Guest guest Posted December 8, 2003 Report Share Posted December 8, 2003 shriadishakti , " Manoj " <map5166@r...> wrote: > > Dear Shri Jagbir Singhji, > > In http://www.adishakti.org/subtle_system/anahat_chakra.htm , the following has been written in case of Anahata Chakra :- > > GROSS PHYSICAL ASPECT > > Using the body as an instrument of athletic display fatigues the Heart centre. Excessive athletic competition simply develops into an ego-oriented thing, with no real gain at the end of it. In a similar way modern Hatha yoga is a form of athleticism which has no correlation with the Spirit, and this too can harm the centre. Unfortunately today Hatha yoga is mistaken for spirituality and people spend hours doing all kinds of asanas (positions). By standing on our heads (or wearing white/saffron robes or being vegetarian or whatever) we are not going to know the Almighty Creator. > > Kindly clarify the following :- > > 1) Should a Sahaja Yogi completely avoid exercising since this can affect one's anahata chakra? If yes, then can a person undertake basic exercises like jogging, running, walking for health, suryanamaskar and uthak-baithak? Will this also affect a Sahaja Yogi in any manner? > 2) Can a Sahaja Yogi eat non-vegetarian food or should he completely be a vegetarian and avoid even onion and garlic, since the body is after all a temple wherein various deities reside and eating non-veg is like dumping dead living creatures (God's creations) into your sacred system and polluting it. > > Kindly clarify. > > Regards, > Manoj Pisharoti > Dear Manojji, i found this Hatha Yoga topic on the internet (www.abhidhyan.org): " In our times, when we speak about yoga, we usually mean physical yoga exercises or asanas. But this is only a small part of tantra yoga—practical, scientific teaching, the aim of which is spiritual growth. The word yoga, as well as the word religion, means the union of the human soul with the Universal Soul, i.e., the union of human being with God. Although yoga is a product of Indian civilization and has influenced all religions of that land, it is a practical spiritual science that does not belong to any particular region or religion. It brings positive results independent of your belief in its efficacy. We can confidently state that yoga is the technology of ecstasy. Although the aim of yoga is spiritual perfection, it encourages a balanced, all-around development of human potential. We should use all the resources given to us for effective spiritual growth. Therefore, yoga contains in itself specific teachings that lead to bodily health and emotional well-being; it assuredly leads to intellectual, creative, intuitive and spiritual unfoldment. The yogi is a practical person. Therefore he does not consider his body an obstacle or a burden, a jail for his soul, which can be, even should be, neglected or rejected. Just the opposite, for a yogi the body is a temple of the Spirit, a temple which should be scrupulously maintained because, sooner or later, it will host the long-awaited Guest. So, as you might already suspect, this time we shall talk about one of the most important aspects of the spiritual path— physical yoga. Hatha yoga is mostly yoga that prepares the body for the spiritual path via physical and breathing exercises, and asceticism. Hatha yoga is the most superficial component of yoga, the one that is preoccupied merely with the means to the means. It prepares and conditions the body so that the mind can practice meditation more or less without obstacles. Hatha yoga, as a main rather than an accessory practice, is quite a tiresome and roundabout way to enlightenment. Most yogis in India do not pay too much attention to it, and frequently completely ignore it. They think, why perfect the body if it is already working well? The main component of hatha yoga, which has a special application to the spiritual path, and which we will discuss in more detail, is yoga postures, or, in Sanskrit, asanas. The word asana means comfortable, stable pose. Asanas are exercises of a special kind. The form that they have taken is the result of a thousand years of experience: trial and error, experiments, and scrupulous observation. The yogis have discovered that certain positions of the body can give human beings qualities that they do not have or that are in deficit. Asanas are usually named in honor of their inventors (Matsyendra), certain bodily structures (a triangle), tools (a plow), birds (a peacock), or animals (a lion, e.g.) and reflect physical or psychological effects that these asanas have on a person. For instance, a snake pose makes the spine flexible; a frog pose helps the body to conserve energy and use much less food and water (like during hibernation); an action pose develops emotional and physical energy. Yoga postures should not be confused with mere exercise, calisthenics, which help strengthen and develop muscles. Asanas are special positions of the body that strengthen, purify and balance the endocrine, nervous and circulatory systems. While asanas are rarely prescribed to treat illnesses, they surely have healing properties and definitely prevent diseases. Many healers use asanas and other hatha yoga methods to effectively treat chronic illnesses and emotional disorders. If you practice asanas regularly, your body will gradually achieve greater endurance, your spine will become more flexible, your body will come to its natural weight and rid itself of toxins, you will breathe more easily, you will gain energy, your circulation will improve, your blood pressure will normalize, you will have an easier time coping with stress, and you will have more pleasant thoughts and fewer negative emotions. And considering all this, your overall mood will improve—in other words, you will gain vibrant physical and emotional health. The main application of asanas is the resolution of problems that appear on the path of meditation. Most of us, especially when we begin meditation practice, become surprised to what extent the mind is restless, unstable and full of various thoughts and desires. Emotions of anger, fear, hate and their derivatives torture us, while emotions of enchantment, infatuation and attachment (so-called love) and their derivatives delight us. Both kinds of emotions do not allow us to enter deep meditative states. Such mental disturbance happens due to the effect of mental modifications (vritti), which are trying to find external expression through the sensory organs and the nervous system (indriya), and therefore creating emotional confusion. Since vrittis are derivatives of endocrine glands, if you can regulate their (hormonal) secretions through asanas and other special yogic techniques, you will be able to regulate and control the emotions and the mind. Asanas squeeze and stretch glands, and thus invigorate and balance their secretions. As a result, endocrine defects are cured, and emotional and mental difficulties caused by these defects gradually disappear, without much effort and frustration on your part. Gradually the mind becomes calm and focused, i.e., ready for deep meditation. Sooner or later an advanced sadhaka (spiritual aspirant or meditator) will experience an awakening of his or her usually dormant spiritual power (kundalini). This is the result of many years of conscientious meditation practice, and calls for major changes in the body and mind. The body needs to become stronger and more enduring, while at the same time capable of being more sensitive, aware and open, so that it will be able to tolerate both powerful and subtle currents of spiritual energy which are produced or released by meditation. Regular practice of certain asanas and other hatha yoga techniques helps maintain inner and outer vigor and purity that is necessary at such an advanced stage of spiritual development. Practicing physical yoga is not difficult. By definition, asanas are bodily positions that are easy to hold comfortably. Asanas that are correctly prescribed for your specific constitution by an experienced (and well-trained) teacher should be easy and pleasant to practice. Regular practice will help you control your emotions and thus lead a more satisfying life. If you start yoga practice early in your life, it will dramatically reduce your risk of developing cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other serious illnesses. The body readily responds to yoga postures. They are simple and should take only a few minutes a day. The reward, however, much exceeds invested efforts. " http://www.abhidhyan.org/Teachings/Hatha_Yoga.htm 1) Should a Sahaja Yogi completely avoid exercising since this can affect one's anahata chakra? If yes, then can a person undertake basic exercises like jogging, running, walking for health, suryanamaskar and uthak-baithak? Will this also affect a Sahaja Yogi in any manner? There is absolutely no basis that exercise should be avoided to protect one's anahata chakra. Please jog, run, walk, do suryanamaskar and uthak-baithak (sit-ups) for the rest of your life. There is nothing like a healthy body enjoying a Sahaja Yoga lifestyle i.e. living a life of daily bliss and complete faith that at last, after countless rebirths, we are on Earth with the Adi Shakti to announce the Last Judgment and finally attain moksa! Normal exercise will never affect a SY in any way whatsoever. It is the extreme sports or activities that should be avoided. That is why " excessive athletic competition simply develops into an ego- oriented thing, with no real gain at the end of it. In a similar way modern Hatha yoga is a form of athleticism which has no correlation with the Spirit, and this too can harm the centre. Unfortunately today Hatha yoga is mistaken for spirituality and people spend hours doing all kinds of asanas (positions). By standing on our heads (or wearing white/saffron robes or being vegetarian or whatever) we are not going to know the Almighty Creator. " 2) Can a Sahaja Yogi eat non-vegetarian food or should he completely be a vegetarian and avoid even onion and garlic, since the body is after all a temple wherein various deities reside and eating non-veg is like dumping dead living creatures (God's creations) into your sacred system and polluting it. Manoj, i have found the Sanatanna Dharma to be plagued by two terrible lies that have greatly harmed this awesome eternal religion: 1) idol-worship 2) vegetarianism There is not a single sentence in the entire collection of Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam etc. that supports either idol-worship or vegetarianism. NOT A SINGLE SENTENCE! Yet more than a billion Hindus dogmatically refuse to reject these adharmic practices. IDOL-WORSHIP According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica " Though there is no mention of image-worship in the Rgveda, the Shivite traditions represent the tampered form of the Vedic doctrines the same way as non-violence has become the basic principle of the modern Hinduism though the Vedas and Gita prescribe fighting for a righteous cause and declare it the greatest honour for a true Hindu. " Let me quote a letter i wrote (and answer) requesting idol-worship related information, after having exhausted months of consulting scriptures and priests regarding this repulsive practise strongly condemned, and rightly so, by all other religions. ---------- " Jagbir Singh <jagbir A. Palaniswami <palani Worship of Murtis Thursday, February 11, 1999 9:32 AM Dear Palaniswami, Namaste! We would be grateful if you could provide us with specific quotes from Hindu scriptures related to the worship of murtis. This is a controversial issue among non-Hindus, and so far we have been unable to find Vedic scripture that support it. Perhaps you and your associates will be able to provide us with precise texts to back this practise. Thank you and have a blissful Shivaratri Puja. OM! Shanti! jagbir " (answer) " Acharya Ceyonswami <ceyon jagbir <jagbir worship of murthis Saturday, February 20, 1999 6:54 PM Reply to: worship of murthis " Namaste Jagbir, Prostrations to Vighna Vinayaga, There are a great many quotes in the various scriptures of the different sects of Hinduism referring to the worship of murthis — the Saiva Agamas, Vaishnava Agamas, and the Shakti agamas, as well as the ancient Tirumantiram of Tirumular and much more. The Karanagama, Silparatna and Kasyapa silpa deal in great length the details of the various murthis. The Pratima Kosha, or Encyclopaedia of Indian Iconography gives various research on the art form of icons and how the murthis are to be designed. However, we don't think it would be worthwhile spending the time to type up quotes to convince Christians of anything — it won't matter to them what our scriptures say, as they don't consider them scripture! We need to stand strong for our Hindu faith and practices without having to feel defensive to anyone for what we do. Sanatana Dharma is the fountainhead of all religions and each practices a certain part of the One Eternal Dharma. One God, One World. Om Sivaya, Ceyonswami " ------------- There is not even a single line in the ancient scriptures of the Sanatanna Dharma that support idol-worship. Thus if great learned men use the best Vedic quote, " Come down to us, Rudra, who art in the high mountains. Come and let the light of thy face, free from fear and evil, shine upon us. Come to us with thy love, " and translate it into worship of stone idols we can only reel in repulsion and disgust. If this is one of the " great many quotes in the various scriptures of the different sects of Hinduism referring to the worship of murthis " , then we can only shudder in silence and utter aversion. Hindus should remember that they are led to believe that only their brahmins are empowered to act as middlemen between themselves and the gods through elaborate rituals and lengthy sacred sequences of mantras. For millennia ignorant masses have been conditioned that these temple priests are able to communicate with the mighty deities represented by stone statues infused with their shaktis (power) in elaborate rituals only feasible by brahmins. So what are brahmins without their visible idols? And what are worshippers without common sense to distinguish between manmade rituals and scriptural Truth? And how did the followers of the eternal Sanatana Dharma succumb to such darkness? The pristine and flawless Vedic scriptures did not contradict at all. It was the priestly caste that perverted them for their own power, and maintained it with a plethora of granite gods. And a billion Hindus remain blind to one of the greatest falsehood perpetuated in the name of God Almighty. May they learn through Self- Realization to worship the Eternal Essence of Brahman (God Almighty) within their own beings than the lifeless idols without, a stain on the Sanatana Dharma which even the Great Adi Shakti politely denounces! " At the Nirvikalpa state, the Collective Consciousness becomes subtler and subtler. At that stage you can understand the very deep significance of things when the Reality starts becoming clearer. . . . You give him a statue of a deity and ask him all about this statue — whether it is all right or not. He might say that it is not alright. You can feel the subtle vibrations, whether it is in Dharma or otherwise. Now can we say say that Ashtavinayaka's are living gods? How do you know Jyotirlingas are living? How will you know unless you know the integrations of all the great souls together? And how are you going to judge them? That is why you must get Realization. " Shri Sastramayi Shri Nirmala Devi New Delhi, India — February 15, 1977 (Sastramayi [705th]: The content of all Sastras. Here Sastra means the Vedas, Upanishads and the Puranas. . . Sastramayi also means " Saraswati, " the Mother of the Vedas and Vedangas and Upanisads and Kavyas which establish Her.) " The ultimate act against the Spirit is to worship that which has no Spirit — gross matter or raksasas. Shri Muhammad inveighed against both . . . The Atma and its expression is the sole Reality in the Universe. Identification with anything else causes the heart to 'catch.' " Shri Niradhara Shri Nirmala Devi (Niradhara (132nd): Unsupported, She is the support of the Universe. She is worshipped by keen meditation unsupported by a physical or mental image or formulation, i.e., She is pure Consciousness, unformulated or undifferentiated.) VEGETARIANISM Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi never told anyone not to eat onions, garlic and ginger. She has only advised humans to refrain from eating big animals (red meat), especially cows and pigs, because they may give Mooladhara problems; and not too much seafood. But She rejects vegetarianism and ritualistic fasting outright. Humans must eat a balanced diet and not be conditioned by religious injunctions that retard mind, body and soul. The Adi Granth is less sympatethic with such ignorant vegetarians (which incidently all yoga schools strictly uphold and condition those seeking `enlightenment'): The fools argue about flesh and meat, but they know nothing about meditation and spiritual wisdom. What is called meat, and what is called green vegetables? What leads to sin? It was the habit of the gods to kill the rhinoceros, and make a feast of the burnt offering. Those who renounce meat, and hold their noses when sitting near it, devour men at night. They practice hypocrisy, and make a show before other people, But they do not understand anything about meditation or spiritual wisdom. O Nanak, what can be said to the blind people? They cannot answer, or even understand what is said. They alone are blind, who act blindly. They have no eyes in their hearts. They are produced from the blood of their mothers and fathers, but they do not eat fish or meat. But when men and women meet in the night, they come together in the flesh. In the flesh we are conceived, and in the flesh we are born; we are vessels of flesh. You know nothing of spiritual wisdom and meditation, even though you call yourself clever, O religious scholar. O master, you believe that flesh on the outside is bad, but the flesh of those in your own home is good. All beings and creatures are flesh; the soul has taken up its home in the flesh. They eat the uneatable; they reject and abandon what they could eat. They have a teacher who is blind. In the flesh we are conceived, and in the flesh we are born; We are vessels of flesh. You know nothing of spiritual wisdom and meditation, even though you call yourself clever, O religious scholar. Meat is allowed in the Puraanas, meat is allowed in the Bible and the Koran. Throughout the four ages, meat has been used. It is featured in sacred feasts and marriage festivities; Meat is used in them. Women, men, kings and emperors originate from meat. Adi Granth, First Mehl, p. 1290 Yes Manoj, it is true that " the body is after all a temple wherein various deities reside " , and myself was of similar opinion until i learnt a lesson. Again it is written in the third-party: When Kash confirmed the strictly vegetarian diet of the deities in the Sahasrara, his father made a major decision that the family be vegetarians. Everyone naturally rejected this proposal by remaining silent, but the father went straight ahead and imposed a meat ban. As far as he was concerned if the deities of the Adi Shakti do not consume meat so should the family. However, the Great Primordial Goddess Shri Lalita Devi told Kash during meditation that there should be no vegetarianism as it was against normal human development. This Revelation was startling, given the tenacity with which many Hindu and Sikh vegetarians believe in its soul-saving-moksa-bestowing qualities. It was an unprecedented statement that went against the deepest convictioms of contemporary gurus and strictly prohibited in practically all ashrams. Since the Great Adi Shakti advised Kash not to be a vegetarian his father decided to observe vegetarianism only during Pujas. He justified this by rationalizing that since these were very auspicious day the family should not 'sin' on these days, a practise observed by all Hindus. The Great Jagatmata (Universal Mother) did not say anything and he began feeling like a refined, virtuous being again. He would still be a life-preserving-karma-enhancing vegetarian during Her Pujas. Then the time came to attend another of Her pujas. As the whole family was getting ready to attend it in Val-David, Quebec, Kash's father reminded all family members to be vegetarians on this auspicious occasion, and gave them a small lecture to elicit strict adherence. The Great Adi Shakti was witnessing a foolish human rationalizing Revealed Truth and circumventing it with logical wisdom, just as others had done for millenniums. Before leaving the whole family meditated. Kash reached his Sahasrara and bowed to Great Mater Sanctissima (Most Holy Mother). Again the Great Supreme Goddess informed Kash that no one in the family should be vegetarian. Shri Mahayogesvaresvari Shri Nirmala Devi added that already She had decreed that his family should not be vegetarians. So, why was there another attempt to be otherwise? Kash then informed his father of Her remarks. He naturally felt embarrassed by his lack of awareness. If Shri Adi Maa had to correct this confusion about vegetarianism twice and expressly disallow such practices even on Her Pujas, then it must be important. But as far as vegetarianism was concerned, common sense was definitely not common. The father continued making every Tuesday and Wednesday as vegetarian days for those at home. Despite Shri Jagdamba's two clear-cut instructions this vegetarian desire persisted and he kept following the widespread practise of vegetarianism on Tuesday among Hindus and Sikhs alike. The Great Adi Shakti just kept quiet and did not interfere with this deep-seated desire and avidya — even after more than two years. It was only in early 1996 that it became increasingly apparent that being a vegetarian on these two days was in fact a sort of ritual without logic: he had become a carnivorous being with a vegetarian streak, a lion with rabbit genes, or in simpler language, just a plain hypocrite. The fact that not even Shri Krishna and Rama forbade meat consumption began to disturb the tranquil mind. Moreover, the teachings of Shri Jesus and Prophet Muhammad never even had a single word on vegetarianism. Truth had to be universal and in all scriptures. So what was he trying to prove by being a vegetarian? There was no answer. On May 14, 1996, the vegetarianism-on-Tuesdays-and-Wednesdays ritual was completely given up. It was a relief to be free from a religious conditioning having no Divine sanction. The silence of the Universal Mother made sense after more than two years! It is anyone's guess Manoj, how long it will take Jains, Sikhs, Hindus, Hare Krsna disciples, satgurus, paramahamsas, swamis, acaryas, swamis, and Yoga practitioners to give up this absolutely false and human-conjectured conditioning. Jai Shri Mataji! jagbir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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