Yoga - an Introduction

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Yoga - an Introduction

 

OM Poornamadah Poornamidam Poornaat Poornamudachyate Poornasya Poornamaadaya

Poornamevavashishyate

 

This is full. That is full. Even though this fullness came out of that fullness,

all that remains is fullness itself.

 

This Truth was revealed to the Rishis. It expresses the wisdom of the universe

underlying all aspects of creation from the tiniest atom to the mightiest

galaxies; whatever comes out of the fullness that is God, is also fullness

itself and doesn't in anyway diminish the fullness of the whole. A baby coming

to life is fullness itself, but the fullness of the baby does not diminish the

fullness of the mother. An apple tree is fullness itself. The apples that spring

from it are fullness itself, and so are the seeds in the apple. And this doesn't

in anyway diminish the fullness that the tree is. All of creation is a

manifestation of this Truth. The word YOGA, which means " union, " is highly

suggestive. It reminds us that the goal and purpose of life, is to realize that

we are Sampoorna - Fullness or Divinity Itself, One with the Supreme

Consciousness, Brahman. From ancient times, this has been the experience of all

the Enlightened Beings. All the Scriptures attempt to awaken us to this Truth.

The expression of this experience is called Scriptures and the philosophy and

practice that leads to this experience is called Yoga and Vedanta. The purpose

of Sampoorna Yoga is to bring this ancient experience into the modern life of

people of today.

 

Each individual is as full as the fullness, the pure consciousness from which he

comes. Yet, as this pure consciousness functions through the limited equipment

of body, mind, intellect and senses, human beings perceive themselves as finite,

limited and incomplete, which reflects as confusion and madness in the world. In

order to fill the inner void and find happiness, fullness and freedom, people

spend their lives acquiring and hoarding. They feel that the more they can

acquire and grab for themselves, the more secure they will be. Throughout

history, examples abound of those with unimaginable wealth, power and pleasures

but who failed to find everlasting fulfillment. Solomon, the Emperors of China,

the Egyptian pharaohs and so many others had this experience. Even in the

Scriptures there are examples of individuals like Ravana, who had conquered the

three worlds. Yet they remained unfulfilled because this kind of experience can

only bring temporary happiness. In spite of those illustrious examples, most

people think they will succeed where others have failed. They continuously run

in the wrong direction, striving to find fulfillment in objects, relationships,

success and pleasure in the outer world. More is never enough. They fail to see

that, " at the end of the rat race, the rat is still a rat...! "

 

How do you get out of this collective hypnosis? The Scriptures instruct that you

do this by, " refining and harmonizing the three bodies and five sheaths through

which the soul functions to experience the world of objects, emotions and

thoughts. " This powerful technology of the human body, senses, mind, intellect

and self-awareness has been given to us to accelerate our evolution and uplift

our consciousness by transforming our whole personality from the gross to the

subtlest level. However, without proper understanding and guidance, this

technology can be misused to degrade consciousness very rapidly. Through a

process of constant refinement, an ordinary human being can evolve into a divine

being in one lifetime. That is why the Sages say, " to be born as a human being

is a very special privilege, a true blessing. " The more the equipment through

which the Self functions becomes transparent, the more the Divine Light will

shine through. Perfection or fullness is not to be acquired. It is already

there. All we have to do is remove the veil that keeps us from experiencing it.

This is the real objective of yoga as outlined in the Scriptures. This objective

is tremendously accelerated through the practice of Sampoorna Yoga.

 

Many people in the West have been mislead into believing that yoga is just doing

postures, developing strength and flexibility, getting more power and becoming

more attractive. This misunderstanding takes them in the opposite direction of

the true meaning of yoga. It leads to inflation of the ego and increased

identification with the body, thus further thickening the veil. But their

mistake is not really surprising. From the time we are born, we are conditioned

to identify with the body, the mind, the intellect, the world of names and

forms, not realizing that the fruits we get are as illusory and fleeting as the

mirage of an oasis in the desert. Becoming aware of this wrong programming is

the first step. Willingness to get rid of it in order to evolve into something

higher is the second step, and this will create a new movement in our

consciousness and relationship with the world. Yearning and restlessness are

bound to appear, but that stage is much higher than a state of dullness,

blindness and delusion. You may be born into a favorable environment. You may

have the yearning to understand the mysteries and purpose of life. And you may

have the desire to unfold your highest potential. But all these blessings are

not enough to take you to the goal of perfection. Until you meet your Guru,

there is no way to experience the ultimate fullness, which is our true nature.

That is why even the great incarnations had a Guru: Sage Vashistha instructed

Rama; Arjuna was taught by Krishna; and John the Baptist initiated Jesus. In the

mundane life, we find it natural - someone who has an earnest desire to become a

pianist, a dancer or a surgeon, for example, wants to study with a teacher

experienced in that particular field and to imbibe his teachings. That person

will serve as a reference and a model and the pupil will be willing to follow

the disciplines. Imagine how much more imperative it is to have a spiritual

guide on the inner journey when so many years of wrong conditioning have to be

erased! The mere presence of the Guru creates an upward movement in

consciousness. He knows how to guide the seeker around the pitfalls on the path.

That is why all the Scriptures emphasize Satsanga, the need to associate as

often and as long as possible with Enlightened Beings who are established in the

experience of their fullness and divinity.

 

According to Shankaracharya, a great sage of the 6th century, a human birth, the

longing for liberation, and a Guru to guide you, are the three greatest

blessings in life. Yoga is a journey, a grand adventure. Before competitors in

the America's Cup set out on their journey, they have to be familiar with their

ship, know the laws that govern the seas and have reliable charts to navigate

safely. They are not setting out on uncharted waters. Their predecessors handed

them all the knowledge they need. Then, they can commence their journey. It is

the same with yoga. Although the path to self-realization is an inner journey,

it is by no means uncharted territory. You can walk a well-traveled path,

equipped with knowledge made available to you by the Sages of the past and

present. They have already acquired full knowledge of the universal laws that

govern the human embodiment and the universe, both manifest and unmanifest, that

will best assist you in attaining your goal.

 

" O traveler, wake up! There is no time for sleep any more! "

 

(Extract from Yogi Hari's Book " Sampoorna Yoga " )

 

http://www.yogihari.com/about-yoga.htm