Yoga:::yogi

What is yoga?

Recently this word is used synonymous to those yoga asanas and some physical exercises prescribed by yoga gurus, for general physical fitness.

Those physical exercises and asanas prepare anybody to advance towards the higher level of yoga, which is absolutely spiritual in nature. This higher grade of yoga helps 

ones' self ' to link with the supreme self, Paramatma. Higher degre of yoga deals

with  Self conditioning and  Mind purification.

Unless one is physically fit, cannot walk in this long path to become a yogi.

Physal fitness conditions the body, where as mental fitness conditions the Self.

A controlled Mind alone can concentrate on the Self, by a technique of renouncing all

Worldly desires and worldly attachments. Detachment with desires won't happen so easily. One should withdraw his Mind, from worldly desires by degrees, by regulating the intellect through single point concentration, without thinking anything else.

Below given sloka explains this procedure of Self controlling.

               Shanei Shanei ruparamEd budhya dhrutigraheethaya

               Atma samstham mañaha kruthva na kinchidapi chittayEthu

                                                      ( 6 th chapter, Dhyana yoga )

YujjannEvam sadatmAnm". Try to connect ur Self to  God. Whenever the restless mind wanders, from that very object mind should be restrained and brought under control of Self.

This tough procedure of controlling Mind and contemplating on Self demands  a disciplined

life of an Ascetic. An Ascetic Leeds always simple life with simple vegetarian diet and

Limited sleep along  with necessary activities. An  Ascetic enjoys solitude, prefers isolation for practicing Mind conditioning act which guides towards the Bliss of Union 

With Brahman. He transforms himself to a Brahmagnani , becoming a Yogi.

When temporary worldly enjoyments are totally discarded , permanent  everlasting 

Happyness is experienced.  How??

The empty state of Mind, which is acquired by just shunning the worldly pleasures, opens the gate of infinite knowledge towards the spiritual realms of Devine world.

Then the pleasure, that happyness unique in its kind, which is absolutely Devine is 

Experienced by Yogi. That Bliss is exceptional in its' nature can only be Experienced by intellect, not explainable.

Some times, I question myself, about the difference between a Sanyasi [a monk] and a 

Yogi. Both a Sanyasi and a Yogi renounce desires, both prefer solitude, live simple, 

Think selfless.But Yogi remains  his Self  always linked with the supreme self, whereas a Sanyasi remains linked within his Self alone.

Different paths r followed by different Yogis.

Gnana yogi, Karma yogi, Dyyana yogi, Bhakti yogi are different kinds of yogis of different Paths of Yoga.But Lord says, it is  Bhakti yogi, whose mind is always filled with Bhakti Bhava is superior than all other yogis.

"He whose intellect is totally oriented towards Me, he who worships Me always with his Mind directed towards Me, is greater than any kind of Yogi..He always lives in My sight,lives in Me,and Me in him."says lord Sri Krishna 

This stage of Yoga is called  Brahma samAdhi,  yoga siddhi.

Doubtless, this is the the Ultimate goal of any Yogi.

                  YoginAmapi sarvEshAm MadgathEnAntharAthmanA

               SraddhavAn Bhajathe yo mAm so Me yuktanam thamA mathAha.

"Whosoever always thinks of Me, with unflinching Bhakti, his pure mind will always stays   In Me,stays With Me, United with Me, "says Lord in the above Sloka.

Any type of Yoga  preaches the same as it's goal. The ultimate goal, the ultimate purpose of any style of Yoga is Realisation of God {Satyam, Sivam, sundaram }.

Any Yogi should practice Yoga, keeping Brahmananda  as his ultimate purpose of Yoga. Sat, Chit, ananda which means The everlasting Bliss, is any True Yogi's  aim.

 

        Yoga is a process of recharging the Body and  refining the Self.

        Yogi refreshes himself and his self by practicing Yoga.

        Yoga is renounciation of desires and Realisation of Supreme being.

         Yogi  discards attachments and connects to God.

                   

      Bhagavanuvacha 

 

Sanyasa Yoga for Liberation

   Renunciation of all wordly Pleasures, all sensual enjoyments is called  Sanyasa (Renunciation) .

Sacrificing the wordly bondages (Son, Wife, House, Assets ) and maintaining the equanimity is called Sanyasa.

Asakthiramabhishwangam puthradhaara gruhadhishu
Nithyamhi Samachittathvam , Istanishtopapattishu (Kshetrakshetragna  vibhaga yoga)

"Asakhthi" means 'Disinterest' : Disinterest in all wordly bondages and equanimity towards desires and dislikes leads to the 'Sanyasa'.

This state of mind which carries dettachment towards all attachments is required to become a 'Sanyasi'.

This Sanyasa Sthithi is not that is to achieve .It can be attained only by continuous practice of selfless attitude towards things around you . One has to shun the ego. Selfless action is the simplest way for a beginner to practice dettachment towards the wordly bondages .Merely wearing Saffron robes doesn't mean 'Sanyasa'. Here , attitude is important and not the attire .

Selfless action means, sacrificing the results of the action. whatever action may we do, it's results either bad or good , shouldn't touch us.

when one is not conecerned about the results of the action, becomes free from the bondage of those actions. He who performs actions , dedicating them to the lord will never be touched by any Sin and remains like a water droplet on a lotus leaf.

This is the most important and simplest way to walk into the path of Sanyasa. 'Selfless action' prepares one's mind ready for 'renunciation of action'.

Renunciation of action cleans the Sins and purifies the mind.

One should mentally renounce the fruit of actions and wordly attachments , which delude anybody from the path of realisation.

He who does the prescribed work without caring for its fruit, is a Sannyasi as also a Yogi, and not he who is without the fire (Chaitanya) and without action.

Overcoming the dual nature of mind ,and renunciation of the fruit of actions converts an 'ordinary yogi' to a 'Sanyasi' : finally takes him to god's realisation and liberation of soul.

whichever path may one adopt to realise god, purity of Mind is the atmost primary requisite.
   
  "Kayena manasa buddhya kevalirindriyerapi
   yoginala karma kurvanthi sangamthyathvathma suddhayeth"

A yogi performs any action through the body, mind, intellect while giving off the attachment, just for the purification of the mind.

Only pure mind can realise the absolute pure mind, i.e the Supreme Mind, The Supreme Consciousness, The Supreme Knowledge, The Supreme Force, The Supreme Power of Attraction Surrounding the entire Universe.

A Sanyasi always orients his mind towards 'That', dedicates all his actions to 'That' feeling  'That' as  his lastresort (The Paramathman), the Ultimate Truth.

For a Sanyasi, renunciation of everything is a 'Tool for liberation'.

This theory of Sanyasa is very interesting to listen but tough to practice. Strongly determined Soul can alone adopt this path of renunciation (Sanyasa) for liberation.

This path to realise god is much easier than the other four ways i.e (Karma Yoga, Dhyana Yoga, Gnana Yoga and Bhakthi Yoga) to reach god, if practised with strong determination and faith in it.

                                                                                                                                                                       Om Tat Sat

Brahman - The Digestive Fire

         
            Aham Vaisvanaro Bhuthva Praninaam Dehamaasrithaha
          Praanapaana Samayukhtha Pachamyannam Chathurvidham

 Sloka Meaning: Brahman is the fire in the body, which digest the food and called by the special name  Vaisvanara.

Reciding in the bodies of all beings as digestive fire (Vaisvanara) along with Prana vayu and apaana vayu , Brahman digests the four kinds of food.

Bhaksha, Bhojya, Lehya, Choshya are the four kinds of foods we consume in our diet.

Bhaksha : This includes different kinds of snacks which can be stored  for a short period of time and can be consumed leisurely .

Bhojya : This includes Cereals, Pulses, fruits, vegetables, fats, spices and so on and so forth.

Lehya :Soft food items like Cheese, jelly, butter, ice creams, chocolates, paneer and etc.

Choshya : Different types of drinks, breweries, non-alcoholic drinks made of  water, jaggery, sugar combination.

All these types of foods when consumed, generate energy in the body after proper digestion. the agni which we usually call  ' Gettaragni ' (melts) , digests the food . This Gettaragni is called 'Vaisvanara' . i.e one of the disposition of the Brahman in the human body, just like other lower  category dispositions such as five elements along with higher category ' Jeeva' (Entity which sustains living beings and entire Universe).

The Vayu Tathva in our human body comprised of  five types of vayus.
Prana vayu, Apana Vayu, Udana Vayu, Samana Vayu, Vyana Vayu.
All these different vayus have different compositions i.e Chemical Composition.

Prana, Apana are the two kinds of vayus which help the Brahmagni  to digest the food consumed by the human body .

This is another iinterpretation of "Aham Brahmasmi".

It is Brahman in anybody who is the cause for breathing, smelling, hearing, speaking, watching , sensing and cause of every action. every act is propelled by  Brahman Silently without one's knowledge.

 The same is mentioned in 24 th sloka of Gnana Karma Sanyasa Yogam, 4th Adhyayam as:
 
 "Bramharpanam Brahma havir Brahmagno Brahmanahutham"
             
                                                                                                   - Gita Uvacha