Meditation styles and Yoga practice

Guru Patanjali Preaching in Sadhana Yoga

Parts: 1|1a|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18
19|20|21|22|23|24|25|26|27|28|29|30|31

Part 1a
Transliteration of original Sanskrit Scripture: -
Tapah svadhyaya isvara pranidhanani kriyayogah.
Translation: -
A devotional desire that burns all impurities, self-study & meditation and devotional surrender to the inner God essence- these constitute yoga discipline of action.

What is the path of yogic discipline? All the religions and all the religious cults, gods and goddesses and prophets and the sayings of seers and Sages, all of them point out that there is only one path whose final goal are entry into formless God essence and the merger with him. The difference that exists between the Scriptures and the sayings is only about the state of the one single path. It is about subtlest nature essence’s state and its attributes, which are Sat Vic (luminosity and serenity); Rajas (passion of motion of karma action) and Tam sic (inactivity or inertia). It is about the changing and developing face of inner subtlest nature essence.

The main path can be divided into three branches. They are the path of karma action, the path of spiritual knowledge and the path of devotion to God essence. The Great Sage says that the path of karma action depicts the beginning of matter stage of inner subtlest nature essence and its basic inactivity attributes and endless variable sub attributes. The path of spiritual knowledge depicts the middle & subtle stage of inner subtlest nature essence and its passionate attribute. The path of devotion depicts the final & subtlest stage of inner subtlest nature essence’s attribute that is serenity, tranquility and peace. If the disciple’s natural bent of conscious mind and inclination is attuned to the path of devotion, it is auspicious to adopt this path. The practice of yoga, thereafter, is to be commenced right from there. If the natural bent of conscious mind and inclination of the disciple is towards intellectual knowledge, then adopting the path of spiritual knowledge is auspicious. The practice of yoga is to be commenced thereafter, from there.

The practice of yoga rightly supports the paths of all religions. It describes each one of these paths as a container of spiritual knowledge. A discipline should not, however, enter into the controversy regarding the suitability and appropriateness of one path or the other or of one method or the other. The practice of yoga is to be commenced according to the disciple’s natural bent of conscious mind and inclination. He is not to forsake or forcibly adopt any particular religion or any particular belief. The practice of yoga is to be undertaken by following the paths according to the dictates of the disciple’s own religion and with the help of his own form of god or goddess or prophet form loved.

By treading on the path according to his own choice and self-rule, will make it easier for the disciple to attain his goal at the initial stages. It is in this way that whatever is to be forsaken and whatever is to be adopted will take place on its own in the disciple’s natural bent of mind and inclination. The practice of yoga is to be undertaken as per his natural bent of mind and inclination. It is to be undertaken by keeping the mind happy consciously. Performing religious karma actions and attaining spiritual knowledge or doing worship with an unhappy mind is impossible. During the practice of yoga, it is a fruitless exercise to recite any form of God’s name in the unconscious and inattentive mind and which leads to delusion. Such a recitation of God’s name is erased from the memory when the embodied soul does not get any merit for such a remembrance.

What is the connection of inner subtlest nature essence with its attributes on the path of life? There are innumerable fathomless, unlimited and invaluable subtle forms in the vast universe. The creation of each subtle form contains innumerable, unlimited, fathomless living and non-living elements. These elements keep on getting produced and reproduced. They keep on moving and fragmenting or breaking or dying or perishing. On the inner side they are the subtle formless atoms of inner subtlest nature essence. All these atoms are complete in themselves. They are a complete in themselves in universe of inner subtlest nature essence. The reality of their path and their magnitude and the reality of their supreme knowledge are equal to that of the endless universe.

These endless subtle and formless atoms are connected with each other through the binding ties of love, compassion and kindness. These subtle and formless atoms are stable. They keep on subjugating for each other and sacrificing for each other and keep on moving in a blissful state. Really they reside in one single conscious mind of universe flowing in all subtle atoms. It is inside this single conscious mind of universe of one inner formless soul that formless God resides. The matter is on the outer periphery of inner subtlest nature essence. The inner part of the subtle atoms is the head of subtlest inner nature essence. The outer part is in a state of motion and karma action. It is changing its form and shape each and every moment. The inner part of subtle atoms of inner subtlest nature essence is the master and the outer part is the slave.

The middle part is the spectator. The inner part of inner subtlest nature essence is formless conscious mind of all living being of universe. The middle part of inner nature essence is the formless and subtle matter of universe. The outer part of inner nature essence is the matter and its endless forms of universe. The inner part possesses tranquility, serenity and luminosity attributes. The middle part possesses passionate attributes for motion and karma action and the outer part possesses slothful attributes for inactivity. The tranquility and illumination attribute of the inner part radiates radiance and gives cosmic energy. The middle part’s passionate attribute creates living beings in motion and action.

It creates life and death. The outer slothful attribute creates the state of creation and the universe. It creates the state of undergoing the fruits of action. It creates the non-living inner nature essence. All these attributes have their own special attributes. In this way the supreme spiritual knowledge, which formless God and soul have, is the same which inner subtlest nature essence also has. The difference, which is seen in respect of supreme knowledge, is related to manifested and un-manifested attributes and their spiritual connotations. The differences related to the manifested and un-manifested state of subtle atoms.

What is the manifested and un-manifested state of subtle atoms? Inner nature essence is endowed with four states, which have the possibility of being experienced by a living being. The living being, however, experiences only that state and has awareness of only that outer matter state in which his interest and inclination lie. When his interest and inclination are inclined towards the matter subject and object and worldly and material things and which are the outer state of supreme ignorance, the living being experiences a total state of ignorance and unconscious mind. The living being is in unconscious mind and unaware of true self-conscious during this state.

He does not believe or realize his own self-conscious and his own self-experience. Whatever belief, he has in his thoughts is in respect of worldly subject or object or material things. The belief that he has is in respect of desires for the physical enjoyment of material things. It is reality that sorrow thought is born out of enjoyment. The sorrow is in the shape of attachment, aversion and fear of material things. It is at this time that the living being keeps on taking other seeds of their own manifested and seeded thoughts.

When the attention of the living being is focused inside his body, the attention gets centered in the conscious mind by shutting out all the outer senses and its sorrows. It is at this time that his connection with the outer subjects and objects gets broken. It is in this state of the living being, which the inner subtlest nature essence’s state manifests that there is contemplation and there is reading of the matter element of inner nature essence. It is a mixture of earth, water, fire, air and light. It is an experience of one’s own separate entity.

When the attention of the living being is in the deep conscious mind, then the matter form of inner subtlest nature essence is not thought of. Instead, it is the inner nature essence’s formless subtle form that is thought of. The mixture of subtle atoms that are colors, smell, sound, taste and touch is felt. There is no matter element of thought in this mixture and concentration and attention is felt intellect free. This state of inner subtlest nature essence’s manifested form is called subtlest nature essence or conscious mind of living being. It is in this form that there is no craving for remaining in an embodied form.

When concentration or attention of an embodied self-conscious is focused on his own inner core of conscious mind, he experiences nothing. He even forsakes remaining in an embodied form. The awareness he feels, the scene and sight that he vision is the awareness of self-conscious’ separation from his body and mind. The manifested form of inner subtlest nature essence is called pure subtlest nature essence. When concentration and attention of an embodied soul is in the self-conscious, connection with formless mind of inner subtlest nature essence gets broken. The awareness that is felt is only the awareness of the self-conscious. The living being’s concentration or attention of matter world gets erased. Awareness itself vanishes. Whatever awareness remains, does not come in the grasp of mind.

The self-conscious is free from its living entity and subtlest nature essence and free from the cycle of life and death. It crosses beyond the path of life. The pure self-conscious is the miniature form of the soul that is outer part of inner formless God essence. When the conscious mind concentration is on God essence, the self-conscious separate existence or entity gets erased. The static inner part of God essence is adopted as a supreme form of cosmic energy or seed spiritual knowledge. The self-conscious is forever static, immortal, imperishable, indestructible and not subject to the recurring cycle of life and death.

The living entity which is created on the self-conscious and which moves and dies is the changing face of outer matter forms of inner subtlest nature essence. This is the subtle element or matter elements manifested form of inner subtlest nature essence. The formless form of self-conscious is forever immortal, imperishable and indestructible. Really the belief of separateness, which is experienced as awareness, is only the changing form of its subtle atoms and of the matter atoms and above the matter atoms the form of material things. The changing form is playing according to the cosmic law of inner subtlest nature essence’s luminosity, passionate and slothful attributes. It is enacting a worldly play.

Where should the embodied soul focus his attention? He should keep his attention and concentration focused on inner self-conscious and formless God essence. This is yogic discipline, which leads to the seeded state of spiritual union. Such a state is attained as a grace by the mercy and benevolence of inner formless God. The concentration should be fixed through the mind and inside the conscious mind. The human being should keep his concentration and meditation focused on the inner core mind and on the lingering past subliminal karma impressions. The concentration and meditation is attained by surrendering one’s likes and dislikes and by relinquishing one’s inclinations. Obeying God’s command and doing his bidding attains it. It is attained by genuflecting and prostrating before doer God’s radiance.

Before reaching this state, however, the layer of lack of spiritual knowledge and the layer of distress of lack of spiritual knowledge, which is wrapped on the inner core of spiritual knowledge, are to be purified. It is further to be experienced and then finally crossed over, vanquished and then conquered. The conscious mind, which is wrapped on the living being’s inner core mind, is also to be purified. This is to be purified through the path of spiritual knowledge and through the yogic practice of self-meditation. Before reaching this state leading to the path of knowledge, lack of spiritual knowledge and other sorrowful thoughts produced by it are to be made static. The conscious mind, the breath, the body and the craving of thoughts regarding behavior are to be relinquished and renounced. The path of karma action is to be crossed over. Yogic discipline of self-discipline is to be practiced. According to the Great Sage, this is the basic directive for attaining yogic perfection in life.

What is the basic directive? Perfection in life entails coming out from this cycle of life and death. It entails focusing attention and concentration on formless God. The possibilities of this effort are tremendous in human life. Such a possibility is directly available to ordinary people, sages, gods and goddesses who tread on the interminable and endless path of life. This interminable and endless path of life with innumerable living beings and lives is moving in an endless procession. Attaining perfection in life is not a subject matter of thoughts, intellect and intellectual knowledge. It cannot be understood or imparted with the help of argumentation. Such a subject matter is beyond the grasp of the delusion of thoughts.

The thoughts regarding this issue and its ways and means are hidden in each l deeper conscious mind. The spiritual knowledge hidden in each deeper conscious mind is to be awakened in a conscious manner. It is to be awakened consciously. It is to be awakened by consciously performing action, by consciously fixing attention on the lingering past subliminal karma impressions and by consciously entering into the state of stillness. It is to be attained by consciously entering into the conscious mind and by consciously entering into the sub conscious mind, by focusing on subliminal past karma impressions and by consciously remaining in a state of self conscious.

It is by undertaking all these practices consciously that the lingering subliminal past karma impressions are to be made seedless and stilled. It is only then that seeded spiritual union is attained. The issue involves sustained practice. The issue involves making the conscious mind and thoughts thought free and intellect free. The Great sage has given an exposition of its practical technique and method in this book in step 1 to 51. The method and technique is called the means of attaining spiritual union or practice yoga or Meditation Yoga.

The seeker or the disciple who understands this method and technique as given in the exposition of the Great Guru Patanjali needs no-other method or technique of spiritual knowledge. He needs no-other exposition containing any other technique or method. It is by becoming thought -free through constant practice that life is to be perfected and lived. The Great Sage Patanjali has given detailed exposition for those disciples and seekers who are not able to comprehend the above-mentioned method or technique for the perfection of their life. The exposition contains an eight-fold path of yogic discipline.

The practice of yoga is divided into eight parts. The eight-fold path is the means of attaining perfection in life. It is only after gaining knowledge about the means of attaining perfection that the disciple is to enter into a seeded spiritual union. He is to carry out and undergo self- instruction by remaining in a state of complete silence and by becoming thought free and intellect free .No religion, no religious cult, no god or goddess or Guru can make the life of a person perfect. None of them can bring perfection in the man’s life. Further, no- one can ask for salvation as a boon. Each and every living being has his path of life. He has his own way of life. He has his own pattern of life.

Religions, sages, gods, goddesses, Guru, prophets or Patanjali can only show and indicate the way leading to the perfect path of life. They can only indicate the direction in which the perfect path of life lies. They can help the disciple in taking an imaginative resolve for the purification of the path of life. All the Great Sages, gods, goddesses, Guru, prophets or Patanjali spread vibrations of purity and waves and rays of illumination. Only those who have interest grasp these vibrations of purity and these pure waves and natural bent of mind and inclination towards the purification and perfection of their life. The rays and vibrations of illumination can only dispel the darkness to those who are intensely keen to have their darkness dispelled. The pure vibrations manifest themselves in the conscious mind and in the form of past lingering subliminal impressions.

Yoga Tip: - Select any one spiritual form & remain above any blind worship or superstition attached to it. Meditate on it with devotion regularly and consciously. Here is offered a spiritual image of Dhanvantari, that is lord of Ayurveda Healing. According to the Holy Scripture Puranas , Dhanvantari is the incarnation of God Vishnu as a ruler of Benaras In India Ayurveda is effective system of traditional herbal medicine. Dhanvantari holds a golden leech that is symbolic of blood purification and a medicinal plant in his right hands, and the conch of spiritual knowledge and pot of rejuvenating nectar in his left. The tulsi-seed garland around his neck and his blue-tinted skin emphasize his connection to lord Vishnu, the Preserver of life in universe. Dhanvantari four arms are indicator of realization of nature in its all forms in universe.