At Yoga Beyond Yoga Sutra 1.18

In Yoga Sutra 1.17,Patanjali explained the various types/stages of Yoga,

Savitarka Samadhi,

Savichara Samadhi,

Ananda Samadhi and

Saasmita Samadhi.

These four belong to Sampraagya or the state attained by being with the Consciousness.

Now Patanjali explains that the real Yoga does not end here.

A Yogi after attaining the Consciousness identification, reaches a stage where he should be able to transcend that stage ,be with the world and yet be with the Consciousness.

Reality description,Advaita,Waves and ocean not differnent

This stage is what is described as Asampragyada Samadhi.

This is the stage where the practitioner of Yoga, though he has attained the Sampragya samadhi,  returns back, as it were, to the day-to-day World and keeps himself engaged in daily activities, yet remaining one with the Supreme.

This is what Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita while discoursing on the Karma, Gnana, and Bhakti Yoga.

On karma Yoga, Krishna explains that when one performs Duty as it has to be performed with out attachment to the fruits thereof, he attains Brahma Nirvana.

The effects of actions do not touch him, he is not caught in the Samskaras or Vasanas(Tendencis extending beyond the present birth).

While talking about Gnana Yoga , Lord Krishna advises that for one who has known that He is Not different from the reality, the Samaskaras leave as  leaves are burnt by a raging Fire.

Under Bhakti  Yoga, in 18.66, Krishna Declares,

‘Leave all actions,take refuge in Me,,I shall take care of your Sins and Grant you Liberation”

“sarva-dharmān parityajyamām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajaahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyomokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ(BG 18.66)”

 

विरामप्रत्ययाभ्यासपूर्वः संस्कारशेषोऽन्यः
viramapratyayabhyasapoorvah sanskarashesho anyah

virama = complete cessation;
pratyaya = firmly convinced;
abhyasa poorvah = by the practice;
samskaraseshah = having only impressions remain;
anyah = the other;

By firmly convinced practice of the complete cessation of the mental modifications, the impressions only remain. This is the other samadhi [asamprajnata or non-distinguished].

explanation of the Sutra in the next post.

 

 

Related articles

• Yoga Sutra 1.17 Samadhi Contemplation (ramanan50.wordpress.com)

Preachers Of Hinduism,Indifferent ‘Greedy For Money’

Hinduism is a personal Religion.

It does not believe in Numbers, nor in Proselytism.

As a matter of fact, The Vedas do not mention collective worship at all.

Those who disseminate Knowledge did so, free of cost, after evaluating the student’s aptitude.

Symbolism Of Lord Ganesh.

However a token was accepted, of the Teacher‘s choosing, from the students’ parents, either to make people understand that nothing must be gained free of cost or to test the skill-set and dedication of the Student.

Lord Krishna was asked to save Santipini’s son  from a demon in the Ocean, as Guru dakshina.

By doing so, Lord Krishna acquired his famous Panchajanya.

Drona asked, nay punished Ekalaivya by asking for his Thumb, this is an exception, for this act his son Aswathama was cursed to roam as Chiranjeevi (ever living) in the forest.

Or the Gurus asked of their students to undertake a mission for the welfare of the Society.

Viswamitra asked Lord Rama to kill the demons Thataka.

But never they hankered after wealth for their efforts.

One must remember in the Vedic System of Life, the students were living with the Teacher in his household, partaking what was available;their parents, however rich were not permitted to offer anything.

Over a period of years the system of conveying the Vedic Thoughts, The Ithihasa, Ramayana, Mahabharata and others came into vogue.

When it started the preachers never accepted anything but were driven the noble thought of spreading the Good Word.

Over a period of time, this become an Industry where people , in the garb of disseminating knowledge have started making money and only money, with presenting facts that would suit the audience.

The system of negotiating Rates for Pravachana began.

Till some time back there was this habit of’ ‘taking the plate around’ among the audience to raise for some noble cause;later it degenerated into collecting money from the audience for the preacher!

Now with Media networks running wild to make quick buck by presenting miish mash of programmes called  Religious, popular figures in the filed of preaching are called in.

What they do more is to advertise themselves, distort stories.Philosophy to suit TRP!

Nauseating is their naked lust for money and fame.

Worse is their treatment of people who attend their Pravachanas or Preaching, Kathas.

People come to their Pravachanas or Kathas to know more of the Subject.

They are treated with contempt,; the man does not even acknowledge you or at times if he inclined will tell you rudely’he has no time”

This applies all the Pravachanakarthas including Velukkudi Krishna who is the craze now.

He stares at you indifferently and keeps mum or looks at some body.

But hear his Pravachanas, you would believe he is embodiment of Knowledge, Wisdom,Eager to help people and, as irony would have it,Humble!

I recall Sri Kripanandavariar , great preacher asking people in the midst of a Lecture for their doubts and clearing them on the spot!

If one were to approach him later, he would patiently explain things till he was satisfied that you understood him!

Preachers of Hinduism, what you are doing is not Dharma and you are insulting Hinduism

Note.People might ask me why I have not said anything about Christian Preacher,..

Well…it is their profession sanctioned(?) by their Religion.

Nor I am saying anything about the self-styled Gurus, like Chandrasawmi,Baba Ramdev or the one who teaches the ‘Art of Living’ as if Hinduism teaches the ‘Science of Death!’

These guys should remember  what would be their position that if Vedas, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata,Yoga had Copyright and IPR!

Related articles

• When Lord Rama Realized He Was ‘Brahman’ (ramanan50.wordpress.com)
• ‘God Sweats’ On A Specific Day, Time (ramanan50.wordpress.com)

Directing The Mind, Yoga Sutra 1.12

Lord Krishna’s Bhagavad Gita Sermon to Arjuna.

Explaining that the modifications of the Chithi,Yoga delves further into describing the tool that can make the Modifications extinct and enable the Individual to return to his original Self or His Natural Identity..

The modifications of the Chitha starts from and due to the Mind and its activities.

Can we control The Mind be controlled and make us do our bidding?

Yoga confirms we can.

But it is difficult.

We are aware how difficult it is to reign in the Mind.

The more one tries to control the Mind, more it would become uncontrollable and roam, than it would have been, had we kept quiet.

This is not a disqualification for practicing Yoga nor is this unique to you, of us , the fickle minded.

Arjuna,who mastered the art of Concentration, for he was the one, when asked by his Guru to hit a bird,after felling it , said later, that he could see nothing else but the bird only, found it difficult to control the Mind and confesses to lord Krishna in The Bhagavad Gita.(6.34)

Bhagavd Gita 6.34

‘This Mind,Krishna, has the ability  to confound the senses into running after objects, fickle and strong;It is as difficult as controlling the wind’

Lord Krishna agrees with him and replies,

‘
‘O son of Kunti, without doubt mind is difficult to restrain, prone to agitation; but it can be controlled by repetitive practice and by Right Resolve.’ (6.35)

Mind can be controlled by Practice and Right Resolve .

Yoga says the same.

 

Yoga Sutra 1.12

By regular practice and Right Resolve one can make mind one’s own.

Vairagaya or Right Resolve and Abhyasa, regular practice, is explained in the coming Sutras.

 

Related articles

• Memory Is…… Yoga Sutra 1.11 (ramanan50.wordpress.com)

Belief Faith and Miracles

My son was telling me( he is a Believer, Agnostic and a Non believer, all rolled into one, don’t ask me how, he is-I do not tell him what he should,on occasions I used to suggest him when he is that state of Mind to enquire within;he also knows the essentials of Indian Thought and knows important Sruti by heart) and an hour ago asked my that Miracles happened in the past ,especially in Treta Yuga( an Indian Aeon) and people thought of God and He appeared and why they do not now,

I am posting the essence of the discussion.

Lord Krishna as a child.

In Indian Philosophy, unlike in other Philosophical Systems of the World, there is no such thing as  ’Super Natural’

For a Hindu, everything in the Universe is natural, be it Rebirth, Good Actions producing  good results, Bad, the bad.Clairvoyance and the like and God.

God would appear if one where to call out to Him..

And that to in the Form the Caller wanted Him!

Is this due to Faith?

Answer is Yes and No.

Let me explain.

Belief is the feeling that some thing or some event would be the same way as it has been in our experience..

Child believes that its Mother would take care of it.

This kind Belief turns into Faith when the Belief turns out to be true at all times in one’s experience.

This Faith performs the seemingly impossible.

Faith is clothed as ‘Positive thoughts’ in modern parlance.

When one thinks he has Faith, he has lost it.

It should be as natural as breathing and to cite a daily example ‘the morning Ablutions’.

These things, you do not contemplate, analyse,but are Natural.

When one thinks he has Faith, he is aware of it and expects things to happen definitely.

But if this feeling is natural, you do not even for a second contemplate the desired result, because you are unconsciously convinced the that the desired result would be there and It is there for you..

Pu it simply, it is the Faith of the Child in its Mother.

In this sense, Faith does not perform Miracles,

It does , when one does and has the disposition of doing things naturally.

For people of the earlier Yugas, Miracles and Faith did not exist separately for them.

Faith was in their being and the result was embedded in that Feeling.

Hence they could do and see things which we, to-day call as Miracles .

Arjuna believed Krishna , had faith in Him.

He never thought it was  faith, it was a natural feeling with him.

If he had Faith on Lord Krishna only because he believed Krishna to be God , Arjuna would not have called Krishna as ‘a Cowherd, Friend(yadava, Saket and in many instances ridiculed him(He apologized to Krishna in The Bhagavad Gita for this in The Viswaroopa chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita)

Arjuna took Krishna as his friend and treated him accordingly and what we call Miracles to-day were there for him.

The moment Arjuna felt differently, he was routed.

There is a story in the Mahabharata which narrates this point.

After the passing away of Lord Krishna(the term Dehavyoha is to be used here), Arjuna’s wives were captured by ordinary Dacoits..

Sage Narada was present  at his side.

Arjuna got agitated and swore that he would finish the dacoits off , get his wives back and bragged that those dacois did not know the power of Arjuna and his Kandipa(Arjuna’s Bow)

Narada just smiled and accompanied Arjuna in this assault on the dacoits.

Arjuna’s Kandiva was ineffective , broken and he was squarely beaten by the dacoits.

He asked Narada what happened to him and his Kandiva.
Narada replied,

‘You forgot the essential part of You, Lord Krishna; so long He was apart of You naturally , you vanquished every one.

Now you are humiliated”

Arjuna yearns for Krishna and  got his wives back after defeating the dacoits with his Kandiva.

So long as belief and Faith  natural and a part of you, nothing is a Miracle.

You shall get whatever  you want( so long it does not run contrary to Dharma(Righteousness)

This self belief is to be inculcated in the Children right from their infancy as it has been the case  with Dhruv(Dhruva) or Prahlad.

Then there are no Mountains, only mole hills in Life.

‘Aakaasath Pathitham Thoyam Yatha gachathi Saagaram,

Sarva Deva Namaskarah Kesavam Partichathi’

( As water from Rains, in the form Rivulets, Streams. Ponds, Rivers ultimately reaches and get submerged in the Ocean and become a part of it,worship of all and any God ultimately reaches Kesava( Lord Vishnu)

Related articles

• God Is Not Above The Cosmic Law Krishna’s Death (ramanan50.wordpress.com)
• Manage Pleasures Patanjali Yoga Sutra 5 (ramanan50.wordpress.com)

God Is Not Above The Cosmic Law Krishna’s Death

After I finished posting the blog ‘ When Rama Realized he Was Brahman’. I recalled another one from the Puranas.

This incident explains the law of Karma(Please read my posts on this under Hinduism)

Lord Krishna spent a long time  on the Earth during the Dwapara Yuga and the Devas were concerned about his absence from the Vaikunta, the Abode of Lord Vishnu.

They consulted the Great  Dhurvasa Rishi and he consoled them saying the time for Krishna was fast approaching.

The Devas asked him,

‘No body can kill Krishna and we dare not ask him for Dehavyhoam (leaving the Body)

Dhurvasa smiled and told them to watch.

After the Mahabharata War was over, the Pandavas and what remained of the Kauravas , along with the Yadavas (Krishna’s Clan) , were sitting together and fooling around the banks of the River Yamuna.

All of them were drunk.

Lord Krishna’s son, Sambhavan, playful by nature, dressed himself as a pregnant woman and with his cronies approached a group of Seers(Rishis) and prostrated before them and requested,

‘Please Bless Me for Safe delivery’

The Rishis said,

‘We know, you are the son of Lord Krishna, yet, we Bless you with Safe Delivery of a Wooden ladle(உலக்கை ) and your Clan will be destroyed by it’

உலக்கை,Ulakkai

When Lord Krishna was told of it, he shrugged and said he could do nothing about it!

They had a  Wooden ladle delivered after nine months, and to ensure that it was destroyed, they broke it into pieces and immersed it in the river.

The bottom portion ,made of iron was swallowed by a Shark and it was caught by a Fisherman.

While seasoning the Fish, the fisherman found the iron piece and sold it to a Hunter.

The Hunter , his fixed it to the tip of his Arrow.

After some time, the same group was engaged in a drinking bout at the same place.

Salliya, the Man who drove and deserted Karna in the Battle field at a crucial juncture was there.

Salliya was the Father in Law of Karna.

Lord Krishna.

One among the gathering remarked,

‘Look,here is a fellow who deserted his king and relative at a critical time, who was on the losing side ,eating and drinking with us, the Victors’

Salliya retorted saying , ‘A bunch of Herdsman need not talk about a Kshatriya’

And a Battle of words soon became a full-fledged fight among all.

They went on attacking each other.

As they had no Arms,they plucked the ‘கோரைப்புல்’-Nut Grass  around them and attacked each other with the Nut Grass,

As soon as they plucked them they became the Wooden Ladles and killed those attacked with them.

Barring Krishna, the Yadava Clan was wiped out.

(The Immersed wooden pieces , on reaching the shores , grew into Nut Grass and became weapons; that is the reason why Nut Grass is not used in Religious Ceremonies but Kusa Grass is used).

Some time later when Lord Krishna was roaming the Forests , he became tired and rested under a Tree, lying in a Fetal Position.

The Hunter saw, what looked like a Deer from a distance’ sent an Arrow.

It struck Krishna at the Center of His Foot and He lay dying.

The Hunter , on reaching Krishna begged for Mercy and felt remorse.

Krishna said to him,

” Don’t worry, it is not your fault.

During Ramavataras Rama,, I killed Vaali, hiding behind a Tree.

Now I am repaying it.

I fulfilled my duty of serving Lakshmana who served me as a younger brother during Ramavatar, as Bala rama as my elder brother in this Avatar as Krishna and breathed his last.

Even God can not escape the Law of Karma, once born!

Related articles

• Lord Vishnu Took River Cauvery His Mother Thiruindhalur (ramanan50.wordpress.com)
• Chariots Of Gods,Temple Cars Of India (ramanan50.wordpress.com)