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________________ Yoga Sadhana 225 YOGA SADHANA BHAG SINGH LAMBA Retired Commissioner, Spiritual House, Dehradun The word "YOGA" means union with Almighty. There are various branches of Yoga like Hathyoga, Karmayoga, Bhaktiyoga and Rajyoga. Each is a path to the same goal and they are complementary to each other. The essence is Integrated Yoga. There are numerous books on the subject. I shall deal with Patanjali's Astengayoga, Rajyoga and Bhaktiyoga; other branches come by implication and it is essentially Integrated Yoga. The unique distinction with the scribe dealing with the subject is that God Himself became my guru from early 1957 onwards. It is exactly as stated in the Bhagavat Gita where Lord Krishna says that He himself does Yoga in a real and true Sadhak. The modern student considers the attainments of Yoga as Mythology but I have practically proved that what is stated in the Ancient Wisdom is quite correct. Indian Rsis (saints) did research work on Life and how to contact the life-giver. The result was Integrated Yoga. The basic necessity is a clear and healthy body which should be a suitable vessel to contain the Amrt (divine nector). For this purpose the first stage is Yama or self-control. This implies ten points of conduct namely (i) Ahimsa or non-injury, (ii) Satya or truthfulness, (iii) Non-covetousness, (iv) Chastity, (v) Forbearance, (vi) Patience, (vii) Kindness, (viii) Humanity, (ix) Sattwik food, (x) Cleanliness. The second stage for practice is Niyama or regulation. This also implies ten points, namely (i) Control of passions, (ii) Contentment, (iii) Faith, (iv) Charity, (v) Prayer, (vi) Listening to scriptures, (vii) Repentence over faults, (viii) To do goods deeds, (ix) Recitation of scriptures, (x) Sacrifice. It is evident that y'ama and Niyama cover ethics. After these preliminaries there are six more stages which will be described later. Here I will take up Rajyoga. The key for crossing the bridge between materialism and spiritualism lies in the mind. Rajyoga deals with mind-control and its development and unfoldment of consciousness. The ancient Rsis discovered during their research that the physical body is just like a complicated machine that functions during the life span with God's power or spirit or monad a spark from His flame. They found that there are seven centres of energy or chakras through which the life force is absorbed. The most important is at the top of the brain called Sahasrara or Brahmarandhra. This has been called "Dasam-dawr" in Guru Granth Sahib as there are 9 other openings already exist in the body like mouth, ears, eyes, nose etc., secreting impure fluid and the tenth is concealed being the abode of the Driver of the body. The second centre of energy is at the bottom of the brain and is called Ajna. It is behind the spot between the two eye brows and the beginning of the nose. The third centre of energy is in the region of the throat and is called Visuddha a Kantha chakra. It is the seat of Akasa or Ether Element. The fourth centre of energy is in the region of the heart or hrdaya chakra or cardial plexus. This
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________________ sa . 226 zrI puSkaramuni abhinandana grantha : navama khaNDa controls the energy used for breathing or Prana Sakti. It is the seat of Air Element. The fifth centre of energy is in the region of the navel and is called Manipura or Nabhi Chakra or Solar plexus. This is the seat of Agni or Fire Element. Most of the arteries carry the food energy to different parts of the body from this centre. The sixth centre of energy is at the root of the male or female sex organ and is called Swadhisthana or Indriya Chakra (Hypogastric plexus). It means the seat of pleasure. It is the seat of Water Element or creative power. The seventh and last chakra is at the bottom of the body between the anus and generating organ and is called Muladhara or Guda Chakra (pelvic plexus). This is the seat of Earth Element. It is also called Adhara Chakra. The whole Cosmic force in man is stored above this Chakra. It forms a reservoir of life force. Again, the second centre of energy forming the centre of the circle at the bottom of the brain is the seat of mind. Therefore in order to control mind one should concentrate at the spot between the two eye-brows. This is the fundamental of Rajyoga. The other six stages of Astanga Yoga are-(3) Asana or sitting posture (4) Pranayama (5) Pratyahara (6) Dharana (7) Dhyana (8) Samadhi. I shall not go into details of these stages as their practice may arouse complications and unless one is absolutely pure one is exposed to danger. I know of one case in which the Life Force ascended from Muladhara to Sahasrara and perhaps descended from above and the person was going to die but for my intervention with divine touch. However for Asana any convenient posture will do, though Padmasana is the best. The trunk has to be kept straight without tension to facilitate the movement of force. As for Pranayama one should start with deep breathing. The in-take of Air - Puraka, exhalation-Rechaka and holding breath after inhalation or exhalation Kumbhaka. These three have to be so regulated that breathing should proceed in a rhythmic ** manner. These should be performed in the ratio of 1 : 4:2. i.e., one breath Puraka, four breath Kumbhaka and two breath rechaka. This will help mind-control. Rajayoga along with Bhaktiyoga is best and safest. Bhaktiyoga is the remembrance of God, reading and listening of scriptures and doing and listening to kirtan or devotional songs. As soap washes out dirt, God's name in any language and His Kirtan will wash the internal dirt. This will serve like internal bath. The ordinary bath does not touch the internal dirt. Repetition of a 'Mantra' also serves the same purpose and the power of a Mantra depends upon the attainment of the saint who gives the Mantra. It also depends on the aspiration of Sadhaka. If the Sadhaka is truly willing it makes one Nirmal or pure. The test for internal purity is that one will get flash of light or may see full moon or sun when meditating. The second essential is making the mind steady and calm. This is achieved by Rajayoga by concentrating at the brow centre- Ajna. Mind control, however, is a Herculean task. It is said Man jeete Jag jeeteif one has conquered the mind, he has conquered the world. However regular practice is necessary. Association with saints who are nearer to God will be of immense help and almost the impossible can be achieved through them as they know how to make others mind calm depending on their receptivity of the Divine Force. The first sign of Grace will be that the body may be joeted, some force may begin to ascend through the spinal column and the body may sway to and fro. With further progress the ascending force may begin to prescribe chakra or rotate in each or any Centre of Energy. The ascent of the force from below will hail the Spiritual birth of an individual. One lady has described that the back pain due to ascent of the force in susumna (the canal in the Spine) is almost like birth pangs, which are felt by the mother when a child is born; while in this case it hails one's own spiritual birth. I felt only a little pinprick. When the Ascent is up to Sahasrara then one may meet God. Further progress will be descent of force from above-Transcendent God. When this happens God Himself will become the teacher or Guru of the Sadhaka. The ascending and descending forces after fusion at the brow centre will virify each Chakra and concentration of the Sadhaka will be taken at different centres of energy. The stage will be reached when the entire Yoga Sadhana will be perfectly
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________________ Yoga Sadhana 227 0 guided even the sitting posture included. Orison has been compared to watering the garden of the soul. While initial meditation is compared to drawing up water in a bucket with a rope from a deep well; the next step is drawing it up by installing a pulley; further progress is watering with canal water. The last step when God's force descends from above into the physical body is just like pouring rain to water the garden of the Soul when even the uneven and raised parts of the field will become green and fruitful. While the ascending force will bring bliss, the descending force from the Transcendent is the transferring force. It will change the vibratory power of each cell of the physical body which means extension of consciousness. The ascending force will come out of Sahasrara and may lead to the formation of four subtle bodies. This is a lengthy subject and has been dealt with in my book "Spiritual Science" in the Chapter "Man and his Garments". Then bodies surround and interpenetrate the physical body (Annamaya Kosa) and have been named Pranamaya Kosa, Manomaya Kosa, Vijnanamaya Kosa and Anandmaya Kosa by the ancient saints. The play of the two forces proceeds in a wonderful manner in various permutations and combinations and enables the real man to come out of the physical body. The virification of the centres of energy to make us superman is a very long affair and may extend over several years while the play of forces may proceed for all the 24 hours in a day. The intensity of the forces increases with rhythmic Bhajans and Sabda Kirtan. The inner controller teaches the Sadhaka to transform others and may allot other tasks like alleviation of human suffering. When His full Grace is showered an individual will work in his subtle bodies as freely as in the physical body. He will dance with His tune and work with His will. God will bestow some or all of His power on the Saint. He may conquer death and leave the physical body with his will at His call. Such is the Ancient Indian Wisdom left to us as legacy to become man-God. *** The pranayama is not much appreciable by the yogin who has developed disregard about bodily and worldly pleasures, whose passions are suppresed and senses are under control. - Yogapradip