COMPETITION AS AN APPROPRIATE VENUE FOR YOGIC STUDY By Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda

[Guest guest]

COMPETITION AS AN APPROPRIATE VENUE

FOR YOGIC STUDY

By Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda

 

Is it not amazing that this concept of competition is held by some to be a yogic? Indeed, is it not at the core of Yogic scriptures to address this topic head on? Today many Yoga “experts” would have us negate competition, espousing a passive approach to the great Yoga Marga. For in reality is that not what we are doing if we run from and deny competition? In the beginning yes, the idea of competition in Yoga is distasteful especially as per the usual modus operandi of most of us neophyte would be Yogis who begin the journey running away from life seeking escape from the horrors of the world. That, and the prevalent lack of values in modern competition it is hard to justify in our minds why we should encourage competition. If however we do take the passive approach in other areas such as our tens of thousands of competing thoughts and desires we will never gain mastery over our minds, bodies,

emotions, or our lives.

Intrinsically woven into the very framework of the Yoga tradition is the loving empowerment the Guru offers the Chela by creating a safe, nurturing, and often confrontational environment where the student is confronted daily with their lower nature. To confront, not negate this dualistic manifestation of the material world called competition is the very essence of Yoga. To do this however we must create healthy, safe environments to facilitate consciousness. The microcosm of competition is more than appropriate, perhaps even unequalled in mastering the macrocosm of life. Is not competition simply another milder view of war? Competition with another; war with another? Competition with yourself; war with the lower self, the ego, the mind? What would Krishna have us do? We are urged on to battle skillfully as though to win yet to not be

attached to winning or loosing.

“Yogasthah Kuru Karmani Sangam Tyaktva Dhanamjaya Siddhy

Asiddhyoh Samo Bhutva Samatvam Yog Uchyate”

“Perform thy duty, Arjuna, without attachment to the result. Remain even minded in success and failure, equal mindedness, Equilibrium…is Yoga”

… Bhagavad Gita Chap2 Verse 48

In the 13th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna begins by requesting instruction from his teacher Lord Krishna:

“O lord, I would like to learn about: Prakrti and Purusha:

Kshetra and Kshetrajna: Jnana and Jneyam.”

It is here that Arjuna sums up the Yogic quest to discover and confront our nature both lower and higher, unconscious and conscious, material and non-material. It is this search for Satya (truth) that leads us onto Swadhyaya (Self study). Through confronting the entirety of life we gain understanding of the Prakrti (the non-sentient, material world), and Purusha (the sentient, non-material). To do this we, the Purusha, work through the Prakrti via the Kshetra (the body, or the field in which battle/war/confrontation is had). We seek to attain Jnana (knowledge) of Jneyam (that which is to be known) and become Kshetrajna (the knower of the field). Krishna demands of Arjuna/us to take up the path of action, stating Yoga is skill in action! Skill developed through conscious practice of consciousness (Yoga Sadhana?) leads to L.I.F.E. mastery (Living In Full

Empowerment); skillfully engaged in the battle/competition/war with intention while maintaining Vairagya (detachment). The skillful spiritual warrior is not warlike, violent or attached to winning or loosing, rather, they take joy in being fully engaged in performing their duty and to grow in skill and consciousness ultimately realizing there is no looser or winner for that matter.

It is through Yoga competitions that we can facilitate consciousness with regards to Dharma and the great Yoga Marga of life. What is required of our yoga competitions is that they are facilitated by appropriate teachers espousing Yogic qualities and virtues from the beginning of a students tutelage up to, into, throughout, and well after the competitions.

 

--

Congrats GS on your amazingly clear thoughts on this controversial topic that is so close to my heart as Yoga Sport is so good for our Indian younsters who are devoid of the facilities for physical development so common in the west

Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football

[Guest guest]

Dear Dr Ananda,

could someone explain to me how competition,and study

have anything to do with real yoga

if yoga in the true sense stands for

union,completeness, wholeness,being at home

yourself,aware as a whole of what you are actually and

naked with what you have inherited from the existence

with your own plus and minus points and what any

teacher or guru can do for you and you have arrived at

the stage where you can face what is without escaping

to become what is not ,where then do these socalled

yoga

sports,awards,titles,defendingchampionships,losingtitles,providing

incentives etc stand for ?

narasimhan

" Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Bhavanani "

<yognat2001 wrote:

 

>

> COMPETITION AS AN APPROPRIATE VENUE

>

> FOR YOGIC STUDY

>

> By Yogacharya Gowrishankarananda

>

>

>

> Is it not amazing that this concept of competition

> is held by some to be a yogic? Indeed, is it not at

> the core of Yogic scriptures to address this topic

> head on? Today many Yoga “experts” would have us

> negate competition, espousing a passive approach to

> the great Yoga Marga. For in reality is that not

> what we are doing if we run from and deny

> competition? In the beginning yes, the idea of

> competition in Yoga is distasteful especially as per

> the usual modus operandi of most of us neophyte

> would be Yogis who begin the journey running away

> from life seeking escape from the horrors of the

> world. That, and the prevalent lack of values in

> modern competition it is hard to justify in our

> minds why we should encourage competition. If

> however we do take the passive approach in other

> areas such as our tens of thousands of competing

> thoughts and desires we will never gain mastery over

> our minds, bodies, emotions, or our lives.

>

> Intrinsically woven into the very framework of the

> Yoga tradition is the loving empowerment the Guru

> offers the Chela by creating a safe, nurturing, and

> often confrontational environment where the student

> is confronted daily with their lower nature. To

> confront, not negate this dualistic manifestation of

> the material world called competition is the very

> essence of Yoga. To do this however we must create

> healthy, safe environments to facilitate

> consciousness. The microcosm of competition is more

> than appropriate, perhaps even unequalled in

> mastering the macrocosm of life. Is not competition

> simply another milder view of war? Competition with

> another; war with another? Competition with

> yourself; war with the lower self, the ego, the

> mind? What would Krishna have us do? We are urged on

> to battle skillfully as though to win yet to not be

> attached to winning or loosing.

>

> “Yogasthah Kuru Karmani Sangam Tyaktva Dhanamjaya

> Siddhy

>

> Asiddhyoh Samo Bhutva Samatvam Yog Uchyate”

>

> “Perform thy duty, Arjuna, without attachment to the

> result. Remain even minded in success and failure,

> equal mindedness, Equilibrium…is Yoga”

>

> … Bhagavad Gita Chap2 Verse 48

>

> In the 13th Chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna

> begins by requesting instruction from his teacher

> Lord Krishna:

>

> “O lord, I would like to learn about: Prakrti and

> Purusha:

>

> Kshetra and Kshetrajna: Jnana and Jneyam.”

>

> It is here that Arjuna sums up the Yogic quest to

> discover and confront our nature both lower and

> higher, unconscious and conscious, material and

> non-material. It is this search for Satya (truth)

> that leads us onto Swadhyaya (Self study). Through

> confronting the entirety of life we gain

> understanding of the Prakrti (the non-sentient,

> material world), and Purusha (the sentient,

> non-material). To do this we, the Purusha, work

> through the Prakrti via the Kshetra (the body, or

> the field in which battle/war/confrontation is had).

> We seek to attain Jnana (knowledge) of Jneyam (that

> which is to be known) and become Kshetrajna (the

> knower of the field). Krishna demands of Arjuna/us

> to take up the path of action, stating Yoga is skill

> in action! Skill developed through conscious

> practice of consciousness (Yoga Sadhana?) leads to

> L.I.F.E. mastery (Living In Full Empowerment);

> skillfully engaged in the battle/competition/war

> with intention while maintaining Vairagya

> (detachment). The skillful

> spiritual warrior is not warlike, violent or

> attached to winning or loosing, rather, they take

> joy in being fully engaged in performing their duty

> and to grow in skill and consciousness ultimately

> realizing there is no looser or winner for that

> matter.

>

> It is through Yoga competitions that we can

> facilitate consciousness with regards to Dharma and

> the great Yoga Marga of life. What is required of

> our yoga competitions is that they are facilitated

> by appropriate teachers espousing Yogic qualities

> and virtues from the beginning of a students

> tutelage up to, into, throughout, and well after the

> competitions.

>

>

>

> --

>

> Congrats GS on your amazingly clear thoughts on this

> controversial topic that is so close to my heart as

> Yoga Sport is so good for our Indian younsters who

> are devoid of the facilities for physical

> development so common in the west

>

>

>

>

> Sports

> Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy

Football

 

 

 

 

________

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