Raja Yoga

 Quote from true Charm and Vedanta

 Raja Yoga

A soul devoted and purified by Bhakti-yoga and divinely inspired by dedicated action (karma yoga) is   ready and ripe to sit down and meditate, And that is precisely what Christ enjoins us: “When thou prayed enter into thy closet, and when thou hast set thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret” The ‘secret’ of the Father is the heart as is often insisted on by the Philokalia tradition. “In the morning force your mind to descend from the head to the heart and hold it there” parallel with the Gita instruction Mano hridi niaddhya cha”-Lord jesus Christ have mercy upon me”

 

All of us possess a glorus body which can be made manifest by meditation Patanjali makes mention or it (Kayasampat) in the third chapter of the Yoga Aphorisms and Vivekanda commenting on Patanjali says that nothing can injure this body. “Breaking the rod of time man lives in the universe with this body “Echoes of this can be found in st pauls words “Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you , which you received from God Glorify God in your body and in your spirit which belongs to God

 

As you eat, treat the source, not symptom

 

By Narayani Ganesh

 

There is something to be said in favour of traditional healing systems anywhere in the world that seek to treat the source of the malady rather than address symptoms. For instance, headaches, muscle pain, fever, obesity, low energy are all symptoms of a deeper malaise, but we rush to suppress or obliterate the symptom instead of going to the root cause. This is true of both physical and mental illnesses, for what we see is not what needs to be treated; the cause lies elsewhere; symptoms are warning signals begging us to investigate and apply remedies to the disease.

 

Among the most effective and harmless methods of achieving holistic wellness is to eat right. By adopting the right diet, one can arrest progress of  many diseases and natural health-enhancing foods tend to maintain good energy levels, and are not associated with bad side-effects unless of course for example, one is prone to allergies to specific nuts and spices.

 

According to Ayurveda, health science is divided into eight specialised branches: general medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry plus psychosomatic diseases, diseases related to ENT plus head and eyes, general surgery, toxicology, rejuvenation therapy and aphrodisiac therapy.  Every living and non-living being is a combination of the five basic eternal elements, the panchamahabhootas – earth, water, fire, air and ether. The additional input in the human body is chetna, consciousness, the life spark, spirit or soul.

 

The five elements manifest in the body as tridosha, the three basic principles, subtle energies – vata, pitta and kapha. Air and ether combine as vata; fire makes up pitta, and the earth and water elements combine in kapha. These three basic principles govern all biological, physiological and physio-pathological factors of body, mind and consciousness.

 

At the Kerala Travel Mart 2022 held in Kochi recently, several stalls displayed Ayurvedic products and locally grown spices while others showcased spas, wellness resorts and Ayurvedic hospitals designed as healing getaways, complete with trained doctors, nurses, treatments and therapies.

 

‘Annam Vrittikaraanaam Shreshthaha’ – wholesome food enhances our vitality and strength and makes the body sturdy – advised a board in Sanskrit, displayed at the food court, at the Somatheeram Ayurvedic foodstall that offered delicious preparations conforming to ayurvedic principles. All parts of the banana tree were transformed into delectable dishes like banana flower cutlets that melt in your mouth; a pinkish water drink made with herb and root infusions that serve as a pick-me-up; dried ginger coffee; flattened red rice mixed with palm sugar, moringa (drumstick) soup, millet chapatis and more. Says Somatheeram founder and president of KTM, Baby Mathew, “The 260 dishes compiled based on this ancient science include soups, salads, juices and regular meal items. Soma was a juice consumed for eternity by the gods and theeram means sandy beach – it’s a great combination to heal mind, body and soul.”

 

A combination of yoga, meditation, health-promoting food and salubrious surroundings can create the perfect balance that keeps mind, body and soul together. A Chinese proverb says, “You are what you eat.” This brings to mind the popular nursery rhyme: “It’s a very odd thing /As odd as can be –  /That whatever Miss T eats, /Turns into Miss T!”

 

IF HE EXIST

 I drive joy there was a doctor in Benaras who spent 7 minutes in the morning and evening for mediation on God. Knowing this, his colleagues and friends laughed at him. One day they argued that he was wasting 7 precious minutes on something, which he had been misled into believing. The doctor replied, “Well, if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting 7 minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste 7 minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 7minutes joy that I derive 4m.-

 

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Control of Breath and Healing

 

Quote from true Charm and Vedanta

Control of Breath and Healing

 

In India they recognize the power of healing and have studied it as a science, but it is not so much discussed as in the West. The monistic system of healing there is much like the Christian Science conception here. It does not recognize any bodily condition as real. No affliction,. It declares, can touch the soul. It holds one idea only: that the Infinite is One without a second, and Thou are That” free from all impurity, free from all disease, death and misery. Of course if we can rise to such heights of consciousness, everything will roll away from us; but it means a very lofty flight. If there is no body naturally we cannot treat a body; so the true monist cannot deal with either good health or ill health.

The idea of healing which we find in the lives of Jesus the Christ, Sri Krishna , Buddha , Guranga and other great Saviors is the same. There is only one-ideal that the Divine can work wonders through us. Are we willing to give ourselves to that divine Being? Are we really willing to offer our hands, our heat, our mind, everything we possess our every faculty and gift, wholly without any thought of return? If we are then even miracles of healing may be accomplished through us. There are here and there people who succeed in eliminating all their egoistic sense. They offer themselves wholly to God, and God works through them. They do not ask anything in return. And this is the only safe force of healing . The other methods are merely experiments-sometimes they work and sometime they do not.. Or some times they seek to work but the cure is not permanent.

 

Truly righteous living brings happiness to all

 

By Bhupender Yadav

 

All that is righteous is right, but all that is right may not be righteous. To give an example in the legal parlance, living by law is right, but living by moral law is righteousness. ‘Nyaya’ is a Sanskrit word that means ‘right or justice’. Etymologically, the word means ‘that by which man is guided’ to righteousness, to do the right thing. Righteousness is an uncodified moral law that we must turn to for attaching meaning to life.

 

Why are we suddenly finding it so difficult to attach meaning to life, despite doing the right things? We are all constantly complaining about being too overworked, tired, and anxious. More work has brought us more money, amenities and luxuries, but it has taken away our little joys, our peace. That is because in our race to the top, we have lost balance. We need to learn the art of staying calmly active and actively calm.

 

The next obvious question is how does one learn that art? It is easier said than done. To find calmness within, we must first find faith. To find faith we must turn to the philosophy of universal religion that Swami Vivekananda introduced us to. He taught us that to love God, realise Him and feel that ‘all are one’ is the true understanding of religion. It regulates human life. He taught us if there is no inner life, there is no religion either, for how can religion have meaning without faith.

 

 

In moving away from the Inner Self, we have traded faith for symbolism and given it the name of religion. Righteousness is what makes religion dynamic, instead of letting it be some stone-etched concept. It allows religion to flow, prosper and grow. It teaches us that modern is not always progressive, but being progressive that we must all aspire for, because that will help us evolve.

 

The Bhagwad Gita is the message of dharma, righteous living, delivered by Krishn. The very first shlok of the Gita begins with the word ‘dharmakshetra’, the field of righteousness. Dharma connotes righteousness, nobility, proper conduct – a philosophy of life which makes you a worthy and progressive citizen of the world.

 

Progress is not disruptive. It is the natural order of things. Progress does not scatter things, rather it unifies – oneness in all perspectives of life. When someone or society achieves that oneness, it spreads happiness and fulfilment. Sustainable development is the path of righteousness.

 

The equilibrating law of karma is that of action and reaction, cause and effect, sowing and reaping. In the course of ‘rita’, natural righteousness, each man, by his thoughts and actions, becomes the moulder of his destiny. Whatever universal energies he himself, wisely or unwisely, has set in motion must return to him as their starting point, like a circle inexorably completing itself.

 

Sanatan dharma, eternal righteousness, is entirely different from self-righteousness, which not only misleads one but is also disruptive for society. Humanity has suffered since ages because of this self-righteousness, ‘holier than thou’ attitude, of people or sects. Eternal righteousness is rooted in the idea of ‘Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah’ – happiness to all.

 

The writer is Union minister for environment, forest & climate change; and labour & employment

IF HE EXIST

 I drive joy there was a doctor in Benaras who spent 7 minutes in the morning and evening for mediation on God. Knowing this, his colleagues and friends laughed at him. One day they argued that he was wasting 7 precious minutes on something, which he had been misled into believing. The doctor replied, “Well, if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting 7 minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste 7 minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 7minutes joy that I derive 4m.-

 

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What is Vedanta

 

What is Vedanta

  

Vedanta is one of the world’s most ancient spiritual philosophies and one of its broadest, based on the Vedas, the sacred scriptures of India. It is the philosophical foundation of Hinduism; but while Hinduism includes aspects of Indian culture, Vedanta is universal in its application and is equally relevant to all countries, all cultures, and all religious backgrounds.

Vedanta affirms:

The oneness of existence,

The divinity of the soul, and

The harmony of all religions.

A closer look at the word “Vedanta” is revealing: “Vedanta” is a combination of two words: “Veda” which means “knowledge” and “anta” which means “the end of” or “the goal of.” In this context the goal of knowledge isn’t intellectual—the limited knowledge we acquire by reading books. “Knowledge” here means the knowledge of God as well as the knowledge of our own divine nature. Vedanta, then, is the search for Self-knowledge as well as the search for God.
What do we mean when we say God? According to Vedanta, God is infinite existence, infinite consciousness, and infinite bliss. The term for this impersonal, transcendent reality is Brahman, the divine ground of being. Yet Vedanta also maintains that God can be personal as well, assuming human form in every age. Most importantly, God dwells within our own hearts as the divine Self or Atman. The Atman is never born nor will it ever die. Neither stained by our failings nor affected by the fluctuations of the body or mind, the Atman is not subject to our grief or despair or disease or ignorance. Pure, perfect, free from limitations, the Atman, Vedanta declares, is one with Brahman. The greatest temple of God lies within the human heart.

Vedanta asserts that the goal of life is to realize and to manifest our own divinity. This divinity is our real nature, and the realization of it is our birthright. We are moving towards this goal as we grow with knowledge and life experiences. It is inevitable that we will eventually, either in this or in future lives, discover that the greatest truth of our existence is our own divine nature.

Vedanta further affirms that all religions teach the same basic truths about God, the world, and our relationship to one another. Thousands of years ago the Rig Veda declared: “Truth is one, sages call it by various names.” The world’s religions offer varying approaches to God, each one true and valid, each religion offering the world a unique and irreplaceable path to God-realization. The conflicting messages we find among religions are due more to doctrine and dogma than to the reality of spiritual experience. While dissimilarities exist in the external observances of the world religions, the internals bear remarkable similarities.
According to the Vedanta teachings there are four paths we can follow to achieve the goal of understanding our divine nature.  These paths are known as the Four Yogas. We can choose a path based on our personality or inclination, or follow the practices of the paths in any combination.

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti Yoga is the path of love and devotion. The devotee approaches God through a loving relationship. This path emphasizes practices such as prayer, chanting, and meditation on God as a loving presence in our lives.

Jnana Yoga

Jnana Yoga is the path of knowledge. In this path the seeker uses reason and discernment to discover the divine nature within by casting off all that is false, or unreal. This practice shows us that the Supreme Reality resides within.

Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga is the path of selfless work. Those who follow this path do work as an offering to God and expect nothing personal in return. Karma Yoga teaches us to practice detachment and equanimity in our work, and to understand that the results of any actions are beyond our control.

Raja Yoga

Raja Yoga is the path of meditation. Meditation is an important practice in all of the paths as it allows us to experience higher states of

Charvaka’s hedonism, an elixir of happiness

As long as you live, live happily, beg, borrow or steal, but relish ghee, clarified butter.” This is an oft-quoted maxim of Charvaka Darshan, which doesn’t actually reflect the universality of sukhvaad, hedonism and somewhat trivialises the profundity of this outright iconoclastic school of Indic philosophy.
Before proceeding further, let’s understand the concept of hedonism. Hedonism is the ethical theory that pleasure, in the sense of the satisfaction of desires, is the highest good and proper aim of human life.
Ethical or evaluative hedonism claims that only pleasure has worth or value; pain or displeasure has disvalue, the opposite of worth. Jeremy Bentham asserted both psychological and ethical hedonism by saying, “Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do.” Here, one must mention that hedonism is not completely an exclusive idea propounded by the Charvaka school.
Like Charvaka, Greek philosopher Epicurus also put a great emphasis on pleasure.
  To an uninitiated, Charvaka’s hedonism may appear to be a tad too sensual, corporeal and even carnal. But it’s too general an understanding of a deeper philosophy that humans need to stop desiring anything they don’t naturally need. Humans have been hankering after things they don’t require and, in a bid, to fulfil all the utterly elusive desires, we tend to lose the simplest joys that constitute a healthy and fulfilling existence. It’s like a proverbial Urdu couplet, ‘Na Khuda hi mila, na visaal-e-sanam/ Na idhar ke rahe, na udhar ke hum’ – ‘Neither did I realise god, nor did I find the company of my beloved/ I lost on both the fronts.’
The hedonism of Charvaka had a humanitarian streak to it. Charvaka believed that a joyful existence needs nothing else and individualistic happiness can pave the way for universal happiness. This is of paramount importance. No individual seems to be intrinsically happy. We’re constantly stressed out. To quote Pakistani poet Abdul Hamid Adam, ‘Ulajh ke rah gaya girdaab-e-jahan mein/ khushiyaan aayeen dabe paaon, chal deen sargoshi se’ – ‘Lost in the vortex of life/ I couldn’t discern when joys came tip-toeing and went surreptitiously.’ This is a universal lamentation felt by every rueful individual towards the fag-end of his life. What have we gained in life in this rat race of so-called success and accomplishments? Sadly, cipher; not even a zilch. We’ve deprived ourselves of life’s little joys and innocuous pleasures.
Charvaka exhorts us not to resist or resent the natural flow of happiness, for happiness is but an occasional episode in the painful drama of life. Ergo, enjoy life to the hilt, indulge in pleasures and welcome all that’s good. This is a grateful acceptance of positive energy.
We’re all sullen-faced, sulking souls because we’re too much into the ethical conundrums of good and bad and moral and immoral dilemmas. That palpable vibrancy and vivaciousness is seriously lacking in our lives. A measured hedonistic approach to life can bring back that estranged exuberance. Mind you, Charvaka’s hedonism is neither svairachaar, bohemianism, nor is it nihilistic. It’s an elixir and existentialism of universal happines
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The MYSTIRES OF YOGA

 

Quote from the true charm and power of Vedanta

 

 The MYSTIRES OF YOGA

 

From very ancient times the general mass of the people in all countries has associated religion with mysteries, miracles, and supernatural phenomenon. In early days people believed that evil spirits wee the cause of all diseases, and priests were often summoned to exercise the Devil. Even today there are persons everywhere, who will seek the help of priests, Sannyasins, or Yogis for the cure of physical ailments. This practice is common not only among the ignorant but extends to the educated classes. Even rationalists and those who are proud of their practical wisdom sometimes fall back on supernatural remedies as a last resort, when all other efforts have failed. There is also a tendency, especially among the rich to seek the advice of those professing religion on short cuts to worldly success. Many of them visit Sadhus simply for the purpose knowing, if possible, what further material rewards the future holds for them; to them; Religion and Astrology mean the same thing! In the west a large number of person who are ignorant of the real conditions in India still think of Hinduism in terms of astrology or Palmistry; for them every Indian they meet in a train or on board a ship is a potential fortune-teller!

 

Is it then a matter for any wonder if there are adventurers, everywhere, ready to take advantage of this “mystery mongering” Propensity often majority of men and women? In almost every country these charlatans ply a flourishing trade in the name of Religion. There is the story of the “Swami “in a large American city who among this various courses of Instruction advertised also; “Course of ten lessons for the attainment of Nirvana-Ten Dollars “! When upbraided by a fellow Indian for practicing such a hoax, the ‘swami” tried to justify his action by saying that after a long and fruitless search for all honest job, he had at last hit upon this device because he saw no harm in trading on the credulity of fools!

Where all can savour the joy of being alive

By Daisaku Ikeda

 

While Covid continues in one way or another to impact all sectors and aspects of society, the nature of that impact differs significantly depending on the conditions in which people find themselves.

 

Our real priority now is to face head-on the issues the pandemic has exposed, such as the need to rebuild the economy and livelihoods and reweave the social fabric so that it can support people’s lives in the years and decades to come. In considering this challenge, it is worth mentioning the words of UN Secretary General António Guterres last June: “We heal together when we all get the care we need.”

 

Here, I sense a commonality of spirit with the way of life that is the ideal of the Soka Gakkai International – a commitment to realising dignity and happiness for both oneself and others. The teachings of Mahayana Buddhism include an episode that resonates with this worldview and sensitivity to life.

 

 

On one occasion, Vimalakirti, a disciple of Gautam Buddha deeply respected for the way he interacted with people in various conditions of life with no sense of difference or distance, fell ill. Learning of this, Shakyamuni had some of his followers visit Vimalakirti. They asked Vimalakirti how he had fallen ill.

 

Vimalakirti replied: “Because all living beings are sick, therefore, I am sick,” and offered the following analogy to fully communicate what he meant: “It is like the case of a rich man who has only one child. If the child falls ill, then the father and mother too will be ill, but if the child’s illness is cured, the father and mother too will be cured.”

 

As it turns out, Vimalakirti was not actually suffering from any specific illness. Rather, his empathy – his feelings of shared pain that could not be extinguished so long as others suffered without relief – manifested itself in the form of illness. For Vimalakirti, this sharing of pain with those in distress was evidence that he was continuing to live as his authentic self. He was attuned to the vital truth that our individual security cannot be realised in isolation from the conditions of privation faced by others.

 

When we consider the Covid crisis in the light of this Buddhist perspective, it naturally leads us to question what it means to live in happiness and health at a time when so many people throughout the world are being severely impacted by illness and its accompanying effects.

 

This year marks seven years since the adoption by the UN of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In order to accelerate the recovery from the pandemic, it is important to flesh out the core spirit of the SDGs – the determination to leave no one behind – by adding a further vision of building a society where all can savour the joy of being alive. The feelings of relief and even joy that well up in a person who is aided in passage to safe haven after having been caught in the undertow of life’s trials and having given in to despair.

 

We must aim to construct a society in which such feelings – the palpable sense that it is, indeed, good to be alive – are shared by all.

 

 The writer is honorary president of the Soka Gakkai and founder of the Soka schools system

 

IF HE EXIST

 I drive joy there was a doctor in Benaras who spent 7 minutes in the morning and evening for mediation on God. Knowing this, his colleagues and friends laughed at him. One day they argued that he was wasting 7 precious minutes on something, which he had been misled into believing. The doctor replied, “Well, if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting 7 minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste 7 minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 7minutes joy that I derive 4m.-

 

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Law of our Destiny

 

Quote from the true charm and power of Vedanta

 

 Law of our Destiny

 

Let us try not to run away from anything. God will give us strength. He never fails us, if we can only remember to call upon Him. The trouble is that when difficulties arise, we forget our spiritual nature, our faith is shaken our mind becomes clouded and we grow fearful. Therefore we must make it the habit of our life to keep close to the Ideal. That is religion. We must do it not only in the hour of devotion and prayer, but also in the hour of activity. We must follow the law, knowing that even the thoughts we hold in the darkness and which no one else may perceive, each contributes its share towards the molding of our destiny. If we have harmful thoughts, although they may not express themselves in action, yet they will create a poison in our system and affect us more than they affect the person towards whom they are turned. We call it a natural tendency. A man thinks it is natural for him to be angry when someone provokes him; but it is quite unnatural for one who understands himself. He does not need to control himself even, for his understanding will dispel all darkness and feelings of anger will not rise.

 

Bliss is Eternal

By Swami Kriyananda

 
What everyone really wants is bliss. Happiness is counterfeit: too much of it diffuses one’s very concept of bliss. To a mind full of attachments, bliss seems almost a threat. A cottage by the sea is something the ego, at least, can handle without effort. But bliss? Bliss requires total absorption. Few people are ready to be all that happy! They need suffering, to spur them towards ever higher aspiration.

 

A bird, after 20 years of living in a cage, would be afraid to leave it. Were the cage door opened, the bird would cower at the back, dreading the flight that is perfectly natural for it. Man, at the thought of absorption in bliss, faces two major challenges. First, to his mind, bliss implies a need for exerting high energy. Second, the concept of absolute consciousness seems overwhelming to him.

 

If you have attained a certain degree of refinement, you would be unwilling to return to living like others who limit their pleasures to the table, their bar room and the bedroom. Creatures at every stage of evolution cling to what is familiar to them. Familiarity gives them their sense of security. And, so, they may meet the call to higher awareness with stout resistance.

 

The principal challenge bliss presents is the demand that one’s ego be abandoned. Human beings define themselves in terms of their bodies. They think of themselves as having a specific age, name, nationality, sex and social position. These do not, however, truly define us at all. In infinite consciousness, not even self-awareness, ultimately, is lost; it is simply transformed. Nothing, in essence, can be either created or destroyed.

 

 

IF HE EXIST

 I drive joy there was a doctor in Benaras who spent 7 minutes in the morning and evening for mediation on God. Knowing this, his colleagues and friends laughed at him. One day they argued that he was wasting 7 precious minutes on something, which he had been misled into believing. The doctor replied, “Well, if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting 7 minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste 7 minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 7minutes joy that I derive 4m.-

 

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