Tantra & The 18 Sciences of the Philosophia Perennis
The 18 varieties of Knowledge ( Vidya ) are all the gross manifestations of Tantra.
Everything has been reduced to the biune principles of Consciousness and Force and this Union of Being and Becoming is the Universe.
The 18 Vidyas ( types of Knowledge) are
The Six Auxiliary Sciences – Vedanga Sastras ( Astrophysics, Kalpa, Nirukta, Phonetics, Grammar, Poetics)
The Six Main Sciences – The Four Vedas – ( Rik, Sama, Yajus & Atharva ) –
Poorva Meemamsa This deals with Karma Kanda
Nyaya Shastra Logic
Mythology – The 18 Treatises of Mythology
Ethics – The Science of Character
Ayurveda – The Science of Medicine
Dhanur Veda – Archery
Gandharva Veda Musicology
Artha Sastra Economics
The six auxiliary sciences have been defined as Apara Vidya ( Relative Knowledge ).
The six main sciences as they deal with the Absolute have been defined as Para Vidya ( Absolute Knowledge ).
Absolute Knowledge and Relative Knowledge together constitute the supreme knowledge.
Integral Knowledge is the confluence of Absolute, Relative and Transcendental knowledge ( Sujnana, Vijnana & Prajnana ).
Vijnana – Relative Knowledge –
Knowledge of Relative Being is Physical Science. All scientific knowledge is relative
Sujnana – Absolute Knowledge. Knowledge of the Absolute; knowledge philosophic.
Prajnana – Knowledge or rather the experience of Transcendence. Experiential Knowledge.
Astrophysics ( Jyothish ) consists of three main brances –
Siddhanta ( Astronony ), Samhita ( Philosophy ) & Hora ( Astrology ). All of them belong to Relative Knowledge.
All sciences barring Vedanta ( The Science of the Absolute ) & Yoga ( The Science of Transcendence ) are relative by nature.
Mythology is the adumbration of philosphic verities. Sir Philip Sydney writes in ” An Apologia for Poetry ” that the great seers and mystics of yore hid Great Secrets in symbolic stories. ( ” which of purpose were written darkly, lest by profane wits it might be abused”). Aurobindo in the Secret of the Veda writes that ” this Wisdom is unfit & dangerous to the ordinary human mind and liable to perversion & loss of virtue, if revealed to vulgar and unpurified spirits”. Hence the Seers hid the Mysteries in symbolic stories like the Iliad and the Odyssey, the Ramayana & the Mahabharata, books which deal with the Inner War in Man !
The Hidden Foe ( Ego) lodged in the human breast Man must overcome or miss his higher fate This is the inner war without escape.
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Economics, the Science of wealth, is considered as the 18th science. Among the Four Purusharthas ( Wealth, Ethics, Desire, Salvation ), wealth was considered important because without that the body cannot sustain. “Wealth is the fuel of outer life” averrs Artha Sastra, a treatise on economics. Weath is foremost and is the basis of Kama ( Desire ), Dharma ( Ethics ) & Moksha ( Salvation ) !
Sound Symbol of the Absolute art Thou
And the eternal Basis of Vedas triune
The Threefold Deity of Shakti Divine
O Fair Beloved of the Pure Existent !
Artha Sastra ( Economics ) while highlighting the importance of Wealth also warns about its hidden dangers and the pain involved in making money. On the positive side, the merits of Wealth are extolled
The wealthy man alone has friends
All relatives are produced by wealth!
Admired is he who is wealthy
And this world’s true scholar !
On the negative side, the pain involved is highlighted. Making money is not a bed of roses !
Money begets pain in getting
In the keeping pain and fretting
Pain in loss and pain in spending
Damn the trouble never ending !
Tantra does not condemn the three Ws ( Wealth, Wine and Women ) as evil. Man gets fulfillment through the satiation of desires and only after enjoying finite bliss can he aspire for Infinite Bliss ! Karma gets exhausted after the desires for the mundane are fulfilled and man after becoming blase turns within to the Bliss of the Absolute Self !
Integral Consciousness am I, the primal Self !
In me there is neither Ego nor the Supreme Relative !
The Cosmic Power is all in all
As the Supracosmic Transcendence, Her Play is known only to Herself ! Unknown to even the Seers, Her ways are inscrutable ! The 18 sciences are She !
Occult Vibratory Chemistry known as Tantra is a sister science of Yoga. While Vedanta focusses on Sat, the Existence aspect of Being, Tantra focusses on Chit, the Knowledge aspect of Being. The whole Universe is the play and display of this mighty Consciousness Force known as Chit Shakti in the Tantras. While Yoga talks about five sheaths or koshas, according to Tantra, life is an unfoldment of the Self through six energy centres called chakras. These six energy centres exist in our subtle physical body. The Serpentine Power known as the Kundalini (which lie coiled as a serpent in humans), can be awakened by Meditation. When awakened, She rises from the Root Chakra to the Crown Chakra to liberate Man.
O Infinite Power ! Thou art the Mind-principle in the Eye brow Chakra In the Throat Chakra , Thou sport as the Ether-principle In the Heart Chakra, Thou sportest as Air- principle In the Solar Plexus Chakra, Thou art Fire-principle In the Navel Chakra , Thou exist as Water-principle In the Root Chakra, Thou art the Earth _Principle, O Mighty Mother ! And in the Crown Chakra, Thou sportest blissfully with thy beloved Consort !
When She ( Kundalini ), the microcosmic power of the macrocosmic Shakti, rises from from the Root Chakra & reaches the other Chakras, siddhis or paranormal powers maniest. Clairvoyance, clairaudience, distant healing, the ability to see Auras & ultimately Trikala-jnana ( the power to know Past, Present & future ) all manifest in the aspirant. The aspirant should not be intoxicated by these siddhis. If he tries to exhibit the siddhis or paranormal powers, he may not reach the Goal of Life. Instead he should ignore these powers of the mind & continue his Tapas till he is liberated.
More quality information about Tantra & Yantras can be had from www.eastrovedica.com/html/yantra.htm
Yoga & Astrology.
Einstein’s greatest moment of triumph was when stumbled across Time as the fourth dimension. Another physicist, Herman Minnowski described the Universe as a four-dimensional Space-Time Continuum, made up of the three dimensions of Space and the fourth dimension of Time. The Science of Time, Astrology, is a sister science of Yoga, and can be immense help in the Path Divine.
The grace of Saturn ( Mokshakaraka ) & Jupiter ( Jnanakaraka ) is needed for Liberation or Self-Actualisation. Jupiter, the divine planet, represents Yoga. Astrology is only a subsidiary science of Yoga, a main science. Astrology works as an aid to Yoga, because it can show the barriers which confront the Seeker of Truth. Now the path of Self-Actualisation is difficult with a lot of barriers, obstacles & impediments and the conspiracy of inner enemies.
The Wisdom of the Heavens can pinpoint the major enemy the aspirant has to confront and overcome that enemy’s vicious attacks! Mars rules anger, Venus lust etc and by knowing the adverse planet’s influence, the corresponding emotions can be controlled by Yoga and Meditation. Overcoming the inner enemies is the main theme of Yoga. But we have to know who are our dominant inner enemies. When Mars is afflicted in a horoscope, it is clear that the native is struggling against anger. If Saturn is afflicted, it is clear that the native is fighting Pride. If Venus, the horoscopian is battling with Lust. By these great Arts, Yoga and Astrology, these inner enemies can be controlled and conquered !
How could the Deadly Sins ever be Found ugly in the least degree ! ( Goethe )
More quality information about Vedic Astrology & an Astrological Analysis can be had from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/vedichoroscope.htm
Yoga & Vedanta
Yoga is the Art of Living as contrasted with Vedanta – the Science of Being. Vedanta is the Science. Yoga is the technology. It is the highest technology. Vedanta is the theoretical aspect. Yoga is the practical aspect. It is the function of Vedanta to elaborate upon the triune aspects of Being, Its Immanence, transcendence and cosmicity. Yoga takes us to the ultimate summit, the Unified Field of Consciousness !
Yoga & Nyaya Shastra ( The Science of Logic )
The science of Logic postulates that Summum Genus cannot be defined as it has no proximate Genus. It is this Summum Genus that is known as Brahman in the Upanishads. As such, it is Indefinable. Intuitive Logic is used in Yoga.
Nyaya Shastra was first developed by the Sage Gautama to establish Vedic concepts and for the refutation of non-Vedic arguments. The Science of Logic is that, he declared, which illumines all learning, the instrument of all actions & the refuge of all moral ethics analysed completely for the purpose of knowledge.
“Excellence in action is Yoga ” declares the Song Celestial ( Geetha ), an authentic treatise on Yoga & the quintessence of the Upanishads. Yoga, as the science of Holistic living, is a way of life. Yoga does not mean physical exercises even though such exercises have been prescribed for improving the skill of our body. Yoga comprises techniques that transform our intellect, mind and emotions & provides a comprehensive philosophy for Integral Life.
In order to live an integral life, we must develop skill in life. Aurobindo defined Yoga as the Art of Conscious Self Finding. The first & fundamental thing we should do if we are to expand the limits of our Consciousness, is to gain mastery of the mind. This is not easy.
The incidence of most of the physical diseases that have plagued humanity for centuries have been reduced by glorious advances in medical sciences. The eradication of most infectious diseases and the control of many metabolic disorders have been effectuated by better drugs and surgical techniques. Soon, even routine genetic minterventions may be possible. But new and ever more common causes of illhealth haunt us today. They are psychosomatic ailments & chronic stress. Allopathy is less than effective when dealing with these complaints.
The cause of these are found to be attitudes & lifestyle and not physiological anomalies. Allopathy by concentrating on a physical and mechanistic approach to healing, can do little to relieve conditions such as these. The frenetic pace of modern life exposes many people to continous high mental tension & unrelieved stress. And if we are largely sedentary in our habits & overindulge in health damaging substances & foods, as we are fond of doing, our well- being & fitness will be furthur compromised. Eventually stress may manifest itself in the form of physical disease or mental breakdown. Allopathy is symptomatic, and has countered with symptom- suppressing treatments, instead of tackling the root cause of the problem. Lack of disease has been regarded as health, rather than as a dynamic growth process in which we feel truly well on physical, mental level and spiritual levels.
The Evolution of Medicine & the Three Eras of Medicine
Allopathic Medicine or ” Physical Medicine” belongs to the first era. It is Cartesian and creates a dichotomy between mind & body. Treating a disease is like fixing a part of the machine.
The second era of medicine refers to ‘Mind-Body medicine.” It became popular in the 1960s with the advent of Meditation, imagery, hypnosis & bio-feedback. Mind and body are interconnected by messenger molecules and these molecules are invoked to accomplish the healing process.
The third era of Medicine refers to ” Transpersonal Medicine “. It became popular in 1990s with the advent of group support and spirituality to heal.
Yoga therapy supplements the second and the third eras of medicine.
Yoga therapy complements medical technology with a holistic system of health care that addresses the triune problems – physical, mental & spiritual. The author of Yoga Sutras, Patanjal, defined it as the Science of the Mind. Mind is the root cause of bondage and in order to redeem us from the thraldom of the mind, we have to annilhilate the mind. Extirpation of thought waves is Yoga. And it is through teaching us to control our mind, our desires, and our reactions to stress, that yoga can fundamentally help us. It is based on the tripod of Life – Body, Mind & Self & the three levels of Being- Doing, Thinking & pure Being.
Mastery of the mind involves 2 aspects;
1) Concentration – The ability to concentrate our attention on any given subject or object
2) Meditation – The ability to quieten our mind at will.
Though the first has been mastered partially by most people, the second is very difficult. It is difficult indeed to lapse into a state of inner peace, let alone at will. As an intellectual, skillful means for quietening the mind, Yoga is unparalleled. A still mind is pure Spirit.
All aspects of the Fourfold Yoga work toward this in some way and if we practice this master Science, we reach closer to our goal. Yoga generates that inner mental peace perpetually, in all our actions, and thereby we achieve physical and mental health. This calmness in action is the secret to attaining the skill , according to Yoga Philosophy. This is known as the strength of Superconscient stillness !
Stillness itself is inertia Action itself is discord When stillness and action equalise Then is the Highest Cosmic Union ( Yoga )
Lo! steadfast a lamp burns sheltered from the wind Such is the likeness of the Yogi’s mind Freed from sense storms and burning bright to Heaven When mind broods placid, soothed with holy wont When Self contemplates Self and in itself Hath comfort ! ( The Song Celestial )
Health & Yoga Therapy
The World Health Organisation defines health as a state of complete physical, mental & social well-being & not merely an absence of disease and infirmity. WHO also suggests a fourth dimension – spiritual well-being. It is clear from this definition that health should be conceived as a continous function indicating the state of well-being and not a lack of ill health.
The approach of Yoga Therapy is based on the holistic concept of human being; the five ” sheaths ” of existence of which the physical sheath ( Annamaya Kosha ) is only the first. The second is the Vital Sheath ( Pranamaya Kosha ), that is made up of the Vital Energy called Prana which flows through invisible channels called Nadis. The third is the Mental Sheath ( Manomaya Kosha ) The fourth is the Intellectual Sheath ( Vijnanamaya Kosha ) and the final sheath is the Bliss Sheath ( Ananda Maya Kosha ). The Bliss Sheath is found to consist of the positive energy associated with the Divine Self. It is from this sheath that the inner peace characteristic of true Bliss emanates.
More information about Transcendental Philosophy & Yoga can be had from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yogamain.htm
Disease is defined as any imbalance in any of the three lower sheaths of existence. Ego Consciousness, which is centered around the Self, predominates in the physical, vital & mind sheaths. Harmony in these sheaths can be easily disturbed as the ego is up in arms against the world most of the time. The fourth & the fifth sheaths are permeated by a larger, Cosmic Consciousness and cannot be disturbed as they are closer to the Self. When we are truly healthy, the positive energy in the higher sheath percolates freely through the lower ones and brings total harmony & balance to all our faculties. But the imbalances in the lower sheaths block the free movement of Bliss despite the harmony of the higher sheaths being constant.
A great treatise on Yoga, the Yoga Vasishta, declares that there are two types of physical illness, & each requires a different approach. The first are the illnesses with a strong physical element, such as contagious diseases & accidental injuries. These are most effectively dealt with by conventional medicine, though Yoga can play a substantial supportive role. Yoga is prophylactic & also helps prevent the occurrence of such ailments by improving our general health & making us less accident-prone.
The other types of illness arises through disturbances in the mind sheath and includes all the psychosomatic & degenerative ailments. In these disorders, psychological factors play a much greater role, & conventional treatment alone cannot effectuate healing. According to Yogic Psychology, such ailments are thought to be caused by mental diseases called Adhis. ( Adhi creates Vyadhi , disease ). These arise when excessively strong feelings of like or dislike ( Raga & Dvesha ) becomes amplified & established acting to distort personality & to obstruct the flow of positive energy to the lower sheaths. This causes imbalances that result in physical ailments and also makes us feel restless &discontented.
The positive energy from the bliss sheath is responsible for our natural state which is Peace . While the flow of this energy is interrupted by Adhis ( mental blocks), our sense of well-being is diminished, & in our attempt to regain it, we may be furthur aggravating the problem by behaving inappropriately.
We may eat the wrong type of foods, lapse into negative states of mind, drive ourselves too hard, overwork ourselves, live in unhealthy surroundings and add more tension and stress. These methods, however will give only momentary relief & may be actually damaging to our health.
Y T provides that all-important element that conventional therapies lack while dealing with psychosomatic illnesses, as it acts directly on the mental imbalances that underlie them. While Meditation & emotion- culturing makes us conscious of the fact that thoughts and emotions are tyrants, Happiness-analysis teaches how to look within ourselves to find beatific peace and contentment. This effectively complements allopathic techniques which improve the situation physically but are unable to eliminate the root cause of the problem.
The root Cause of all Disease – Bhoga or Sensory enjoyments
Bhoga ( enjoyments of the senses ) is Roga ( Disease). It can only be cured by Yoga ( Divine Alchemy ).
All food that is tasty is detrimental to the body, declares Prakriti Therapy The food which cometh from Nature, fruits and vegetables, are alkaline by nature. Maximum health is in an alkaline body. We can only be healthy if we keep a 80%- 20% ratio. ( 80% alkalinity & 20% acidity). This means we have to eat more natural foods & less processed foods ( which are more or less acidic ). Truly speaking, processed foods,even though they taste well, are robbers as they rob us of our natural, vibrant health.
Happiness Analysis for Lifestyle Change
Happiness Analysis is a technique for analysing the cause of happiness, what constitutes Bliss, the inner beatific peace that characterises the fifth level of Being. It basically embodies the realization that happiness comes from within and is not dependent on material possessions or physical enjoyment.
When we achieve desires, we are happy temporarily because of the satisfaction involved and happiness is often associated with jubilation and excitement. But such feelings of euphoria are often followed by negative feelings such as tiredness & disillusionment. The Beatific Peace, which is the aim of Yoga, involves no great effort and engenders no fatigue. The authoritatie texts of Yoga postulate that the Ultimate State of Bliss is a state of eternal silence, wherein we are not troubled by tormenting thoughts & fears and where we are freed from all sorrows.
Though Yoga practices lay the foundation needed for us to achieve this, we must also make determined efforts to sustain a state of perfect happiness by analysing our feelings of pleasure. The basic hypothesis of Yoga is that actions bring pleasure when they briefly evoke the inner silence that defines true happiness. When our desire is fulfilled or when a goal is won, at the very instance of success our thoughts vanish & our mind dips momentarily into the Bliss sheath. Actually what we do is to open up temporary channels to the higher sheath, hence evoking positive sensations. This is merely a temporary feeling and cannot be perpetuated.
Can we generate that moment from within and free ourselves from dependency on external aids? Yes, we can, if we try enough. Practice makes one perfect and at first we may not be able to maintain inner peace for long, but gradually we will become less vulnerable to negative influences. The likes & dislikes ( Raga & Dvesha ) that can lead to mental diseases ( Adhis ) will become less important and our growing awareness of Cosmic Consciousness will give meaning & coherence to every aspect of our life.
The Basis Of Yoga Therapy
Yoga therapy is fundamentally different from allopathic practice in its approach to health care. Instead of trying to reduce the cause of disease to a single factor and to correct it using a specific cure, Yoga aims to treat illness by improving health on all the five levels of Being – physical, vital, mental, intellectual & spiritual – simultaneously & restoring inner harmony.
Ill-health occurs when the total balance of perfect health is disturbed. And although the original disrupting influence may only affect one level at first, viz the physical level, the disturbance soon spreads to the other four levels. All the five sheaths of existence interact, thus something that primarily affects the mind can soon spread to the body & the subtler sheaths. A bad day at work may make us irritable & it also increases stress reaction, makes our muscles tense and often depletes our energy level leading to chronic fatigue.
While emotion culturing generates equanimity, Relaxation & Meditation can calm our mind. Positive action produces harmony, just as as negative influences spread disruption. The different types of yoga practice augment each other & are more effective when done together. All wisdom is given in the one word ” Relax”.
Physical relaxation can be effectuated when we do the prescribed Asanas & stretch our muscles as muscular tension is released.
Mental relaxation is effected when we relax our mind during Meditation and release suppressed emotions.
This is the essence of Yoga Therapy, both prophylactic & therapeutic. Daily practice of a complete Yoga session can restore our natural balance and harmony, bringing positive good health to the three levels of Being – physical, mental and spiritual.
The Therapeutic Potential of Yoga
Yoga, holistic science and integral life, has become popular because it promotes positive health and is also useful in the prevention and treatment of diseases. Its therapeutic potential has largely been investigated for stress-related pyshco-somatic ailments. But with the recent interest in ” Psycho-neuro- immunology” ( the effect of psyche on the immune system ), there is also a possibility that Yoga therapy can modify the course of infectious diseases.
One of the stress conditions which can definitely be controlled through yoga therapy is bronchial asthma. Beneficial effects of specific yoga practices, such as pranayamas, or kriyas can alleviate asthma. Patients with type II daibetes mellitus were also shown to improve significantly following yoga practice. Systematic studies on the effects of Yoga therapy for essential hypertension has shown that Y T compares favourably with bio-feedback. A study conducted in the UK on patients with rheumatoid arthritis demonstrated that Y T reduced symptoms and need for medicine.
Scientific studies also show that if pathological Angst ( anxiety ) patients practice Yogic techniques such as Pranayamas ( which means the control of the Vital Force, Prana ), they show significant improvement.
Yoga therapy has also been used in the rehabilitation of the mentally handicapped. Ten months of yoga practice significantly improved the IQ, eye-hand coordination and social adaptation of 45 children with varying degress of mental retardation.
Psycho-neuro-immunology has given rise to interest in the idea that Y T can be used for the management of infectious diseases such as pulmonary tuberculosis.Studies indicate two months of Y T along with short term chemotherapy caused tremendous change for the better. This beneficial effect of Yoga on the immune system has delighted the alternate medical community. Holistic health practitioners how talk about the the effect of Y T in cancer and even in AIDS patients. It has been shown that the practice of Yoga reduces the unpleasant side effects of chemotherapy in patients with cancer of the uterine cervix. It is also interesting to study scientifically investigated reports on cancer regression following meditation. It is encouraging to note that there has been a scientific study which showed that AIDS patients benefited ( clinically, psychologically, immunologically ) from Y T.
Ayurveda, Tai Chi, Y T, Kai-Igaku, Pranic Healing, Reflexology, Reiki, Acupuncture are all included amongst the 70 systems of Alternative Medicine which are prevalent today. All these come under Holistic Medicine which highlights the greatness of the Whole more than the parts. ( ” The Whole is greater than the sum of its parts ” )
A good site where you can get quality information about Holistic Medicine is www.holistic-alt.com
Yogic Diet & Prevention of Cancer
Modern reasearch shows that diets such as smoked fish/ meat or other foods known to contain carcinogenic chemicals should be avoided at all costs. Because of the Western fast food type diet, colon cancer in men, promoted by high meat ( beef ) and fat consumption is on the increase in the West. There is no doubt that a high fibre, low-fat diet reduces the risk of colon cancer.
Many compounds which are potent carcinogens are contained in cigarette smoking as well as smoked or barbecued meat or fish products. They include benzenes ( in the tar component of cigarette smoke), heterocyclic amines & polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ( in smoked / barbecued meat or fish ). That explains why lung cancer is on the rise in the Western male population during the last century. Colon cancer has reached endemic proportions in the West ( because of higher consumption of barbequed meat and beef fat ) & stomach cancer occurs at an alarming rate in Japan because of the Japanese habit of consuming fish.
Claims which need furthur research
While spices such as ( black or green) or spices such as fresh ginger, garlic & turmeric have been reported to reduce the risk of colon cancer, onion is claimed to lower the risk of stomach cancer. Soyabean products reduces the risk of prostate cancer. Skin cancer is reduced, it is claimed, by topical application of some constituents of ginger oil and ginger extract. It is true that more research is needed on natural compounds. One breakthrough is the discovery of taxol, a plant product which is of tremendous benefit in certain cancers. There are many such waiting for their discovery, particularly from indigenous plants in India, with proper scientific research tools & testing.
Hygiea’s Commandment that “Thou shalt eat unprocessed, living natural food ” merits consideration here. Naturopathy asks us to consume 100 grams fruits & 300 grams vegetables ( organically grown ) daily. Yoga with its emphasis on a naturopathic diet of fruits & vegetables can show us the path to perfect health & Wisdom. Naturopathy is a branch of Ayurveda, the Science of Life, which is allied to Yoga.
More info about Ayurveda can be had from http://www.chakrapaniayurveda.com
The Healing Centre in us
Yogic philosophy averrs that true healing comes from within, the Self, the divine component in man.
His great transparent mirror, Self !
Within each of us is the source of Life and health, the Divine Centre. We have to learn to turn to that source and return to it again and again. When we breathe it in, the freshness engages us. Yoga frees us from the thraldom of both mind and matter & we become more whole.
While acknowledging the fact the the One Universal Substance which compose the differentiated parts of the Universe is all this , one should indulge in selfless service and love for Him.
Man has two duties – duty unto Caesar means we have to do our worldly duties & duty unto Self or God means we have to do selfless service to our brethren so that we fulfill the divine humanity in ourselves.
There is a poetic verse which says that trees exist for altruism, that rivers exist for altruism, that cows exist for altruism and hence this body is for Altruism or selfless service.
The basis of all service is Love. When we love, we serve. Service is divine and service is one of the means to exhaust one’s own Karma .
Karma is defined as action and all actions have reactions. The grand Law of Causation, the Law of Cause and Effect, the Law of Retribution is called philosophically as the Law of Karma. What ye sow, ye reap is the quintessence of this Divine Law.
So we as composite creatures have done both good and evil and good & evil karmas haunt us. But in order to attain to Self_Actualisation, we should exhaust our karma. As far as karma is concerned there will be backlog and it will be difficult to exhaust karma all of a sudden. But absolute surrender to the Divine is the only remedy and while we tread the Path Celestial, all karmas get burnt up.
In Silence, we have to climb from our own earths to our own heavens, rendering to the Caesar of the outer world the things which are lawfully his, and at the same time fulfilling the Law of Wisdom which will set us up and distinguish us from the ranks of other men.
It is true that many adversities and opposition we may have to confront. But these are merely parts of the process and tests of fidelity. Some people on this Path Eternal complain that they and their friends also are visited by misfortune. But we have to understand that they are wages and Initiation is a process of intensive culture and accelerated evolution. It is our Karma exhausting itself.
We have to understand that the Divine Will is leading us, through every circumstance, towards the Final Realisation. This faith will give us equanimity.
More information about Transcendental Philosophy & Yoga can be had from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yogamain.htm
We are given the commandment ” Dont bother about the result while doing work” There is a subtle wisdom behind this. Our Rajasic ( human) ego has a basic defect. It want to be compensated for the work done. But Self-Realisation appears somewhat elusive and distant a Goal. It is not possible to get Realisation within one or two years. Hence our Rajasic ego always demands some compensation for the altruistic work done. It feels hurt if it its work is not paid. In order to overcome the agitations of our worldly ego, we are given the supreme commandment to ignore compensation for work done by us.
So our task is to work selflessly for humankind. Selfless service helps in erasing the ego. We have to redeem this earth of ours which appears to be sunk in evil and sin. Only by Universal friendship and Universal brotherhood can this world be redeemed ! Love alone is the Redeemer !
Man, by definition, is a composite creature. We have a positive as well as a negative aspect, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. The positive aspect of Man is called Punya Purusha and the negative aspect as Papa Purusha. While doing selfless service, we have to imagine that the Papa Purusha ( Evil Man ) in us is getting destroyed and that the Punya Purusha ( Noble Man ) is in the ascendancy in us. Once the Negative Aspect ( Papa Purusha ) is destroyed in us and the Punya Purusha ( Noble Man ) is affirmed, we have reached the Ultimate Goal !
By serving man we serve God, the highest principle in us. Forgetting the ego, we have to do selfless service to attain the Ulimate Bliss. Forget the ego; let it melt and merge with all its layers of Consciousness !
While business people say that it is Action alone which can convert dreams into dollars, we have to understand that their aim is wealth and they are following similar principles; but here our aim is Self Actualisation and it is Action alone which converts our heavenly dreams into Self- Realisation !
The noblest Union is Union via Love. Love is an outpouring of the heart and Love is Love’s reward.
Love is a glory from Eternity’s spheres He is still the Godhead that can make all change
Love should never cease to be upon the earth Love is the bright link betwixt earth and heaven Love is the far Transcendent’s angel here Love is man’s lien on the Absolute ( Aurobindo )
All other yogas are difficult to practice. Raja Yoga ( Union via psychic control ) is difficult because we have to keep up Brahmacharya ( continence ), Jnana Yoga is difficult because of the philosophic subtlety of the concepts & Karma Yoga is difficult because its end is far, far away. On the other hand Bhakti Yoga or Union via Love is simple to practise because there are no restrictions in this noblest and blest Union via Love.
Having a Tutelary Deity is the first step. This Deity should be worshipped in thought, word and deed.
” By giving thyself up in heart and soul to Me, thou shalt overcome all difficulties by My Grace ” says He in the Geetha.
Only Universal Love can redeem the world. The salvation of the world is in love and through love.
“Take away Love and the whole world becomes a tomb” said Byron
Man is endowed with many positive qualities. Truth, Ethics, Peace, the Discriminative intellect & Love are the major five positive qualities in man. Of these, Love is the greatest positive quality.
If we incorporate love, we can see that our lives become peaceful & spiritually resplendent. We are asked to incorporate this supreme quality, which is a prerequisite for Liberation or Self-Realisation.
Freud identified Thanatos ( Death Instinct ) as the destructive element in Man. Contray to Thanatos is Eros or the Life Instinct. It is true that Thanatos ( Death Instinct ) or the Vedantic Thamas is the villain of the piece as far as this sin-sick world is concerned. The Mr Hyde in man is very powerful. In Man there is an eternal fight going on between Conscience and Expedience. between Eros and Thanatos! We have not yet defined the Life instinct. This anti-Thanatos principle is Love !
So the preserving quality is Love. Love alone is the Saviour, Love alone is the Redeemer. He who embraces Love is blessed and he alone can save the world.
His light and life is given to balance here The dark account of mortal ignorance!
It is this quality which is highly favoured by Heaven !
Love rules the court, the camp and the grove, All men below and saints above For Love is Heaven and Heaven is Love !
As one Great One said
Love all beings That is enough !
Or Alexander Pope
He prayeth best who loveth best Both bird and man and beast
When it comes to Jnana & Bhakti Yogas, it is said that He, before whom even the Vedas remain mute, prefers Union via Love to Union via Wisdom.
It is like the wife and lady love. Jnana Yoga is the wife and Bhakthi Yoga is the lady love.
Jnana Yoga is like the wife. It asks ” Why didnt you actualise the Self ?”
Bhakti Yoga is like the lady love. It asks ” No problem ; there is still time for you to actualise”
More information about Transcendental Philosophy & Yoga can be had from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yogamain.htm
In the Divina Commedia, Beatrice criticises Dante for following Philosophy and not Religion. Under Beatrice’s compulsion Dante changes over to Bhakti Yoga, away from Being and Becoming !
I wake amaze and in the windows blaze The forms of saints & holy men who died Hereafter martyred and hereafter crucified And the Great Rose upon its leaves displays Love’s triumph and the angelic roundelays With splendour upon splendour multiplied And Beatrice again at Dante’s side! No more rebuking but smiling her words of praise ( Longfellow )
The strict restrictions in other Yogas make it difficult to practise them. On the other hand, there are no restrictions in Bhakthi Yoga. The process of spiritual evolution is automatic and all blocks will be removed by Divine Grace.
In the Geetha, He hath declared that Bhakthi is the greatest of all yogas. The bliss that accrues from sheer devotion is ineffable !
The basic dictums of Bhakthi Yoga are simple. They are
Love All Serve All Help Ever Hurt Never Hate None Nurture All Educate All
If we can do this spontaneously, we have reached Universal Love.
“I shall deliver thee from all sin and evil” says He in the Geetha. The debit in our Karmic balance sheet will be exhausted & we become eligible for Self-Actualisation.
As Robert Bach said ” At the end of our terrestrial journey, one question will be asked. How much did we love and what is the quality of our love ? “
Love your neighbour because he is like you; and love your enemy because enmity is a misunderstanding.
Start the day with Love End the day with Love Spend the day with Love Fill the day with Love That is the way to the Divine ( Sai )
The simple wisdom which is Love can redeem us & this world!
Economists say that Money makes the world go around. While this statement is true superficially, when we go deeply, we find that some other emotion makes the world go around. It is Love that makes the world go around!
When we ask one thing, God gives that one thing but when we ask nothing, He gives everything, He gives Himself & also the spontaneous boons of His love! Our prayer should be like the prayer of the poet who prayed ” I desire nothing from Thee, I desire only Thee ! “.
The Fourfold Dharma & the Fifth Dharma
The Law asks us to practice the Fourfold Dharma
They are
1) Brahmacharya – During pre-marriage days one should steadfastly follow Dharma
2) Garhastya – Once married, should do both duties – worldly & divine . 3) Vanaprastha – Once responsibilities are over, one should seek the Divine
4) Sanyasa – To walk in the Self; to embrace none but Him.
There is a fifth Dharma. It is called Prajna Dharma, the Highest Wisdom is Love!
The Four Purusharthas ( objectives ) & the Fifth Purushartha
There are four purusharthas. They are Artha ( Wealth ), Dharma ( Ethics & Morality), Kama ( Desires ) & Moksha ( Self-Realisation ).
There is a fifth Purushartha. It is Prema, Love !
Premam Brahma – Love is He ! The highest knowledge is Love !
The equation of Jnana Yoga – Prajnanam Anandam Brahma (The Self is Consciousness & Bliss ) is replaced by the more powerful equation of Bhakthi Yoga – Premam Anandam Brahma ( Self is Love and Bliss ) ! Love alone can confer Bliss!
Love is a manna sent from Heaven, a spark of the Immortal Fire, sent by the Lord to elevate our low desire!
The heart is 60 times more powerful than the brain. There is only one language and it is the language of the heart!
” Only via Love can anybody reach me ” says Lord Krishna in the Gita. Same statement is attributed to Jesus ” No one cometh to the Father, but via Me “. All these smack of the high importance the Yogis have given to this supreme quality, Bhakthi or Universal Love !
All wisdom is contained in Love and love alone can heal this sin-sick world, as love is divine medicine!
It is said that the Lord is playing hide and seek! Himself the play, Himself the player, Himself the playground!
The Universal Governor of life lies in us He is playing hide and seek with his own force Eternal, He assents to Fate and chance Immortal, He dallies with mortality Divine, he wears the form of animal and man He whose transcendence rules the pregnant vasts Prescient lay in our subliminal depths A luminous individual power, alone – ( Aurobindo )
Union via Psychic Control is known as Raja Yoga. Raja means King and this Yoga is defined as the Regal Yoga or the king of all the yogas.
Raja Yoga has eight limbs called Ashtanga Yoga.
The Eightfold Raja Yoga
Yama – Observance of Right Conduct ( Non-violence, Truth, Non- covetousness, continence, not receiving donations )
Niyama – Meditation, Self-Study, contentment, purity internal & external, & reverence for the Lord
Asanas – Physical exercises that relax and tone up our muscles Pranayama – Breath control exercises that slows our breathing and regulates the flow of Prana Pratyahara – Withdrawal from the outer world or disconnecting the mind from the sensory world. Dharana Concentration Dhyana – Meditation Samadhi – Achievement of Cosmic Consiousness.
Without control of the mind, nothing spiritual can be achieved. Mind binds, mind liberates.Mind is the cause of all bondage.
Controlling mind is the most difficult thing in the world. You may be able to control everything but never the mind.
Mind is subtle matter,according to Indian Philosophy. ( Indian Philsophy is a humiliating term given to the twelve positive sciences in the Vedas ).
There are many definitions of mind. One definition is that Mind is finer matter in vibration. Another definition is that Mind is a steady stream of thoughts. We can say that, like a river flowing, continous thought flow is Mind.
Mind has been compared to a monkey. It jumps from one thing to another. Controlling this monkey is very difficult due to its jumping nature.
Once upon a time, there was a monkey ( Mind ). Someone gave it alcohol and it became intoxicated. Later a scorpion called Avarice bit him. Later,it was bitten by the sting of Jealousy.Then all of a sudden an evil spirit by the name of Pride possessed him. Just imagine how difficut it is to control such a mind!
The Unified Vital Energy , the Cosmic Prana
“The Unified Field is the only Reality ” said Einstein. “This Unified Field is the Brahman of the Vedists and the Tao of the Chinese ” averrs Dr Fritjof Capra in his book ” The Tao of Physics “.
All the four basic forces in the Universe – weak nuclear force, strong nuclear force, electricity & magnetism – are but different manifestations of that Unified Power which the Vedists call Prana.
As per Raja Yoga, there are only two powerful forces in the Universe- Akasha ( Ether-principle ) and the Cosmic Energy, Prana.
All that we see around us, taste, touch and feel is simply one of the many manifestation of this Akasha. This all pervasive energy manifests as the sun, the moon, the stars, the earth etc. The other elements – Vayu ( air ), Agni ( Fire ), Apa ( water ) & Prithvi ( earth ) are only its grosser manifestations.
Our bodies belong to the Ocean of gross matter & our minds belong to the Ocean of subtle matter ( mind ). So long as Prana is active, there is life; when Prana goes to sleep, as it were, life ceases to be.
Self- purification, the process of Raja Yoga.
If we can find a method of returning gross matter to its origin, we will be amazed to observe that it vanishes leaving only subtle matter behind. and if we can still return this subtle matter to its Cause, we shall observe that it disappears, leaving only the Self behind.
This method of Self-purification is what is called the “returning process”. My body will vanish when it becomes pure. Vanish ? Not literally but figuratively which means I will live as if my body were not there. My body wont assert its demands and I wont feel its weight.
This “returning process”, if applied to the mind ( The word Religion is derived from the Latin Relegaire – ” to go back” ) can make it invisible: it wont boss me, drag me hither and thither and I wont feel trapped in it. This process of self- purification will reveal to us ” finer and finer dimensions of our being “, until we reach the finest ” The Self or the Divine “, or the Ocean of Consciousness.
I am the Silence which is more than sound! If therewithin Thou lose thee, Thou art found! The Nameless shoreless Ocean which is “I” Thou cannot breathe, but in its bosom drowned! ( Tennyson )
More information about Transcendental Philosophy & Yoga can be had from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yogamain.htm
Look at the Oceans of Matter, Mind & Consciousness
As waves what we should do is to look at the Ocean of the Triune Being- Matter, Mind and Consciousness. We, as waves, belong to the Ocean.
The Absolute is like an infinite Ocean. In order to merge in the Absolute we can meditate like this
Above, it is full of me; below, it is full of me; in the middle it is full of me. I am in all beings, and all beings are in me. Om Tat Sat, I am It. I am existence above mind. I am the One Spirit of the Universe. I am neither pleasure nor pain.
The body eats,drinks and so on. I am not the body. I am not the mind…. I am Consciousness, Knowledge. Bliss.
I am the essence and the nectar of Knowledge. Through Eternity, I change not. I am calm, resplendent and unchanging.
I am That, whereof Being is the likeness Mine, the Amrit is; And immortality is Mine And Mine perfect felicity ! ( The Song Celestial )
The Invisible Channels ( Nadis )
Raja Yoga postulates that the human body has invisible channels called Nadis. The major left Nadi is called the Ida and the major right Nadi, the Pingala. The Sepentine coiled Energy called Kundalini, lies coiled in the base Root Chakra ( Muladhara ). Through another invisible channel called the Sushumna, the Kundalini, the Serpent Power, rises in its ascent towards the Crown Chakra ( Sahasrara ). By Pranayama, this mighty corresponding microcosmic power of the Cosmic Shakthi, which is latent in all beings, can be evoked.
A Power to call Eternity into Time And make the body’s joy as vivid as the soul’s ( Aurobindo )
It is this Power-aspect of the Consciousness which India has represented as the Divine Mother – Prakriti in Sankhya, Maya in Vedanta & Shakti in Tantra.
Pranayama
Many think Pranayama is the control of breath. This is far from true. Pranayama means to know & control the Vital energy or Prana. Control of this mighty energy gives us infinite power. If a man can know & control Prana, where power is there not in him ?
He can control everything from microcosm to macrocosm, the whole universe comes under his control.
The ancient Seers sought Truth within themselves and asked the perennial question ” What is it, when known, everything is known ? “
Since it is impossible to study all sciences in a lifetime ( each science being an infinite ocean) , the ancient Seers were after the mighty Secret, some special knowledge of Substance, which when known, everything is known!
All principles have a Unitary principle as the base. If that is comprehended, then everything is comprehended. All powers are but manifestations of that Cosmic Energy, Prana. He who has controlled Prana has controlled all the minds in the universe; all the bodies of the Universe: for Prana is the base of all Manifestation !
How to control Prana is the aim of Pranayama.
The sum total energy in the Universe is an absolute constant: Universal Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; hence it is indestructible. It has two aspects, unmanifest and manifest. This power is Prana & its control is Pranayama.
The main aim or Pranayama is to arouse the Kundalini. In ordinary mortals the base of the Sushumna will not be open. To open it is the function of Pranayama.
In Sanskrit, Kundalini means the coiled Energy. The base of all mental impulses is the Root Chakra and the Consciousness – Force power is this coiled energy. When we concentrate deeply or meditate intensely, we find that this place of the Root Chakra is heated up. When we do Raja Yoga, we experience a subtle warmth. This coiled Serpentine energy rises via the Sushumna and when it hits the different Chakras, it creates tremendous reactions.
Practice of Pranayama – The Three techniques
First technique
We have to breathe in deeply ( as deeply as possible ) through both the nostrils and then breathe out slowly. We have to do this initially to prepare ourselves for the practice of Pranayama. Here the time taken for exhalation and inhalation should be equal. Normally instead of counting one, two, three, in the Orient, mantras are chanted. Om is the usual mantra chanted.
Second Technique
Inhalation is known as Pooraka Retention is known as Kumbhaka Exhalation is known as Rechaka
First inhale, then retain breath & then exhale.
If inhalation is 4 seconds, retention of breath should be 16 seconds and exhalation 8 seconds. During this process, one should meditate upon the triangular Root Chakra ( Muladhara ). Mind should concentrate on this Chakra.
Third Technique
In this technique, first do Pooraka ( inhalation ). Then immediately do Rechaka ( exhalation ). Then do Retention ( Kumbhaka )
If you do the first technique, your voice will become beautiful. Your face will appear peaceful. The more you practise this technique, the more peace you will get.
Once the Golden Serpent rises, your thinking will change.Your perceptions will change. Then you need not rely on books. Then your mind will become your book. This wonderful phenomenon called the mind is a repository of endless knowledge. Once the Kundalini via the Sushumna rises, we reach a transcendental plane. The main aim of the Yogi is to open the Sushumna. On the path of the Sushmna are the Chakras, dynamoes of cosmic energy in man.
She sports as Universal Power in the Macrocosm; and in the microcosm as the coiled Serpent Power!
Infinite Power of the Absolute art Thou! The Cause of the Universe as Maya The entire Creation is Thy Play Thy blessing is Bliss Absolute !
The essence of all sciences art Thou All women Thy manifestations ! The visible Universe Thou art And the dormant Serpentine Power !
The Scientific basis for observing continence
Semen and the mind are interrelated. That is why Continence has been prescribed for controlling the mind. Dhanwantri, the Father of Ayurveda told his disciples that the panacea for all ills is Brahmacharya ( Continence).
The basic principle of Raja Yoga is that seminal energy has properties of Vidyut ( electricity ) Ojas ( light ) & Tapas ( heat ). This energy when preserved is converted to spiritual energy and stored in the brain. This process is called sublimation. Havelock Ellis, in his Psychology of Sex, opines that the sublimation of the seminal energy can give skills, artistic and scientific. He only proved what Raja Yoga proclaimed thousand of years ago.
This seminal energy ( Urdhwa Retas ) is stored by the Raja Yogi in the body by observing Brahmacharya. Raja Yoga advocates the preservation of the seminal energy for 12 years for the yogic faculties to blossom. Once sublimated, this energy goes by the name of Ojas ( Effulgence ) and is stored in the brain !
Jnana means Wisdom & Jnana Yoga means Union with the Divine via Wisdom.
Wisdom has been defined as organised Life. Wisdom and knowledge are different. Wisdom is a special kind of knowledge. What is the use of knowing everything if one doesn’t know the Self ? Knowledge of the Absolute Self alone is Wisdom. ( Sa Vidya Tan Mathir Yaya ).
The Quantum Field Theory
Quantum Mechanics postulate that the finest state of matter is the Vaccum State. The universal sea of matter exist in the Vaccum State. It is defined as the Field of all possibilities. This Vaccum State of the Quantum Field corresponds to the Indestructible Being of transcendental philosophy.
Matter was studied and pursued till one day it vanished into energy. De Broglie’s Matter-Wave Hypothesis postulates that the electron is both a particle and a wave. This wave like nature of matter has taken Physics into the realm of Metaphysics, which hath already declared that matter is a form of Energy and Energy is a form of Consciousness.
The Sevenfold Chord of Being ( The Septenary Principles )
The Universal Substance, by which all this is pervaded, manifests with Its septenary principles with Matter as the lowest term and pure Being as the highest.
Matter ( Annam ) Life ( Prana ) Mind ( Mana ) Supermind ( Vijnana ) Existence ( Sat ) Consciousness ( Chit ) Bliss ( Ananda )
These are what the ancient sages meant by the sevenfold mode of cosmic existence, the septenary principles through which the Universal expresses itself.
These, then, are the seven colours of the light of Divine Consciousness, the seven rays of the Infinite, and by them the Spirit has filled in the canvass of his own selfexistence conceptually extended, woven of the objective warp of Space & the subjective woof of Time, the myriad wonders of his self-creation, great, simple & symmetrical in its primal laws and vast framings.The Light, the Sound is One;their action is sevenfold. ( Aurobindo )
How to overcome the Ego
All knowledge is threefold (” Thraigunya Vishaya Veda “). In Freudian Psycho-analysis we have three impulses, Id, Ego and Supergo. The Vedantic Satwa, Rajas and Thamas correspond to these impulses. The mind is always gripped by these three impulses. Sometimes we are Rajasic ( worldly ) and go after wealth. When intense anger and other negative emotions grip us, we are Thamasic. When divine qualities like Love and Peace influence us, we are Satwic ( divine ).
The Ego with its ten heads ( symbolised as the ten-headed Ravana ) is the major block in attaining Self_Actualisation. The ten heads of the Ego are Lust,Anger,Pride, Avarice, Sloth, Covetousness, Attachment, Mind, Intellect, Conceit & Egoistic Mentality. Only when the ten heads of the Ego are removed can we hope to get Self-Realisation. ( Symbolically only when the Ravana in us is destroyed ).
When we do our yoga, we will be assailed by three type of Ego. Rajasic ( wordly ), Thamasic ( bestial ) and Satwic ( noble ). In order to overcome the three types of Ego, we are given certain commandments.
” Ma the Sanghostha karmani ” – (Let there be not in you any attachment to inaction. ) This commandment is given so that we can overcome the Thamasic ( bestial ) ego.
” Ma Karma Phala Heturbhoo ” – (“Dont expect any reward”) This commandment is given to protect us from the Rajasic ( wordly ) ego, which always expects rewards for work done.
“Ubhe Sukruta Dushkrute ” ( “Be beyond good and evil ” ) This commandment is given to us to overcome the Satwic Ego, for one should not hang on to Punya ( divine merit ).
In other words, during the process of Yoga we will be assailed by all sorts of negative thoughts. Our aim is to identify with the Source of all thought, the Self. We will find, as we progress on the path of yoga, that these negative thoughts leave us slowly and steadily. Conquering our negative aspect is not easy. The negative elements in man are the true villains. Alone, powerful, cruel are the dark and dreadful forces that profit from the reign of Night and Ignorance and they dont want any change in the body. We have to annihilate them one by one.
In tragic life, God wot No villains need be, passions spin the plot We are betrayed by what is false within !
The entire Vedic wisdom is contained in one word ” Transcend “. Transcend both pain & sorrow, transcend the triune attributes of Nature. Transcend negativity !.
More information about Transcendental Philosophy & Yoga can be had from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yogamain.htm
We are always confronted by the negative qualities. Perfection has to be worked out, harmony has to be established. Ignorance, limitation, sorrow, – these are the negative qulities as pitted against Knowledge, Infintiy & Bliss. These negative qualities are merely the first terms of the formula – unintelligible, till we have worked out the wider terms and reintepreted the formulary. They are merely the initial discords of the Musician’s harmony. To rise from the Negative to the Positive, from Ignorace to Divine Knowledge, from limitation to the Illimitable, from sorrow to Bliss Infinite, from Matter to revealed Spirit, is Yoga. To achieve this end for ourselves and for our brethren is the aim of our Yogic practice. – ( Aurobindo)
Wise men like Ramana Maharshi advises us to annihilate the Mind. For it is that which gives you pleasure that gives you pain. The root cause of all bondage and all sorrow is Mind ! Annihilate the mind by thinking on its real nature. The true Source of the Mind is the “I”, the primal Thought. Because of the Primal Thought, the mind exists! He advises us to enquire into the nature of the Self. The thought ” Who am I ” will lead us to the annihilation of the mind. This thought ” Who am I ” is like the the burning log which will burn all other logs!
I am pure Being, by whom all things be !
The Negative Method in the Upanishads
In the Upanishads Reality is defined by a series of negatives because the Negative is less limiting than the Positive.
This is known as the Neti ( “Not this ” ) method. We deny the Finite in order to affirm the Infinite.
We say this is my shirt. That means that I am not the shirt. Similarly we declare my hands, my legs etc which means I am not the hands or legs. Then who am I ? The body is mine, therefore ” I ” am not the body. Then who is this “I” ? We therefore apply Intuitive Logic and deny everything. All these are mine, but I am not they. A state will come, during this process of denial, that I cannot deny one thing. What is this thing which I cannot deny? That which I cannot deny is “I”, the Self, the Consciousness !
The finite is negated to affirm the Infinite.
The Superconscient as the Base
The Superconscious Mind and not the subconscious is the base of all Life.
Let us analyse why the Superconscient is considered as the foundation.
Deep within the five sheaths which compose our being – the material, the the vital,the mental, the gnostic & the blissful – is the Absoulte Self , the divine component in us which Jesus referred to as the Kingdom of Heaven ( ” The Kingdom of Heaven is within you and whomsover shall know himself shall find it ” ).
The dreadful forces or ” hostile forces” as they are known – lust, greed, anger, jealousy, sloth & covetousness – lie in the dark caverns of the Subconscious mind. Wisdom declares that they are our inner enemies.
Man houses dangerous forces in his house The Titan, the Fury and the Djinn Lay in the subsconscient’s cavern pit And the Beast moved in his antre den
The Enemy means who ? Our inner enemies which lie in the Subconscient!
Socrates is poisoned. Jesus crucified. Bruno burnt alive. This phenomenon is known in Yogic Psychology as the downward pull of the mind, when the dark forces that lie in the subconscient triumph ( in the collective subsconscient ). The reverse phenomenon, the upward pull of the mind is that which pulls us from death to immortality and realises in this body of earth the luminous Kingdom of Heaven ( Self-Actualisation ).
The four faculties of the Intuitive Reason – Revealation, Inspiration, Intuition and Illumination are all the properties of the Superconscious Mind and can be experienced if we make ourselves pure and make our mind still (” Be still and know that I am God ” – Bible ).
The aim of Yoga is pull ourselves out of the darkness of the subconscient into the Light of the Superconscient and to receive the intuitions and the revealations of the Self and ultimately lead us to Self_Actualisation. The aim of Nature is to effect Super-Nature. The aim of Yoga is Self, is Self-Actualisation.
The great battle between good and evil which was depicted by the poets ( Iliad, Odyssey, Ramayana,Mahabharata etc ) is actually the great war happening in the human bosom between the conflicting forces of good and evil, ever locked in eternal combat. Utlimately the positive elements – Truth, Dharma, Peace, Love & the Discriminative Intellect will win over the negative elements in us and we will be transmuted into the Divine Man. This is the ultimate formula of Wisdom – the divine transmutation of Man!
Yoga as Divine Alchemy
Alchemy is the science of transmuting baser metals into gold. Yoga is divine alchemy as it transmutes base metals ( our human nature ) into gold ( divine nature ).
Scientifically, Alchemy is possible. By proton bombardment, the atomic number of any element can be increased to form another element. So, theoretically, any element can be converted into Aurum ( gold ).
Alchemy is symbolic and no physical transmutation is meant here. Divine Alchemy is the ultimate formula wherein we are transmuted into the Divine Being-Knowledge-Bliss!
This is what the ancient Yogis meant by Transmutation, Transformation & Transfiguration !
Yoga is derived from the word “Yuj” which means to unite. Union with Cosmic Creative Intelligence is the aim of Yoga.
The Fourfold Yoga has been prescribed for Cosmic Union in Oriental Philosophies. They are
1. Union via Action ( Karma Yoga ) 2. Union via Psychic Control ( Raja Yoga ) 3. Union via Universal Love ( Bhakthi Yoga ) 4. Union via Wisdom ( Jnana Yoga )
Union via Action is for the person of active temparament. Union via Psychic Contro is for the person of adventurous temparament Union via Universal Love is for the person of emotional temparament. Union via Wisdom is for the person of intellectual temparament.
These four paths are not different from one another. They are all part of the Fourfold Yoga.
Certain qualities are to be inculcated in the seeker if he is to achieve the Ultimate Goal.
Prajna has been defined as the discriminative intellect. When the intellect discriminates between the Real & the Unreal. The intellect which discriminates between Being and Non-Being. This quality should be incorporated by the Intellectual Man if he is to progress in the path of Jnana Yoga.
Love is defined as the greatest of all the positive qualities of man. This quality is to be incorporated by the Emotional Man if he is to progress in the field of Bhakthi Yoga.
Control of Mind or Psychic Control through Raja Yoga should be incorporated by the Adventurous Man if he is to progress in the field of Raja Yoga.
Selfless Service should be incorporated by the Active Man if he is to progress in the field of Karma Yoga.
In other words, since the Fourfold Yoga has been prescribed for mankind , all these four great qualities – Selfless service, love, psychic control & the discriminative intellect should be incorporated by the spiritual aspirant to develop in the field of Yoga.
Yoga was defined by Aurobindo as a methodic process towards self-perfection through a development of the latent potential at the five levels of Being – physical, vital, mental, intellectual & spiritual. Normal man lives only in the first three sheaths – physical, vital & mental. Only when we use our hidden spiritual potential – the intellectual & the bliss sheaths – can be unfold our full mental potential.
The Seven States of Consciousness
Man lives in 3 relative states of Consciousnes- waking, dreaming & Dreamless sleep known in Sanskrit as Jagrata, Swapna & Sushupti. Now there is a Transcendental state of Consciousness known as the Fourth ( Tureeya ) & there are still higher states of Consciousness.
These are the seven states
1 .Waking 2. Dreaming ( REM sleep ) 3. Dreamless Sleep ( non- REM ) 4. Transcendental Consciousness ( T C) 5. Cosmic Consciousness ( C C ) 6. Glorified State of Cosmic Consciousness ( G C ) 7. Unified State of Cosmic Consciousness ( U C )
In his Phd Thesis “The physiological effects of Transcendental Meditation, a Proposed Fourth Major state of Consciousness ” Dr Robert Keith Wallace proved the existence of a fourth major state of Consciousness ( T C ).
Cosmic Consciousness is a state where TC & the 3 relative states coexist. More information about Transcendental Philosophy & Yoga can be had from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yogamain.htm
The way to achieving Higher States of Consciousness- The Triune Meditation
Meditation is threefold
1. Physical Meditation
2. Verbal Meditation
3. Mental Meditation.
Reverence to preceptors & Yogis, worhsip of one’s Tutelary Deity, observance of Continence, non-violence – all these constitute Physical Meditation. Speaking kind words and not hurting anyone, Observance of Truth, Self-Study ( serious study of the Self ) – all these constitute Verbal Meditation.
Mental Meditation – Mental cheerfulness, humility, observance of Silence, mastery of the sense organs, purity of heart – all these constitute Mental Meditation.
The aim of Nature is to effect Super-Nature and the aim of Yoga is Self_ Actualisation. The Goal of Life is Self-Realisation, and in order to unfold our true potential, we have to follow the Fourfold Path.
He still keeps to the high & difficult road That sole leads to the Eternal’s peaks!
Without Knowledge, without service, without psychic control & finally Love, who have ever realised his Self ?
And what is prerequisite for this Self_Realisation ? Sacrifice !
Only by hard sacrifice is high heaven earned ( Aurobindo ).
Attachment to the sensory world is Bondage. Sacrifice alone can give us Liberation or Self_Actualisation and the Ultimate Bliss.
Earth’s pains are the ransom of its prisoned delights For Joy and not for sorrow was earth made ( Aurobindo )
By sacrifice, we become the Self_Actualising person of Abraham Maslow living in the widest possible frame of reference.
He who to none and nowhere overbound By ties of flesh, takes evil things and good Neither desponding nor exulting such Bears Wisdom’s plainest mark ! ( The Song Celestial )
About the Land of Wisdom, extolled by Western scholars
Walt Whitman said
To India, to primal thought To Reason’s early paradise Of Wisdom’s birth and innocent intuitions Of a fair creation.
Mark Twain said: ” India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition.”
Will Durant said ” India is the mother of us all; through Sanskrit, the mother of Europe’s languages, through the Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity, through the Arabs, of higher mathematics & algebra; through the village community, of self-government and democracy. Mother India is, in many ways, the mother of us all”
In the Great Circle of Light which is 360 degrees, ( the Bha Chakra, the Kala Chakra, the Zodiac ), the first 90 degrees are Oja Pada ( Odd Tri Signs ) and the next 90 degrees are Yugma Pada ( Even Tri Signs ). The degrees traversed by a planet is called Bhuja and the degrees yet to be traversed by a planet is called Koti in an Oja Pada. In a Yugma Pada, the degrees traversed by the planet is called Koti and the degrees yet to be traversed by a planet is called Bhuja. In other words, the degrees traversed by a planet is the same in the first 0 – 90 degrees and in the second Pada, it is 180 – degrees traversed. In the 180-270 degrees arc, it is distance traversed – 180 degrees and in the 270-360 degrees arc, it is 360 – distance traversed. This is known in Vedic Astronomy as the equation of Bhuja or Sin. Bhujajya is radius multiplied by modern Sine.
In the Mighty Circle of Light
The First 90 degrees is Oja called
The distance traversed is Bhuja called
Koti is the untraversed degree !
( Oja Yatra Bhujaira Kotirapara Meshadi Jookadhi Kau )
Brahmagupta, in his mathematical treatise, the Brahmasphuta Siddhanta used the word Jya which means 5 degrees of a 360 degree circle which is the Zodiac, which is the Ecliptic. Suppose a planet has traversed 42 degrees in the first Oja Pada ( From Aries to Gemini end ).The Bhuja is 42 degrees and the Bhujajya is the 9th Jya or the 9*5 th degree. Bhujajya by Trijya is Opposite Side by Hypotenuse or the modern Sine.
Jya Ganitha means Trignometry. The equation for Koti is different. It is Kotijya by Trijya or Adjacent Side by Hypotenuse ( the modern Cos ). As per Indian Learning it was Aryabhata, one of the greatest mathematicians ever, who first computed the celestial longitudes of planets ( Aryabhato Graha Ganitham ).
The calculations given for the perturbations of Moon, Jupiter and Saturn are as follows. First find out the Bhuja of the planet, the degrees traversed. Find out its Bhujajya or Sin ( Bhuja ). Multiply it by the value given ( which is in seconds) and add it to the mean longitude of the planet.
Meshadi , Thuladi, Karkyadi & Makaradi ( The First Points of Aries, Cancer, Libra & Capricorn )
From Aries to Libra is the Northern Celestial Hemisphere ( NCH ) and from Libra to Aries is the Southern Celestial Hemisphere ( SCH ). If the planet’s Kendra is in NCH, the values are to be subtracted and if in the SCH, it is to be added.
Karkyadi is the First Point of Cancer and the beginning of Dakshinayana, the Southern course of the Sun, his declination South. Makaradi is the First Point of Capricorn and the beginning of Uttarayana, the Northern course of the Sun , his declination North. At Meshadi, the Sun’s declination is 0 degrees and Right Ascension is 0 degrees. At Karkyadi, the Sun’s declination is +23 degrees 27 minutes and Right Ascension is 90 degrees. At Thuladi, the Sun’s declination is 0 degrees and Right Ascension is 180 degrees. At Makaradi, the Sun’s declination is -23 degrees 27 minutes and Right Ascension is 270 degrees.
The Perturbations of Jupiter
The equations given for Jupiter’s perturbations are as follows: Five major perturbations are included along with a major perturbation which is given below. ( The great Jupiter – Saturn perturbation ).
Kendra means an angle in Sanskrit . Manda Kendra means Mean Anomaly, the angle between position and perihelion and Sheeghra Kendra is the last angle formed before the ultimate reduction to perihelion. All Kendras are zero at perihelion.
The English Era + 3102 gives the Kali Era, the Era of the Hindu Calender. From that value 4660 is deducted and the value is divided by 918. This gives the Beeja Kendra. Find out the Sin ( Bhuja ) of that, multiply it with 1187 seconds and add it to Jupiter’s longitude if the Kendra is in NCH and subtract it if it is in SCH.
There are other minor perturbations which can be ignored.
( Lj = Mean Longitude of Jupiter; Ls – Mean Longitude of Saturn. These longitudes are Tropical or Sayana. ).
First Kendra (Sin ( Lj – Ls ) – 1. 15)* 81 Second Kendra Sin (( Lj – 2 Ls) – 13.08 )* 132 Third Kendra Sin ( 2 Lj – 2 Ls – 0.58 )* 200 Fourth Kendra Sin ( 2 Lj – 3 Ls – 61.57 )* 83 Fifth Kendra Sin ( 3 Lj – 5 Ls – 56.38 )* 162
The first value is to be added if the Kendra is Thuladi ( after the First Point of Libra ) and deducted if it is Meshadi ( after the First Point of Aries ). 2,3,4 & 5 are to be added if it is Meshadi and subtracted if Thuladi
The Perturbations of Saturn
First Kendra Sin ( Lj – 2 Ls ) -14.66 )*418 Second Kendra Sin ( 2 Lj – 4 Ls + 56.90 )* 667 Third Kendra Sin ( 3Ls – Lj + 77.38 )* 48
These values are to be added if the Kendra is Thuladi ( after the First Point of Libra ) and deducted if it is Meshadi ( after the First Point of Aries ). In Sanskrit it is called Meshadi Rinam & Thuladi Dhanam. Meshadi is the beginning of the Northern Celestial Hemisphere and Thuladi the begining of the Southern Celestial Hemisphere.
There are other minor perturbations which may affect only the Vikala ( second ) of the planet’s longitude and hence can be ignored.
The Perturbations of the Moon
(Ms – Mean Anomaly of the Sun; Mm – Mean Anomaly of the Moon; Ls – Mean Longitude of the Sun; Lm – Mean Longitude of the Moon; D = Lm – Ls ( Thidhi); Nm – Node of the Moon. These values are Sidereal or Nirayana )
14 Kendras are to be made and 14 trignometric corrections are to be given, according to astronomical savants. These 14 reductions are mandatory and only after these reductions can we get the true longitude of the Moon.
First Kendra Sin ( Ms + 180 ) * 658 Second Kendra Sin ( Lm – Ls ) * 121 Third Kendra Sin ( 2*D – Mm ) * 4467 Fourth Kendra Sin ( 2*D + 6 Signs ) * 2145 Fifth Kendra Sin (( 2*D – Mm -Ms ) + 180)* 198 Sixth Kendra Sin ( 2*D – Ms ) * 155 Seventh Kendra Sin ( Mm- Ms + 180 ) *112 Eighth Kendra Sin ( 2( Lm – Nm- Mm +180))* 85 Ninth Kendra Sin ( 2*Ls – Nm ) * 81 Tenth Kendra Sin ( Mm – Ms )* 73 Eleventh Kendra Sin ( 2*D + Mm ) * 60 Twelfth Kendra Sin ( 2*Mm – 2 D + 180 ) * 42 Thirteenth Kendra Sin ( 4*D – Mm ) * 35 Fourteenth Kendra Sin ( 4*D – 2*Mm +180)* 30
These trignometric corrections should be added to Moon’s Mean Longitude if the Kendra is in the Southern Celestial Hemisphere and deducted if the Kendra is in the Northern Celestial Hemisphere and then we get the Samskrutha Chandra Madhyamam or the Cultured Mean Longitude of the Moon. Manda Kriya ( Reduction to True Anomaly ) must be done. Then Parinathi Kriya ( Reduction to Ecliptic ) should be done and what we get then is the longitude of the Moon along the Ecliptic !
The word Sufi is derived from the Greek “Sophia”, meaning Wisdom. It is known as Tasawwuf ( Mysticism ) in Arabic, and is considered by scholars as the mystical, the inner or psycho-spiritual aspect of Philosophia Islamica. The great scholar, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, considered Sufism as the esoteric dimension of Al Islam.
Sufism emphasises on the Unity of Absolute Being, Wahdat al Wujud. Absolute Being alone exists in se and the Relative Universe is only a superimposition upon the Absolute Reality. Absolute Being is also Absolute Beauty, before Whose Beauty all earthly beauty is but a pale comparison !
The Influence of Neoplatonism on Sufism
Plotinus, the founder of Neoplatonism conceived the Divine as the Alpha and Omega of Existence, its Source & Goal. The translations of Plotinus provided the philosophical ground for Sufism. One is struck by the similarities which exist in both systems, with regard to the concept of God, the soul, the body, Vice and Virtue, Life and Death and Beauty !
Sufism was influenced by Orpheus and Pythagoreanism. Orpheus was a poet who lived in Anatolia in the 6th and 7th centuries BCE. He had divine qualities and he could influence wild animals with his music. He postulated that the human soul can achieve perfection by refining itself from all passions and worldly possessions. Soul travels from body to body for self purification and reaches the Perfect State. Pythagorus adopted Orpheus’ philosophy and integrated it with his own concepts. Plotinus, the founder of Neoplatonism took Plato’s Theory of Ideas and reinterpreted them from Protagoras’ point of view. Neoplatonism considers the Divine as the Alpha & the Omega. From Him everything comes into being, in Him everything exists, and to Him all return. Communion or Union with Him is the highest Goal, therefore. Our lives have only a symbolic meaning and it is good and necessary as a Becoming. But all Becoming has Being as its Goal and Fulfillment and God is the only Being !
Sufism is the Path of Love – Al Muhabba. The Lord is understood as Universal Love and the aim of Sufism is to unite with the Source of all Being, Universal Love ! Love without Philosophy is superstition and Sufism therefore encourages the adventures of the intellect, the scientific and the philosophical pursuit, Al Marifa !
When he was asked about Sufism, Junayd ( the preceptor of Mansur Al Hallaj ) said, “Sufism is that you should be with the Divine– without any attachment.”
Sufism emphasises upon the struggle to overcome the dominance that one’s Negative Ego ( Nafs ) has over one. The war depicted in the great Epics – Iliad & the Odyssey etc – depict the great war between Good and Evil happening inside the human bosom – where the great struggle for supremacy is fought out on the ground floor of our existence, between the black and white opposites of Virtue and Vice, Light and Darkness, prosperity & adversity. The Beloved ( God ) may manifest as Benevolence or Severity and the Sufi aspirant has to love both !
As Rumi said:
I am a lover of both His benevolence and severity! Amazing it is that I’m in love with these opposites !
If the aspirant can overcome one’s Negative Ego, ( in the inner War, Jihad ul Nafs ) he can achieve Bliss, the Bliss for which the world’s derelict sorrows yearn !
If you could get rid of yourself just once, The secret of secrets would open to you. The face of the Unknown, hidden beyond the universe Would appear on the Mirror of your perception. ~Rumi
Annihilation in the Divine Ocean
Like the waves of the Ocean, we are individual egos in the Divine Ocean of Existence. The aspirant, desirous of union with the Beloved, has to go through many stages of Consciousness. He has to lose his illusory individuality in the Infinite and this can only be achieved by Annihilation and Subsistence.
The Sheik of Naqshbandi wrote
In my annihilation of annihilation In my annhilation I found You !
Annihilation in the Divine Beloved.
For every initiate, there will be a Master ( Shaikh ). The Shaikh imparts his power to the disciple. The initiate goes through a process of purification and initiation. Once the initiate attains maturity, by the Grace of his Shaikh, he attains the state of Fana fi Shaikh, a state of annihilation in the astral plane.
The next stage is Fana fi Rasool, enjoying the qualities of the Prophet. Grace descends on him as he furthur advances on the path.
Next stage in the Evolution of Consciousness is the state of Fana fi Allah, annihilation in the Beloved. The initiate loses his identity in the all embracing Beloved, who he now understands is the Prime Mover of everything and who permeates the cosmos !
Rumi wrote
I thought about You so often That I completely became You ! Little but little You drew near Slowly but slowly I passed away.
This passing away is Annihilation in the Beloved ( Fana fi Allah ). There is another intermediary state – Fana al Fana and the last state is Baqi bi Allah or Permanence in the Beloved, which is the Eternal or Ultimate State. Fanah refers to Annihilation & Bakah refers to Subsistence.
The Universal Truth, extolled by all religions and philosophies, is the Essential Self, which is the substratum or the basis for the Persona, or the superficial personality. Every man has a Persona or Mask, but deep within him is the Ultimate Reality or Essential Self. Now to manifest the Essential Self, the initiate goes through a process of purification & transmutes his carnal ego into a refined ego, by the process of Prayer and Meditation. He seeks the Divine, loves the Divine, embraces the Divine, lives with the Divine and sacrifices for the Divine ! By his noble sacrifice, he earns for himself Heaven ! Only by hard sacrifice is high Heaven earned !
About Universal Truth, Ibn Arabi, the Great Master , ( al Shaikh al Akbar ) wrote
She has eluded the learned of Islam
And those who have studied the Psalms
The Jewish Rabbi
The Christian priest !
The greatest Sufi was Mohammed himself ( Peace be upon him ), he who said that ” Shariah ( Ethical Law ) is my speech, Tariqat ( the Way ) my actions and Haqiqat ( Truth ) my states ” !
Sufism can function as a Universal Religion & the well known scholar Kabir Edmund Helminski wrote thus about Sufism
” If Sufism recognizes one central truth, it is the unity of being, that we are not separate from the Divine. The unity of being is a truth which our age is in an excellent position to appreciate — emotionally, because of the shrinking of our world through communications and transportation, and intellectually, because of developments in modern physics. We are One: one people, one ecology, one universe, one being. If there is a single truth, worthy of the name, it is that we are all integral to the Truth, not separate. The realization of this truth has its effects on our sense of who we are, on our relationships to others and to all aspects of life. Sufism is about realizing the current of love that runs through human life, the unity behind forms.”
Inner & Outer Jihad ( Struggle ) in Sufism
“And those who perform jihad for Us, We shall certainly guide them in Our ways, and God is surely with the doers of good”. (Quran XXXIX; 69)
“You have returned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad” . (Hadith)
Jihad means struggle and there are two types of struggle. The lesser Jihad is struggle against the oppressors; the greater Jihad is the inner struggle against the inner enemies, the Seven Deadly Sins ( lust, greed, anger, jealousy, sloth, covetousness & gluttony). The outer struggle is defined as Al Jihad Al Asghar and the inner struggle is Al Jihad Al Akbar !
Fighting against one’s negative ego is the most difficult, as the most difficult conquest is the conquest of the Mind. Verily it is said that the noblest conquest is the conquest of Mind or the greatest conquest is the conquest of oneself.
In his journey, the aspirant ultimately overcomes his Negative Ego & he becomes the Perfect Man, Al Insan Al Kamil !
