Yoga
- Some think it to be a science leading to some super normal powers – Siddhis.
- Some confine yoga to mere physical exercises like Asanas, Pranayama etc. for building up a sound physique
- Some treat it as a means of developing hypnotic powers to display wonders or cure diseases by will force
- Some say that yoga is a psychic science based directly on natural principles
Really speaking, yoga shows an accurate way of living in Divine consciousness away from the egoistic consciousness. Literature gives the list of different yogas claiming each one as complete yoga. There are – Japayoga, Tapayoga, Mantrayoga, Tantrayoga-without any definite goal or purpose excepting fulfilment of some childish desires. Again we have Karmayoga, Bhaktiyoga, Gnanayoga. The features of each lead to only formalities. Further on, there are Dhyanayoga, Layayoga, Samadhiyoga, Kundaliniyoga and what not.
Whatever it is, ‘yoga’ literally stands for union. Union with what? When two things unite it is called mixture. When these two happen to be identical in quality and nature it is called homogenous one and if not heterogeneous. In real sense, the word yoga is of Indian origin and is generally used in religious and spiritual literature. But now a days, this yoga has become common in India and abroad without knowing its actual meaning and purpose. Yoga has been accepted as a subject at the levels of higher education. Research is being carried out. It is being prescribed for physical and mental ailments and sometimes even for peace of mind and harmony.
Whatever it may mean, the exact meaning of yoga is union with God. Here a noteworthy point is the word ‘God’, this word does not have any definition, description and explanation. Religions have made God as some supernormal being with extra ordinary powers. Most of the thinkers and philosophers agree on a point that it is a condition or a state indescribable and blissful, and people named it ‘Absolute’ or ‘Ultimate Reality’. Once union with It is attained, It liberates from misery, mortality, fear and gives us permanent and positive bliss.
Sometimes, doubts start coming if a person takes up the practice of meditation without a proper guide. The doubts would be like whether yoga means union, knowing, seeing, experiencing, feeling, becoming, living and being. Whether the yoga is a permanent or temporary affair. All these doubts get cleared by one’s experience and feeling with the help and grace of the guru who is none other than Divine Master.
In spiritual practice, people talk of union with Ultimate Reality. It does take place. Every individual seeker feels it within oneself provided Master’s Grace is there. Many questions crop up here like what are the two things where union takes place? Where are they? How to find them out? Is it possible? Well, the subject may come to light or perception if we go back to the time of creation and post creation as explained by our Rev. Master.
Primary Stir preceded the creation. Subtlest particles came under the influence of Kshobh – related thought. Each particle was endowed with the fraction of That, hence equally potential. With the passage of time, there was growth and development. Everything began to assume a form of existence. Man also assumed his individual existence. When he became aware of his being, it was the beginning of individuality. It happened to be the first covering in the composition of man. Mind, senses and other faculties generously contributed their might in the formation of grossness. So, the man lives in the grossest form as seen today. Now, let us pause and try to analyse the status perspectively. The present man is the grossest while the beginning was subtle. The intervening period between the beginning and the present has seen the man going from subtle to gross. It is rather ‘reverse-transformation’. It is also called tiny creation of man because of his accumulation of impurities, complexities, bondages etc. For all this, human mind is responsible as it plays a vital role in this creation by perceiving the thoughts and sets in activity. Since, the activities are desire based the result is grossness. Though the tiny creation as such does not affect the soul, it is successful in keeping it enclosed, blunting its view and vision.
The Goal of human life happens to achieve the highest condition i.e. Ultimate Reality, its vision in itself is an attainment of union with It and a life in It. It means that the human mind probably has a link with the Creator of its own said to be the Ultimate-temporal. It is the union between the individual soul and the Source. But the tiny creation of man keeps the soul hidden and has made it invisible too. It is not possible to bring about union under ordinary circumstances. Hence, it is first necessary to have union between the mind and the temporal Ultimate.
Atma (temporal Ultimate) is in real sense part of That Ultimate with all its potentialities. Its power has become dormant because it has been eclipsed by several coverings. Transmission power of Master acts and activates the dormant force of Atma. As a result, it starts to manifest through its centrifugal force. This can be termed as the descent of power.
For this type of yoga (union), mere reading of scriptures, listening to the scriptures, individual and independent practice are not enough. For this one has to seek a highest capable guide who has trodden the entire path, developed full mastery over the power of the Ultimate and at the same time should be ever ready to help seeker and lift him up to the highest stage of Ultimate Reality with the power at His command. The speciality of the capable Sadguru is that he should annihilate the tiny creation of man and also the coverings around the soul. He should also clean and purify regions called Pinda desh, Heart region and Mind region so as to make the entry of the seeker in the Central region. By this cleaning, the entire system-regions and points become pure, simple, still and regulated. This, in fact, is called preparatory phase for final union. The individual feels this condition and calls it union at the temporal level and is made aware of the co-relationship between the individual soul and the Ultimate. This condition can be taken as Sakshatkara (the individual seeker becomes a witness ‘Sakshi’). His aspiration further provokes to go in for merger. Individuality bids farewell. Circumstances resemble the pre creation condition.
In Sahaj Marg Sadhana, each step of the seeker is taken up properly and systematically by the Master, right from the day one of practice, provided it is done sincerely, regularly, earnestly with a heart full of love, devotion and faith. Rev. Master’s transmission power is used into the opened up fields of the mental physical and organic life of the seekers which is done by connecting it with the central Being. This is the work only of capable Guru. This can be taken as ascent of the power. Direct vision of Ultimate is made possible. For this, a new sensitivity or awareness which transcends his physical functions has to be developed and it is bestowed upon by the Sadguru only. Here, un imaginary things start happening. In the process of evolution, senses are transcended by Prana and culminated in Manas. This again gets transcended into individual knowing called ego and intellect which have become pure, impersonal, simple and still having the awareness of right, true and good. Beyond this lies our Goal or Yoga or Union which is permanent and return from That is impossible.
To make it understandable the soul’s dormant power can be considered as Purusha and outer force (Mind) with its dynamic activity can be taken as Prakruti. In union or merger, both join together. Purusha has positive charge and Prakruti has negative charge. Union completes the circuit. One may have the chance of seeing the glimpses of That. Embodied has its limitations. Yoga (merger or union) however depends upon the sweet will of THAT alone.