THE MORAL RESTRAINTS - Part 1

If Pramana, Viparyaya, Vikalpa, Nidra and Smriti may be called the painless functions of the Antahkarana, which are studied in general psychology, the other functions, viz. Avidya, Asmita, Raga, Dvesha and Abhinivesa may be regarded as the painful ones, because it is these that cause the unhappiness of all beings, and these form the contents of abnormal psychology.

The painful functions create pain not only to oneself but to others as well, because we have a tendency to transfer our pain to others. A personal affair becomes a social problem and the personal ego becomes a social assertiveness. One’s likes and dislikes may seriously affect others in society. The Yoga psychology takes this fact into consideration. Hence, before contemplating any method to frees the mind from its painful functions, it has first to be weaned from society and brought back home from its meanderings

The Divine Life Society, Sivananda Ashram, India
outside. Like a thief who is first arrested and then suitably dealt with, the mind has to be made to turn away from the tangle of the external world, and then analyzed thoroughly. Social suffering is the impact of these psychological complexities mutually set up by the different individuals through various kinds of interaction.

Social tension is the collision produced by individualistic psychological entanglements. This is the reason for everyone’s unhappiness in the world. No one is prepared to sacrifice one’s ego, but everyone demands the sacrifice of the egos of others. Yoga has a recipe for this malady of man in general, for this internal illness of humanity. It asks us to bring the mind back to its source of activity, and if all persons are to do this, it would serve as a remedy for social illness, also. Thus, though Yoga is primarily concerned with the individual, it offers a solution for all social tensions and questions.

Yoga alone can bring peace to the world, for it dives into the depths of man. Yoga is, therefore, a means not only to personal salvation but also to social solidarity. The mind is to be brought to its source. Unfortunately, we cannot know where the mind is unless it starts working, like the thief whose presence is known from his activities. The outer problems are manifestations of the inner fivefold complexity. Ignorance is the first cause. But it is a negative cause when one is merely ignorant or stupid. Man does not stop with this acceptance.

He wants to demonstrate his ignorance, and here is the root of all trouble. Affirmation of egoism is the first demonstration. When one wants others to yield to the demands of one’s ego which goes counter to the egos of others, there is clash of personalities and interests, and this circumstance breeds unhappiness in family, in society, and in the world. Yoga makes an analysis of this situation. Avidya affirming itself as Ahamkara and clashing with others produces the context of Himsa or injury. As Himsa is an evil which begets social grief of different types, Ahimsa or non-injury is a virtue. Ahimsa is akin to the Christian ethics which teaches us to ‘resist not evil.’ If even a single ego would withdraw itself, the friction in society would be less in intensity to that extent.

Himsa is born of Asmita, Raga and Dvesha, and hence Ahimsa is a moral canon. Ahimsa, or the practice of non-violence, is not merely a rule of action but also of thought and feeling. One should not even think harm of any kind. To contemplate evil is as bad as committing it in action. Contemplation is not only a preparation for activity but is the seed of the latter. ‘May there be friendliness instead of enmity, love instead of hate,’ is the motto of Yoga. By love we attract things and by hatred we repel them. Love attracts love, and hatred attracts hatred.

vision, love without attachment (Raga) or hatred (Dvesha). Ahimsa has always been regarded as the king of virtues and every other canon of morality is judged with reference to this supreme norm of character and conduct. The ego tries to work out its likes and dislikes by various methods, one of them being the uttering of falsehood in order to escape opposition from others.

The insinuating of falsehood in society is regarded as a vice. Satya or truthfulness is another virtue. Truthfulness mitigates egoism to some extent. Dishonesty is an affirmation of the ego to succeed in its ways in the world for its own good, though it may mean another’s harm. Truthfulness is correspondence to fact. Yoga stresses the importance of the practice of truth in human life. There are dilemmas in which we are placed when we find ourselves often in a difficult situation. Sometimes truthfulness may appear to lead one to trouble and one might be tempted to utter falsehood.

From The Yoga System

Scriptures give many answers to our questions on the issue. Truth that harms is considered equal to untruth. We have to see the consequence of our conduct and behaviour before we can decide whether it is virtuous or not. But, then, are we to utter untruth? A most outstanding instance on the point is narrated in the Mahabharata.

SURYA NAMASKAR - Part 2

1. POSTURE OF THE FIRST NAMASKARA DAKSHASANA

Mantra: OM MITRAYA NAMAH
Procedure : In the first position of Surya Namaskara contemplate the virtues of Lord Surya with concentrated mind and feel that you are the friend of everybody and have friendship with every creature on the earth. Immersing yourself with these feelings stand erect stretching your hand, neck and all other parts of your body. Stretching both of your arms, touch your thighs with palms and inflate the chest and point your vision on the tip of the point your vision on the tip of the nose. This is a position of attention. Since you stand straight in 'Daksha' position hence this posture is named 'DAKSHASANA'.
BENEFITS -

a. Disorders of the skin and waists are corrected, the back becomes strength and new life and vigor are pumped into the legs. b. Focusing of the vision on nose helps to control the mind. c. The face becomes glorious d. It is an easy and effective way of attaining good health and development of personality for the students. e. Meditating with concentrated mind enhances confidence.


2. POSTURE OF THE SECOND NAMASKARA NAMASKARASANA

Mantra : OM RAVAYE NAMAH
Procedure : Fold together both of your hands in such a way that that both the thumbs begin to touch your chest. Expand your chest and pull in the belly as far as possible. Look straight ahead. The head, the neck and the body should remain in a straight line. Closing the mouth inhale the breath and hold it inside as far as possible and then expose the breath.
BENEFITS:
Disease of the throat is corrected and voice is enhanced. Both mind and body become healthy.


3. POSTURE OF THE THIRD NAMASKARA PARVATASANA
Mantra: OM SURYAYA NAMAH
Procedure: Raising the arms up, stretch whole of your body backward while gazing the sky with open eyes. Ben backward as mush as possible, expand your chest at the same time.
BENEFITS:
Both the shoulders and the food pipe (Esophagus) get exercise and diseases related to them are corrected. Eyesight is also improved.


4. POSTURE OF THE FOURTH NAMASKARA HASTAPADASANA
Mantra: OM BHANAVE NAMAH
Procedure: Inhaling the breath through nostrils retain it and bend forward without folding the knees. Ultimately rest both of your palms on the ground and touch your knees with your forehead or the nose and exhale the breath that you held so far with audible sound. If, in the beginning you are unable to rest your palms on the unable to rest your palms on the ground, simply touch the ground with finger and practice slowly.
BENEFITS :
a. Disorders of the belly and digestive system are corrected. The chest grows strong, hands too become stronger and your become well balanced, beautiful and good looking. b. Diseases of the feet, fingers are also corrected and new lease of life is pumped in week persons.


5. POSTURE OF THE FIFTH NAMASKARA EKAPADA PRASARANASANA
Mantra: OM KHAGAYA NAMAH
Procedure: Inhale the breath through nostrils and pull your right leg
backward in such a way that the knee and the fingers of the foot touch the
ground. Push forward your left leg pressing the abdomen (belly) hard. Then
raising your head as high as possible, look upward. Push down the waist and
hold the breath and stay in the osture as long as you can.
BENEFITS :
a. The posture stresses the small intestine as well as the seminal vesicles and these
are stretched. Thus this posture helps in correcting the constipation and diseases
of the liver.
b. Thinness of the semen is also corrected.
c. Diseases of the Throat are also corrected.


6. POSTURE OF THE SIXTH NAMASKARA BHUDHARASANA
Mantra: OM PUSHNE NAMAH
Procedure: Inhale the breath deeply and hold it and pull both of your legs
backward, so that the thumbs of the feet, ankles and knees touch each other.
Stabilizing the feet and keeping the head, waist, the back and the elbows in a
line bend forward and resting both the palms on the ground keep your body like a bow.
BENEFITS :
One get relief from the pains specially of arms, legs and the knees, Bulging waist is
trimmed and slimmed this posture is like a panacea for the abdominal disorders.



7. POSTURE OF THE SEVENTH NAMASKARA ASHTANGA
PRANIPATASANA
Mantra : OM HIRANYAGARBHAYA NAMAH
Procedure : Holding the breath, rest both of your knees on the ground. Touch
the ground with your chest and touch the lower part of the neck with chin. Also touch the
ground with the upper part of the forehead and the nose. Please note that the abdomen
should not touch the ground. It should be pulled in. Exhale the breath now, both the
hands (palms) must be kept on the sides of the chest (Fig.)
BENEFITS :
a. This posture makes the arms strong.
b. If ladies perform this Asana before getting pregnant, the breast fed babies could
be saved from the attacks of many diseases.

Yoga - THE AIM OF OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS part 2

Yoga metaphysics holds that the body is not all, and even the five elements are not all. We do not see what is inside the body and also what is within the universe of five elements. A different set of senses would be necessary for knowing these larger secrets. Yoga finally leads us to this point.

When we go deep into the body we would confront its roots; so also in the case of the objects outside. When we set out on this adventure, we begin to converge slowly at a single centre, like the two sides of a triangle that taper at one point.

The so-called wide base of the world on which we move does not disclose the truth of ourselves or of objects. At this point of convergence of ourselves and of things, we need not look at objects, and here no senses are necessary, for, in this experience, there are neither selves nor things.

There is only one Reality, where the universal object and the universal subject become a unitary existence. Neither is that an experience of a subject nor an object, where is revealed a knowledge of the whole cosmos, at once, not through the senses, mind or intellect,-for there are no objects,-and there is only being that is consciousness.

Yoga is, therefore, spiritual, superphysical or supermaterial, because materiality is shed in its achievement, and consciousness reigns supreme. This is the highest object of Yoga, where the individual and the universe do not stand apart as two entities but come together in a fraternal embrace.

The purpose of the Yoga way of analysis is an overcoming of the limitations of both subjectivity and objectivity and a union of the deepest within us with the deepest in the cosmos.

From - The Yoga System by Swami Krishnananda

Yoga - THE AIM OF OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS part 1

As all thoughts can be reduced to five types of internal function, all objects can be reduced to five Bhutas or elements. The five great elements are called Pancha-Maha-bhutas, and they are (1) Ether (Akasa), (2) Air (Vayu), (3) Fire (Agni), (4) Water (Apas) and (5) Earth (Prithivi).

The subtlety of these elements is in the ascending order of this arrangement, the succeeding one being grosser than the preceding. Also the preceding element is the cause of the succeeding, so that Ether may be regarded as containing all things in an unmanifested form. The elements constitute the whole physical cosmos. These are the real objects of the senses, and all the variety we see is made up of forms of these objects. Our sensations are the five objects. We sense through the Indriyas or sense-organs. With the sense of the ear we come in contact with Ether and hear sound which is a reverberation produced by Ether.

Touch is the property of Air, felt by us with the tactile sense. With the sense of the eyes we contact light which is the property of Fire. With the palate we taste things, which is the property of Water. With the nose we smell objects, and this is the property of Earth. There is the vast universe, and we know it with our senses. We live in a world of fivefold objects. The senses are incapable of knowing anything more than these element. The internal organ, as informed and influenced by the objects, deals with them in certain manners, and this is life.

While our psychological reactions constitute our personal life, the adjustment we make with others is our social life. The Yoga is primarily concerned with the personal life of man in relation to the universe, and not the social life, for, in the social environment, one’s real personality is rarely revealed.

Yoga is essentially a study of self by self, which initially looks like an individual affair, a process of Self-investigation (Atma-Vichara) and Self-realization (Atma-Sakshatkara). But this is not the whole truth. The Self envisaged here is a consciousness of gradual integration of reality, and it finally encompasses all experience and the whole universe in its being.

While the psychology of Yoga comprises the functions of the internal organ, and its physics is of the five great objects or Mahabhutas, the philosophy of Yoga transcends both these stages of study.

From - The Yoga System by Swami Krishnananda

SURYA NAMASKAR - Part 1

What is SURYA NAMASKAR, Why SURYA NAMASKAR, How SURYA NAMASKAR










Surya Namaskar is included in the regular routine of prayer and worship. Means it must be practiced regularly. Its greater importance has been described in the scriptures. As per the scriptures, a single day worship of the sun has virtues equivalent to the bestowal presentation of one lakh milk cows. Like worship, Surya Namaskaras too has their own significance. Surya Namaskara means prayer (Vandana) of Lord Surya.

Surya Vandana is short. Surya Namaskara is an ancient system of Indian exercise. Stand facing the east at dawn and peacefully chant the mantras to pray Lord Surya and offer red sandals, flowers, rice grains (Akshatas) with water of simply the water alone as ARGHE (libation) and perform Surya Namaskara.

This whole process must be performed before the sunrise. Take water in a metal pot and mix all the available veneration materials in it and hold the pot in your fingers alone keeping the thumbs aside and facing the east and chanting the following Mantra offer the libation thrice. EHI SURYA! SAHASTRANSHO! TEJORASHE! JAGATPATE ANUKAMPAYA MAM BHAKTYA GRIHANARGHYAM DIVAKARA ! Now recite the following Mantra to pray Lord Surya.

DHYEYAH SADA SAVITRI MANDALA MADHYAVARTI NARAYANAH SARSIJA SANA SANNI VISHTHAH ! KEYURVAN MAKAR KUNDALA VAAN KIRITI, HARI HIRANYA MAYA VAPUR DHRIT SHANKHA CHAKRAH || NAMASKARA There are twelve positions or a posture involves in Surya Namaskara.

With all of these twelve positions, each and every part of the body gets ample execrsie. Surya Namaslara also enhances the vision. Among these twelve positions, ten are Asanas only. The first one and the last one are two positions. All these Asanas and position are very easy to perform and can easily

be practised by the people of all ages. Together these twelve positions constitute the process of Surya Namaskara and twenty-five Namaskaras form one Avriti (frequency). Surya Namaskar must be performed at some open and airy place. Perform Surya Namaskara slowly without feeling tired (fatigue) or panting and puffing, changing the feet every time, it must be performed on each of the feet successively. The completely procedure of performing Surya Namaskara is thus: It begins with the Mantras, one each for all the twelve Namaskara. These Mantras are as follows:

1. OM MITRAYA NAMAH
2. OM RAVAYE NAMAH
3. OM SURYAY NAMAH
4. OM BHANAVE NAMAH
5. OM KHAGAYE NAMAH
6. OM PUSHNE NAMAH
7. OM HIRANYA GARBHAYE NAMAH
8. OM MARICHAYE NAMAH
9. OM AADITYAAYA NAMAH
10. OM SAVITRE NAMAH
11. OM ARKAYA NAMAH
12. OM BHASKARAYA NAMAH