inert; one is truth and other is false. all living beings are conscious whereas matter and material things are inert. Matter always changes its state(solid, liquid, gaseous, plasma and ethereal space) and matter is nothing but a form of energy. Again the sum total of all energies(kinetic and gravitational of celestial bodies) is zero. So matter is ultimately false, both spiritually and scientifically. As in the dream, all objects appear to be real, so in the waking state, all things we see and hear appear to be real. When we wake up from dream, the dream objects appear to be false; so after death this visible world shall appear to be false.
Hence only the consciousness is truth and it is found in all living beings only. This consciousness not only guides us from birth till death, but has guided us in our numerous births through which we have been evolved. So consciousness is eternal, indestructible and uncontaminated. One’s consciousness is not isolated. The same consciousness pervades in all beings. It is Universal and this Universal Consciousness may be called God.
We should not search for God outside in the heaven. All living beings are the home of God(see my article ‘Home of God’). For this it is said that when we realise ourselves we realise God. Then what we should realise in ourselves? Body is not permanent. What is permanent and eternal in us is our consciousness. It is expressed in us as mind and intellect and the source of this consciousness is soul(Atman in Indian Philosophy). Subtler part of mind is intellect and subtler part of intellect is soul. In fact mind, intellect and soul are one and same. Since body is destructible, soul is the real being or true self of a being. When soul or true self is realised everything is realised. So the only way left for us is to follow our consciousness and become more and more conscious. It will lead us towards knowledge, liberation, immortality and divinity.
This spiritualism can be realised through the practice of Yoga. Yoga is defined as the cessation of thoughts arising in the mind. The moment one dispels all thoughts from the mind, one realises one’s true self or soul. One does not have to remain in this state always. After realising true self, again a Yogi returns to his normal state and resumes worldly activities.
Yoga gives emphasis on mind, because we are nothing but a conscious mind. With this powerful mind we have achieved so much in the 21st century. However the aim of spiritualism and Yoga is to initiate a voyage inwards through the mind. Outside there is pain, inside there is bliss; outside there is loss of energy, inside there is gain of energy; outside there is disease and mortality, inside there is health and immortality. If consciousness is an ocean, mind is the waves along the seashore. We see only the sea waves, not the oceanic bottom. To realise true self is like finding out oceanic bottom.
What we believe in ’self’ is our gross body and gross mind. However this is not the true self of a being. Gross body and gross mind constituting our external self is a manifestation of our true self or soul only. A lone body is the manifestation of a lone soul and this world is the manifestatio of all souls of all beings. God is nothing but the sum total of all souls. For this world is not different from being, being is not different from soul and soul is not different from God. All are one and the same. World is an appearance and manifestation of consciousness only.
So the task before a spiritual seeker or a Yogi is to become more and more conscious. When one becomes more conscious one becomes more free from worldly thoughts which give pain and sorrow, disease and death. When one becomes absolutely free, one becomes absolutely free from virtue and vice, pain and sorrow and disease and death. Birth and death comes under his control and one gets liberated right in the present birth. One achieves immortality. Indian scriptures, the Upanishads teach men to get immortal right in the present birth.
I see that my articles on Yoga are read well. But I am in total darkness if these articles are appreciated. So my earnest appeal to readers is that they should send their comments through emails. Those who accept my and my Master’s views on spiritualism and Yoga, should come forward and unite on a global platform. In order to help me both emotionally and financially readers may buy my book ‘Quest for truth: the spiritual and yogic way’ published in USA.
Author is a desciple of late Master Munishvar Shiv kumar Shastri who has established Muni Samaj. Those who wish to learn Yoga as interpreted by the author may email to him who resides in India.
http://www.bookstobelievein.com/questfortruth.php
premansu_chand@rediffmail.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
