Welcome to my blog, this is my first ever blog ☺, and the theme that i am gonna discuss today is related to my favourite topic which is "Spirituality & Yoga".
The ancient practice of yoga, originating in India over Millennia (although history says its 5,000 years ago which i dispute will explore later why) , offers a holistic approach to wellness that not only strengthens the body, but also calms the mind and nurtures the soul. In this blog, we aim to look at the problems of the current society and how the modern man is lost in his worldly affairs , unaware that he belongs to the stars and that his ultimate aim is to know who he is and what is his purpose of existence on this planet. In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle, often neglecting our own physical and mental well-being. Men, in particular, can find it challenging to carve out time for self-care, as traditional gender roles and societal expectations often discourage them from seeking balance and inner peace. That's where yoga comes in.
My mission is to create a supportive and informative space for everyone interested in exploring the transformative power of yoga. Whether you're a seasoned yogi or a curious beginner, this blog will provide you with valuable insights, tips, and encouragement to help you embark on or deepen your yoga journey.
Today's man is continuously on the go in order to survive. He runs from the moment he wakes up, running to the office, running to catch the bus, running for coffee, running for movie tickets, running for seats in schools or colleges, running for marriage alliances, running for jobs for sons, running for the desires of wife and daughters, and so on, running all his life with constant tension, gasping and trying to run until his heart stops. Man's life is in turmoil in this age of technology. The error is in life itself, i.e. the way of living is flawed.
The modern man feels he has achieved a lot of progress in science and technology but if we delve deep and see the so called progress visible around us is of machines and devices, is of gadgets and computers. Then why the ordinary man in-spite of his discoveries and inventions still unhappy about something in his life? only when one is able to hear the sighs of humanity and break the shackles of mechanical life that he has tied up himself with machines & devices would one get to know how to really become HAPPY.
Our manner of existence, in other words, our method of living, must alter. Man's excessive speed must be DECELERATED. We must first realize the problem in our current way of life. The delusion that our sorrow is due to insufficient income should be dispelled; while we are always rushing to raise our income- the wants are running astray; this running must slow down or lessen, which is why the manner of life must alter; otherwise, the contemporary man will never be happy. While the poor believe that poverty or a lack of money is the main cause of all pain and that he can solve all of his problems with money, the wealthy are dying to achieve more peace but are finding themselves in even more difficulties..
Humanity nowadays does not place as much emphasis on self-improvement as it does on machine-improvement. One must comprehend that advancement in SELF is the progress of the machine called BODY, the tool called LIFE, and the current called BREATHE, which regrettably today's contemporary man is unaware of.
What are the sources of pleasure and sadness? How does one enter this life? How did he get into this body? or what happens when he no longer inhabits this body? Is there an invisible soul in this body? What should be done to enhance it if it exists? How do we fix the problems in our way of life? How can everyone have a healthy, happy, and contented life? These are some of the most basic questions that every human being must ask himself. Only when we pose such inquiries do we feel the need to know the answers. Today, we will attempt to comprehend some of the issues raised by many literature and by performing an old yogic practice bestowed upon me by my Guruji.
My aim of writing this blog, is to present to everyone the basics of spiritual life which have long been misunderstood as reading scriptures, doing poojas, doing namaz, praying in the church etc....the whole aim of this blog is to make everyone around me to think and understand that our lives can be more beautiful and successful if we follow the basic rules of life by understanding the spiritual secrets taught by ancient rishis, sages of sanatana dharma. This is not religion, or based on dogmas. One needs neither the magic of occult or mantras to perform his simple duties in life. SAADHANA is the word on which every atom of happiness depends for this modern man. we will see how as we progress.
The way of life in todays world
Even after 75 years of becoming free from foreign authority, I feel we have
not freed our brains from the same. We may see this by examining current
society's patterns. INDIAN is still a prisoner to foreign attire and language.
We are quite delighted to have the largest English-speaking populace in the
world. My question is, where has our original Sanskrit language gone? Enviably,
Germans are gradually becoming masters of this old art (also known as god
language). Are you perplexed? Check out the link below to see for yourself.
We should open our eyes and observe how we have become so addicted to foreign trends that we seldom see anyone worried about the deterioration of our young or the future of our country. Though politicians proclaim that our country is growing economically, we see defeatism in every nook and cranny, a disturbed state of mind and unrest, and everyone from the lowest to the richest is experiencing physical, mental, or financial difficulties.
How many of us have ever felt that "in truth, our life is being guided by an invisible force?" What is that force? Has anyone thought of this? Do we know about the hidden esoteric information conferred to us by the SIDDHA PURUSHAS seen throughout human history to enable everyone to get the lifeforce, energy knowledge, and fortune? Our forefathers learned how to attract this power from the sky, THE GOD FORCE, to reignite the parched and desperate human existence. It is neither a religion nor an occult activity. It is the secret science that is invisible to our minds but drives our lives. How can we discover the secret that organises our lives? in the same way that it is running the various stars and constellations in the universe?
Why are we living?
Today's man must work hard to survive, and he recognises that the benefits for his efforts are dwindling. The true necessities of a man to live are extremely few; in actuality, after striving for his wants, man has a lot of free time, and with the leftover energy, man may advance mentally, spiritually, and in qualities. However, as a result of the higher life standards established by contemporary civilisation, the spending and effort necessary for basic living have grown significantly. The major harm done by them is that man's efforts are limited to achieving these fundamental wants. What is our final destination? to god? to nature or to joy? There are none. So, let us look at what is the flaw of this modern life.
Man is becoming into a machine. A guy is devoid of human value. He is seen by society as a money-making machine. Man's worth at home is purely economic in nature. He is employed as an earning machine by society, with little regard for the human being or the human soul. He eats, earns, and dies in pursuit of wants. His spirit screams from beneath the weights of mechanised life. This is one of the key reasons why people succumb to boredom, drunkenness, or other negative processes.
Daily life - So What one has to do?
The human being is made of two parts one is physical, the BODY and the other spiritual THE SOUL. Let us talk about two words EDUCATION and REFINEMENT. can we say education refers to the body and refinement to the soul? Refinement starts gradually with education. one enhances refinement through spiritual training. Spiritual training comes through SAADHANA.Before we can comprehend more about YOGA SAADHANA in our daily lives, we must first discard all of the incorrect concepts that our minds have been accustomed to. As we develop from infancy to adulthood, we gather various beliefs that shape our personalities via habits that we build. Among them are concepts gleaned from reading, hearing from others, or determined from personal experiences. They all create an opinion and are stored in the mind; until they are intentionally abandoned, these concepts do not leave us. All of these concepts, which have gathered since infancy, dominate our mind and emotions, manipulating our lives. The majority of the decisions we make when under the influence of such thinking will affect our primary goal in life. Most of the decisions we take under the control of such thoughts will alter the prime objective of our life. The first step in SAADHANA is to remove such ideas cultivated. Therefore through SAADHANA one must examine the various thoughts and ideas and accumulated knowledge through various interactions and get rid of them. Just deleting those thoughts wont help, we must fill the gaps so created with true knowledge. So let us go to the root word "What is SAADHANA"? many people might think that when one starts sadhana they must abandon the home, wear saffron robes, stop education, job etc or refrain from marriage.
SAADHANA is not just going to temples to break a coconut mechanically. "Saadhana means to set right the path of living and live in a disciplined way"
Saadhana is the way of life where our life flowers into the fruit that gives happiness and peace in life.
Examining the thoughts that enter the mind is the first stage in sadhana. While the first stage is to avoid evil from entering our minds, the second, and more difficult, step is to eliminate the rubbish that has already entered our minds. This mental cleansing is only achievable with the assistance of a spiritual MASTER or Guru who is unselfish and spiritually disciplined. Under the leadership of such gurus, the purification is accomplished by pure spiritual energy. The third stage is to direct our attention to the soul, which lives below the intellect and beyond rational reasoning.
Many people are unaware that if one goes beyond thoughts, there is a mind and beyond that, a soul that shines like a lamp. Saadhana is the process of cleaning the soul by eradicating harmful habits and poisoned seeds of thinking, neither mindlessly doing numerous poojas or blindly denouncing such rituals. This is the mental saadhana. Similarly, we may critically review our behaviors and correct our personality by shielding our soul from negative habits and errors in our upbringing.
One of the most crucial responsibilities for people is to determine and prioritize the "AIM OF OUR LIFE." Many of us do not evaluate this. Is there any harm being done to other people in society as a result of our attempts to live? These are the concerns we may have to consider now and then. Is our everyday routine our life? This is why so many people's lives are meaningless.
Mechanical Life
As stated in the DEVI Bhagavatam, "Gnaanamasti samastasya jantor vishaya gochare" (which means that even animals are endowed with intelligence to enjoy the pleasures of the senses), i.e., humans believe that they are the only species with knowledge and that they are the greatest species on the planet. When we examine today's man, we believe animals are superior, because birds and animals are simply selfish in the sense of obtaining food for the day. Aside from that, they have no greed or irrational collection of anything.. But the man is not satisfied with what is required for the day; he wants enough to last a month, a year, and so on. As if that is not enough, he fantasizes about accumulating so much wealth that one day he dies worrying about earning more and more throughout the day and night, so much so that he does not even find time to enjoy his earnings. He lives and dies on the run. Most individuals around us are following in these footsteps.
So, if a man is to be considered superior to other species, such as animals, certain human attributes must be present. The first characteristic is knowing "what is the goal of his existence." We believe that ninety percent of our lives are spent making money. If technology develops a gadget that eliminates the need for food tomorrow, we will have no idea what to do with our lives; such is man's current condition of things. As a result, it is claimed in Indian spiritual practices - "It makes no difference what one eats. He can eat something and survive "Whether one eats great or ordinary cuisine, the goal is the same: to satisfy hunger.Even delicious and rich food becomes excessive when the stomach is full. The enlightened saints of ancient India did not place much emphasis on how man runs to preserve a physical body. The house might be a cave with ample protection from the sun and rain. To survive, some basic nourishment is sufficient; the time we waste on them is spared by these wonderful saints. As a result, it is evident that we have arrived. We must depart, but in the meanwhile, we must comprehend why we have arrived. What should we do before departing? Why has the superpower chosen us for this birth? What is the meaning of life?
The Secret Power
The force that formed planetary systems, various animals, and human groups is doing everything in a methodical manner. The same power designed man's development. What is a human being's evolutionary goal? The Bhagavadgita describes how to achieve the objective and what human progress is necessary. As a seed sprouts and matures into a tree, humans must likewise grow and achieve completion, which is our purpose. We begin to grasp SAADHANA when we properly ponder on this track.
When we discuss SAADHANA or YOGA, most people think of giving up everything and retiring to the forests to meditate. None of them understand what yoga is, therefore let us look at the essential premise of yoga.
Our bodies work like batteries, producing life energy. Yoga is the route that demonstrates how to boost the energy that increases the brightness of the face, rises the radiance, and attains true joy in order to charge this body, to provide it with the potential to create more life energy.
This was the same YOGA that Krishna taught Arjuna when he was hesitant to confront his troubles. "Yoga is an expert in guiding life." Thus teaching yoga, Lord Krishna has offered the way of Yoga in Daily Life, which is most required by today's restless man.
Sri Krishna has given us the knowledge as to how this body creates energy and how to charge it through yoga. The Bhagavad-Gita's endeavor is to provide us the joy of a cool breeze of spiritual progress and soul realisation. The axle known as "Soul" has separated from the MAN machine. The objective of the Bhagavad-Gita is to fix the axle without halting the machine, and it has integrated the yoga path into daily life.
It is not essential to leave one's work or family. As a result, yoga does not imply giving up everything. Yoga is the process through which one discovers the meaning of life while going about his regular activities. This is the first step in practicing yoga.
Man is endowed with RATIONAL THINKING, which allows him to search for the worth of human existence, since the body has no value, and when he finds an answer, he will discover his true SELF, as God intended. As a result, knowing who you are is the most basic prerequisite for existence. Why did we enter this world? What is the goal? one must know this answer before he exits this body.
Secrets in Yoga:
In the GITA, Lord Krishna compares this body to a machine, like the driver of a car. A driver sitting in a car - under maaya, similarly, the LORD sits in the body and drives it (as science curiously builds a lifeless body called car that can be driven as the driver desires). Have you ever considered it from the moment we were born in this body? No. While driving, few people consider how the cars works. They simply travel. But don't think about it. Most of us travel in this manner. Few people think. Some people ponder and attempt, learn to drive, and eventually become the driver, i.e., the driver of the body (eeswara), understanding that this is the yogic secret of driving this existence. That is sadhana.
Some tools are given by god to everyone to do Saadhana. Many dont know how to use these tools. The tools are " body" , "the heart". Many times we face a resistance from the heart (Conscience) in other words our inner voice. we might think why god has given this heart when it is not useful for any materialistic success? Definitely the conscience is not useful to meet the daily needs but it is useful in knowing the SELF. Like a typical watch ticks, the heart beats. The main test indicating that the man is alive is the ticking of this heart. Because when this heart stops beating it is normal that the person is declared dead. Like all great yogi's say, the heart has an INTELLECT. It is different from what we called MIND. The INTELLECT is not useful in our daily lives, man must use this intellect inside the heart to know why he exists.
INTELLECT The driver
In the Bhagavadgita it is said
" buddhow saranam anvichha krupanaah phalahetavaha"
The meaning for the above statement is that we must surrender to the intellect because it is this intellect which tells you what are the good and bad deeds. in daily life, we do many virtuous deeds, and we also commit sins. One that tells you what is right and what is wrong is the INTELLECT and not the mind.
What is the Difference between MIND and INTELLECT
What does the mind have to say? - that there are plantains, some of which are yellow or red. Some are rather delicious. The intellect tells us this much. That much is obvious even to a goat's intellect. The guy and the goat both agree that eating plantains is beneficial. That level of intelligence is shared by both. The goat goes and bites the plantain till it is shooed away. The individual refrains since he is aware of the consequences. This is Intellect, the ability to exert SELF-CONTROL. VIVEKA is the Sanskrit word for it. This may appear to be a little issue, yet it conceals a profound spiritual reality. The reality of today's world is that , man is not using this INTELLECT and behaving like the goat.
SENSE Organs
Ancient Indian sages say that our Intellect lies in our heart. This is the place of God. Because when we think with Intellect, we think rationally. Our mind is like the servant which says if we go left side of the road there is a lake, if we go right there is a hill. It is said, "Buddim to saaradhim Viddhi" which means the entire body is compared to a CHARIOT. Here comes the most epic picture of the entire story of Mahabharata , Arjuna standing and krishna driving it. Normally the GOD should sit in it and the servant should drive. But this is reversed in the GITA. God is driving and the servants sits, this means the body is a chariot, and in this body one is sleeping without knowing who the self is? that person is Arjuna. Whether is awake or asleep, the chariot is running, because he is not driving. If driving is given to his control, the driver sleeps and the chariot tumbles on the roadside, therefore the steering is controlled by the LORD. Hence, if we observe, the involuntary actions that happen within our body, like breath, the heart beat , getting hungry, they all happen by themselves, why? because GOD sits inside and drives our vehicle called body. The heart doesn't beat because one intends.
Therefore, all these tasks essential for life to continue, like the functioning of the mind, the heart or blood circulation, or the breathing are tasks controlled by GOD.
If GITA were just a conversation between Arjuna and Krishna, it would have become useless by today like the news in a newspaper. But there are permanent values in those conversations which will last for eternity. Many secrets of Saadhana are stated in the GITA and Ramayana. It says that " the body is a chariot and the sense organs are the horses tied to it. The INTELLECT is the rope tied to control the horses. It is well known that the horses can be controlled with the help of these ropes. The Chariot driver only knows when to turn left or right . But if he tells the horses to turn left or right, they wont. This is because the language of the horses and men are different. The language of the driver is transferred to the horses through the ropes. Because there are ropes, the chariot turns left when ropes are pulled to the left and right. Similarly our sense organs are controlled by the Intellect of the self. We are not controlling the mind. They are are controlled by the LORD because the reins are in control of the LORD and not in the hands of the person.
One of the most important aspect therefore is that it is not in our hands to control the mind. It is controlled by the ONE who controls our breathing. Therefore our Sages first discovered that the mind is controlled when the breathing is controlled. They gave the name for this method as PRANAYAMA. So here is a tool that the LORD gave every human to control his mind. I will further give more elaborate details on this in later blogs.
In conclusion, our exploration of spirituality and yoga has only just begun. As we delve deeper into these rich and profound traditions, we will continue to uncover their transformative potential. In the upcoming blog series, we will focus on the following key topics:
Praanayama: The Art of Breath Control - We will explore the ancient yogic technique of pranayama, which involves the regulation and mastery of the breath. We will discuss its significance in yoga, its various forms, and the benefits one can gain from regular practice.
Unveiling the Real Praanayama - Delving into the often misunderstood and misinterpreted aspects of pranayama, we will examine the differences between the popularized versions of the practice and its authentic, traditional roots.
Great Saints and Praanayama Masters - Throughout history, there have been numerous great saints and yogis who have dedicated their lives to the practice and teaching of pranayama. We will share their inspiring stories and teachings to offer a broader perspective on the depth and potential of pranayama practice.
Great Avatars of India - As we continue our journey into the vast world of spirituality and yoga, we will also pay homage to the great avatars of India. These divine incarnations have left an indelible mark on the spiritual landscape of India and the world. We will discuss their lives, teachings, and the impact they continue to have on seekers of truth and spiritual growth.
Stay tuned for this enlightening series, as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and transformation, guided by the ancient wisdom of yoga and the teachings of the great spiritual masters. Namaste....
Notes: The information presented above was drawn from numerous books that I read and notes that I took from them. I am still a long way from saying "I know," but it is because of the great masters and sages who have blessed me that I have the desire to start a blog and discuss these things with my friends and those around me. I hope this inspires you to embark on your adventure into the realm of super consciousness. Remember, book knowledge alone is not sufficient, it's the practice and penance that provides true knowledge.
Wonderful article