Dear Peace Lovers Around the World,
When you hold silent meditation prayers to commemorate those who have died or suffered in terrorism violence, do not forget to offer a prayer for the terrorists.
May God grant them Sat-Buddhi
(reawakening of their wisdom) so that they may
change their path. This is the only antidote to terrorism.
Swami Veda Bharati
Here is the earliest reference to yoga, a mantra revealed to Rishi Shyavashva Atreya.
युञ्जते मन उत युञ्जते धियो विप्रा विप्रस्य बृहतो विपश्चित:
वि होत्रा दधे वयुनाविदेक इन्मही देवस्य सवितु: परिष्टुति: — Rgveda 5.81.1
Yuñjate mana uta yuñjate dhiyo viprā viprasya bṛhato vipaścitaḥ
Vi hotrā dadhe vayunāvideka inmahī devasya savituḥ pariṣṭutiḥ
yunjate mana uta yunjate dhiyo viprA viprasya bRRihato vipashcitaH
vi hotrA dadhe vayunAvideka inmahI devasya savituH pariSTutiH
They yoke the mind in yoga
They yoke the intelligence in yoga;
They the great wise ones who belong
To the expansive wisest One.
There is but one Master of Wisdom
Who upholds all our sacred endeavours.
Indeed great is the all round praise
to that celestial divine sun-like Brilliant One.
To download an mp3 recording of the mantra, please click here.
Where does the soul live?
Michael Smith answers this question.
Your question will be answered from the article: Silence Can Be Your Wishing Stone:
“ . . . any statement about ātman can only be nonsense statements. Nonsense, like the questions that people often ask: “Where does the soul go after death?” “What happens to the soul after death?” – as though something can happen to a soul. “Where does the soul go after death?” What an absurdity of questions! What absurdity is that one question! Because, “where” implies place, space. “Goes” implies movement in that space from point to point. “After” implies time. “Death”?! Whose death? The soul’s death?! Ātman’s death?! All absurd. No language can ask a question about ātman; therefore no language can answer it. You would have to say, “NA – Does not apply.” To any question about ātman I will say, “NA – Does not apply.” So let us leave ātman alone. It loves kaivalya: aloneness, solitude, being solo. Kaivalya, the last word in the Yoga-sutras: solitude of the soul.
“But to get to that solitude of the soul, one has to pass through those barriers of noises, these frequencies, these high-frequency, low-frequency regions of energies, force-fields. So at each level, the silence is a relative one. Relative to what? Relative to the exterior [level], to that force-field which is exterior to it.”
If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, you may write to the AHYMSIN Spiritual Committee at adhyatmasamiti@gmail.com.
Imagine a screen, imagine a Flame, and imagine an object. The shadow of the object falls on the screen, say a film is being shown on the screen. The shadow of the object is falling on the screen. The shadow doesn’t fall on the screen unless the screen is illuminated. So for the shadow to fall, or for the reflection to occur – or instead of the screen, let’s call it a mirror. Okay?
For the mirror to catch the reflection of the object, there has to be a light, right? The yoga philosophy says that mind is the mirror. The world is the objects and relationships, but I, the Pure Self, am the Flame. I am providing the illumination to another force called the mind. Mind is regarded as a particular type of energy-field. So my Light falls on the mirror called the mind. Into that mind the whole world reflects. See? All the suffering, all the pain, all the pleasure, all the excitation, all the depression and everything. Okay. So what we are saying is to understand that the world is something different from the mind. And what is happening in the mind – all the purities and impurities, limitations and aspirations, and successes and failures, and expectations and frustrations – they are not the nature of the Pure Flame itself – that beyond the mind there is that Pure Flame, which is actually never touched by any pain, by any ignorance – and is now not touched by it – that beyond your mind, that is conditioned by all of this, there is another Light.
People say, “What Light? There is no Light. What? What Inner Light? Doctors perform brain surgery, and they haven’t seen any Light coming out of there.” So, well, if there is no Inner Light, tell me how it is that when you go to sleep at night, at 2:00 a.m., you do not wake your wife or husband and say, “Darling, would you please turn up the lights in the room so I can see my dream more clearly”? If there were no Light of Consciousness, in what light do you see your dreams?
Transcription Self 52 from Tape #2077 (1980).
This written message first appears in English, followed by translations into Chinese, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai.
This is to the beloved manifestations of Divine Atman in
Yoga,
My dear self,
I pay homage to the founders, the sages, the rishis of the Guru lineage by whose compassion, intuition and insight this eternal knowledge has come to bless and grant us beneficences at this time of our ongoing history of spiritual development in humanity.
One example, the most contemporary example…
Soon after Mr. Narendra Modi was elected Prime Minister of India he addressed the United Nations and proposed that there should be an international yoga day. Unprecedentedly 177 nations favoured the proposal. It is thus that 21st June has been declared as the international yoga day every year.
On such a day, all those who follow the inner spiritual core of yoga in their quest, in whichever branch of spiritual yoga, they need to get together to share their inner experiences, contemplate on their advancement in the quest, and be in a mode of deep inner silence.
On this day, let all those who adhere to the ancient systems of yoga as taught by the rishis gather and meditate together. Meditate with body, mind and spirit.
What can yoga grant to us? Here is a recent contemporary example.
Commonly when politicians are fighting elections, on the day the results are to be announced, they are all in a state of extreme anxiety, hooked to the TV, phoning everywhere, and so on.
The present Prime Minister of India who is an initiate of a swami was expecting the announcement of the election results on 16th May 2014. That day he did not turn on the TV until after 12 noon; he only sat in solitude and in meditation. This is the way of a meditator. And this is what yoga grants to us. To be most successful and remain silent.
When he went to visit the USA, it was in the middle of sacred fasting days. He had a hectic program. He met President Obama several times, gave impressive public addresses including the one in Madison Square Garden, all while continuing his fast. His unbound energy inspired everyone; it made everyone wonder as to the source of that energy and of his magnetism. The source is his yoga and meditation.
This is just one contemporary example. One illustration of what yoga grants while we live in the world. This is just one illustration.
Do not say ‘I cannot meditate because I am busy pursuing worldly success.’ Pursue and succeed but be not stressed by that pursuit.
What is this yoga? What is it? What are the signs of one practicing yoga?
On the very first sutra of the Yoga-sutras of Patanjali, Vyasa, the first and foremost sage commentator, defines:
Yogah samadhih
Yoga [means] samadhi.
“Yogah samadhih” is also in the logo of our organization AHYMSIN – the Association of Himalayan Yoga Meditation Societies International – with headquarters at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama in Rishikesh.
The most authentic ancient text of yoga speaks of it in these terms.
The most authentic ancient text of Ayurveda, Charaka-samhita, states:
Yogo moksha-pravartakah
Yoga is that which impels and grants spiritual liberation (moksha)
Sharira-sthana 1.137
Do please memorize these two definitions and make them known to all who enter the path of yoga through whatever avenue.
Yogah samadhih (from the text on yoga)
Yogo moksha-pravartakah (from the text on ayurveda)
In the vast literature of yoga, spanning we do not know how many thousands of years, we do not know how many languages, randomly I here choose a classical text in the Kannada language of South India – Shunya-sampadane. The title of this text means fulfillment, completion, perfection in shunya the eternal void.
In Shunya-sampadane we read about the great master Allama Prabhu:
Allama Prabhu enters Animishadeva’s meditation chamber and witnesses the presence of the other master. These are the sentences describing that great master’s experience…
His corporal sense decorporalised;
His will stilled in will-less-ness;
His eye held in fixity;
His sight blotted;
His lashes unblinking;
His consciousness steady;
The tremor of his sense of himself abolished;
His sense of the ‘other’ stopped;
The gap between the concept ‘two’ vanished;
Himself become all himself;
Bearing all his impulses on a point where mind dwindles to nothing;
Having fulfilled to himself the meaning of the doctrine
“Void (shunya) at the top
Void at the base
Void at the centre”;
Free from defect;
All empty of mental appearances —
These are the characteristics of one who is in [samadhi]
[having] become an image absorbed in the trance of Reality.
Shunya-sampadane,
First Upadesha,
vachana 19
(translated by S.C. Nandimath, L.M.A.Menezes, R.C. Hieremath)
This Shunya-sampadane is not a Buddhist text. It is the most authentic, the most ancient, the most important text of the Karnataka shaiva/shiva tradition. The text tells the state of shunya and explains its meaning in this sense. The translation is not mine and I pay homage to those who have kindly made the translation available. Contemplate these verses, read them, hear them again and again.
And ask:
How far are we from this definition and this goal of yoga in our day to day practices and in our contemporary interpretation of yoga?
I quote from another source, this time a Buddhist record:
There was a Greek king Menandros (in Greek), [Menander in English, Milinda in Pali] (165/155 –130 BC) who ruled over a large part of South Asia from the river Kabul in Afghanistan to the river Ravi in present day Punjab of Pakistan. There is a text in Pali language (the language that Buddha spoke) recording Menandros dialogue with the Buddhist monk Bhikkhu Nagasena. The text is called Milinda-panha (a Pali text titled “Questions of Milinda”).
In 6th chapter, the king asks the monk the qualities that are exhibited in the one practicing yoga. The monk answers by providing a list of sixty-seven entities, whom he uses as similes, beings or objects whose 179 qualities need to be seen in one practicing yoga.
Records of a dialogue between a Greek king and a Buddhist monk Bhikkhu Nagasena was also translated many centuries ago in a shorter version in Chinese.
Of these 179 qualities, we list only five qualities of the ocean. Allow me to translate the text. The seekers may learn Pali (a younger sister of Sanskrit) to enjoy the full dialogue. Enjoy!
So here are the five qualities of the ocean that are seen in the one practicing yoga and this is what the monk says to the Greek king:
One who practices the sadhana of yoga has five qualities of the ocean.
1. The ocean does not keep a dead body as such for long. So, the practitioner of yoga does not let abide in himself the defects like attraction, aversion, confusion, pride, self-adoration (address this to teachers of yoga), boasting (i.e. becoming a great yogiraj when you are not even a disciple), jealousy, envy, malice, deceit, crookedness, roughness, bad moral conduct, affliction.
2. Even though the ocean holds in itself pearls and many kinds of jewels, it keeps them concealed, so should a sadhaka of yoga attain in himself the jewels like right path, fruits of sadhana, meditation, samadhi, coalascence, insight, wisdom and so forth. These, one should keep concealed and not put on display.
3. The Ocean keeps an association with the largest of creatures. So should a sadhaka of yoga keep company with a great monk who has these qualities : one who desires very little, is contented, speaks with a steadiness, has pure conduct, is modest, soft-natured (gentle natured), deep, venerable, eloquent, zealous, rejecting vice, listener of the precepts of others, granting precepts to others, an expounder, guide to the right path, generating a sentiment of dedication in others by his homilies of dharma, and who is a benefactor.
4. As the ocean receives the waters of all thousands of rivers as well as streams from the clouds, yet it does not break its boundaries, so a sadhaka of yoga receiving benefit, respect, prostrations, honours, yet should not break the boundaries of the precepts.
5. As the ocean receives the waters of all thousands of rivers as well as streams from the clouds, yet it does not become all full [unable to receive more], so a sadhaka of yoga must never be satiated in learning, conversing about dharma, listening to the precepts of others, contemplating these, examining these, studying the depths of philosophy and of the sacred texts…
Milinda-panha-pali. 6 Opamma-katha-panha
2 samudda-vaggo, 10 samuddanga-panho
May these 179 qualities be seen as developed in you within this life. Be ambitious!
I worshipfully dedicate these contemplations to my Gurudeva Swami Rama of the Himalayas and to all those in the lineage whom he taught, and those rishis and sages who founded the science of yoga from their innermost depth of meditation.
I wish all sadhakas and participants of yoga events like this one success in such a yoga.
Yogo vah sa-phalee-bhooyaat
May your yoga be successful.
The construction of the verb is in what is known in Sanskrit as the benedictive mood.
I invite you to our ashram on the banks of the holy river Ganga where for thousands of years the yogis have wandered in silence and anonymity waiting for those who will come deserving and prepared.
And from another tradition…
When the Korean Buddhists say farewell to someone. They say:
May you become enlightened.
With this, go into silence. Enter the temple of divinity that is your five-layered triple body and experience the stillness, the quietness of the mind. Still the mind, relax your forehead.
Bring your awareness to the feel of your breath, receive this gift of breath in gratitude humility and reverence.
Feel the flow and the touch of your breath in your nostrils. Breathe gently, slowly, smoothly, without a jerk, without a jerk in the mind, without a jerk in your slow, gentle, smooth breath.
Take whatever name of God or divine Mother, according to your religion/tradition, not in the mouth, not on the tongue…
Only feel the flow and the touch of the breath in the nostrils and exhaling think That name and inhaling think That name.
Those who have a personal mantra initiation may use their mantra or the name of God or divine Mother according to your faith and if you do not have such faith, exhaling think “one”, inhaling think “two”.
Feel the flow and the touch of the breath in the nostrils with That name flowing in the mind…
Continue the gentle smooth flow…
No jerk, no breath between the breaths. Observe how your mind, name and breath become a unified stream of consciousness… flow in that stream…
Without breaking the awareness of this stream gently open your eyes but let the quiet stream of mind, the pure name, the breath merge in consciousness, continue to flow even with your eyes open.
Resolve in your mind to calm the mind in this way many, many times in the day.
May your yoga be successful! May you be enlightened!
Mahamandaleshwar Swami Veda Bharati, D. Litt.
Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Virbhadra Road,
Rishikesh (Uttarakhand) 249293, India
ahymsin@ahymsin.org
www.ahymsin.org
寫給那神聖阿特曼在瑜珈中摯愛的顯化者們：
親愛的自性本我：
首先向傳承的承啟者，先聖先哲們頂禮致敬，由於他們的慈悲、直覺和洞見，此永恆的知識得以祝福並且恩賜吾等受益，讓人類靈性發展的歷史得以不斷延續。
我想給大家舉一個近代的典範：
納瑞達穆迪被選為印度總理後，他立即上書聯合國建議設立國際瑜珈日，177個國家史無前例地全部贊成這項提案，自此每年的6月21日成為國際瑜珈日。
在這一天，所有跟隨瑜珈內在靈性核心的瑜珈人士，無論遵循何種靈性瑜珈支派，皆當聚集一起分享他們的內在經驗，沉思彼此的成長，並且共同進入深層的內在靜默。
在這一天，讓所有那些遵循古典瑜珈體系者，依照聖賢指導的方式一起相聚靜坐，用身、心、靈一起靜坐。
瑜珈可以帶給我們甚麼益處？跟大家分享一個當代範例：
政治人物在選舉前忙著競選，一般到了選舉結果宣布的當天，他們都會處於極端的亢奮焦慮，不是死守住電視，就是四處打電話查詢通報等等。
現任印度總理，他是受過斯瓦米啟引的人，在等待2014年5月16日公布選舉結果那日，一直到中午12點之前，他都沒有打開電視，他選擇默默一個人獨自地靜坐，這就是一個禪坐者的態度，這就是瑜珈可以帶給我們的，既是最有成就者卻又能保持心靈靜默。
其後當他拜訪美國時，剛好碰到神聖的齋戒禁食期間，他的行程很滿，他會見了歐巴馬總統好幾次，發表了幾次令人印象深刻的公開演說，其中有一次是在麥迪遜廣場花園演講，這麼繁忙的行程期間他一直保持齋戒禁食，他無限的能量啟發了所有人，所有人都好奇他源源不斷的能量和魅力的來源何在，那源頭即是他奉行瑜珈和靜坐習慣。
這是一個當代的近例，一個瑜珈幫助我們在世間生活的好例子，而這不過是眾多例證之一而已。
不要推說：我忙著追逐世俗的成功都來不及了，哪來時間靜坐！你可以盡情地去追求並享受成功，但要學會不讓那個追求成為壓力。
瑜珈是什麼？什麼是瑜珈？練習瑜珈會有甚麼改變？
帕坦佳利瑜珈經第一經，首位且公認最具權威的註釋者威亞薩的經文註解是：
Yogah samadhih(瑜珈，三摩地)，瑜珈(意謂)三摩地。
“瑜珈三摩地”也是我們國際喜馬拉雅瑜珈靜坐協會(總會設於位於印度瑞詩凱詩斯瓦米拉瑪修道院)的徽章，最真實的古瑜珈經典是這樣來闡述瑜珈的。
而最真實的古阿育吠陀經典<恰拉克論集>(Charaka-samhita)則說:
Yoga moksha-pravartakah，得促使並賦予吾等靈性解脫(moksha)者乃瑜珈。(身論篇Sharira-sthana 1.137)
請大家記住這兩個瑜珈的定義，並廣為告知所有在瑜珈道上修練的人們，無論他們跟隨的是那一條道路。
瑜珈乃三摩地(瑜珈的文獻記載)
得促使並賦予吾等靈性解脫者乃瑜珈(阿育吠陀的文獻記載)
瑜珈有廣大的文獻，我們無法確切知道瑜珈究竟有多少千年的歷史，我們也不知道曾使用過多少語言來描述瑜珈，我即選一個在南印度使用的古典語文卡納達語中的經典詩歌《攝空對談錄》(Shunya-sampadane) 這詞彙的意思是：在永恆虛空之中圓滿，成就，完美。
在《攝空對談錄》中，我們讀到有關偉大的大師阿拉瑪帕布( Allama Prabhu)的故事，阿拉瑪帕布進入阿尼米夏德瓦(Animishadeva)的靜坐斗室中，見證了另一位大師的臨在，以下是關於偉大大師的描述：
他的感官部屬們下了岡(感官不再作用)
他的意志靜止於無念
他的眼睛凝住了
他見似未見
他的睫毛不再閃動
他的意識穩固
他不再感受自我
他也不再感受”其他”
介於二元間的空隙消失了
他自己成為全然的他自己
他將所有意欲集中一點，心遁入空境
他自身親證古訓的真義
上空
下空
中亦空
自缺陷中解脫
一切心生表相皆呈空
此乃身入(三摩地)之特徵，是(已經)完成入定實相軌道的印象。
~《攝空對談錄》I.19
(英文翻譯作者 S.C. Nandimath, L.M.A.Menezes, R.C. Hieremath)
這個《攝空對談錄》並非佛教文獻，他是卡納達卡希瓦傳承中最重要的文獻，文中敘述了空的狀態，並解釋了它的意義。英文的翻譯部分不是我的作品，謹向那些仁慈幫助翻譯的作者們致意，請大家沉思這些句子，閱讀，並不斷不斷重複地聆聽。
請問問自己：
我們距離這個瑜珈定義還有多遠，在每天的練習中距離這瑜珈的目標還有多遠，當代對於瑜珈的詮釋又和這個相差多遠？
接著我們引用佛教的教導：
有一位希臘的國王彌蘭王(希臘文是Menandros，英文是Menander，巴利文是Milinda)(西元前165/155-130), 他統治南亞橫跨阿富汗的卡普爾河到今日巴基斯坦旁蔗普的拉維河間的廣大疆土，有一部經典以巴利文(佛陀所說的語言)紀錄了彌蘭王與佛教僧人那先比丘(Bhikkhu Nagasena)的對話，原文巴利文直譯稱《彌蘭王問經》(Milinda-panha)。
在第六章，王問僧人，一個練習瑜珈的人會表現出怎樣的特質，那先回答列舉了67種實體(譬喻或人或物)以及其相對應的179種練習瑜珈應具備的品質。
順帶一提，希臘王和佛教僧人那先比丘的對話在數百年前被翻譯成短篇的中文《那先比丘經》，在這179種品質中，我們列舉了屬於海的五種，容我翻譯文章如下：認真求道者也可以學習巴利文(是比梵文相對歷史短些的姊妹語)來充分享受該全篇對話的精彩！
佛家僧人回答希臘王，一個瑜珈修行者會具備海的五個特質是：
1. 譬如海洋不會容死屍久住。如是，瑜珈修行者不會容許自己困在例如愛戀，厭憎，疑惑，驕傲，自我崇拜(瑜珈老師請特別注意這點)，誇大(自誇已經成了偉大的瑜珈王者，即使明明自己連弟子的資格都不具備)，忌妒，羨慕，惡意，欺騙，狡猾，粗野，品行不良，煩惱等缺點中。
2. 譬如海洋雖握有珍珠和無數奇珍異寶，卻藏而不露。如是，瑜珈修行者如果獲得了例如正道，正果，靜坐，三摩地，事理一如，洞見，智慧等等珍寶，也應隱藏不輕易示人。
3. 譬如海洋與世間最大的生物共處。如是，瑜珈修行者應該與偉大的尊者為伍，去學習其善如下：少欲少求，知足，言語堅定，行為純正，謙虛，柔軟(溫和的本質)，高深，值得尊敬，善於表達，熱忱，喝斥惡行，傾聽他人戒律，與他人說戒律，為人講經，指導他人走向正道，藉由對佛法的讚頌滋養他人的虔誠情懷，為善佈施等。
4. 譬如海洋接引四方數千河川雲雨，從不溢出海洋疆界。如是，瑜珈修行者也應接受四方供養，尊敬，禮拜，稱揚，卻不逾越戒律界線。
5. 譬如海洋接納四方數千河川雲雨，但卻從不因容量已滿而溢出。如是，瑜珈修行者不可自滿已飽所學，應持續學習，說法，聽戒，沉思，檢視，深度研讀哲學和經典。
~巴利文《彌蘭王問經》Milinda-panha-pali. 6.2.10
願你們能在此生就成就這179個品質，要立下壯志！
我祈禱並將此沉思獻給我的上師，喜馬拉雅山傳承之斯瓦米拉瑪、傳承中所有給予我們教導的前輩，以及所有在深度冥想中建立瑜珈科學的聖哲，先賢們。
我祈願諸此瑜珈活動修行者和參與者都能得諸此瑜珈之功德。
願你們的瑜珈是成功的！(Yogo vah sa-phalee-bhooyaat)
這裡使用的動詞詞態在梵文中隱表著祝福的心。
我邀請大家來到我們位於恆河邊的修道院，數千年來，恆河一直是瑜珈士靜默漫遊以及默默等待那些具備資格、準備好的人的地方。
最後分享來自另一個傳承韓國佛教的彼此道別用語，韓國佛教徒在分手時會說：願你早日開悟。
帶著這樣的心，進入靜默，進入神聖的殿堂，那是你的五層三重身，去經驗靜止，心靈的安靜，讓心靜止。
放鬆你的額頭，把你的覺知帶到你呼吸的流動，帶著感恩尊重的心接受這呼吸的禮物。
感受你呼吸在鼻腔流動時的觸動，輕柔、緩慢、平順的呼吸，沒有頓挫，沒有心的頓挫，輕柔，緩慢，平順的呼吸沒有頓挫。
選擇任何你宗教或傳統的神號或聖母的名字，不要唸出來，也不要留在舌邊，請默誦。
就只是感受鼻腔中呼吸的流動和觸動，吐氣默念祂的聖名，吸氣默念祂的聖名，
有個人咒語的人可以使用自己的咒語，或者依照你自己的信仰使用神或者聖母的名字，如果你沒有信仰，請練習數息，吐氣數一，吸氣數二，
感受呼吸在鼻腔的流動和觸動，讓聖名和心也一起跟著呼吸流動…
持續保持輕柔平順的流動…
沒有頓挫，沒有止息，觀察你的心，聖名和呼吸如何結合為意識之流，在那意識之流中流動著…
保持這份流動的覺知，輕輕地張開你的眼睛，讓這安靜的心、聖名與呼吸成為合一的意識，在眼睛睜開後依舊持續的流動著。
請立願在一整天中許多許多次的時間裡，都要讓心回到此刻的平靜。
願你的瑜珈成功！願你早日開悟！
摩訶曼陀羅自在天 斯瓦米韋達帕若提(博士)
斯瓦米拉瑪修道院
印度，瑞詩凱詩
ahymsin@ahymsin.org
www.ahymsin.org
台灣喜馬拉雅瑜珈協會臉書 https://zh-tw.facebook.com/ahymsin.taiwan/
台中喜馬拉雅天空瑜珈 https://www.facebook.com/inskyoga
Il s’agit des manifestations bien-aimées de l’Atman divin dans le yoga,
Mon cher moi même,
Je rends hommage aux fondateurs, aux sages, aux rishis de la lignée des gourous, dont la compassion, l’intuition et la perspicacité ont permis à cette connaissance éternelle de nous bénir et de nous accorder des bienfaits en cette période de notre histoire de développement spirituel de l’humanité.
Un exemple, l’exemple le plus contemporain…
Peu après avoir été élu Premier ministre de l’Inde, M. Narendra Modi s’est adressé aux Nations unies et a proposé d’instaurer une journée internationale du yoga. Sans précédent, 177 nations se sont prononcées en faveur de cette proposition. C’est ainsi que le 21 juin a été déclaré journée internationale du yoga chaque année.
En ce jour, tous ceux qui suivent le noyau spirituel intérieur du yoga dans leur quête, quelle que soit la branche du yoga spirituel, doivent se réunir pour partager leurs expériences intérieures, réfléchir à leur progression dans la quête et être en mode de profond silence intérieur.
En ce jour, que tous ceux qui adhèrent aux anciens systèmes de yoga tels qu’enseignés par les rishis se réunissent et méditent ensemble. Méditez avec le corps, l’esprit et l’âme.
Que peut nous apporter le yoga ? Voici un exemple contemporain récent.
Le jour de l’annonce des résultats des élections, les hommes politiques sont souvent dans un état d’anxiété extrême, accrochés à la télévision, téléphonant partout, etc.
L’actuel Premier ministre indien, qui est initié par un swami, attendait l’annonce des résultats des élections le 16 mai 2014. Ce jour-là, il n’a allumé la télévision qu’après 12 heures ; il était seulement assis dans la solitude et en méditation. C’est la façon de faire d’un méditant. Et c’est ce que le yoga nous accorde. Pour avoir le plus de succès possible et rester silencieux.
Lorsqu’il est parti en visite aux États-Unis, c’était en plein milieu des jours de jeûne sacré. Il avait un programme très chargé. Il a rencontré le président Obama à plusieurs reprises, a prononcé des discours publics impressionnants, dont celui au Madison Square Garden, tout en poursuivant son jeûne. Son énergie débridée a inspiré tout le monde ; tout le monde s’est demandé quelle était la source de cette énergie et de son magnétisme. La source, c’est son yoga et sa méditation.
Ce n’est là qu’un exemple contemporain. Une illustration de ce que le yoga permet de faire pendant que nous vivons dans le monde. Ce n’est qu’une illustration.
Ne dites pas “Je ne peux pas méditer parce que je suis occupé à poursuivre le succès dans le monde”. Poursuivez et réussissez, mais ne soyez pas stressé par cette poursuite.
Qu’est-ce que le yoga ? Qu’est-ce que c’est ? Quels sont les signes d’une personne qui pratique le yoga ?
Dans le tout premier sutra des Yoga-sûtras de Patanjali, Vyasa, le premier et le plus sage des commentateurs, définit :
Yogah samadhih
Yoga [signifie] samadhi.
“Yogah samadhih” figure également dans le logo de notre organisation AHYMSIN – Association of Himalayan Yoga Meditation Societies International – dont le siège est à Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama à Rishikesh.
Le texte ancien le plus authentique du yoga en parle en ces termes.
Le texte ancien le plus authentique de l’Ayurveda, Charaka-samhita, déclare
Yogo moksha-pravartakah
Le yoga est ce qui pousse et accorde la libération spirituelle (moksha)
Sharira-sthana 1,137
Veuillez mémoriser ces deux définitions et les faire connaître à tous ceux qui entrent dans la voie du yoga par quelque voie que ce soit.
Yogah samadhih (tiré du texte sur le yoga)
Yogo moksha-pravartakah (extrait du texte sur l’ayurvéda)
Dans la vaste littérature du yoga, qui s’étend sur des milliers d’années, nous ne savons pas combien de langues, je choisis ici au hasard un texte classique en langue kannada du sud de l’Inde – Shunya-sampadane. Le titre de ce texte signifie l’accomplissement, l’achèvement, la perfection dans le shunya le vide éternel.
Dans Shunya-sampadane, nous lisons l’histoire du grand maître Allama Prabhu :
Allama Prabhu entre dans la chambre de méditation d’Animishadeva et assiste à la présence de l’autre maître. Ce sont les phrases qui décrivent l’expérience de ce grand maître…
Son sens corporel s’est décorporé ;
Sa volonté s’est calmée dans la volonté-moins ;
Son oeil maintenu dans la fixité ;
Sa vue a été effacée ;
Ses cils ne clignotent plus ;
Sa conscience est stable ;
Le tremblement de son sens de soi aboli ;
Son sens de “l’autre” s’est arrêté ;
L’écart entre le concept de “deux” a disparu ;
Il est devenu tout lui-même ;
Il porte toutes ses pulsions sur un point où l’esprit s’épuise ;
Ayant accompli pour lui-même le sens de la doctrine
” Vide (shunya) au sommet
Vide à la base
Le vide au centre” ;
Sans défaut ;
Tous vides d’apparence mentale —
Voici les caractéristiques de celui qui se trouve en [samadhi]
[étant] devenu une image absorbée dans la transe de la Réalité.
Shunya-sampadane,
D’abord Upadesha,
vachana 19
(traduit par S.C. Nandimath, L.M.A.Menezes, R.C. Hieremath)
Ce Shunya-sampadane n’est pas un texte bouddhiste. C’est le plus authentique, le plus ancien, le plus important texte de la tradition shaiva/shiva du Karnataka. Le texte raconte l’état du shunya et explique sa signification dans ce sens. La traduction n’est pas de moi et je rends hommage à ceux qui ont bien voulu la mettre à disposition. Contemplez ces versets, lisez-les, écoutez-les encore et encore.
Et demandez :
À quelle distance sommes-nous de cette définition et de cet objectif du yoga dans nos pratiques quotidiennes et dans notre interprétation contemporaine du yoga ?
Je cite une autre source, cette fois-ci un dossier bouddhiste :
Un roi grec, Menandros (en grec), [Menander en anglais, Milinda en pali] (165/155 -130 av. J.-C.), régnait sur une grande partie de l’Asie du Sud, de la rivière Kaboul en Afghanistan à la rivière Ravi dans l’actuel Pendjab du Pakistan. Il existe un texte en pali (la langue que parlait Bouddha) qui enregistre le dialogue de Menandros avec le moine bouddhiste Bhikkhu Nagasena. Le texte est appelé Milinda-panha (un texte en pali intitulé “Questions de Milinda”).
Au 6ème chapitre, le roi demande au moine les qualités que l’on retrouve chez celui qui pratique le yoga. Le moine répond en fournissant une liste de soixante-sept entités, qu’il utilise comme simili, êtres ou objets dont les 179 qualités doivent être vues dans un yoga pratiqué.
Les archives d’un dialogue entre un roi grec et un moine bouddhiste, Bhikkhu Nagasena, ont également été traduites il y a plusieurs siècles dans une version plus courte en chinois.
Sur ces 179 qualités, nous n’énumérons que cinq qualités de l’océan. Permettez-moi de traduire le texte. Les chercheurs peuvent apprendre le pali (une sœur cadette du sanskrit) pour profiter pleinement du dialogue. Profitez-en !
Voici donc les cinq qualités de l’océan que l’on retrouve chez celui qui pratique le yoga et c’est ce que le moine dit au roi grec :
Celui qui pratique la sadhana du yoga possède les cinq qualités de l’océan.
1. L’océan ne garde pas longtemps un corps mort en tant que tel. Ainsi, le pratiquant de yoga ne laisse pas subsister en lui les défauts tels que l’attraction, l’aversion, la confusion, l’orgueil, l’adoration de soi (adressez-vous aux professeurs de yoga), la vantardise (c’est-à-dire devenir un grand yogi alors que vous n’êtes même pas un disciple), la jalousie, l’envie, la malice, la tromperie, la malhonnêteté, la rudesse, la mauvaise conduite morale, l’affliction.
2. Même si l’océan contient en lui-même des perles et de nombreuses sortes de bijoux, il les garde cachés, tout comme une sadhaka de yoga devrait atteindre en lui-même les bijoux comme le droit chemin, les fruits de la sadhana, la méditation, le samadhi, la coalascence, la perspicacité, la sagesse et ainsi de suite. Il faut les garder cachés et ne pas les exposer.
3. L’océan est associé à la plus grande des créatures. Une sadhaka de yoga devrait donc tenir compagnie à un grand moine qui possède ces qualités : celui qui désire très peu, qui est satisfait, qui parle avec fermeté, qui a une conduite pure, qui est modeste, de nature douce, profonde, vénérable, éloquente, zélée, qui rejette le vice, qui écoute les préceptes des autres, qui donne des préceptes aux autres, qui explique, qui guide vers le bon chemin, qui génère un sentiment de dévouement chez les autres par ses homélies du dharma, et qui est un bienfaiteur.
4. De même que l’océan reçoit les eaux de milliers de rivières ainsi que les ruisseaux des nuages, mais qu’il ne dépasse pas ses limites, ainsi une sadhaka de yoga recevant bénéfice, respect, prosternations, honneurs, ne devrait pas dépasser les limites des préceptes.
5. De même que l’océan reçoit les eaux de milliers de rivières ainsi que des courants provenant des nuages, mais qu’il ne devient pas plein [incapable d’en recevoir davantage], une sadhaka de yoga ne doit jamais être rassasiée d’apprendre, de parler du dharma, d’écouter les préceptes des autres, de les contempler, de les examiner, d’étudier les profondeurs de la philosophie et des textes sacrés…
Milinda-panha-pali. 6 Opamma-katha-panha
2 samudda-vaggo, 10 samuddanga-panho
Que ces 179 qualités soient considérées comme développées en vous au sein de cette vie. Soyez ambitieux !
Je dédie ces contemplations à mon Gurudeva Swami Rama de l’Himalaya et à tous ceux de la lignée à qui il a enseigné, ainsi qu’aux rishis et aux sages qui ont fondé la science du yoga du plus profond de leur méditation.
Je souhaite à toutes les sadhakas et à tous les participants à des événements de yoga comme celui-ci le succès d’un tel yoga.
Yogo vah sa-phalee-bhooyaat
Que votre yoga soit réussi.
La construction du verbe est dans ce que l’on appelle en sanskrit l’humeur bénéfique.
Je vous invite dans notre ashram sur les rives du fleuve sacré Ganga où, depuis des milliers d’années, les yogis errent dans le silence et l’anonymat en attendant ceux qui viendront méritants et préparés.
Et d’après une autre tradition…
Quand les bouddhistes coréens font leurs adieux à quelqu’un. Ils disent :
Puisses-tu devenir éclairé.
Avec cela, allez en silence. Entrez dans le temple de la divinité qu’est votre triple corps à cinq couches et faites l’expérience de l’immobilité, de la tranquillité de l’esprit. L’esprit immobile, détendez votre front.
Prenez conscience de la sensation de votre respiration, recevez ce don du souffle en gratitude, humilité et révérence.
Sentez le flux et le toucher de votre souffle dans vos narines. Respirez doucement, lentement, doucement, sans à-coups, sans à-coups dans l’esprit, sans à-coups dans votre respiration lente, douce et lisse.
Prenez n’importe quel nom de Dieu ou de la Mère divine, selon votre religion/tradition, pas dans la bouche, pas sur la langue…
Ne ressentez que le flux et le toucher du souffle dans les narines et l’expiration pensent Ce nom et l’inspiration pensent Ce nom.
Ceux qui ont un mantra personnel d’initiation peuvent utiliser leur mantra ou le nom de Dieu ou de la Mère divine selon votre foi et si vous n’avez pas cette foi, en expirant pensez “un”, en inspirant pensez “deux”.
Sentez le flux et le toucher du souffle dans les narines avec ce nom qui coule dans l’esprit…
Continuer le doux écoulement…
Pas de secousse, pas de souffle entre les respirations. Observez comment votre esprit, votre nom et votre respiration deviennent un courant de conscience unifié… coulent dans ce courant…
Sans briser la conscience de ce courant, ouvrez doucement les yeux, mais laissez le calme du courant de l’esprit, le nom pur, le souffle se fondre dans la conscience, continuer à couler même avec les yeux ouverts.
Prenez la résolution de calmer votre esprit de cette façon, plusieurs fois dans la journée.
Que votre yoga soit couronné de succès ! Que vous soyez éclairé !
Mahamandaleshwar Swami Veda Bharati, D. Litt.
Swami Rama SadhakaGrama, Virbhadra Road,
Rishikesh (Uttarakhand) 249293.
ahymsin@gmail.com
www.ahymsin.org
Alle amate manifestazioni del Divino Atman nello Yoga,
Cari Sé,
Rendo omaggio ai fondatori, ai saggi, ai rishi del lignaggio del Guru, attraverso la cui compassione, intuizione e visione questa eterna conoscenza giunge a benedirci e donarci i suoi benefici in questo momento della nostra ininterrotta storia di evoluzione spirituale come umanità.
Un esempio, l’esempio più recente….
Subito dopo essere stato eletto primo ministro dell’India, Narendra Modi ha indirizzato alle Nazioni Unite la richiesta di istituire una giornata internazionale dello yoga. Con un risultato senza precedenti, 177 nazioni sono state favorevoli alla proposta e per questo il 21 giugno di ogni anno è stato dichiarato giornata internazionale dello yoga.
In questa giornata, tutti coloro che nella loro ricerca seguono il nucleo spirituale dello yoga, in qualunque sua ramificazione spirituale, dovrebbero riunirsi per condividere le loro esperienze interiori, contemplare i progressi ottenuti nella ricerca e vivere un’attitudine di silenzio interiore.
In questa giornata, tutti coloro che seguono gli antichi sistemi dello yoga così come insegnati dai rishi, si uniscano e meditino insieme, con il corpo, la mente e lo spirito.
Cosa può offrirci lo yoga? Eccone un esempio recente.
Normalmente quando i politici sono in corsa per le elezioni, nel giorno dell’ annuncio dei risultati, si trovano in uno stato di estrema ansietà, sono attaccati alla TV e al cellulare, e così via.
L’attuale primo ministro indiano, che è un iniziato di uno swami, nel giorno in cui si aspettava l’esito delle votazioni, il 16 maggio 2014, non ha acceso la TV fino a dopo mezzogiorno, e prima semplicemente era rimasto da solo, a meditare. Questo è il modo di comportarsi di un meditatore.
E questo è ciò che lo yoga ci dona. Avere grande successo e rimanere in silenzio.
Quando si recò in visita negli Stati Uniti, tale viaggio ebbe luogo durante un periodo di digiuno sacro. Il programma della visita era estremamente intenso. Narendra Modi incontrò il presidente Obama diverse volte, fece diversi interventi pubblici molto efficaci, tra cui quello al Madison Square Garden, sempre continuando il suo digiuno.
La sua inesauribile energia ispirava tutti coloro che lo circondavano, che si chiedevano quale fosse la fonte della sua energia e del suo magnetismo. La sorgente di ciò è la sua pratica di yoga e meditazione.
Questo è solo un esempio contemporaneo. Una dimostrazione di cosa lo yoga ci offre mentre noi viviamo nel mondo, viviamo la nostra vita.
Non dite “Non posso meditare perché mi sto occupando della mia riuscita nel mondo”. Occupatevene e realizzatela, ma non siate stressati dalla vostra corsa al risultato.
Cosa è lo yoga? Cosa contraddistingue coloro che praticano lo yoga?
Proprio nel primo sutra degli Yoga Sutra di Patanjali, Vyasa, il primo e più importante saggio commentatore, così definisce lo yoga:
Yogahsamadhih
Yoga [significa] samadhi.
“Yogah samadhi” è anche il logo della nostra organizzazione AHYMSIN – Association of Himalayan Yoga Meditation Societies International (Associazione Internazionale delle Società Himalayane di Yoga e Meditazione).
Il più antico e autentico testo dello yoga definisce lo yoga in questi termini.
Il più antico testo autentico di Ayurveda, la Charaka-samhita, afferma:
Yogo moksha-pravartakah
Yoga è ciò che sprona verso
e garantisce la liberazione spirituale (moksha)
Sharira-sthana 1.137
Per favore ricordate a memoria queste due definizioni e fatele conoscere a tutti coloro che entrano nel cammino dello yoga a partire da qualsiasi via.
Yogah samadhih (dal testo sullo yoga)
Yogo moksha-pravartakah (dal testo sull’ayurveda)
Nella vasta letteratura dello yoga, che si estende per non sappiamo quante migliaia di anni, non sappiamo in quante lingue, qui scelgo a caso un testo classico nella lingua Kannada, del sud dell’India, il Shunya-sampadane. Il titolo di questo testo significa realizzazione, compimento, perfezione in shunya, il vuoto eterno.
Nello Shunya-sampadane, leggiamo del grande maestro Allama Prabhu:
Allama Prabhu entra nello spazio di meditazione di Animishadeva ed è testimone della presenza dell’altro maestro. Queste sono le parole che descrivono l’esperienza del grande maestro…
Il corpo dimentico di sè;
La volontà immobile nella non-volontà;
Gli occhi fermi;
Lo sguardo dissolto nello spazio
Senza un battito di ciglia;
La coscienza stabile;
Non più vacillante il senso di se stesso;
Non più l’ “altro” da sé;
Svanita la separazione tra “due”;
Egli era totalmente se stesso;
Volgendo tutti i suoi impulsi verso il punto in cui la mente scema nel nulla;
Realizzato in sé il significato della dottrina:
“Vuoto (shunya) alla sommità
Vuoto alla base
Vuoto al centro”
Libero dal difetto;
Privo di ogni figura mentale ;
(Tali sono le caratteristiche di colui che è in [samadhi] estasi)
Era divenuto un’immagine nell’estasi della Realtà.
Shunya-sampadane, First Upadesha,vachana 19
(tradotto in inglese da S.C. Nandimath, L.M.A.Menezes, R.C. Hieremath)
Lo Shunya-sampadane non è un testo buddista. E’ il più autentico, il più antico, il più importante testo della tradizione Karnataka shaiva/shiva. Il testo parla dello stato di shunya e spiega il suo significato in questo senso. La traduzione non è mia, e rendo omaggio a coloro che gentilmente la hanno resa disponibile. Contemplate questi versi, leggeteli, ascoltateli ancora e ancora.
E chiedetevi:
Quanto siamo lontani da questa definizione e da questo fine dello yoga nella nostra pratica quotidiana e nella nostra contemporanea interpretazione dello yoga?
Ora citerò un’altra fonte, questa volta di tradizione buddista:
Vi era un re greco, Menandros, Milinda in lingua Pali, (165/155–130 AC) che governava una larga parte dell’Asia meridionale, dal fiume Kabul in Afganistan al fiume Ravi nell’attuale Punjab Pakistano. Un testo in lingua Pali (la lingua parlata da Buddha) riporta il suo dialogo con il monaco buddista Bhikkhu Nagasena. Si tratta del Milinda-panha ( “Le domande di Milinda”).
Nel 6° capitolo, il re chiede al monaco quali sono le qualità che si manifestano in colui che pratica lo yoga. Il monaco risponde con una lista di sessantasette entità, esseri o oggetti che egli usa come similitudini, le cui 179 qualità si devono vedere in colui che pratica lo yoga. (La trascrizione di un dialogo tra un re greco e un monaco buddista di nome Bhikku Nagasena fu anche tradotta in cinese molti secoli fa in una versione più breve).
Di queste 179 qualità, noi qui elenchiamo solo cinque qualità dell’oceano. Permettetemi di tradurre il testo. I ricercatori potranno studiare il Pali (lingua sorella più giovane del sanscrito) per gustare il dialogo completo: buon divertimento!
Ecco quindi le cinque qualità dell’oceano che si manifestano in colui che pratica lo yoga, e questo è ciò che il monaco dice al re greco:
Colui che pratica la sadhana dello yoga ha cinque qualità dell’oceano.
1. L’oceano non conserva a lungo un cadavere come tale. Così altrettanto, il praticante di yoga non lascia che dimorino in sé difetti come l’attrazione, la repulsione, la confusione, l’orgoglio, il narcisismo (ricordate questo agli insegnanti di yoga), la vanità (cioè proclamarsi un grande yogiraj quando non si è nemmeno un discepolo), la gelosia, l’invidia, la malizia, la falsità, la disonestà, la rudezza, la cattiva condotta morale, l’afflizione.
2. Come l’oceano racchiude in sé perle e altri tesori, ma li tiene nascosti, così un sadhaka di yoga dovrebbe raggiungere gioielli come la retta via, i frutti della sadhana, la meditazione, il samadhi, l’integrazione, l’intuizione, la saggezza e così via, e tenerli nascosti senza metterli in mostra.
3. L’oceano è in amicizia con le più grandi delle creature. Così, un sadhaka di yoga dovrebbe essere vicino a un grande monaco che abbia queste qualità: che desideri molto poco, che sia contento di ciò che ha, che parli con coerenza, abbia una condotta pura, sia modesto, di natura dolce, profondo, venerabile, eloquente, sollecito, che respinga i vizi, che ascolti i precetti degli altri e offra loro i suoi, che sia una persona che sa ben spiegare e divulgare e condurre sul giusto cammino, suscitando negli altri un senso di dedizione grazie alle sue parole sul dharma, e che sia un benefattore.
4. Come l’oceano riceve le acque da tutte le migliaia di fiumi e quelle che scendono dalle nuvole, ma non rompe i suoi confini, così un sadhaka di yoga che riceve benefici, rispetto, scoraggiamenti e onori, non dovrebbe infrangere i confini dei precetti.
5. Come l’oceano riceve le acque da tutte le migliaia di fiumi e quelle che scendono dalle nuvole, ma non diventa mai così colmo da non poter ricevere più nulla, così un sadhaka di yoga non deve mai sentirsi sazio di imparare, di dialogare sul dharma, di ascoltare i precetti altrui, di contemplarli, di esaminarli, di studiare la profondità della filosofia e dei testi sacri…
Milinda-panha-pali. 6 Opamma-katha-panha
2 samudda-vaggo, 10 samuddanga-panho
Possano tali 179 qualità essere realizzate in voi nel corso di questa vita. Siate ambiziosi!
Con venerazione dedico queste contemplazioni al mio Gurudeva Swami Rama dell’Himalaya e a tutti coloro ai quali egli insegnò che sono nel lignaggio, a quei rishi e saggi che fondarono la scienza dello yoga dalle loro più intime profondità di meditazione.
Auguro a tutti i sadhaka e ai partecipanti agli eventi yoga che avranno luogo, di avere buona riuscita nello yoga così come descritto.
Yogovahsa-phalee-bhooyaat.
Possa il vostro yoga avere buona riuscita.
(La costruzione verbale è nella forma che in sanscrito è conosciuta come “modo benedicente”).
Vi invito al nostro ashram sulle rive del santo fiume Ganga, dove per millenni gli yogi hanno vagato nel silenzio nell’anonimato, in attesa di coloro che sarebbero venuti, meritevoli e preparati.
E da un’altra tradizione…
Quando i buddisti coreani si accomiatano da qualcuno dicono:
Possa tu divenire illuminato.
E con questo, entrate ora nel silenzio. Entrate nel tempio divino che è il vostro triplo corpo fatto di cinque strati, e sentite l’immobilità, la quiete della mente. Fermate la mente, rilassate la fronte.
Portate la consapevolezza al vostro respiro, a ricevere questo dono del respiro in gratitudine, umiltà e riverenza.
Sentite il tocco e il fluire del vostro respiro nelle narici. Respirate gentilmente, lentamente, fluidamente, senza sussulti, senza sussulti nella mente, senza variazioni nel vostro lento, dolce, fluido respiro.
Scegliete qualunque nome di Dio o della Madre Divina, secondo la vostra religione /tradizione, non nella bocca, non sulla lingua…
Solo sentite il flusso e il contatto del respiro nelle narici ed espirando pensate Quel nome, ed inspirando pensate Quel nome.
Chi ha un mantra personale può usare il suo mantra, oppure il nome di Dio o della Madre divina secondo la propria fede, e se non avete alcuna fede, semplicemente espirate pensando “uno” e inspirate pensando “due”.
Sentite il flusso e il contatto del respiro nelle narici con Questo nome che fluisce nella mente…
Continuate questo fluire gentile e continuo…
Nessun sussulto, nessuna pausa tra i respiri. Osservate come la vostra mente, il nome e il respiro diventano una unica corrente di coscienza…fluite in questa corrente….
Dolcemente aprite gli occhi senza interrompere la coscienza di questa corrente, lasciando che il flusso quieto della mente, il nome puro e il respiro si fondano nella coscienza. Continuate a lasciar fluire tutto questo anche con gli occhi aperti.
Decidete mentalmente di calmare la vostra mente in questo modo molte, molte volte nel corso della giornata.
Possa il vostro yoga avere buona riuscita!
Possiate voi raggiungere l’illuminazione!
Mahamandaleshwar Swami Veda Bharati, D. Litt.
Swami Rama SadhakaGrama, Virbhadra Road,
Rishikesh (Uttarakhand) 249203.
Per ascoltare l’audio di questo messaggio di Swami Veda, usate questo link: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxonKSAHdkyccW50djl0MXZNdU0/edit?pli=1
Questo messaggio può essere letto in Inglese, Italiano, Portoghese, Spagnolo, Tailandese su:http://ahymsin.org/main/swami-veda-bharati/message-for-international-yoga-day-june-21.html
Traduzione dall’inglese di Laura Linzi
Dirígido às queridas manifestações do Atman divino (da verdade eterna) no yoga
Estimado Ser,
Esta é a minha homenagem aos fundadores, sábios e rishis da linhagem Guru por cuja compaixão, intuição e perspicácia este conhecimento eterno venha para abençoar e apoiar neste momento da nossa história e no desenvolvimento espiritual da humanidade.
Como por exemplo, um dos acontecimentos mais recentes:
Logo após a eleição do Sr. Narenda Modi como primeiro ministro da Índia, este dirigiu uma proposta às Nações Unidas para a criação do dia internacional do yoga (ioga). Com uma votação inédita, 177 nações deram um parecer favorável para a declaração do dia 21 de junho como dia internacional do yoga.
Que neste dia, todos os que seguem uma prática espiritual mais interiorizada e espiritual do yoga, em qualquer que seja o ramo, sejam convidados a juntarem-se e partilharem as suas experiências, contemplando o seu progresso num estado de silêncio e quietude interior. E que todos os que aderem aos antigos sistemas de yoga, tal como ensinados pelos rishis (os grandes sábios dos Himalaias) se reúnam em meditação com o corpo, mente e espírito.
Que benefícios nos pode trazer o yoga? Eis um exemplo recente:
No dia das eleições normalmente os políticos estão sob um estado de grande ansiedade, sempre atentos à televisão, em permanente contacto com todas pessoas, etc.
No dia 16 de Maio de 2014, enquanto esperava os resultados das eleições o atual primeiro ministro da Índia (iniciado no yoga), somente ligou a televisão depois do meio-dia, ficando apenas em retiro e meditação. Esta é a forma de atuar de uma pessoa que medita.
E isto é o que o yoga nos pode conceder: ter sucesso e saber manter-se em silêncio.
Aquando da visita aos Estados Unidos Narenda Modi, fê-lo num período de jejum sagrado. Mesmo com um programa muito preenchido, encontrou-se com o presidente Obama várias vezes, realizando uma serie de discursos públicos impressionantes, um dos quais no Madison Square Garden, sempre mantendo o seu período de jejum. A sua energia ilimitada inspirou muitas pessoas, levando-as a perguntarem qual a sua fonte de energia e magnetismo. A sua fonte está na prática do yoga e da meditação. Este é apenas um exemplo recente do que o yoga nos pode trazer.
Em vez de dizer “Eu não posso meditar, porque estou sempre muito ocupado no meu trabalho”, procure e concretize todos os seus objectivos com sucesso, mas sem ansiedade e stress.
O que é isto do yoga? O que é o yoga e quais os sinais resultantes da sua prática?
Vyasa, o primeiro e mais importante sábio que comentou os Sutras de Patanjali1 . define yoga no primeiro sutra (verso) nestes termos:
Yogah samadhih
Yoga (significa) samadhi
“Yogah samadhih” também está no logótipo da nossa organização AHYMSIN – Associação Internacional de Sociedades do Yoga de Meditação dos Himalaias – com sede em Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Rishikesh.
Nos textos mais autênticos do Ayurveda (ciência médica tradicional da Índia), Charaka-samhita, diz:
Yogo moksha-pravartakah
Yoga é o que nos leva à libertação espiritual.
Sharira-sthana 1.137
Por favor memorizem estas duas definições e tornem-nas conhecidas a todos os que percorrem o caminho do yoga
Yogah samadhih (do texto sobre yoga)
Yogo moksha-pravartakah (do texto sobre Ayurveda)
Da imensa e vasta literatura yoga, com largos milhares de anos, abrangendo diversas línguas, selecciono aleatoriamente um texto clássico na língua Kannada do Sul da Índia – Shunya-sampadane. O título deste texto significa: cumprimento/conclusão/perfeição em shunya (o vazio eterno).
Neste texto podemos ler sobre o grande mestre Allama Prabhu.
Allama Prabhu entra no quarto onde Animishadeva medita e testemunha a presença do outro mestre. Estas são as frases que descrevem a experiência daquele grande Mestre:
A perceção do seu corpo desvaneceu-se;
Aumentou a sua quietude;
O seu olhar fixou-se no infinito;
A sua visão ficou enevoada;
As suas pestanas ficaram imóveis;
A sua consciência estabilizou;
A percepção de si mesmo desvaneceu-se;
A sua percepção da existência do “outro” parou;
A diferença entre o conceito “dois” desapareceu;
Tornando-se em tudo e tudo tornando-se nele, um só;
Reunindo todos os seus sentidos num ponto onde a mente se foca e desvanece em nada;
Tendo cumprido para si mesmo o significado da doutrina:
“Vazio (shunya) no topo
Vazio na base
Vazio no centro”;
Livre de defeitos;
Completamente livre de quaisquer manifestações mentais:
Estas são as características de quem está em Samadhi
Tendo-se tornado numa imagem absorvida no transe da Realidade.
Shunya-sampadane, primeiro Upadesha,vachana 19
(traduzido por, S.C. Nandimath, L.M.A.Menezes, R.C. Hieremath)
Shunya-sampadane não é um texto budista. É o texto mais autêntico, mais antigo, mais importante da tradição do Karnataka shaiva / shiva. O texto elucida-nos sobre estado de shunya e explica seu significado. A tradução não é minha, portanto presto homenagem àqueles que gentilmente a tornaram disponível. Contemple, leia, ouça estes versos várias vezes. E pergunte-se:
O quão distante estamos desta definição e deste objectivo na nossa pratica diária e da interpretação atual do yoga?
Cito outra fonte, mas desta vez é de origem budista:
O rei Grego Menandros (em Grego), (Menander em Inglês, Milinda em Pali) viveu entre 165/155 – 130 A.C., governou uma grande parte do sul da Ásia desde o rio Kabul no Afeganistão até ao rio Ravi, no atual Punjab no Paquistão. Existe um texto em Pali (a língua que Buddha falava) chamado “Milinda-panha” (trad. “As questões de Milinda”) que regista o diálogo entre o Rei Milinda e o monge budista Bhikkhu Nagasena.
No capítulo 6o, o rei pergunta ao monge sobre quais as qualidades de quem pratica yoga. O monge responde oferecendo uma lista de 179 qualidades que são encontradas em 67 entidades, seres ou objectos, e que devem ser vistas em quem pratique yoga2 .
Destas 179 qualidades apresentamos apenas cinco das qualidades do oceano. Os praticantes de yoga podem aprender Pali (a língua irmã mais jovem do Sânscrito) para poder compreender o diálogo por completo. Segue-se o que o monge disse ao Rei:
O que realiza a prática do yoga tem cinco das qualidades do oceano:
1. O oceano não mantém um corpo morto por muito tempo. Tal como o praticante de yoga não deixa manter em si a atração, aversão, confusão, orgulho, auto adoração (gabar-se, especialmente dirigido aos professores de yoga), ostentação (chamando-se a si mesmo um grande Yogiraj quando não se é nem discípulo), ciúme, inveja, malícia, engano, desonestidade, arrogância, má conduta moral e sofrimento.
2. Tal como o oceano guarda em si pérolas e muitos outros tipos de jóias, reservando-as para si, da mesma forma o praticante de yoga deverá perseguir e guardar para si as suas jóias ou frutos da prática do yoga: meditação, samadhi, união, discernimento, sabedoria e muito mais. Devendo estas ficarem sob reserva e em privacidade.
3. Tal como o oceano mantém uma ligação com as grandes criaturas, também o praticante de yoga deverá manter a ligação com um monge de grande sabedoria que possua as seguintes qualidades: Que deseje pouco, viva em si o contentamento e a alegria, fale com calma e estabilidade, tenha uma conduta pura e seja modesto, com uma natureza suave, profunda, venerável, eloquente, cuidadosa, rejeitando vícios, saiba ouvir os ensinamentos dos outros, oferecendo também ensinamentos, um professor que guie pelo caminho do bem, gerando um sentimento de dedicação pela forma como transmite o seu conhecimento sobre a vida, e que no fundo seja um bem feitor.
4. Tal como oceano recebe a água de milhares de rios e da chuva das nuvens sem transbordar, também o praticante de yoga ao receber elogios, respeito, cortesias e honras também não passa a fronteira dos seus princípios.
5. Tal como oceano recebe a água de milhares de rios e da chuva das nuvens sem nunca ficar completamente cheio (isto é incapaz de receber mais), também o praticante de yoga deverá viver com sede do conhecimento do Dharma (o caminho virtuoso da vida) ouvindo os ensinamentos dos outros, de contemplar e examinar estes ensinamentos, estudando as profundezas da filosofia e dos textos sagrados.
Milinda-panha-pali. 6 Opamma-katha-panha
2 samudda-vaggo, 10 samuddanga-panho
Que nesta vida possam ser desenvolvidas todas as 179 qualidades em si.
Em devoção dedico estas contemplações ao meu mestre Guruveda Swami Rama dos Himalaias e a todos aqueles a quem ele ensinou. Dedico também estas palavras aos rishis e sábios, que através das suas pesquisas internas e profundas, fundaram a ciência do yoga.
Desejo a todos os praticantes e participantes dos eventos do yoga sucesso no seu caminho.
Yogovahsa-phalee-bhooyaat3.
Que o seu yoga seja bem sucedido.
Convido-vos com muito gosto a visitarem o nosso ashram nas margens do sagrado rio Ganges, onde desde há milhares de anos yogis buscam e esperam em silêncio e anonimato por aqueles que virão merecedores e preparados.
Quando os budistas Coreanos se despedem de alguém dizem:
Que você se possa tornar num ser iluminado
Com isto, entre no silêncio. Entre no templo da divindade que é o seu corpo triplo de cinco camadas e experimente o silêncio e a quietude da mente. Sossegue a mente, relaxe a testa.
Concentre a sua atenção na sensação causada pela respiração, e receba este presente (cada respiração) em humildade, gratidão e reverência.
Sinta o fluxo e o toque da respiração nas suas narinas. Respire gentilmente, lentamente, suavemente, sem paragens bruscas, sem distúrbios na mente, com uma respiração continuada, gentil, suave e lenta.
Lembre-se do nome que dá a Deus ou à Mãe divina de acordo com sua religião ou tradição.
Permita apenas que esse nome divino surja na sua mente.
Sinta o fluxo e o toque da respiração nas narinas, ao expirar pense nesse nome divino e ao inspirar pense novamente nesse nome divino.
Aqueles que foram iniciados e tem um mantra pessoal podem usar de acordo com sua fé o seu mantra pessoal, o nome de Deus ou da Virgem Maria. No caso de você não ter fé em Deus, expire e pense “um”, inspire e pense”dois”.
Sinta o fluxo e o toque da respiração nas narinas ao mesmo tempo que o nome divino, mantra ou número flui na sua mente…
Continue observando o fluxo gentil e suave…
Sem impulsos, sem pausas entre respirações, observe como a sua mente, o nome divino e a respiração tornam-se um fluxo unificado de consciência… fluindo nessa corrente…
Sem quebrar a concentração neste fluxo, abra suavemente os olhos, permitindo que o fluxo tranquilo da mente, o nome puro de Deus (mantra ou numero), e a respiração se fundam na consciência, permitindo que este fluir continue mesmo com os olhos abertos.
Decida acalmar sua mente desta forma muitas e muitas vezes durante o dia.
Que o seu yoga seja bem sucedido! Que você se possa tornar um ser iluminado!
Mahamandaleshwar Swami Veda Bharati, D. Litt.
Swami Rama SadhakaGrama, Virbhadra Road,
Rishikesh (Uttarakhand) 249293.
1O texto mais autêntico e antigo sobre o yoga
2Existem também registos de uma tradução muito antiga numa versão mais curta em chinês de um diálogo entre um rei grego e um monge budista Bhikkhu Nagasena.
3A construção do verbo aqui é feita no que em sanscrito se chama de modo beneditivo.
Esto es para las amadas manifestaciones del Atma Divina en Yoga,
Querido Ser,
Poco después de que el Sr. Narendra Modi fuera elegido primer ministro de la India se dirigió a las Naciones Unidas y propuso que debía haber un Día de Internacional del Yoga. 177 naciones estuvieron a favor de la propuesta. Así, el día 21 de Junio ha sido declarado el Día Internacional de Yoga, anualmente.
En un día tal, todos los que se hallan en la búsqueda de la propia esencia espiritual, en cualquier de las ramas espirituales del Yoga, tienen que reunirse para compartir sus experiencias internas, reflexionar sobre su avance en la búsqueda, y estar en alguna forma de silencio interior.
Que en este día, todos aquellos que se adhieren a los antiguos sistemas del Yoga como enseñan los sabios, puedan reunirse y meditar juntos con el cuerpo, la mente y el espíritu.
¿Qué puede concedernos el Yoga? Aquí tienen un ejemplo reciente:
Comúnmente cuando los políticos luchan en las elecciones, el día en que se dan a conocer los resultados, todos se encuentran en un estado de extrema ansiedad, prendidos del televisor, llamando a todas partes,… y así continuamente.
El actual primer ministro de la India estaba esperando el anuncio de los resultados de las elecciones el 16 de mayo de 2014. Ese día no encendió el televisor hasta después de las 12 del mediodía; únicamente se sentó a meditar en soledad. Ésta es la manera de actuar de un meditador.
Cuando fue a visitar los EE.UU., se encontraba en medio de los días sagrados de ayuno. Fue un programa agitado. Se reunió con el presidente Obama en varias ocasiones, dio impresionantes discursos públicos, como el del Madison Square Garden, todo sin dejar su ayuno. Su ilimitada energía inspiró a todo el mundo; hizo que todos se maravillaran de su fuente inagotable y de su magnetismo.
Su fuente es el Yoga y la meditación. Este es sólo un ejemplo de lo que el Yoga concede. No digas “no puedo meditar porque estoy ocupado persiguiendo el éxito mundano”. Persigue y ten éxito, pero no estés agobiado por esa búsqueda.
¿Qué es este Yoga? ¿Cuáles son los signos de la práctica del Yoga? En el primer Sutra de los Yoga-Sutras de Patanjali, Vyasa, el primer y principal sabio comentarista, define:
Yogahsamadhih
Yoga [significa] samadhi.
El auténtico texto más antiguo del Ayurveda, Charaka Samhita, expone lo siguiente:
Yogo moksha pravartakah
Yoga es aquello que impulsa y otorga la liberación espiritual (moksha)
Sharira-sthana 1.137
En el texto clásico kannada Shunya-sampadane podemos leer:
Allama Prabhu (1) entra en el lugar de meditación de Animishadeva (2) y es testigo:
Su sentido corporal se había descorporalizado,
Su voluntad se había parado en un estado de sin voluntad
Su ojo se había suspendido en la fijeza,
Su visión se había borrado,
Sus pestañas no parpadeaban,
Su conciencia permanecía inmutable,
La palpitación del sentido de sí mismo se abolió,
Su sentido del “otro” se había detenido,
La brecha entre “dos” se había desvanecido,
Él mismo se convirtió en todo sí mismo,
Situando todos sus impulsos en un punto, en el cual la mente se había reducido a la nada;
Habiendo realizado en sí mismo el significado de la doctrina:
“Vacío (shunya) en la parte superior
Vacío en la base
Vacío en el centro”
Libre de defectos,
Totalmente vacío de las apariencias mentales;
éstas son las características del que está en trance (samadhi),
[habiéndose] convertido en una imagen absorbida en el
trance de la Realidad.
Shunya-sampadane, Primer Upadesha, Vachana 19
( traducido por S.C. Nandimath, L.M.A. Menezes, R.C. Hieremath)
Nota traductor:
(1) Santo Místico del s XII, Kannada.
(2)Maestro que transformó a Allama en buscador espiritual.
¿Cuán lejos estamos de esta definición y de la interpretación y meta del Yoga, en nuestras prácticas del día a día?
El rey de Grecia Menandros (en griego), [Menander en inglés, Milinda en pali] (165/155 -130 a. de C.) gobernó sobre una gran parte del sur de Asia, desde el río Kabul en Afganistán hasta el río Ravi en el actual Punjab de Pakistán. Hay un texto en la lengua pali (el idioma que hablaba Buda) registrando su diálogo con el monje budista BhikkhuNagasena, en Milinda-Panha (un texto pali titulado “Preguntas de Milinda”).
En el capítulo sexto, el rey le pregunta al monje las cualidades que presenta una persona que practica Yoga. El monje responde proporcionando una lista de sesenta y siete entidades, seres u objetos cuyas 179 cualidades deben ser observadas en un practicante de Yoga.
De ese océano de cualidades sólo enumeraremos cinco. Los buscadores interesados pueden aprender pali (una hermana menor del sánscrito) para disfrutar del diálogo al completo.
El que practica el sadhana del Yoga tiene cinco de las cualidades de ese océano:
* El océano no mantiene un cuerpo muerto como tal por mucho tiempo. Así, el practicante del Yoga no permite que permanezcan en él los defectos como la atracción, la aversión, la confusión, el orgullo, la adoración a sí mismo, la jactancia, los celos, la envidia, la malicia, el engaño, la deshonestidad, la agitación, la mala conducta moral, la aflicción.
* Aunque el océano guarda en su interior perlas y muchas clases de joyas, los mantiene ocultas; así debe un sadhaka del Yoga alcanzar en sí mismo las joyas tales como el camino correcto, los frutos [del sadhana], la meditación, samadhi, la fusión, perspicacia, sabiduría y así sucesivamente. Éstas deben mantenerse ocultas y no ponerlas en exhibición.
*El océano guarda una asociación con la mayor de las criaturas. Así pués un sadhaka del Yoga debe mantenerse en compañía de un gran monje que tenga estas cualidades: alguien que desee muy poco, que esté satisfecho, que hable con templanza, que tenga una conducta pura, que sea modesto, de carácter suave, profundo, venerable, elocuente, fervoroso, que rechace el vicio, que escuche los preceptos de los demás, que otorgue preceptos a los demás, que sepa exponer, que sea un guía hacia el camino correcto, generando un sentimiento de dedicación en otros por sus discursos del dharma, y un bienhechor.
*Así como el océano recibe las aguas de todos los miles de ríos, como también las de los arroyos de las lluvias, pero no rompe sus límites, así un sadhaka del Yoga recibe beneficios, respeto, postraciones, honores, y aún así no debe romper los límites de los preceptos.
*Así como el océano recibe las aguas de todos los miles de ríos, como también las de los arroyos de las lluvias, sin embargo, no llega a estar lleno del todo [incapaz de recibir más], así un sadhaka del Yoga nunca debe saciarse del aprendizaje, de conversar sobre dharma, de escuchar los preceptos de los demás, de contemplarlos, de examinarlos, de estudiar las profundidades de la filosofía y los textos sagrados …
Milinda-panha-pali. 6 Opamma-katha-panha
2 samudda-vaggo, 10 samuddanga-panho
Que pueda usted desarrollar estas 179 cualidades en esta vida.
Con adoración dedico estas consideraciones a mi Gurudeva Swami Rama de los Himalayas.
Les deseo a todos los sadhakas y participantes en los eventos de yoga éxito en tal aspiración.
Yogovahsa-phalee-bhooyaat.
Como los budistas coreanos dicen en una despedida a alguien:
dangsinymkedaljilgubnida
o
Dangsin-I kkaedal-eum-eulseongchwihasigilbibnida
Que puedas llegar a la Iluminación.
Mahamandaleshwar Swami Veda Bharati, D. Litt.
Swami Rama SadhakaGrama, Virbhadra Road,
Rishikesh (Uttarakhand) 249293.
ถึงผู้ฝึกโยคะด้วยหัวใจแห่งโยคะ
ข้าพเจ้าขอแสดงความเคารพต่อครูบาอาจารย์ผู้ริเริ่มสายปฏิบัติหิมาลายันโยคะสมาธิ ด้วยความเมตตาและปัญญาญาณของท่านเหล่านั้น องค์ความรู้และประโยชน์ของโยคะจึงได้สืบทอดมาสู่ผู้คนในยุคปัจจุบันซึ่งจะกลายเป็นส่วนหนึ่งของประวัติศาสตร์แห่งการพัฒนาทางด้านจิตวิญญาณที่ยังคงดำเนินไปอย่างต่อเนื่อง ตัวอย่างของโยคะในเรื่องของการพัฒนาจิตที่เห็นได้ชัดเจนที่สุดในยุคนี้ ได้แก่ นายกรัฐมนตรีคนปัจจุบันของประเทศอินเดีย
หลังจากที่ นายนเรนดา โมดิ ได้รับชัยชนะจากการเลือกตั้งเป็นนายกรัฐมนตรี (ในสมัยแรก เมื่อปี พ.ศ. 2557 – ผู้แปล) ได้ไม่นานนัก ท่านได้เสนอให้องค์การสหประชาชาติมีการจัดตั้ง วันโยคะสากลขึ้น โดยมี 177 ประเทศเห็นด้วยกับข้อเสนอของท่าน ดังนั้นองค์การสหประชาชาติจึงได้มีการประกาศให้วันที่ 21 มิถุนายนของทุกปีเป็นวันโยคะสากล โดยเริ่มตั้งแต่ปี 2558 เป็นต้นไป
ในวันดังกล่าว เพื่อให้ผู้ฝึกโยคะเข้าถึงแก่นแท้แห่งจิตวิญญาณ จึงควรจะมีการรวมตัวกันเพื่อแบ่งปันประสบการณ์แห่งการเดินทางภายในนี้ รวมถึงการพิจารณาทบทวนความก้าวหน้าบนเส้นทาง โดยทุกคนควรจะคงความเงียบในจิตของตนเองไว้ในวันนั้น และร่วมปฏิบัติสมาธิด้วยกัน
โยคะให้อะไรกับเราบ้าง ? นี่เป็นตัวอย่างที่เพิ่งเกิดขึ้นเมื่อเร็ว ๆ นี้
โดยปกติแล้ว นักการเมืองที่ลงสนามแข่งขันในการเลือกตั้ง มักจะมีความวิตกกังวลในวันประกาศผลเลือกตั้ง พวกเขาจะนั่งเฝ้าติดตามผลการลงคะแนนทางหน้าจอทีวีด้วยใจที่จดจ่อ และโทรศัพท์หากันและกันตลอดทั้งวัน
แต่ในวันที่ 16 พฤษภาคม 2557 ซึ่งเป็นวันประกาศผลการเลือกตั้งในประเทศอินเดียนั้น ท่านนายก ฯ นเรนดาซึ่งเป็นศิษย์ของสวามีท่านหนึ่ง กลับไม่ได้เปิดดูข่าวสารทางทีวีเลยจนกระทั่งเวลาเที่ยงตรง ท่านใช้เวลาในช่วงเช้าอยู่เพียงลำพัง เพื่อปฏิบัติสมาธิ นี่คือวิถีของนักปฏิบัติโยคะ นี่คือสิ่งที่โยคะให้กับเรา คือการเป็นผู้ที่ประสบความสำเร็จโดยไม่อวดอ้างความสำเร็จของตน
เมื่อนายกรัฐมนตรี นเรนดา ได้เดินทางไปเยือนประเทศสหรัฐอเมริกาในช่วงระยะเวลาแห่งการถือศีลอด ท่านมีตารางงานที่ยุ่งมาก เนื่องจากท่านต้องเข้าพบประธานาธิบดีโอบามาหลายครั้ง และยังต้องปาฐกถาในที่สาธารณะอีกหลายแห่ง อย่างไรก็ดี ตลอดช่วงระยะเวลาดังกล่าว ท่านได้ถือศีลอดโดยมิขาด การถือศีลอดนี้ นอกจากจะไม่มีผลกระทบกับท่านแล้ว ยังกลับทำให้ท่านมีพลังงานอย่างล้นเหลือและสามารถสร้างแรงบันดาลใจและความประหลาดใจแก่ทุก ๆ คนที่ได้พบกับท่าน พลังงานดังกล่าวมาจากการฝึกปฏิบัติโยคะและสมาธินั่นเอง
นี่เป็นเพียงหนึ่งในตัวอย่างของประโยชน์อันมากมายที่โยคะมอบให้แก่พวกเราซึ่งยังคงใช้ชีวิตทางโลกอยู่
จงอย่าบอกกับตัวเองว่า “ฉันไม่สามารถปฏิบัติสมาธิได้ เพราะฉันต้องใช้เวลาทั้งหมดไปในการสร้างความสำเร็จทางโลก “จงแสวงหาความสำเร็จแต่อย่าให้ความพยายามนั้นสร้างความเครียดกับตัวเอง”
แล้วโยคะคืออะไร ? อะไรคือเครื่องชี้วัดว่าเรากำลังฝึกโยคะอยู่ ?
พระสูตรแรกในตำรา “ปตัญชลีโยคะสูตร” ที่ได้รับการแปลและให้ความเห็นโดยโยคีที่ยิ่งใหญ่ที่สุดท่านหนึ่งคือพระมหาฤาษีวยาสะ (Sage Vyasa) กล่าวว่า “โยคะคือสมาธิ” ซึ่งคำว่า “โยคะคือสมาธิ” นี้เป็นส่วนหนึ่งของโลโก้ ของสถาบันหิมาลายันโยคะสมาธิ ที่มีศูนย์ปฏิบัติ (Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama) ตั้งอยู่ ณ เมืองฤษีเกศ ประเทศอินเดีย
“จารกะ สัมหิตา” ซึ่งเป็นตำราดั้งเดิมของศาสตร์อายุรเวท กล่าวว่า “โยคะคือเส้นทางที่นำไปสู่การหลุดพ้น (จากสังสารวัฏ)” Sharira-sthana 1.137
ขอให้พวกท่านจดจำคำนิยามของโยคะทั้งสองนี้ไว้ และช่วยให้ผู้คนอื่น ๆ ที่ได้เดินเข้ามาในเส้นทางแห่งโยคะ ไม่ว่าจะเริ่มที่จุดใด ได้เข้าใจในคำนิยามเหล่านี้ด้วย
“โยคะคือสมาธิ” “โยคะคือเส้นทางที่นำไปสู่การหลุดพ้น (จากสังสารวัฏ)”
ศาสตร์แห่งโยคะเปรียบเสมือนวรรณคดีที่กว้างใหญ่ไพศาลและดำรงอยู่คู่กับโลกมาเป็นเวลานาน (จนไม่อาจหาจุดกำเนิดได้) ในที่นี้ ข้าพเจ้าอยากจะกล่าวถึงตำราโบราณเล่มหนึ่งในภาษากันดานา (Kandana Language) จากทางตอนใต้ของประเทศอินเดีย ชื่อว่า “สุญญตา-สัมปดาเน” (“Shunya-sampadane”) ซึ่งแปลว่า ความเต็มเปี่ยมสมบูรณ์ในความว่างอันเป็นนิรันดร์
ในตำราเล่มนี้ มีเรื่องราวของคุรุผู้ยิ่งใหญ่ อัลลามา ปราภู (Allama Prabhu) ที่ได้เข้าไปในถ้ำปฏิบัติสมาธิของโยคี
อนิมิชเทวา (Animishadeva) ผู้มีชื่อเสียง และได้ประจักษ์ว่าท่าน (อนิมิชเทวา) กำลังฝึกปฏิบัติและมีประสบการณ์ดังนี้
ประสาทสัมผัสทั้งมวลของท่านถูกดึงเข้าสู่ภายในเพื่อการปฏิบัติทางด้านจิตวิญญาณ
จิตของท่านตั้งมั่นอยู่ในความปล่อยวาง
ดวงตาของท่านนิ่งและสำรวม
สายตาของท่านไม่ถูกกระทบจากสิ่งเร้าภายนอก
เปลือกตาของท่านไม่กะพริบ
จิตสำนึกของท่านอยู่ในสภาวะนิ่งสงบ
ประสาทสัมผัสทั้งหมดสงบระงับ
ความรู้สึกว่ามีสิ่งอื่นดำรงอยู่เลือนหายไป
ช่องว่างระหว่างสองสิ่งหมดไป (ทุกสิ่งทุกอย่างหลอมรวมเป็นหนึ่งเดียวกัน)
ตัวท่านกลมกลืนเป็นหนึ่งเดียวกับทุกสรรพสิ่ง
แรงบันดาลใจทั้งมวลของท่านรวมอยู่ที่จิตที่กำลังจดจ่ออยู่ที่ความไม่มี
ท่านได้เข้าใจถึงสภาวะแห่ง สุญญตา ทั่วทุกอณู อย่างถ่องแท้
และเป็นอิสระจากข้อบกพร่องทั้งมวล
ไม่มีปรากฏการณ์และการปรุงแต่งของจิตหลงเหลืออยู่
นี่คือคุณลักษณะของผู้ที่คงอยู่ในสภาวะสมาธิ และหลอมรวมเป็นหนึ่งกับสัจธรรมสูงสุด
จาก Shunya-sampadane, First Upadesha, vachana 19 (แปลโดย S.C. Nandimath, L.M.A.Menezes, R.C. Hieremath)
จากการฝึกปฏิบัติโยคะในชีวิตประจำวัน เราได้ตระหนักรู้หรือไม่ว่าในขณะนี้ ความเข้าใจในโยคะของเรายังอยู่ห่างไกลจากคำนิยามและเป้าหมายแห่งโยคะเช่นที่กล่าวมาแค่ไหน ?
สุญญตา-สัมปดาเน ไม่ใช่ตำราของพระพุทธศาสนา แต่เป็นตำราที่มีความสำคัญที่สุดในไศวนิกายจากรัฐกรณาฏกะทางตอนใต้ของประเทศอินเดีย ซึ่งอธิบายถึงสภาวะแห่งสุญญตา ข้าพเจ้าไม่ได้เป็นผู้แปลตำราเล่มนี้ และข้าพเจ้าขอน้อมคำนับด้วยความเคารพอย่างสูงสุดต่อผู้ที่ได้กรุณาแปลความหมายของตำราเล่มนี้ ข้าพเจ้าอยากขอให้ผู้ฝึกโยคะทุก ๆ ท่านได้อ่านและพิจารณาความหมายของพระสูตรเหล่านี้อย่างลึกซึ้ง และให้อ่านซ้ำ ๆ อีกหลาย ๆ ครั้ง
ข้าพเจ้าขอกล่าวถึงตำราอีกเล่มหนึ่งซึ่งเป็นบันทึกของชาวพุทธ
เมนันดรอส (เมนันเดอร์ ในภาษาอังกฤษ หรือ มิลินท์ ในภาษาบาลี) กษัตริย์ผู้ยิ่งใหญ่แห่งประเทศกรีก (165/155 – 130 ก่อนคริสตศักราช) ซึ่งเป็นผู้ครอบครองดินแดนส่วนใหญ่ในแถบเอเชียใต้ ตั้งแต่แม่น้ำคาบูลในประเทศอัฟกานิสถาน ไปถึงแม่น้ำราวี ในรัฐปัญจาบ ประเทศปากีสถาน ในตำราภาษาบาลีเล่มหนึ่ง ที่มีชื่อว่า “มิลินทปัญหา” ได้มีการบันทึกบทสนทนาระหว่างกษัตริย์มิลินท์ และพระภิกษุนาคเสน (ในพุทธศาสนา) โดยบทสนทนานี้ได้ถูกแปลเป็นภาษาจีนเมื่อหลายร้อยปีก่อนด้วย
ในบทที่ 6 กษัตริย์มิลินท์ได้ซักถามเกี่ยวกับคุณสมบัติที่เด่นชัดของผู้ฝึกปฏิบัติโยคะ ท่านนาคเสนตอบว่ามีคุณลักษณะทั้งหมด 179 ประการของผู้ฝึกโยคะ
ซึ่งจะขอยกมาเพียง 5 คุณสมบัติขึ้นมาพิจารณา ณ ที่นี้ สำหรับผู้ที่สนใจอาจจะศึกษาภาษาบาลีเพิ่มเติมเพื่อจะได้เข้าใจความหมายได้ลึกซึ้งมากยิ่งขึ้น
ผู้ฝึกปฏิบัติโยคะย่อมมีคุณลักษณะ 5 ประการของมหาสมุทรดังนี้
1.เปรียบดังมหาสมุทรอันกว้างใหญ่ที่ไม่เก็บรักษาศพไว้เป็นเวลานาน ผู้ฝึกปฏิบัติโยคะย่อมไม่คงไว้ซึ่งคุณลักษณะอันไม่พึงปรารถนา เช่นความหลงใหล ความต้องการหลีกหนี ความสับสน ความผยอง ความหลงตัว ความโอ้อวดตน ความอิจฉาริษยา ความมุ่งร้าย ความหลอกลวง ความคดโกง ความหยาบกระด้าง และการประพฤติผิดศีลธรรม
2.เปรียบดังมหาสมุทรอันกว้างใหญ่ไพศาลที่เก็บรักษาไข่มุกอันล้ำค่าเอาไว้อย่างมิดชิด ผู้ฝึกปฏิบัติโยคะย่อมเข้าถึงคุณสมบัติอันล้ำค่าด้วยตนเอง อันประกอบไปด้วยการเลือกเส้นทางเดินทางด้านจิตวิญญาณที่ถูกต้อง ผลพวงและประโยชน์จากการปฏิบัติสมาธิ ความเป็นหนึ่งเดียวของปัญญาและความรู้ทางธรรม โดยไม่โอ้อวดสิ่งเหล่านี้ต่อผู้อื่น
3.เปรียบดังมหาสมุทรที่สามารถรักษาความสัมพันธ์กับสิ่งสร้างที่ยิ่งใหญ่ได้ ผู้ฝึกโยคะย่อมจะรักษาความสัมพันธ์ที่แน่นแฟ้นกับผู้ยิ่งใหญ่เช่นพระภิกษุ ซึ่งมีคุณลักษณะต่าง ๆ ดังนี้ – เป็นผู้ซึ่งมีความบริสุทธิ์ในระดับสูง มีกิเลสอันเบาบาง มีความพึงพอใจอยู่เป็นนิตย์ มีความมั่นคงในวาจา มีความประพฤติบริสุทธิ์ มีความนอบน้อมสูง มีความอ่อนโยนและความน่าเคารพยกย่อง มีวาทศิลป์สูง มีความศรัทธาเลื่อมใส เป็นผู้ที่ทั้งรับฟังธรรมะจากผู้อื่น และให้ธรรมะแก่ผู้อื่น นำผู้อื่นเข้าสู่เส้นทางธรรมและสร้างแรงบันดาลใจให้ผู้คนอุทิศตนให้ธรรมะ เป็นผู้สร้างประโยชน์แก่มวลมนุษยชาติ
4.เปรียบดังมหาสมุทรที่เปิดรับกระแสน้ำจากทุกสารทิศ (แม่น้ำน้อยใหญ่ และสายฝน) ได้โดยไม่จำเป็นต้องเปลี่ยนแปลงคุณสมบัติของตน ผู้ฝึกปฏิบัติโยคะย่อมสามารถน้อมรับทุกสิ่งทุกอย่างที่เป็นประโยชน์รวมถึงการเคารพสรรเสริญโดยไม่จำเป็นต้องเปลี่ยนความประพฤติทางด้านศีลธรรมของตนเอง
5.เปรียบดังมหาสมุทรที่อ้าแขนรับกระแสน้ำจากทุกสารทิศ (แม่น้ำน้อยใหญ่ และสายฝน) โดยไม่มีขีดจำกัด ผู้ฝึกปฏิบัติโยคะย่อมเป็นผู้มีใจเปิดกว้างและยังคงแสวงหาหนทางเพิ่มพูนความรู้และปัญญาอยู่ตลอดเวลา ด้วยการศึกษาปรัชญาและคัมภีร์ศักดิ์สิทธิ์ในเชิงลึกโดยไม่หยุดหย่อน
(Milinda-panha-pali. 6 Opamma-katha-panha 2 samudda-vaggo, 10 samuddanga-panho)
ข้าพเจ้าขออวยพรให้คุณสมบัติทั้ง 179 ประการนี้ถูกปลูกฝังและได้รับการพัฒนาขึ้นในชีวิตของทุก ๆ ท่านในชาติภพนี้
ข้าพเจ้าขออุทิศทุกๆ สิ่งเป็นอาจาริยบูชาแด่คุรุของข้าพเจ้า สวามี รามา จากเทือกเขาหิมาลัย แด่ผู้อื่นในสายปฏิบัติ
หิมาลายันโยคะสมาธิที่ได้เรียนรู้จากท่าน และแด่โยคีทั้งหลายผู้ให้กำเนิดศาสตร์แห่งโยคะจากปัญญาญาณที่ได้จากการปฏิบัติสมาธิในระดับลึก
ข้าพเจ้าขอเชิญชวนทุกท่านให้มาเยี่ยมเยือนอารามของสายปฏิบัติหิมาลายันโยคะสมาธิที่ตั้งอยู่ริมฝั่งของแม่น้ำคงคาอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ อันเป็นสถานที่ซึ่งเหล่าโยคีผู้ยิ่งใหญ่ทั้งหลายเดินทางท่องไปในความเงียบโดยไม่เปิดเผยตัวตน และเฝ้ารอผู้ที่เตรียมพร้อมและสมควรได้รับการถ่ายทอดคำสอนอันล้ำค่า
และเหมือนดังที่ชาวพุทธในประเทศเกาหลีมักจะกล่าวคำอำลาให้แก่กันและกันว่า “ขอให้ท่านเข้าถึงสภาวะแห่งการรู้แจ้ง (นิพพาน) ในเร็ววัน”
ด้วยคำอวยพรนี้ ขอให้ทุกท่านน้อมนำจิตและความสนใจกลับเข้าสู่ภายในเพื่อสัมผัสกับความเงียบและสงบ ผ่อนคลายหน้าผาก นำสติมาระลึกรู้อยู่กับลมหายใจ และรู้สึกกตัญญูรู้คุณต่อลมหายใจ มีสติระลึกรู้อยู่กับสัมผัสของลมหายใจที่บริเวณรูจมูก หายใจเข้าและออกอย่างช้า ๆ และนุ่มนวล ลมหายใจและจิตลื่นไหลไปพร้อม ๆ กันโดยไม่สะดุดและกระชาก
ให้เราระลึกถึงพระนามอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ของพระเจ้าหรือศาสดาที่เรานับถือ ในทุก ๆ ลมหายใจเข้าและออก สำหรับผู้ที่มีมันตราส่วนตัว ให้ระลึกถึงมันตราส่วนตัว สำหรับผู้ที่ไม่ได้มีความเชื่อในศาสนาใดเป็นพิเศษ ให้นับหนึ่งขณะหายใจเข้า นับสองขณะหายใจออก ให้ถ้อยคำอันศักดิ์สิทธ์หรือมันตราลื่นไหลไปพร้อม ๆ กับลมหายใจอย่างต่อเนื่องและนุ่มนวล ลมหายใจไม่สะดุด ไม่มีการหยุดในระหว่างลมหายใจเข้าและลมหายใจออก เฝ้าสังเกตดูจิต ลมหายใจ และถ้อยคำศักดิ์สิทธิ์ที่ลื่นไหลสอดประสานดั่งสายน้ำเส้นเดียวกัน รวมเป็นสายธารแห่งจิตสำนึก
ในขณะที่สติยังคงระลึกรู้อยู่กับการลื่นไหลแห่งสายธารนี้ ค่อย ๆ ลืมตาขึ้นช้า ๆ แต่ยังคงไว้ซึ่งความสงบและถ้อยคำศักดิ์สิทธิ์ในดวงจิต ให้พวกเราตั้งปณิธานในจิต ว่าเราจะรักษาความสงบภายในนี้เอาไว้ตลอดทั้งวัน
ขอให้ท่านประสบความสำเร็จบนเส้นทางของโยคะ ขอให้ท่านเข้าถึงสภาวะแห่งการรู้แจ้งในเร็ววัน
สวามี เวทะ ภารตี
On the very first sutra of the Yoga-sutras of Patanjali, Vyasa defines:
Yogah samadhih
Yoga [means] samadhi.
The most authentic ancient text of Ayurveda, Charaka-samhita, states:
Yogo moksha-pravartakah
Yoga is that which impels and grants spiritual liberation (moksha)
Sharira-sthana 1.137
In the classical Kannada text Shunya-sampadane we read: Allama Prabhu enters Animishadeva’s meditation chamber and witnesses
His corporal sense decorporalised;
His will stilled in willlessness;
His eye held in fixity;
His sight blotted;
His lashes unblinking;
His consciousness steady;
The tremor of his sense of himself abolished;
His sense of the other stopped;
The gap between ‘two’ vanished;
Himself become all himself;
Bearing all his impulses on a point where mind dwindles to nought;
Having fulfilled to himself the meaning of the doctrine
“Void (shunya) at the top
Void at the base
Void at the centre”;
Free from defect;
All empty of mental appearances —
These are the characteristics of one who is in [samadhi] trance—
[having] become an image absorbed in the trance of Reality.
Shunya-sampadane, First Upadesha,vachana 19
(translated by S.C. Nandimath, L.M.A.Menezes, R.C. Hieremath)
How far are we from this definition and this goal of yoga in our day to day practices and the interpretation of yoga?
In the dialogue between the Greek king Menander (Milinda in Pali) and Bhikshu Nagasena, in Milindapanha (a Pali text), (partially paraphrased here) we are advised:
One who practices the sadhana of yoga has five qualities of the ocean.
The ocean does not keep a dead body as such for long. So, the practitioner of yoga does not let abide in himself the defects like attraction, aversion, confusion, pride, self-adoration, boasting, jealousy, envy, malice, deceit, crookedness, roughness, bad moral conduct, affliction.
Even though the ocean holds in itself pearls and many kinds of jewels, but keeps them concealed, so should a sadhaka of yoga attain in himself the jewels like right path, fruits [of sadhana], meditation, samadhi, coalascence, insight, wisdom and so forth. These one should keep concealed and not put on display.
The Ocean keeps an association with the largest o f creatures. So should a sadhaka of yoga keep company with a great monk who has these qualities : one who desires very little, is contented, speaks with a steadiness, has pure conduct, is modest,soft-natured,deep, venerable, eloquent, zealous, rejecting vice, listener of the precepts of others, granting precepts to others, an expounder, guide to the right path, generating a sentiment of dedication in others by his homilies of dharma, and a benefactor.
As the occean receives the waters of all thousands of rivers as well as streams from the clouds, yet it does not break its boundaries, so a sadhaka of yoga receiving benefit, respect, prostrations, honours, yet should not break the boundaries of the precepts.
As the occean receives the waters of all thousands of rivers as well as streams from the clouds, yet it does not become all full [unable to receive more], so a sadhaka of yoga must never be satiated in learning, conversing about dharma, listening to the precepts of others, contemplating these, examining these, studying the depths of philosophy and sacred texts…
Milinda-panha-pali. 6 Opamma-katha-panhe,
2 samudda-vaggo, 10 samuddanga-panho
I wish all sadhakas and participants of yoga events success in such a yoga.
Yogo vah sa-phalee-bhooyaat.
“What is Yoga Therapy?”
In Vyasa’s Commentary on Patanjali’s sutra 2.15, the science of therapy is described as being built on four pillars. These are:
Chikitsa, the science of therapy, is part of the science of liberation. It must be viewed in that philosophical context, not separately.
The word for therapy used in Sanskrit is chikitsa, the “desire to know”, quest for knowledge. In order for that desire to be fulfilled, one has to make an admission that “I do not know”, as Nachiketas in the Katha Upanishad admits. Therefore, Yoga therapy is desire for knowledge of the means of liberation. All other aspects of therapy are just parts of that entire science. Without such seeking of knowledge on the part of both the physician and the one suffering, there is no therapy.
Knowledge of what? Knowledge of oneself at all levels. Knowledge of oneself as
The consciousness of earth, water, fire, air, space is not consciousness of the elements as something external. It is not that ‘I am conscious of standing on this solid round earth that it is made of lumps of clay and rock and I shall now draw its map’. It is that wave of consciousness that becomes the earth, waters, fires, air, space– the way these five subtle elements dwell, the elements as in the chakras:
As one opens the petals of consciousness in each of these centres s/he becomes a master of the five subtle elements whose attributes in the external world only are solidity, liquidity, fieriness and so forth. What we perceive of these in worldly entities and objects is the mayic (magic) projection of these levels of consciousness. Within the chakras themselves they are objectless non-specific fields. Once these fields are realized, become ‘real’ to a Sadhaka, s/he becomes a master of all that emanates from these in the specific worlds. By reaching within these general fields one may calibrate the states of the mind, prana and body and thus conquer the diseases specific to these five fields. All illness is the failure of the physical elements to derive their wholeness from the subtle elements, and the failure of the subtle elements in turn to derive full energy of consciousness, through prana and mind, from the corresponding chakra.
Thus, from knowledge of the subtle elements, the subtle senses, are projected the physical elements, as sparks of consciousness. The physical senses, the channels of our external stimuli and the sources in the world around us from which those stimuli originate, are the external earth, water, fire, air, space– the five states of matter. Desire to know all of this composite system is part of the means of liberation called the science of Yoga therapy.
Between the pure objectless non-specific most potent field of consciousness in the chakras on one hand and our gross awareness, physical consciousness of earth-solids etc., there are in-between states. For example in svara-shastra, the science of breath rhythms, the breath itself may change from gross the subtle, respectively earth-breath, water-breath, fire-breath, air-breath and space-breath. The common kumbhaka, the retention of breath, taught by popular hatha-yogins of today is that of the earth-breath. The dhyana-yogins do not ‘teach’ but lead the disciple through the processes of making the breath so subtle that finally one spontaneously enters the state of the breath merges into akasha, the space state. Then the left and the right nostril become one, the black eye of the white and the white eye of the black (in the well known Taoist symbol on Yin-Yang) merge into each other, as the Taoists would say.
Till then we perceive ourselves as made of these five elements. Because we perceive ourselves so, we perceive the corresponding solids etc. in the world around. But there are specific practices, coupled with associated mantras for the conquest of the knowledge of these states of the energy-field of consciousness. When one has mastered these practices one has learnt all there is to learn of health, wholeness, state of being sva-stha, the term commonly used for ‘being in good health’ in ayur-veda and in all modern Indian languages, literally meaning ‘one who stays in the reflexive suum’. There is no English equivalent for Latin suum or Saskrit svam. It means being one’s own self (not in the sense of atman). The one knows the meaning of
As the practices of consciousness are mastered, the corresponding elements and faculties are understood and the damaged ones made whole. This does not mean that a yogi will never be ill. The chemistry of the five elements, once set in motion in what Raman Maharshi called the super-disease called ‘having a body’, cannot be totally cancelled. But its effects can be alleviated. More than that the syndrome that
my body chemistry is distorted=I am ill
is eliminated; one no longer identifies the self with the body that one only owns as s/he knows that the ‘body is not I’.
As we have said, the Sanskrit word for therapy is chikitsa, the desire to know, and requires admission that “I do not know”. The physician does not know, the patient does not know. In this ability to acknowledge one’s ignorance of divine reality in the universe, with that humility begins therapy.
Through egolessness begins all therapy.
We can apply this principle in many different ways. We can figure out all kinds of psychological and physiological methods from limb manipulation to mantric manipulation.
One of my favorite texts in the world literature is the Avesta, text of the Zarathustra tradition, the holy text of the Mazda-yasnians, sometimes referred to as Zoroastrians or, in India, the Parsees. The language of this ancient text is parallel to that of the Vedas. The two are closely related. In one part of Avesta, Ahur Mazda, the great God of Light, tells Zarathustra to sit in a cave like a Yogi for ten years tending the holy fire. Zarathustra evokes the presence of the divine sun, and the divine fire god of light appears and asks Zarathustra, “What do you wish?” Zarathustra like Nachiketas expresses his wish for knowledge. The fire god then asks, “What can you do with all this knowledge I give you in the fires?” As the devil said to Jesus, Ahur Mazda –testing as in the case of Nachiketas and Buddha, not tempting – said: I give you all the sensuous pleasures, I give you all the wealth of the earth, “What do you want with all this knowledge?”, Zarathustra refuses the wealth and empires. So the god of fire gives Zarathustra knowledge that he sought.
The Avesta text says that there are three kinds of therapies:
In this Mazda-yasnian religion, there are seven positive forces in the universe which are called mantra tanu –they whose bodies are mantras. As in the traditions of India, the devas, luminous ones of the universe, have two kinds of bodies: luminous and sonar: light as body and sound as body. The mantric sciences introduce the divinity first as the sonar mantras.
The Avesta says: of the three types of therapies, the true one is therapy by mantras.
The word mantra has a much wider meaning in Sanskrit language. The mantra also means secret counsel. The word for a king’s minister is mantri, the mantra-keeper. To this day, the prime ministers of India, Malaysia and Indonesia are called pradhana or maha-mantris, the chief mantra-keepers; these are the commonly used terms in all their languages. A minister is a mantri. I cannot say how many of these ministers know any mantras. But that is the word used in every newspaper and in the constitutions. Ministers are supposed to be mantra-keepers and the prime minister the chief mantra-keeper. When the ancient mantris, the mantra keepers of the kings, gave political, economic, diplomatic counsel, along with that to reinforce it, they gave the mantras. The two were inseparable. In the texts of polity, we are told that shat-karna, a mantra that has fallen into six ears is burst. It should be only between the giver and the receiver– only between four ears. Not six. The mantras are given in secret.
The highest degree of therapist is the mantra-giver, whose counsel is not just counsel as to what to do, but to actually infuse a force within the counselled: the patient or the disciple because
a patient is a disciple.
Please bear that in mind, the patient is a disciple. There is no difference between the two, and a disciple is Guru’s patient also. Thus also the highest therapist is the mantra-giver.
Nowadays sometimes, better than nothing, people pick up books about this science, and start suggesting mantras. But in the tradition of Yogis, it is an initiatory process. My Guru did not authorize more than about ten people worldwide to confer mantras. The ancient texts have said,
Guard this. Protect this, for, it is your treasure. Do not give a mantra to someone who is envious, or not simple and straight, or to someone who has not learned self-control. Do not pass mantras on to such ones.
That is why the keepers of the science of mantra in India have chosen to let the science die out, rather than to give it to those who are not spiritually purified. Traditionally, to learn anything from archery to Ayurveda one had to live with a Guru in a forest hermitage. Better than nothing, – I pay due respect and reverence and gratitude to those who are trying to spread this knowledge, – the weekend courses in Ayurveda are a far cry from the way the ancient chikitsakas, the physicians, were taught the science of therapy– the science of wanting to know. It is a very strongly established principle in the texts of Ayur-veda that
if the physician is not pure, his healing will not work.
Part of the spiritual training for the physician is self-purification. Doctors in all fields of medicine suffer from a deep self questioning at times. They do their very best and the patient dies. It’s a mystery to them. In the training of an Ayurveda doctor and especially in the training of a Yoga physician, part of the real experience is as a disciple. One has to ask oneself, “Why did my therapy not work? What purification do I have to undertake? What mantras do I have to do? Did I administer the medicine with ego, with claims that I am the almighty who can cure or did I do so with egolessness?” Without that self questioning, without a commitment to self purification on the part of the Ayurveda physician or the Yoga therapist, Yoga therapy will not work. It will not work without humility.
In egolessness do we find how the moskha-shastra and the chikitsa-shastra, the science of spiritual liberation and the science of therapy are inter-related. The ultimate in therapy is the spiritual liberation of the disciple-patient or patient-disciple.
Based on an interview with Veronica Zador of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. The interview was held at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, California, in July 2006. It has been further expanded with necessary additions and explanations.
Let me but once still myself. When I am still, will my senses become inoperative? Will my activity all cease? Is that a state, something, to aspire for? Only that stillness, which at present lies occluded, will be experienced and it will become known that stillness is not absence of activity, it is the only source of activity. That, silence is not an absence of speech; silence is the source of speech. It will be known that non-violence is not an absence of violent action; it is overflowing love in which there is no other.Love ceases when love exists. There shall be no more love, for another. There shall be no more love towards an alien. When I have ceased the otherness, I cannot love another. When there is no alien, there is no hate. When love is, love ceases. When love ceases, then love is. If love is between two, the ‘two’ ceases, so love ceases. God, give me that love, that by its very existence ceases and I fail to say ‘I love another’. For, I look around and I find no other. Whom shall I love? Then love becomes my own Self, filled with the Self to the brim.
When I put a sword through an ‘enemy’, if I have love, it is through myself that that sword has pierced. Whom shall I see with my eyes, when there is no ‘other’ to see. For my own Self to see, I need no eyes.
In the stillness of consciousness within you, within me, who am one, one hears the still and the silent voice, and slowly that voice too trails off. And, in that dimension, which is no dimension, in the deep heart of a living sun, I and the light are one. “I and my Father are one” – said Jesus. I am the light. I am all the ways. I am the life force. Whether the Father speaks or the son speaks, it is I who speak. In the son the Father speaks. In the Father the son speaks.
When you meditate, let your senses still themselves and it is in that stillness that the apex of all energy will be reached. It is in that stillness that all will be energized. It is in that stillness of the mind that the mind will be filled. It will be so filled that the whole universe may come and each entity and each one who has assumed a separateness of being may come and dip their vessel in your mind and go away, filling their vessel. You will know that nothing empty came. Nothing full returned. There is only a force known as consciousness, as life —-I am that.
Thus, we contemplate on the great sentences of Vedanta.
Sarvam khalv-idam brahma:
All this (world of phenomena) is Brahman.
Ekam-evadvitiyam:
There is only one Brahman, without a second.
Mrtyoh sa mrtyum apnoti, Ya iha naneva pashyati:
From death to death he proceeds who sees as though there were many (phenomena) here.
Prajnanam brahma:
Brahman is pure consciousness.
Tat tvam asi:
You are that.
Aham brahma-asmi:
I am Brahman.
Ayam atma brahma:
This self is Brahman.
Brahman alone is truth, is real. The universe is a myth. Jiva, that which you call the individual soul, is itself Brahman. It is no other.
It is unbound.
How can a river’s soaking lips be parched?
How the flowing stream tongue feel dry?
How the Lord of Free Will be
by slender fibres bound?
How can our solar soul ever wilt or die?
Death liberates me from bondage of life
Liberation frees me from fetters of death.
When thus I am returned to life’s Freedom City
without any of enfleshment’s confining idiom,
Freedom sings to me a fairy song that says:
All in the all sans ‘was,’ ‘will be,’ ‘shall cease,’
is ever pure ever wise unbound ever free.
Soar, soar, soar from every luminous pore
of mine, O lightning, to sky’s farthest shore.
Roar, roar, roar, from woods that minds explore,
O Silences, to suns and suns yonder more,
Yea, to every distant sun’s
deep fathomless fire core.
One of a series of contemplations guided at The Meditation Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
OM. Be still.
Whenever you are sitting or standing and doing nothing, practice stillness.
Do not waste time. Life is short. Use it well.
Now, be still.
Count your breaths for three minutes.
Always begin everything by remembering the Guru.
I will not spend much time with you tonight.
The handout you have tonight is excerpts from my commentary on the Yoga Sutras, Sutra 1.7. Especially the subject of PROOF: Agama as proof; that is a true teacher’s qualification and authority.
Do read. You can also have printouts of these notes so right now you need not take notes.
It will be a deep study and contemplation for you. So take your time to study these pages and apply.
It gives three qualifications of an authentic teacher.
Realization. (Not memorization!!). Have you done enough sadhana that the knowledge has become real to you by your personal spiritual experience.
This computer has been worked on by some very ungentle hands who have not practiced ahimsa. I am having to hit keys extra hard. You are making me into a violent man.
No joke!
I test people’s spiritual progress by watching how they type on the computer. Spirituality is to be tested at each ground.
1. Realization, like that of a Rishi; intuitive knowledge realized in the state of deep meditations.
When intuitive knowledge comes, both hemispheres of the brain become balanced. So also in kevala kumbhaka.
Realization = Sanskrit Saakshaat-kaara.
2. kaaruNya = compassion. The reason for your wanting to be a teacher is that you have compassion towards suffering people. There is no other reason. Love and compassion. When a person comes to your presence or to your class, he/she should go away feeling s/he was loved. That is the test of your success as a teacher. Otherwise you may have a 1000 students, but in the eyes of the rishis you are a failure as a teacher. People should practice because they love you.
3. Strength; capacity. Strength of character. Strength in your practice. Strength of intelligence and mind-buddhi.
If you have these, even if you do not have a certificate, you are a successful teacher.
Nobody has given me a certificate!!
That is all the message for today.
Congratulations on completing the course. But it will be complete when you have
(1) Spiritual/intuitive realizations (the teaching becomes real to you)
(2) Compassion and love
(3) Strength of meditation and character.
Do stay in touch. Do your practices, sadhana. Come often for the practice of silence.
I love you all.
I really feel a loss that I do not get to know you personally, but I send you love in full moon meditations.
God and Guru bless you all.
The handout of excerpts from Swami Veda’s commentary on the Yoga Sutras can be read at https://www.ahymsin.org/excerpts-from-yoga-sutra-1-7/
For more information about Full Moon Meditation, please see https://www.ahymsin.org/meditation_section/full-moon/
When we use the word “psychology,” we don’t use it in the reductionist sense – “My relationship with my mother caused it” – that kind of thing, you know. “Maybe if you talked with my mother, it would help me.” That is not what we mean. Rather we are talking about the states of mind that we have cultivated. You see, when an incident “x” occurs in our life, there is no mechanically predetermined response “y” which we must always give. People say, “Well, I am this way because incident ‘x’ occurred,” implying that for “x” there is fixed response “y.” And that becomes an excuse-making, rationalizing justification for the response that we choose. But, you see, we also have “y-1”, “y-2″,”y-3” and “y-4”, and also “z-1” and “z-2” and “z-3” and “z-4”, and all the letters from “a” to “z”, and all the possible algebraic formulations you can give, and so we must not use the Freudian-Jungian analytic methods so completely that we are slaves to them – that we are slaves to the incident “x” that occurred, because Person-A in the face of the same incident “x” will respond one way and Person-B will respond in a different way. And Person-A at one time will respond one way, and at a different time will respond in a different way.
In yoga psychology we speak of the internal states of mind that one has cultivated. I personally believe strongly that ideals are the best therapy for any emotional difficulty. The ideals that you have believed in, that you have cultivated, that you live by, are the ones that help you determine your emotional responses. If, for example, a man strongly believes in the ideal of monogamy, he cannot have an emotional response to another woman approaching him, no matter how beautiful she is. A woman simply does not have an emotional response to another man, no matter how handsome or attractive he is. You see? And another person says, “Well, I was in such a situation that there was nothing I could do about it. I’m just a human being, so this had to be my response.”
I consider ideals to be the determinants of the weakness or strength of our emotions. A certain little emotion may arise, but at what intensity it is experienced is determined by your ideals. You may have the emotion of rage, but your ideal determines whether you are going to take it as far as throwing a bottle through somebody’s window or even murder. It is your ideals which determine it: “Well, I can’t allow myself to get that far. I’m only going to curse him in my mind.” Or “I’m only going to stand on my balcony and throw abuse at him, or take him to court. Well, maybe I’ll have a fist fight with him, but I’m not going to murder him.”
Again, it is your ideals which determine the intensity of your emotional ceiling and its expression. And it is the cultivating of ideals that I actually believe in, not the cultivating of emotions. Emotions get cultivated automatically as ideals get cultivated. That is why you cannot find an exact word in English for the Yamas and Niyamas. Ahimsa (Non-violence): is it an ideal or an emotion? Somebody slaps me on one cheek. Is my response to slap him on two (both sides of his face), or is my response to show him my other cheek? – that is determined by my ideals.
So you are the person to see into your ideals. Then the external act can be very flexible. Actually there is nothing to cultivating emotions, thinking less painful thoughts and so on and so forth. Don’t make that such a problem. Cultivating the ideals is the thing – and living by those ideals non-fanatically – not going about imposing them on everyone. But it all requires a great deal of flexibility. And I am more and more recognizing what a sinister handicap it is – inflexibility – that is keeping all of us back in our progress. We talk about regulation, and we talk about discipline; but some people are so fixated on discipline that they can’t manage to break a rule without feeling guilty. For example, to wear a tie all the time is a fixed position. To not wear a tie all the time is a fixed position. I don’t take those fixed positions, and when the occasion calls for it, I dress in an immaculate Western way. And when the occasion calls for it, I dress in an immaculate Eastern way. And when there is neither occasion, I wear dhotis. But many people cannot stand the thought of changing into something that is appropriate for the occasion. They are stuck. They are not making progress in emotional flexibility. In everything they will take a fixed approach.
So shift. Keep your ideals. Keep your principles. If you have those, you can afford to shift. But if with every shift your ideals change, then is not a discipline; it is not an ideal. Then it is fanaticism. There is a very fine line as to when you adhere to your ideals and when you allow yourself a little leeway. You see, the ideal is maintained in the heart, in the mind, and when that is maintained, then you can compromise the external act. Only you are the judge.
Can anybody, coming from any background, cultivate positive ideals? Yes, everybody already has positive ideals. Everybody has the seed of positive ideals. There is no one in the world who does not, because that’s a basic divine urge in a human being. In human beings there are basic beastly urges, basic human urges, and basic divine urges. Which of these urges you choose to respond to is up to you. But all three urges are present in every human being. To begin to choose to respond to those divine urges in you, you simply start cultivating high ideals. If you don’t choose to cultivate them, then you will have all kinds of excuses.
From a transcription of a talk given at a teacher training meeting at The Meditation Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, in the summer of 1983.
