A Synthesis
of different aspects of Yoga and Meditation
Chandan
Sukumar Sengupta
As
evident from the Gita, warrior Arjun lost his balance of mind after seeing his
master, his elders and other relatives standing on the opponent’s side. He
refused to kill his masters and relatives simply for gaining a state. He even
expressed his desire to cast off all his wishes to stop such a mass killing.
Such
a state of confusion comes during a loss of proper coordination between the
mind and intellect. One may lose any challenge immediately if they impart
themselves in any action by keeping such a state of confusion in mind. The
stand of Arjuna amidst the battle field was vividly explained by lord Krishna.
There developed the conversation of Krishna with Arjuna to enlighten the role
of Pandavas in the battle. As parent, grand parents, friends and masters
joining the opponent sides had not delivered their duties properly they all
lost their special status and became a culprit responsible for the development
of tension and conflicts, which ultimately led two different segments of the
same family to declare war against each other.
Such
a state of confusion developed in the mind of Arjun because of his state of
attachment with fellow relatives, masters, friends, brothers and sisters who
were joining the opponent side and were planning to hold and use weapons
against Pandavas, the five brothers including Arjun.
At
this critical juncture lord Krishna explained the essence of maintaining
balance of mind by bringing out oneself from the state of confusion through
gaining true knowledge. There exists a clear distinction between the soul of
the individual and the respective physical body. Physical body may perish,
elements present in bodily organs may disintegrate, physically the body may
die, but waves and propositions of the soul will remain active in this world
for centuries. In forthcoming days people may remember them through their acts,
attitudes and conducts.
After
knowing such differences and knowing about the importance of perfectly planned
actions in life Arjun gradually prepared himself for the war. Entire Gita is
the exhibit of the journey of Arjun from the state of confusion, sorrow and
agony to the state of self-confidence, self-esteem and enlightenment. At his
ultimate state of awareness he felt the presence of the Divine beside himself;
it was also there within himself. His failure in feeling such omnipresence was
due to lack of true knowledge only. It was also due to his unwanted attachment
to the physical world and worldly things.
Yoga is the state
of communion of the divine master and the studious disciple meant for feeling
the state of communion through acts and conducts. Yoga might make the communion
of the individual with Knowledge (Jnan Yoga), with actions (Karma Yoga) or with
sacrifices (Sanyasa Yoga). Such communion of various types may not invade the
individual senses differently. Their senses and conducts work on the individual
jointly. These different realms of acts and conducts internally make any one of
them with a bit prominence upon the others.
We can understand
this phenomenon with an incident from the Ramayana, where Lord Rama wanted his
brother Laxmana to behave like a true learner having enough affinity to gain
knowledge, even from any sworn enemy. After the completion of the battle of Sri
Lanka, when both the fellow brother came to know about the state of the final
breathes of demon King Ravana, Lord Rama instructed his fellow brother to move
closure to Ravana with an aspiration of learning something from the demon King.
Laxmana moved on
to obey the instructions of his brother only. There was no true affinity
towards the divine knowledge developed in him. Then also he was considering the
demon King as his sworn enemy. Such a state of discontentment forced him to
take the position beside the head side part of the demon King, the place where
one can rarely glance with a bit comfort. They remained silent for a long time.
During another move with such approach of learning something pure from the
demon King, Lord Rama positioned himself in such a way that the fellow King can
see him with an ease. It made the King convinced perpetually and compelled him
to deliver a timely relevant lessons infiltrated with his life time experience.
It was the learning for a politically motivated individual. Lord Rama wanted
his brother to listen the teaching of Ravana with proper attention and respect.
His stand and approach was to make his fellow brother a learned one. Here the
mechanism of integral Yoga worked perfectly for making them aware of the state
of mind duly required for any individual for gaining aspirations and timely
relevant instructions from a sworn enemy.
Ravana pointed
out the difference between both the fellow brothers regarding their abilities
of utilising senses, memory and intellects for materialising their political
and social will. Wish factors arranged properly with an intention of
materialising the common good made Lord Rama special amongst the group of
warriors. It has also made him perpetually contented because of the proper
culmination of Yoga based acts and conducts.
Integration of senses with a clear
understanding of the timely relevant acts and conducts is also a subject of the
culmination of different Yoga. It is the seat of philosophy, meant for
individual and a collective ascent, where the referred individual can actualise
oneself through a clear correlation with the centrally active Divine. Integral
Yoga can even make the individual
perpetually clear regarding the role in further manifestation of the
self-actualised power of mind and intellect.
Saints intended
to converge these philosophical ideals through conversation related to the
divine and individual duly displayed in the Gita. Integration of individual
with Yoga is the core of the principle materialised in Gita with an aspiration
of enabling a doer of actions in attainment of completeness by all means. The
presentation of such conversation has also exhibited the existence of such Yoga
philosophy from olden times in the universe.
It has evolved differently in due course of time and also narrated
differently by saints time to time. Gita was, obviously without any doubt, a
successful effort amongst all of them.
Gita comprehends the teachings incorporated in Upanishads and Uanishads
comprehend teachings prescribed in Holy Scriptures like Vedas. It also links up
the thought process of Vedantic, Yoga and Sankhya Philosophy of Indian origin.
All these schools of thought process instruct an individual to lead a life on
the basis of a divine goal of feeling the presence of supreme power by the side
of immediate creations. All forms in this universe are nothing but the
manifestation of the Divine. It is the only truth that can link up all the
human beings throughout the world and can materialise the dream of a peaceful
world order.
Eight steps of Yoga
Credit goes to
saint Patanjali for the development of a most scientifically actualised Yoga
conduct meant for the advancement of individual followed by a collateral
advancement of the society and of the commune. His proposal is even perpetually
designed for accommodating different aspects of a noble life process duly meant
for experiencing feelings of collective ascent through the paths of
spirituality.
The journey
begins with a proposition of following rules of Yama (a set of acts meant for
individual purity). It proposes that a person having aspiration of moving
through the Octagonal path of Yoga should be nonviolent, truthful, altruistic,
self-contented and worshipper of knowledge. While explaining the core
philosophy of Nonviolence, the saint proposed the state of mind that considers
all the other beings as a family member can claim that the individual is
experiencing a true state of nonviolent life.
The second fold
in this life comes in the form of some rituals for gaining purity and
perfectness of organs and senses. There lies the importance of cleanliness,
contentment, self-study, sacrifices and worships of the divine. It will
simultaneously purify both the mind and body for making the individual and the
referred community fit for the ascent up to the third state of this Yoga conduct.
Third stage is
meant primarily for balancing the body, mind and intellect through positioning
oneself in some proposed postures, termed popularly in Indian Philosophy as
Asana, and regularising the same through day to day routine works. While describing
such positioning, the saint says that the kind of position which offers a
stability of mind, body and intellect is the Asana in its true sense. Whatever
may be the posture and whatever may be the name for such posture, true Asana
can only bring desired stability of mind and body.
Fourth stage of
the Ascent is vital one because of its involvement in diverting senses towards
the inner conscious mind through regulation of the breathing and confluence of
senses through specified neural transmission. The core philosophy ascribes the
establishment of a hold on the breathing and bringing it down at least below 15
per minute. It is also designed for channelizing the breathing through
different nerve channels for infusing senses in the deep conscious mind for making
it awakened and contented. This process is most vital one because of its
importance in making the individual capable of diverting senses towards the
inner world for roaming around the acquired knowledge and rearranging such
acquisitions by repeatedly meditating on them. It can be also described as a
process of self-actualisation and self-contentment. Such contentment only can
enable a person to move through the inner world of senses and knowledge. It can
be more confluent because of its mild infiltration through all the senses. It
can make a person see what the mind wants to see, it can listen in accord to
the inner sense, and even taste, smell and touch things accordingly.
Development of positive waves in mind because of the prolonged meditation, the individual
makes oneself fit for experiencing the practice of withdrawal from the external
world for enabling oneself perpetually confined upon the attained knowledge and
quantify oneself for further attainment of true knowledge. Such a withdrawal
(PRATYAHARA) makes the person competent for making oneself refined and more
perpetual for the ascent of the soul a step ahead for the attainment of a
feeling related to the presence of the divine in the life process. It can even
imply a guiding force for the individual duly required for rearranging the
absolute knowledge for the purpose of making it more vibrant, more confluent
and more actualised.
All the five
stage practice brings a state of enlightenment for the individual and make the
person fit for feeling the true meaning of life, real goal of life and all
sorts of lively involvements in the community and lately , in a broader sense,
in the universe. Such an actualisation (DHARANA) makes the person fir for
meditating upon the stand point repeatedly with an aspiration of bringing
refinement. Movement and journey of any person through this stage depends
entirely upon the degree and expansion of the knowledge duly acquired by the
person in life. It can ascertain the attainment of such a state of mind at the
stage where senses, memory and intellect culminate perpetually with an
apprehension of spiritual ascent.
Sensual,
intellectual, spiritual and social convergence mounted voluntarily in an
individual brings a state where the conscious mind intends to meditate
repeatedly. This state of Concentration (DHYANA) enables a person to feel the
presence of such a divine power in so many different states of individual and
different life forms of all types moving around in nature. Their purpose of
survival, their inter dependence and other hidden mysteries start becoming
clear during concentrating upon the related process and propositions. A warrior, for example, can concentrate
properly at the specified target. Such a perpetual concentration can bring
further refinement in senses, memory and intellect with an objective of making
them more actualised, more contented and more balanced.
Fixing mind,
intellect and senses upon the true attainable goal in life is the final stage
(SMADHI) where the person can feel the presence of Divine in the centrally
actualised Memory, intellect and senses. It will become a guiding force for the
individual and make the person competent for gaining spiritual advancement in
life. It will even make the life a meaningful and perpetually contented. It is
the desired stage of life where person aspires to ascend through practices,
acts and conducts. At all instances it is not necessary that all people should
move through all the eight folds of Yoga. The state of mental and spiritual
contentment or a state of saturation aspiring for mental stability will exhibit
the advent of Samadhi.
We cannot claim
that individuals imparting oneself in society for delivering services or for
playing some other definite role are perfect by all means. They work
ceaselessly in due course of time for attaining perfectness in a gradual
succession. Some people may consider an individual as perfect as compared to
some other. One player may be considered a best one in his or her team. In
gradual succession best ones will be identified through tournaments and some
other best ones may be compared globally to select the globally best one. But,
what about that skillful player who had decided not to take part in any
tournament? The kind of art exhibits the limitation of the evaluation process
as a whole.
The comparative
process of examining and assessing perfectness parameter is standing on the
basis of certain directives usually made by a group of people. Because of that
reason any perfectness parameter cannot claim that individuals moving through
the screening of the perfectness examinations are absolutely perfect. We can
work put billions of questions from any specific field of study. Moving through
such a massive task might make the life of any aspirant a hell. The type of
testing in the form of written interaction is usually made limited by
incorporating a set of planned interactions and content areas with a pre – planned
format of study.
Karma Yoga
Karma
Yoga is often defined by thinkers and philosophers as “Yoga of Actions and
Performance.[1]”
“Selfless actions perfumed by any individual for the benefit of others”, on the
other hand, as per narratives and postulated described in the Bhagavadgita, is
considered as Karma Yoga.[2] Duties performed without maintaining
aspiration of implying any claim on the result of fruit of action being
performed leads an individual, with utmost contentment, to spiritual
liberation.[3]
Any work can be done with the spirit of a Karma Yogi as Karma Yoga.[4] Actions inflicted with, or more prominently
to say in the context of the Bhagavadgita, driven by "equanimity,
balance", with "dispassion, disinterest", avoiding "one
sidedness, fear, craving, favouring self or one group or clan, self-pity,
self-aggrandizement or any form of extreme reactiveness are the actions
performed by a Karma yogi. Karma Yogi
performs all the actions as the duty duly assigned by the nature to an
individual and cannot maintain any claim on the results whatever comes out of
the actions duly performed.[5] Selfless services performed with right
feelings and positive attitude to serve the community, and ultimately to the
nature, to which the indaba belongs, are considered as Karma Yoga.[6]
The action, which are categorised as Karma Yoga in the Holy Scripture the Gita,
can be motivated by body or manipulated by external influences.[7]
Even, with certain alteration, it can be motivated by one's inner reflection
and true self (soul, Atman, Brahman).[8]
A
person engaged in delivering services to others and performing duties duly
assigned by the nature efficiently and properly moves towards an inward
journey, in the other word spiritual enrichment (withdraw of senses from
desires and compulsions and aspiring for spiritual contentment), which is
inherently fulfilling and satisfying.[9] Seeker of rewarded for the duties performed
may get inflicted with some sort of disappointment, frustrations or
self-destructive apprehensions after completion of the work or in the middle.[10] Working without maintaining attachment to the
actions, or without adhering to the fruit of actions one can easily move
towards the supreme master and can feel the Divine omnipresence.[11]
Out
of three means of liberation, Karma Yoga, as described in Sri Bhagavad Purana,
is an easy way out. It can be followed by individuals while remaining at
services and performing duties.[12] The first six chapters of the Bhagavadgita
describe the essence of Karma Yoga in our daily life.[13]
Is
there any liberty from Karma (performing duties or offering services to the
nature or community) to a person who is aspiring to move towards complete
renunciation? Absolutely, and speaking frankly without maintaining any
alignment, No. one cannot escape different biological activities for remaining
alive; the person is offering services to the nature, may be knowingly or
unknowingly, while performing breathing, taking food and maintaining
belongings. Karma Yoga is the part of life and can be judged as an inseparable
part of life of all standards and all levels. Offering services to other and
also services to oneself is a part of daily activity which, at any cost and at
any instance, cannot be avoided.
Bhakti Yoga
Bhakti
Yoga is a spiritual path, more prominently to say, a way of life with focussed
on loving devotion towards any personal deity.[14] It has ancient Upanishadic root, and also is
considered as one of the three paths leading a person towards attainment of
liberation from the cycle of birth and death.[15]
The personal God varies with devotee considerably.[16] It is devotee’s loving devotion to the
personal God with an aspiration of growth in terms of spirituality.[17]
There
are four types of devotees who practice Bhakti Yoga[18].
1.
Devotees who are pressed or
stressed by anxiety or their daily life circumstances.
2.
Devotee often aspires to learn
about god out of curiosity and intellectual intrigue.
3.
Some devotee seeks reward in this
Yoga or in afterlife.
4.
Some devotees continue expressing
devotion to the master simply for devotion and for nothing else.
The
traditional doctrines, as often termed as Shaivism in Indian tradition, teaches
ethical living, service to the community and through one's work, loving
worship, yoga practice and discipline, continuous learning and self-knowledge
as means for liberating the individual soul from bondage.[19]
This tradition also focussed considerably on abstract ideas of spirituality.[20]
Instructions
on nine different types of devotion[21],
as described in Bhagavad Purana and Ramayan, displays the way a devotee can
practice Bhakti Yoga: (1) śravaṇa ("listening" to the scriptural
stories of Divine powers and their companions), (2) kīrtana
("praising"; generally and broadly refers to ecstatic group singing),
(3) smaraṇa ("remembering" or fixing the mind on the Divine master;
such master will from the collection of characters upon which the devotee is
maintaining absolute faith), (4) pāda-sevana (rendering service to the lord or
the creations made by the lord), (5) arcana (worshiping an idol, image or any
other symbol which can represent the divine power in terms of physical status),
(6) vandana (paying homage to the master ), (7) dāsya (servitude without
expecting anything in return), (8) sākhya (friendship with the divine master),
and (9) ātma-nivedana (complete surrender of the self with an aspiration of
seeking liberation from the world).
The
perfect explanation of characters of a true devotee is properly presented in
the context where Sage Veda Vyasa pointed out such features in chapter 12 of
the Bhagavadgita. It was delivered by the divine master in the form of a
synthesis of all the nine types of devotions as pointed out earlier in old
scriptures.
Bhagavadgita (XII – 2 to 20)[22]
Quality of a devotee as preferred by the Divine master is
described in this section.
1.
Those
who fix their minds on master and always engage in such state of devotion with
steadfast faith will be considered as one of the best worshipper.
2.
Those
who worship the formless aspect of the Absolute Truth (the imperishable ones,
the indefinable source, the all-pervading form, the unthinkable one, the
unchanging type of the source of inspiration, the eternal, and the immoveable
one) by restraining their senses, holding commands upon all the senses and by
remaining even-minded everywhere, such progressive and balanced persons, while
remaining engaged in the welfare of all beings, also without any doubt attain
the Divine omnipresence.
3.
Worship
of the divine master will become easy for individuals having absolute focus on
the goal of life.
4.
Person
worshipping the master without exacting anything in return will pass through a
state of liberation during which the divine master will deliver that devotee
from the ocean of birth and death, for their consciousness is united with and
is gradually becoming non-separable by any means.
5.
Person
gains the omnipresence of the divine master instantly if that devotee prepares
to keep faith on the master alone and surrender the very intellect to master. By
doing so, devotee start always living in the beloved master.
6.
Person
having difficulties in remembering the divine master can have an alternative of
fixing the mind steadily on master or alternatively on any other subject
related to the divine master. Such devotee can practice remembering the fellow
master with devotion while constantly restraining the mind from worldly affairs
and also from other attachments.
7.
Devotees
having difficulties in remembering the divine master with devotion can simply
try to work for the fellow master with utmost sincerity. Thus performing
devotional service to the master or to the subjects related to the master with
continuation and prolonged regularity shall achieve the stage of perfection
without any failure.
8.
Another
type of devotee can try to renounce the fruits of actions or duties duly
performed in society and can attain utter contentment by focusing on the waves
of the inner self.
9.
A
devotee knows well about the states of renunciation which is the best
alternative of devotion. Knowledge is better than mechanical practice; better
than knowledge is meditation. Better than meditation is renunciation of the
fruits of actions or results of duties delivered in society or to nature, for
peace immediately follows attainment of such renunciation without any failure?
10.
Those
devotees are very dear to master who are free from malice toward all living
beings, which are friendly in nature, and are also compassionate. They are free
from attachment to possessions and egotism, equipoised in happiness and
distress, and ever-forgiving one. They are ever-contented, steadily aligned to
the side of the divine master and remain in absolute state of devotion; remain
self-controlled, of firm resolve, and dedicated to the master in terms of mind,
spirit and intellect.
11.
The
person capable enough in maintaining the sensible balance of body, mind and
intellect with an aspiration of retaining the balanced state even during
adversities; and who are equal in pleasure and pain, free from fear and
anxiety; such devotees are the preferred one by the master.
12.
Person
keeping balance of mind and action during profit or loss, happiness or sorrow,
good or evil deeds; and even retain balance of the mind during adversities are
the real devotees.
Devotion
impregnated with knowledge is considered as a best way out which leads an
individual towards renunciation. Even absolute devotion without much knowledge
can bring the same result of renunciation. Remaining loyal to the fellow master
and considering all the instructions delivered by the master as final is the
ultimate expectation that the Divine expects from an individual. This doctrine
was explained in detail time to time in scriptures and epics through different
events. Event related to mother SABARI, as was narrated by Sage Valmiki in
RAMAYANA, is one of such example. True devotion never puts any argument and
even never intends to indulge in any kind of dispute. It always rests upon the
verdict of the Divine master and prepares to offer services to the nature at
the will of the Divine. Such kind of living and dwelling brings absolute
happiness for the devotee and inspires others for doing the same. There is a
kind of absolute surrender with which a true devotee prepares oneself to reach
the fellow master with an instantaneous pace. It also harnesses oneness of
devotee and the Divine. Such a state is, and finally will be, the final destiny
of an individual.
Jnana Yoga
Jnana
Yoga emphasizes “the path of yoga meant primarily for assimilation and becoming
enriched with knowledge.”[23]
This yoga primarily addresses the questions of an individual to actualise
oneself in the realm of creations. Questions like: “Who am I”, “What am I”, and
“What is the goal of my life”, etc. are some of such questions with which a
person advances in this path.[24]
The purpose of true knowledge is to attain liberation for the person aspiring
for it.[25] The entire mechanism related to this path of
yoga context is better understood, along with some sort of examples and needful
narratives, as "realization or gnosis", referring to a "path of
study meant primarily for the attainment of liberation" wherein one knows
the unity between self and ultimate reality called Brahman.[26]
This path of knowledge is preferred by those who aspires for attaining some
sort of advancement while delivering mental and spiritual services to the
nature and also, with some broader apprehension, to the community.[27]
Enrichment
of an individual in terms of attainment and utilisation of knowledge is an ever
continuing act. It will continue throughout the life of an individual. One can
even assimilate knowledge with a normal day to day confluence by seeing the
services and qualities of other natural objects. Entire nature, more perfectly
to say in a broader sense, is filled with knowledge. One may attain such kinds
of true knowledge without putting much effort. Realisation of oneness of an
individual (ATMAN) with the Divine master (BRAHMAN) is the ultimate goal of
JNANA YOGA.[28]
The Bhagavadgita efficiently integrates the thought process of Sankhya, Vedanta
and Yoga to explain the real goal of Jnana Yoga in the life of an individual.
After knowing about the science of such integration of individual and the
Divine master one can feel the omnipresence of that supreme power. That supreme
power is considered as a whole and the individual being aspires for gaining
that totality and reverence through the path of Jnana Yoga.
Levels
of emphasis may differ, but a worshipper of knowledge can have, and in actual
sense must have, the combination of Karma Yoga and Devotion, to encompass the
path leading towards liberation. One cannot claim at any instance that the
person is exclusively or solely relying on Yoga of Knowledge (JNANA YOGA). It
is even absurd to think and absolutely difficult to implement as the law of
creation and biological processes cannot allow us to continue in the realm of
creation without delivering some of the obligations. The related doctrine of
Yoga of Knowledge is properly systematised earlier than Karma Yoga and Bhakti
Yoga.[29]
This yoga also offers an enlightenment to the soul with which the person start
recognising the very self as an inseparable part of the nature, and finally as
an inseparable part of the entire realm of the universal creation. The same
individual is also a subject of the ever going cycle of the creation and
destruction, which will at any circumstances remain unavoidable.
The
Bhagavadgita also emphasises that Divine master is the jīva Shakti (the soul
energy), which comprises the embodied souls of an individual and, with proper
incorporation of sensible sparks of the energy, which forms the basis of life
in this world.[30]
Divine
master is the source of creation and ultimately all the creations diffuse in
the supreme source. In that sense we can say that the Divine master is the
source of the entire creation, and it diffuses once again at the ultimate
moment to the source from which it diverged out[31].
Persons
who cannot advance, or may experience some sort of obstacle in the path of
knowledge, are pointed out in the Holy Scripture: those ignorant of true
knowledge, those who lazily follow their animal or demonic nature though
capable of knowing the Divine, those inflected primarily with deluded
intellect, and those with a demon like attitude and apprehensions.[32]
Chapter 7 of the Bhagavadgita entirely narrates the true quality of a person
who aspires for gaining knowledge for establishing oneself in the path of Jnana
Yoga with proper affinity towards feeling the omnipresence of the Divine
master, that person may then worship any of the idol or any of the cosmic form
to feel the presence of such Divine spark within the self. That state of
knowledge is the ultimate destiny towards which all the individuals are
actually progressively and continuously advancing. Some of them are relying
primarily on knowledge, some others take the support of knowledge for
performing with enhanced efficiency and some other, along with a bit deviation,
refers surrendering oneself at the feet of the Divine master.
Advancement
of all of such kinds are finally free to locate themselves in the broader realm
of creations along with the waves of further manifestation of their individual
soul some sort of higher purposes of life. Life of such kind impregnated
primarily with divinity is the ultimate goal of life.
Purushottam Yoga
The
Purushottam Yoga, as vividly narrated by Saga Vyasa in Chapter 15 of the
Bhagavadgita, signifies the quality and aspirations depending upon which an
individual can feel the ascent of the soul towards harnessing the desired
omnipresence of the Divine. It also enshrines the quality with which such
person can move on through the path of spirituality for feeling oneself being
enlightened.
A
true worshipper of knowledge having devotion to the Divine master can move
successfully without much obstacle towards the supreme lord and it leads the
individual ultimately to renunciation. That Divine world, having enough
potential of offering liberation to a soul, is not illuminated or exhibited by
solar, lunar or any other illuminations of any luminous or non-luminous objects
of any form.[33]
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James G. Lochtefeld (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M. The
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[8]
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[12]
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Devotional Mysticism. Taylor & Francis. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-136-77468-3.
[13] Brian Hodgkinson (2006). The Essence of Vedanta.
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[15]
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[16]
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[33] Bhagavadgita (XV – 6)
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