Paramacharya

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Karma is the Starting Point of Yoga from Hindu Dharma

 

People usually think that yoga means no more than controlling the

breath and sitting stone-like. The literal meaning of the word

is " joining " , " uniting " . All through our life's journey we have to

join ourselves to various objects. But such joining is no permanent.

That is why the mind remains unsteady. If we are joined to an object

without the least possibility of being seperated from it, it is yoga

in the true sense. The root of the minds of all of us is the one

Paramatman. Yogins control their breath to turn their mind to this

prime root object. The root that gives rise to thoughts is the same

as the root that gives rise to the breath. So if the breath is fixed

on the root, the mind too will be absorbed in it.

 

The opposite of yoga is " viyoga " . When the man dies we say that he

has attained viyoga. The Lord says in the Gita that a particular

kind of viyoga is itself yoga. What is it? If you keep away sorrow,

that is if sorrow does not attach itself to you, you have the yoga

of disconnection(Tam viyad dukha-samyoga-viyogam yoga-samjnitam. )

 

What we normally understand to be pleasure in a worldly sense is

truly sorrow. All experiences that creates separation from the

Paramatman are sorrow. It is because the citta or consciousness is

unstill that we undergo sorrow and happiness. These disappear when

the mind is still. To make the mind pure it to train it in one-

pointedness. This is the mean of yogic perfection. To start with,

all will be able to control their breath like yogins. If we are

absorbed in a worthy subject, in some good work, our mind will

remain untainted to some extent. If we try to control our mind in

one go, so to speak, it will free itself and wander in all

directions. If we keep doing some noble work or take an interest in

some noble subject the mind is less likely to become unstill.

 

In the old days they used to wear what is called an arikandam, that

is an iron ring, round the neck to keep themselves disciplined and

live according to the sastras. In the same way we must wear an

arikandam to keep the mind from going astray. To be involved in good

actions is itself a kind of arikandam.

 

Performing sacrifices, observing fasts and vows, building great

temple towers, digging ponds, etc, were a means in the past to

cleanse the mind by making it one-pointed. In the midst of such good

work also one experiences difficulties, even humiliation, but one

should not be daunted by criticism or obstacles. This itself becomes

the means of mental purification. Then come pranayama, meditation,

etc.

 

The kazhakkodi keeps rolling without gathering any dirt. If you

smear some ashes on it they will not stick to it. Like the

kazhakkodi we too must not be affected by pain or pleasure and keep

journeying towards the Paramatman and becoming one with It. Such

union is called yoga - it is our original as well as ultimate state.

In between we somehow become different. That is why we do not

understand that ultimate and original state now. To reach that state

we must make a beginning with the performance of rites.