Upayas & Yagyas, one overview

[Guest guest]

To truly correct a problem, which is the essence of life, or learning

lessons, one has to admit there is a problem, then make a plan, make the

changes necessary, keep up or maintain the new way of the thing, then the

change can be complete.

 

In ourselves, Saturn represents truth coming to purify us of attachments and

other problems. As we accept the truth, and the conclusion of our

difficulties, or accept the lesson that is, then we "get it", and are fixed.

 

To truly be of benefit, an Upaya will be an activity which after or while

doing, one receives the benefit of purification from some bad quality in

themselves, or relief of some ill fate coming to them from the environment.

 

In the first case, the self will, self awareness, self process, all come into

question, and are called to improve. An actual change in a personal issue

problem will result in actual change in attitude, lifestyle issues, whatever

is involved. If it is not so, then there really was no change and thus there

really will be no relief.

 

In the second case, we are talking about a kindof magic, or religious issue,

in that a change can only be effected by the removal or change of factors in

the environment or others, not something within us. In this case, you are

requesting divine intervention more or less.

 

Upa or instruction is really aimed at changing things about ourselves. Puja,

Some Yantra and some Tantric practices, are aimed at gathering divine help

with problems. In this case, one must question how is that divinity can be

bought? Is it with Puja itself, which only costs money and some paid

Brahmins time, or is the devotion that goes along with that act of arranging

a Puja or Yagya, and so on. In this way, one will have to do some self

examination, some examination of one's thoughts and motives around using

"divine phoning".

 

But we can always apply more goodness inside ourselves, so in one sense,

Upaya is free, in that it is mostly self process, self change, self

examination, and calls upon the effects of things like Sadhana (practices),

Japa (praying), Meditation (reflection and acceptance), Arca Vigraha (deity

worship or alignment with divinity), Hatha Yoga (focus on organism level

health), and so on.

 

To accept self change in the first place, as a valid pursuit, shows greater

acceptance of the process of Saturn's effects, whereas to "reach out" for

"the change" to be elsewhere, shows greater Self Will rather than acceptance,

and leaves room for the ego to survive, whereas Upaya is heavily based on the

dismantling of the separate ego.

 

So the process of Puja and Yagya is often more frought with remaining

spiritual issues actually, whereas Upaya is free from this defect, being

focused inward, rather than outward. These are the masculine and feminine

sides of "Hindu Fixes" for our ills, and they are found just like this in all

religions really. There is always the "will to fight on" and the wisdom to

"back down when beat". To decide what is what in life actually, is the game

of truth and wisdom unfolding within us.

 

As my Gurudev once explained:

 

Two great devotees are there in the scripture we know by name: Arjuna and

Udhava. They are both extremely dear to Krishna, his close personal friends.

 

Both of them heard the Gita more or less the same, one is captured in the

Bhagavat as the "Udhava Gita" (the 11th canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam) and

the other is the famous "Gita", which is Arjuna and Krishna, which is a

chapter from the Mahabharat historical classic by Vyas.

 

So both of these "chapters" are spoken by Krishna to a close friend, both

around the same time, and both were aware of the same events. One chose to

fight to the end (Arjuna) and the other fled the entire battle altogether.

Both were right, but simply having two types of understanding of the imports

meant by the same exact teachings from the same teacher, in this case Krishna

himself.

 

In so many ways we are always at war, such as we are at war with the

elements, which threaten us, at war with bugs, at war with our inner

problems, at war with each other over issues...

 

When to push our will, and when to accept, is the art of movement. Is moving

forward better aided by deflecting energy that might oppose me (Tai Chi, Tae

Kwon Do), or by directly confronting and trying to dismantle the obstacle to

pieces (Karate), or by a mixture of these two (Kung Fu).

 

How much should our will to eat what we like dicate what we eat, verse our

knowledge which tells us what is good for our organism. One of these is

"purush" in that it underlies the "being" the "subject" or "enjoyer", purush

literally meaning "the person", and the other approach is prakriti, or

submissive, discipling by nature, humble, seeking to learn from up to down,

rather than conquer down to up. The conquerer ignores the truth, imposese his

will, and suffers the disease of his wrong approach, and the yogi, or

cooperator, the linker, enjoys the benefits of full health due to cooperating

with the Kshetra as if it is the boss, because it represents the whole

impersonally, without the "taste and likings" we carry due to conditioning.

 

So Upayas real aim is to give instructions to the Sishya, the disciple, which

discuss remedies or approaches, inner work technologies actually, which aid

the practitioner (a humble disciplic or feminine word, non-purush, prakriti

based), in their achievement of release from what ills them, which is always

going to be the imbalances caused by false ego or false identification of the

self as enjoyer, then identifying enjoyment based on the impulses of the

current set of senses, which are always imbalanced by nature we see from

applying simple eyesight to all HUMAN beings around us, and voila, you must

see that the Purush approach does not actually work for the human. It clearly

does not lead to health and goodness. (note, this is not at all referring to

any class or group of classes offered by the TM movement going by this name-

I'm referring to the root Sanskrit meanings of these words, not any offerings

of any group at all).

 

Hence, the real lesson of life is humility, connection, yoga, service, all of

these things are included in real understanding of the whole "Yoga System"

which is taught throughtout the range of books. To become a knower of truth,

a follower of life possible healthy habits which increase longevity, not

decrease it, and to be a radiant storehouse of love for all others, of

knowledge to help them, of the attitudes to show the example for maintaining

a healthy outlook, knowledge base, lifestyle, etc., all these things form

health caused by the feminine approach of humility to what is, which is the

process of Yoga.

 

To fight this, is "Asuric", and "Tamasic" or based in "Ignorance" which means

"to ignore reality". So ignorance is the breeding ground of "freedom" from

"truth". In order to be free from truth, and thus enjoy illusions fully,

there must be ignorance. God provides this as much as you need it to

emotionally survive where you are in the path towards full awareness.

 

Upayas teach us truth, and thus can be shocking wake ups. Sometimes really

getting with a real light worker means to receive instructions in how to

change, to be a more full being. This can be hard, like breaking old habits.

Whereas simply paying thousands for someone else to do some work which will

hopefully cause divine intervention is altogether another approach.

 

In properly situated religiously based trible society, such as in Vedic

culture, there is the need to entertain and enlighten the group through the

healthy act of collective worship of divinity. This is very healthy- singing,

dancing, eating together, all in the name of the local understanding of the

source of life and all that is, or divinity, local understanding version.

This is so very healthy.

 

So once everyone is adjusted, there will be Yagya and Puja as a matter of

public activities for social interaction, fun, enlivenement, sharing of

culture, worship of the Gods, etc. But to become adjusted, we may privately

until then do these things in small groups, or personally, in order to "get

there" personally, and as each part is fixed, the whole becomes fixed

gradually in turn. Fixed being "a radiant source of love, and radiantly able

to receive love".

 

That is what we are. An interactive loving conscious unit. Everything else is

detail. Upayas get us there quicker, by dealing with the root, whereas often

personal Puja and Yagya is tainted with desire to maintain our particular

slant on life in our current body. The riders of the fuller light may choose

the former with confidence, unless they know the latter in their own case is

what they choose to consciously do. Then it is their choice, and harms

nobody, worships Gods, and thus is all good. So both are good. It's a choice.

Male or female approach to improving our lives.

 

Jiva is Prakriti, please make a note of it. This alone gives us a hint as to

which is actually more correct for us.

 

I feel bad writing these things, as I am not really doing any of this myself

nicely. I'm hoping understanding will lead me to a good place eventually.

 

raghu

[Guest guest]

Another excellent piece by Raghu...

 

Raghu,

 

One of the meanings of Upaaya is to "come near" or "arrive". Upa =

near and aya = to come/reach/go. You have beautifully explained it.

In Sidhdha Vaidhya (Medicine practised by Sidhdhas), the remedy for

all ailmements caused by nature such as snake bite are found at the

site of the event. Usually, the doctor (Sidhdha) would go with the

ailing person to the site where the snake bite occurred and find the

antidote herb close by. For all problems the cure is "going back".

 

Love,

Arun

 

 

gjlist, goravani@a... wrote:

>

> To truly correct a problem, which is the essence of life, or

learning

> lessons, one has to admit there is a problem, then make a plan,

make the

> changes necessary, keep up or maintain the new way of the thing,

then the

> change can be complete....................... Upayas get us there

quicker, by dealing with the root, whereas often

> personal Puja and Yagya is tainted with desire to maintain our

particular