Returning To the Roots; Classical Yoga

[Guest guest]

Returning To the Roots; Classical Yoga By Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani Director: International Centre for Yoga Education and Research Modern Society is a society without roots, a boat, adrift on the

sea of Samskara. Drowning in misery, the pitable human clutches at any straw which it hopes can keep it afloat. The Sanskrit word “Yoga” has become one such “straw”: It is estimated that ten percent of the American population now practices “Yoga”. But, one must ask, what kind of “Yoga” do such famous celebrates as Madonna, Sting, Christi Turlington and others practice? Certainly, their hedonistic, materialistic, wasteful, egotistic shallow life styles do not reflect any qualities associated with the

traditional meaning of the word. A “rootless” society has now succeeded in cutting off “Yoga” from its roots! The Mad Hatter of Alice in Wonderland fame, said, “When I use a word, it means exactly what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less”. It appears the modern Yoga practitioner forces the word “Yoga” to mean “exactly what he / she chooses it to mean, neither more nor less”! “Yoga” faces a horrendous crisis – the madness of a production – consumerism society has now invaded the fortress of the ancient science and

threatens to raze it to the ground. The only remedy is to “return to the roots”. But, what are those roots? Here there is much argument and acrimonious controversy. Some say, Patanjali. But, Patanjali was vague, deliberately so. His guidelines were only for those already initiated to the science. Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Goraksha Sataka, Gherenda Samhita, Upanishadic lore, Siva Samhita are some of the often quoted "classical texts". But, can classical Yoga, the roots of Yoga, be found in written classical tradition. Everyone knows the ancient Gurus never openly taught any of the sacred lore. In the words of Swatmarama Suri, “The Yoga gains potency when kept secret and loses power when revealed”. Nothing was spoken of or written in elaboration. All was kept discrete, subtle, unspoken, indirect. Especially were the Gurus cautious about the written word. Where then can the roots of tradition be found? Where does the true classical Yoga lie? Yoga was more than a particular teaching. Yoga was a way of life, a culture, a life style, which encompassed not just techniques, practices, ideas, but also eating

habits, bathing habits, cultural use of body, prayer, social interaction, work. Yoga included a vast body of “attitudes toward being”, an ingrained sense of morality and ethics, so strongly etched on the character that it would be literally “unthinkable” to transgress the limits set by those moral – ethical rules. Yoga was the bedrock of the personal – social – cosmic order which developed in that part of the earth known as Bharata. Yoga was the essential cornerstone of Sanathana Dharma and the Samskrithi (culture) which evolved from its exhalted concepts. Therefore any attempt to return to the roots of Yoga, must necessitate a return to the life style, attitudes and realizations of the Vedic Rishis. It is in the ancient Samskrithi (culture) of Bharatha, that “classical Yoga” is to be found. The restoration of those ancient values in each individual’s life is the foundation on which ever Sadhana must be based.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani

Chairman : Yoganjali Natyalayam and ICYER

25,2nd Cross,Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry-605 013

Tel: 0413 - 2622902 / 0413 -2241561

Website: www.icyer.com

www.geocities.com/yognat2001/ananda

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Sir, This is a wonderful article. We see so much of commercialization of Yoga. It is such a divine way of life given to us by great souls. But this is kaliyuga.......we have to see what we see.....unless we dont make things worse. I miss so much of all this. The satsang we used to have during thursdays with our dear Amma........your classes...... Atleast I can expereince a part of them through these mails. Happy New Year Sir to you (Devasana Miss and your lovely kids) and to our Yoga family. Please convey my special wishes to our Dear Amma. I hope to receive the blessings also in person, the next time I come to pondicherry. May this New year unite us all. Thanks Vimala"Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Bhavanani" <yognat2001 wrote: Returning To the Roots; Classical Yoga By Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani Director: International Centre for Yoga Education and Research Modern Society is a society without roots, a boat,

adrift on the sea of Samskara. Drowning in misery, the pitable human clutches at any straw which it hopes can keep it afloat. The Sanskrit word “Yoga” has become one such “straw”: It is estimated that ten percent of the American population now practices “Yoga”. But, one must ask, what kind of “Yoga” do such famous celebrates as Madonna, Sting, Christi Turlington and others practice? Certainly, their hedonistic, materialistic, wasteful, egotistic shallow life styles do not reflect any qualities

associated with the traditional meaning of the word. A “rootless” society has now succeeded in cutting off “Yoga” from its roots! The Mad Hatter of Alice in Wonderland fame, said, “When I use a word, it means exactly what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less”. It appears the modern Yoga practitioner forces the word “Yoga” to mean “exactly what he / she chooses it to mean, neither more nor less”! “Yoga” faces a horrendous crisis – the madness of a production – consumerism society has now invaded the fortress of the

ancient science and threatens to raze it to the ground. The only remedy is to “return to the roots”. But, what are those roots? Here there is much argument and acrimonious controversy. Some say, Patanjali. But, Patanjali was vague, deliberately so. His guidelines were only for those already initiated to the science. Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Goraksha Sataka, Gherenda Samhita, Upanishadic lore, Siva Samhita are some of the often quoted "classical texts". But, can classical Yoga, the roots of Yoga, be found in written classical tradition. Everyone knows the ancient Gurus never openly taught any of the sacred lore. In the words of Swatmarama Suri, “The Yoga gains potency when kept secret and loses power when revealed”. Nothing was spoken of or written in elaboration. All was kept discrete, subtle, unspoken, indirect. Especially were the Gurus cautious about the written word. Where then can the roots of tradition be found? Where does the true classical Yoga lie? Yoga was more than a particular teaching. Yoga was a way of life, a culture, a life style, which encompassed not just techniques, practices, ideas, but

also eating habits, bathing habits, cultural use of body, prayer, social interaction, work. Yoga included a vast body of “attitudes toward being”, an ingrained sense of morality and ethics, so strongly etched on the character that it would be literally “unthinkable” to transgress the limits set by those moral – ethical rules. Yoga was the bedrock of the personal – social – cosmic order which developed in that part of the earth known as Bharata. Yoga was the essential cornerstone of Sanathana Dharma and the Samskrithi (culture) which evolved from its exhalted concepts. Therefore any attempt to return to the roots of Yoga, must necessitate a return to the life style, attitudes and realizations of the Vedic Rishis. It is in the ancient Samskrithi (culture) of Bharatha, that “classical Yoga” is to be found. The restoration of those ancient values in each individual’s life is the foundation on which ever Sadhana must be based. Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani Chairman : Yoganjali Natyalayam and ICYER 25,2nd Cross,Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry-605 013 Tel: 0413 - 2622902 / 0413 -2241561 Website: www.icyer.com www.geocities.com/yognat2001/ananda

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