THE YOGA SUTRAS

 

                                      

                                                                   THE YOGA

                         YOGA IS AN ANCIENT SCIENCE INCLUDED IN THE SIX DARSHANA'S OF TRADITIONAL INDIAN PHILOSOPHY. WHILE THE THEORETICAL CONCEPTS  ARE MOSTLY DERIVED FROM SANKHYA, THERE ARE A FEW DIFFERENCES, PARTICULARLY REGARDING THE CONCEPT OF ISHWARA. ONE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE IS THAT WHILE SANKHYA OFFERS A PURELY PHILOSOPHICAL FRAMEWORK, YOGA WHILE USING SANKHYA TERMINOLOGY GOES INTO THE PRACTICAL STEPS OF ACHIEVING THE GOAL, WHICH SANKHYA ENVISAGES ONLY THEORETICALLY. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SANKHYA AND YOGA CAN BE COMPARED  TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. SCIENTIFIC THEORIES ARE ABSTRACT, WHILE TECHNOLOGY ACTUALISES SUCH THEORIES INTO TANGIBLE FINDINGS AND USEFUL RESULTS.

                       HOWEVER, TECHNOLOGY SOMETIMES EXPLOITS THE FINDINGS FOR NEFARIOUS AND DESTRUCTIVE  PURPOSES . IT IS TO OFFSET THIS DANGER THAT THE PRACTICE OF MORAL PRINCIPLES IS HARMONISED WITH THAT OF YOGA AT THE VERY BEGINNING. THE MOST IMPORTANT MORAL PRINCIPLE IS AHIMSA, OR NON-INJURY TO LIVING BEINGS, INCLUDING HUMANS. THE YOGI ACQUIRES TREMENDOUS ENERGY AND ALMOST UNLIMITED KNOWLEDGE AS THE PRACTICE FREES THE BRAIN OF BURDENS, DISTURBANCE AND CONFLICTS, RESULTING IN TRANQUILLITY AND ONEPOINTEDNESS. BY ADHERING TO MORAL PRINCIPLES, THE YOGI'S ENERGY AND KNOWLEDGE ARE NOT MISDIRECTED FOR SELFISH PURPOSES.

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                       * THE NATURAL PROPERTIES, AND PRIVILEGES OF A REASONABLE SOUL ARE, THAT SHE SEETH HERSELF, THAT SHE CAN ORDER, AND COMPOSE HERSELF, THAT SHE MAKES HERSELF AS SHE WILL HERSELF, THAT SHE REAPS HER OWN FRUITS WHATSOEVER, WHEREAS PLANTS, TREES, UNREASONABLE CREATURES, WHAT FRUIT SOEVER (BE IT EITHER FRUIT PROPERLY, OR ANALOGICALLY) THEY BEAR, THEY BEAR THEM UNTO OTHERS, AND NOT TO THEMSELVES. AGAIN, WHENSOEVER, AND WHERESOEVER, SOONER OR LATER, HER LIFE DOTH END, SHE HATH HER OWN END NEVERTHELSS, FOR IT IS NOT WITH HER, AS WITH DANCERS AND PLAYERS, WHO IF THEY BE INTERRUPTED IN ANY PART OF THEIR ACTION, THE WHOLE ACTION MUST NEEDS BE IMPERFECT.

                    * A PLEASANT SONG OR DANCE, THE PANCRATIAS'S EXERCISE, SPORTS THAT THOU ART WONT TO BE MUCH TAKEN WITH, THOU SHALT EASILY CONTEMN, IF THE HARMONIOUS VOICE THOU SHALT DIVIDE INTO SO MANY PARTICULAR SHALL ASK THYSELF, WHETHER THIS OR THAT SOUND IS IT, THAT DOTH SO CONQUER THEE. FOR THOU WILT BE ASHAMED OF IT. AND SO FOR SHAME. IF ACCORDINGLY THOU SHALT CONSIDER IT, EVERY PARTICULAR MOTION AND POSTURE BY ITSELF, AND SO FOR THE WRESTLER'S EXERCISE TOO. GENERALLY THEN, WHATSOEVER IT BE, BESIDES VIRTUE, AND THOSE THINGS THAT PROCEED FROM VIRTUE THAT THOU ART SUBJECT TO BE MUCH AFFECTED WITH, REMEMBER PRESENTLY THUS TO DIVIDE IT, AND BY THIS KIND OF DIVISION, IN EACH PARTICULAR TO ATTAIN UNTO THE CONTEMPT OF THE WHOLE. THIS THOU MUST TRANSFER AMD APPLY TO THY WHOLE LIFE ALSO.

                    * THAT SOUL WHICH IS EVER READY, EVEN NOW PRESENTLY (IF NEED BE) FROM THE BODY, WHETHER BY WAY OF EXTINCTION, OR DISPERSION, OR CONTINUATION IN ANOTHER PLACE AND ESTATE TO BE SEPARATED, HOW BLESSED AND HAPPY IS IT! BUT THIS READINESS OF IT, IT MUST PROCEED, NOT FROM AN OBSTINATE AND PEREMPTORY RESOLUTION OF THE MIND, VIOLENTLY AND PASSIONATELY SET UPON OPPOSITION, AS CHRISTIANS ARE WONT, BUT FROM A PECULIAR JUDGEMENT, WITH DISCRETION AND GRAVITY, SO THAT OTHERS MAY BE PERSUADED ALSO AND DRAWN TO THE LIKE EXAMPLE, BUT WITHOUT ANY NOISE AND PASSIONATE EXCLAMATIONS.

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                      HAVING COME SO FAR, THE READER WOULD HAVE, PERHAPS, FOUND THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION - CAN YOGA BE PRACTISED BY AN ATHEIST OR AGNOSTIC? ANYONE WHO HAS TAKEN UP THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IS SURE TO BENEFIT IN MANY WAYS, ESPECIALLY IN FINDING TRANQUILLITY AND PEACE IN THIS TRUMULTUOUS WORLD AND IN BEING ABLE TO HARNESS TREMENDOUS ENERGY.

                       TO SUM UP, EXCELLENCE IN YOGA, THE SCIENCE OF EXPANSION OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND ACHIEVING FREEDOM FROM LIMITATIONS, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ONE'S PERSONAL BELIEFS,  RELIGIOUS OR OTHERWISE. IT DEPENDS ENTIRELY ON THE STEP-BY-STEP PRACTICE OF THE METHODS DESCRIBED IN THE YOGA TEXTS AND GUIDANCE OF A PROPER AND AUTHENTIC EXPERTS. TO TAKE UP THE PRACTICE OF YOGA BASED ON HAVING READ UP AN OBSCURE TEXT, WITHOUT THE GUIDANCE OF AN EXPERT, IS GRAUGHT WITH DANGER, AND THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES CAN BE SERIOUS. IF, ON THE OTHER HAND, ONE IS PATIENT AND GOES AT IT CAREFULLY, TAKING UP ONLY THOSE PRACTICES THAT SUIT ONE'S PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CAPACITY, A GREAT NEW WORLD, VAST AND ALMOST UNLIMITED, OPENS UP BEFORE THE YOGI, WHO TURNS INTO ONE OF THE FINEST SPECIMENS OF HOMOSAPIENS, WITH AN INEXHAUSTIBLE FUND OF ENERGY AND A MIND AT PEACE. AN AUTHENTIC YOGA TEACHER, OPEN TO DIALOGUE AND NOT INTENT ON FORMING A CULT, WOULD BE IDEAL IN HELPING CUSTOMISE ONE'S YOGA PRACTICE.

                            NOT GIVING TOO MUCH IMPORTANCE TO A CREATOR GOD AND THE TILT TOWARDS ATHEISM IS NOT A LATER-DAY INVENTION, BUT IS ALREADY EVIDENT IN THE SANKHYA, THE WORKS OF THE SHRAVANAS AND THE BUDHDHISTS AND, TO A GREAT EXTENT, IN THE YOGA SUTRAS, ITSELF. MUCH BEFORE THE EPICS MADE THEIR APPEARANCE AND A BELIEF IN THE INCARNATIONS GOD BECAME ALMOST A CREED IN THE HINDU SYSTEMS OF THOUGHT, THE GREAT VEDIC HYMNS AND THE UPANISHADS LATER, CELEBRATED FREE THOUGHT AND A NON-CONFORMIST RATIONAL ATTITUDE.