yoga vs. advaita

[Guest guest]

respectd honourabe members,

can you please suggest me if yoga and advaita be followed simultaneously? yoga

requires certain rules like for diet etc. be strictly followed but advaita is

different as we all know? please explain.

regards,

gaurav goel

 

 

 

 

 

Find a job, post your resume on Careers.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Yes you can. Actually, advaita itself contains teachings that explain the

compatibility of yoga, devotional practices, and jnana yoga. I wrote a

piece on this several years ago, called "Nondualism, Yogas and Personality

Characteristics," available at this link --

http://www.nonduality.com/goode2.htm.

 

Regards,

 

--Greg Goode

 

At 07:43 AM 11/12/01 -0800, gaurav goel wrote:

>respectd honourabe members,

>can you please suggest me if yoga and advaita be followed simultaneously?

>yoga requires certain rules like for diet etc. be strictly followed but

>advaita is different as we all know? please explain.

>regards,

>gaurav goel

[Guest guest]

advaitin, gaurav goel <grvgl@Y...> wrote:

>

> respectd honourabe members,

> can you please suggest me if yoga and advaita be followed

simultaneously? yoga requires certain rules like for diet etc. be

strictly followed but advaita is different as we all know? please

explain.

> regards,

> gaurav goel

>

 

Namaste Shri Gaurav,

 

Yoga has been defined in various ways. However on a deeper

look one realizes that every one is saying the same thing

in different words.

 

Yoga means Union.

 

Union with What ?

The "What" is kept ambigious on purpose. For a devotee, that

"What" is god with a form, for a karma-yogi it is action itself.

For a Vedantin it is the Self. Depending on the disposition of

a person, this "What" takes different forms.

(I am sure people will object using the term "union with Self",

and insist that there is no union possible, what we think of

as "union with Self", is in fact "realization of the Self". I

hope these memebers will excuse abuse of terminolgy here.)

 

Are all these different versions of "What", consistent ?

Yes, but explaining this point will take a lot of effort.

I will not go into it here.

 

The type of yoga you are refering to is probably the eight-fold

yoga of Patanjali. In particular the Yama-Niyama part of it.

To see the relation of Vedanta and Yoga sutras at the stage of

yama-niyama is difficult. The relation is much more clearer at

the higher stages, of Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.

 

Hope this note helps.

You might also want to read a mini-artcile that I had once

posted on this list.

advaitin/message/10477

 

Best regards

Shrinivas

[Guest guest]

Namaste gauravji

 

Yoga by itself may not give you direct/immediate realizaton but it sure

prepares one to receive the knowledge. This elaborately discussed in

aparokshaanubhuti by Adi Shankara. And here's a quote from

Vivekachoodamani:

 

Action is for the purification of the mind, not for the understanding of

reality. The recognition of reality is through discrimination, and not by

even tens of millions of actions. 11

>

> gaurav goel [sMTP:grvgl]

> Monday, November 12, 2001 11:44 PM

> advaitin

> yoga vs. advaita

>

>

> respectd honourabe members,

> can you please suggest me if yoga and advaita be followed simultaneously?

> yoga requires certain rules like for diet etc. be strictly followed but

> advaita is different as we all know? please explain.

> regards,

> gaurav goel

>

>

>

>

>

> Find a job, post your resume on Careers.

>

>

>

>

> Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of nonseparablity of

> Atman and Brahman.

> Advaitin List Archives available at:

> http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/

> To Post a message send an email to : advaitin

> Messages Archived at: advaitin/messages

>

>

>

> Your use of is subject to

>

[Guest guest]

On Mon, 12 Nov 2001, gaurav goel wrote:

>

> respectd honourabe members,

> can you please suggest me if yoga and advaita be followed simultaneously? yoga

requires certain rules like for diet etc. be strictly followed but advaita is

different as we all know? please explain.

> regards,

> gaurav goel

>

 

namaste.

 

I think the difference is in the understanding and meaning of

yoga of patanjali and yoga as understood in advaita. Patanjali

discusses yoga-sAdhana in terms of aShTa angA-s (eight limbs)

of yoga: yama, niyama, Asana, prANAyAma, pratyAhAra, dhAraNa,

dhyAna and samAdhi.

 

shri shankara proposes a 15-limb sAdhana in aparokshAnubhUti

which is not dis-similar to the eight-limb one of Patanjali.

The difference is the deep advaitic meaning shri shankara

puts on each of the fifteen limbs. The fifteen limbs are:

 

1. yama (control of the senses)

2. niyama (control of the mind)

3. tyAga (renunciation

4. mouna (silence)

5. desha (space)

6. kAla (time)

7. Asana (posture)

8. mUlabandha (sucking in the anus)

9. deha-sAmya (holding steady the body)

10. dr^iksthiti (steadiness of gaze)

11. prANa-samyamanam (control of prANa)

12. pratyAhAra (withdrawal of the mind)

13. dhAraNa (continuous reflection)

14. dhyAnam (contemplation on the Self)

15. samAdhi (total absorption)

 

The description of the 15-limbs is presented in aparokshAnubhUti,

verses 102-115. While the meanings on the face of it look similar

to Patanjali's yogadarshana, shri shankara's meanings as presented

in aparokshAnubhUti have much deeper advaitic insight.

 

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

---

[Guest guest]

Namaste Murthy ji

 

It is also worth to mention that Shankara recommends Hatha Yoga for all

those who are unable to take up the 15-limb approach he has recommended. I

believe this is mentioned in the last few verses of the aparokshaanubhuti.

 

Wishing all a happy diwali.

>

> Gummuluru Murthy [sMTP:gmurthy]

> Tuesday, November 13, 2001 11:00 AM

> advaitin

> Re: yoga vs. advaita

>

>

> On Mon, 12 Nov 2001, gaurav goel wrote:

>

> >

> > respectd honourabe members,

> > can you please suggest me if yoga and advaita be followed

> simultaneously? yoga requires certain rules like for diet etc. be strictly

> followed but advaita is different as we all know? please explain.

> > regards,

> > gaurav goel

> >

>

> namaste.

>

> I think the difference is in the understanding and meaning of

> yoga of patanjali and yoga as understood in advaita. Patanjali

> discusses yoga-sAdhana in terms of aShTa angA-s (eight limbs)

> of yoga: yama, niyama, Asana, prANAyAma, pratyAhAra, dhAraNa,

> dhyAna and samAdhi.

>

> shri shankara proposes a 15-limb sAdhana in aparokshAnubhUti

> which is not dis-similar to the eight-limb one of Patanjali.

> The difference is the deep advaitic meaning shri shankara

> puts on each of the fifteen limbs. The fifteen limbs are:

>

> 1. yama (control of the senses)

> 2. niyama (control of the mind)

> 3. tyAga (renunciation

> 4. mouna (silence)

> 5. desha (space)

> 6. kAla (time)

> 7. Asana (posture)

> 8. mUlabandha (sucking in the anus)

> 9. deha-sAmya (holding steady the body)

> 10. dr^iksthiti (steadiness of gaze)

> 11. prANa-samyamanam (control of prANa)

> 12. pratyAhAra (withdrawal of the mind)

> 13. dhAraNa (continuous reflection)

> 14. dhyAnam (contemplation on the Self)

> 15. samAdhi (total absorption)

>

> The description of the 15-limbs is presented in aparokshAnubhUti,

> verses 102-115. While the meanings on the face of it look similar

> to Patanjali's yogadarshana, shri shankara's meanings as presented

> in aparokshAnubhUti have much deeper advaitic insight.

>

>

> Regards

> Gummuluru Murthy

> ---

>

>

>

Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of nonseparablity of

> Atman and Brahman.

> Advaitin List Archives available at:

> http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/

> To Post a message send an email to : advaitin

> Messages Archived at: advaitin/messages

>

>

>

> Your use of is subject to

>

[Guest guest]

> >

> > On Mon, 12 Nov 2001, gaurav goel wrote:

> >

> > >

> > > respectd honourabe members,

> > > can you please suggest me if yoga and advaita be

> followed

> > simultaneously? yoga requires certain rules like

> for diet etc. be strictly

> > followed but advaita is different as we all know?

> please explain.

> > > regards,

> > > gaurav goel

> > >

> >

> > namaste.

> >

> > I think the difference is in the understanding and

> meaning of

> > yoga of patanjali and yoga as understood in

> advaita. > >

> ------------------

 

Patanjali has said in his very first two Sutras the

precise import of the deep advaitic insight of Yoga:

 

"Yogaschitta vritti nirodhahaa"

 

"Tadaa Dhrashtuhu Swarupe awasthaanam."

 

'Yoga comprises the negation of all modifications of

the Mind.

At that time the SEER remains in HIS TRUE FORM',

meaning "THE WITNESS".'

 

All other sutras that follow merely give us the means

to that end.

 

Hari Om!

 

Swaminarayan.

 

 

 

 

Find the one for you at Personals

http://personals.

[Guest guest]

advaitin, K Kathirasan NCS <kkathir@n...> wrote:

> Namaste gauravji

>

> Yoga by itself may not give you direct/immediate realizaton but it

sure

> prepares one to receive the knowledge.

 

Namaste Kathirsan,

 

I am not sure what you mean by direct realization because the

ultimate goal of Raja Yoga is Asamprajnata Samadhi, which the

Vedantins call Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

 

At the time one is in Nirvikalpa Samadhi, one has direct realization

of the Atman akin to a fruit in one's own palm. This realization is

the goal of Advaita as well.

 

Sankara explains this in Sarva Vedantha Siddha Sangraha, verse 825:

 

That is Nirvikalpa Samadhi , which is termed yoga, wherein the mind,

bereft of the modes of knower, knowing and the object of knowledge,

remains firmly established in Brahman. Salt put in water remains as

one with the water and does not manifest separately. Only water

manifests. In like manner, the mental vritti (of the form of

Brahman) remains as one with Brahman and does not manifest

separately. The non-dual Brahman alone manifests.

 

Sankara also emphasises the importance of this Samadhi in

VivekaChudamani:

 

When thus purified by continuous practice, the mind merges in

Brahman, then there is Nirvikalpa-samadhi, which brings about the

effortless experience of non-dual bliss (363)

 

By this samadhi, there occurs the destruction of the know of

impressions, the annihilation of all one's actions and the

manifestation, without effort, of one's true nature, within and

without, everywhere and for ever (364)

 

(In the above verse Sankara clearly states that one's true nature is

manifested (experienced) in Nirvikalpa-samadhi )

 

Reflection on the Truth is a hundred times superior to hearing.

Meditation on the truth is a hundred thousand times greater than

reflection. Nirvikalpa-samadhi is infinitely superior to that (365)

 

There are also similar discussions in my earlier postings

(advaitin/message/9401)

 

In the sixth chapter, in the verse 46 starting with 'tapasvibhyo

dhiko yogi', Lord Krishna eulogises the path of Yoga as the means to

advaitic realization as well.

 

 

regards

Sundar Rajan

[Guest guest]

sdgadkari wrote :

> Yoga means Union.

>

> Union with What ?

> The "What" is kept ambigious on purpose. For a

> devotee, that

> "What" is god with a form, for a karma-yogi it is

> action itself.

 

 

Yoga indeed means Union or Integration. Sometime back

I think it was Sri Sadanandji who had given an

explanation that I thought was interesting. It went

something like this .. "One commits sin when one's

mind is divorced from his intellect. Hence to lead a

life devoid of sin, it is necessary to be able to

judge situations correctly and act in a way the

situation demands, without letting personal ego,

desires and selfish motives affect our choice of

action. This requires the mind to be well integrated

with the intellect. Yoga makes this integration

possible."

 

This tells me that Yoga would be beneficial even in

material life to somebody who is not consciously

walking the spiritual paths of Bhakti, Jnana etc ..

 

- Shirish

 

 

 

 

 

Find the one for you at Personals

http://personals.

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

Another view-point may be presented thus:

 

The use of the preposition 'vs.' indicates a confusion of defintions.

 

yoga is a term used to describe a process, necessarily in the

framework of time and space. The process is aimed at finding the Truth

or Reality underlying the phenomena of experience.

 

The Bhagavad-Gita has defined yoga in various ways; each of its 18

chapters even has a separate name. In addition, it has usd terms such

as : aatma-yoga; aatmasa.nyama-yoga; abhyaasa-yoga; ananya-yoga;

brahma-yoga; buddhi-yoga. [ Some authors have catalogued as many as

108 yogas!].

 

advaita is a philosophical term used to indicate the Reality Itself ;

it is not a process. Another word used is 'turiiyaa'. Nothing can be

used as a preposition that can qualify as being for or against It.

advaita or turiiyaa has to include, resolve, reconcile, every

experience; it is the end state of every yoga or approach, and cannot

exclude ANYTHING. It bears the stamp of all the 'mahaa-vaakya'-s in

the Vedas.

 

It is where all the triads ['tripuTii'] vanish: such as yogii, yoga, &

yujya; saadhaka, saadhanaa, saadhya/siddhi; j~naanii, j~naana, &

j~neya;

 

The philosophical analyses of Yoga and Vedanta are also not identical,

but not incompatible

 

As pointed out by Murthy-ji, the 15-'limbed' yoga of Aparokshanubhuti

[and Tejobindu upanishad] has some similarities in terms of

qualifications, but the process itself is quite different, and

Gaudapada has also termed it 'asparsha-yoga'.

 

I hope my simplification is free of errors.

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

 

 

 

advaitin, Shirish Karmarkar <shirish_karmarkar>

wrote:

> sdgadkari@a... wrote :

>

> > Yoga means Union.

> >

> > Union with What ?

> > The "What" is kept ambigious on purpose. For a

> > devotee, that

> > "What" is god with a form, for a karma-yogi it is

> > action itself.

>

>

> Yoga indeed means Union or Integration.

[Guest guest]

om.

sir,

can you please suggest some online resource for Aparokshanubhuti ?

gaurav goel

sunderh wrote: Namaste,

 

Another view-point may be presented thus:

 

The use of the preposition 'vs.' indicates a confusion of defintions.

 

yoga is a term used to describe a process, necessarily in the

framework of time and space. The process is aimed at finding the Truth

or Reality underlying the phenomena of experience.

 

The Bhagavad-Gita has defined yoga in various ways; each of its 18

chapters even has a separate name. In addition, it has usd terms such

as : aatma-yoga; aatmasa.nyama-yoga; abhyaasa-yoga; ananya-yoga;

brahma-yoga; buddhi-yoga. [ Some authors have catalogued as many as

108 yogas!].

 

advaita is a philosophical term used to indicate the Reality Itself ;

it is not a process. Another word used is 'turiiyaa'. Nothing can be

used as a preposition that can qualify as being for or against It.

advaita or turiiyaa has to include, resolve, reconcile, every

experience; it is the end state of every yoga or approach, and cannot

exclude ANYTHING. It bears the stamp of all the 'mahaa-vaakya'-s in

the Vedas.

 

It is where all the triads ['tripuTii'] vanish: such as yogii, yoga, &

yujya; saadhaka, saadhanaa, saadhya/siddhi; j~naanii, j~naana, &

j~neya;

 

The philosophical analyses of Yoga and Vedanta are also not identical,

but not incompatible

 

As pointed out by Murthy-ji, the 15-'limbed' yoga of Aparokshanubhuti

[and Tejobindu upanishad] has some similarities in terms of

qualifications, but the process itself is quite different, and

Gaudapada has also termed it 'asparsha-yoga'.

 

I hope my simplification is free of errors.

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

 

 

 

advaitin, Shirish Karmarkar <shirish_karmarkar>

wrote:

> sdgadkari@a... wrote :

>

> > Yoga means Union.

> >

> > Union with What ?

> > The "What" is kept ambigious on purpose. For a

> > devotee, that

> > "What" is god with a form, for a karma-yogi it is

> > action itself.

>

>

> Yoga indeed means Union or Integration.

 

Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of nonseparablity of Atman

and Brahman.

Advaitin List Archives available at: http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/

To Post a message send an email to : advaitin

Messages Archived at: advaitin/messages

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

The text of the work is available at:

 

http://sanskrit.gde.to/doc_z_misc_shankara/doc_z_misc_shankara.html

 

[it does not have an English translation there. I shall post it if I

come across one. Several books are available, though.

 

A transl. in French is at:

http://pages.intnet.mu/ramsurat/Sankara/Aparokshanubhuti.html

 

& in Spanish at:

http://www.acharia.org/larealizaciondirecta/realizaciondirecta1.htm ]

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

 

 

 

advaitin, gaurav goel <grvgl@Y...> wrote:

>

> om.

> sir,

> can you please suggest some online resource for Aparokshanubhuti ?

> gaurav goel

>