Journey to inner
world - Pancha kosha viveka
(Photos at http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/yoga-satsanga/lst
)
Delivered on the evening (
Swami Rama could stop the pulse. What does this show?
Purpose of controlling pulse / heartbeat / anger / anything, is to conserve energy. On the other hand, Kapalabhati and other rapid breathing exercises done even for a short while can result in an energy expenditure equivalent to one mile of running.
We shouldn’t underestimate ourselves. We are not just physical body. We have consciousness and mind too! Pure science still doesn’t accept / believe in it.
According to Taittireya Upanishad Brahman is the causal principle.
Some say there are two causes – Material cause and Intelligence cause.
According to most of the religions, God is the intelligent cause and there was inert matter.
Our thought is – there are no two causes. Brahman is the cause of both.
How do we realize this? Tapas is one of the ways – tapas is not just closing the eyes.
bAhya antah karaNa samAdhAnam tapah
How do we find the origin of the universe? The solution, according to our thought – Look inside. We are a part of the Creation. How can we separate ourselves from the Universe! If we investigate ourselves, that is enough.
To find out anything about ‘Outside’, Senses are the instruments of inquiry. But, there are limitations for outside. I can’t ‘see’ the suffering of others. We can’t measure emotions.
To look ‘Inside’, there are other tools. We understand the world much better, if we pursue this line of inquiry. “I” am hurt – we say. What is “I” here? Is it the body? Body seems to be alright! Ramana maharshi had this question and he looked “in”. What is it that is moving my body? That is prANa. Sometimes, eyes are open, praNa is there, mind is somewhere else and we don’t see! So, we have another level of existence – called Mind. But, Mind is a tool, like a sickle. Mind can be controlled. What is it that controls it? Vignanam – Intellect is what will control the mind.
Intellect says – “I am the greatest”. It says “Fire burns”. It doesn’t answer whether “I” can put my hand in it or not. What drives this is “ananda(bliss)”. There is no ananda in burning. Hence we don’t put our hands in fire.
How do we start the practice of Yoga? What are the problems that we usually have? Tension - takes us out of relaxation. How can yoga help? Smet programme is a precursor.
At Annamaya Kosha (body level) – tension in the muscles
Pranamaya Kosha ( life force level) – disturbances / hyperactivity
Manomaya Kosha (mental level) – agitations, lack of concentration
Vijnanamaya Kosha ( intellectual level) – wrong notions
Anandamaya Kosha (bliss) – it is full of harmony / there are no problems
Yoga helps us to go back to our nature, through a conscious way of
Relaxing at body level
Slowing down at life force level
Calming down at mental level
Wisdom at intellect level
Bliss & contentment at bliss level
Yoga is home coming.
Yoga is a movement from ‘doing’ to ‘being’. Why did we lose our nature? Though it is such a treasure, we don’t know the value of it. This is called antah prajna – internal knowledge. How do we discover it again? We need a conscious process. There are two methods to control mind – abhyAsa (practice) and vairAgya(renunciation).
abhyAsa approach is of two types – Raja Yoga and Karma Yoga. vairAgya approach also has two types – Bhakti Yoga and JnAna yoga.
Questions and Answers
1. Is Yoga being used in the field of medicine?
VYASA is very famous all over the world for its research on applications of Yoga in the field of Medicine. For COPD patients, it was found that yogic breathing practices helped them in improving their oxygen content upto 80-89% and the effect lasted for about 4 hours after the practice. There are many such instances.
2. What is the effect of the kind of food we eat? Is non-vegetarian food ok?
Food that can release us from the body level is Sattvik food.
Rajasik food is that which induces agitations and keeps us in a Rajasik state.
Tamasik food is heavy sleep inducing food.
Not just eating - Seeing, smelling, touching the food all have their effects.
Why vegetarian? When consciousness manifests, the first edible source is plants.
Sunlight transformation – the first level again, is plants. We can be content with this.
Part of the food becomes manas. When the animals are killed, the secretions of the animals remain and when we eat them, we tend to increase the characteristics of fear, anger etc.