Synopsis
When you hear the word yoga, you probably think of slow, gentle stretching and breathing exercises. But the Indian system of yoga encompasses much more than the exercise-based hatha yoga. Yoga is the process of harmonizing body, mind, and spirit with the ultimate goal liberation from samsara, the wheel of death and rebirth.
Over five thousand years ago, Indian sages first wrote of yoga in the Rig-Veda. The system of yoga was developed and passed down primarily through oral teachings from teacher to student in an unbroken tradition for thousands of years, much as it is to this day. These ancient teachings were virtually unknown in the West until the twentieth century.
Yoga: The Ultimate Spiritual Path is a guide to the philosophy and metaphysics of yoga for the serious seeker and scholar. It is not a "quick guide to enlightenment," for true liberation is inaccessible to all but a few dedicated seekers in this lifetime.
Author Swami Rajarshi Muni clearly explains the history and development of Indian philosophical and religious thought, the six schools of Indian philosophy, the causes of bondage and suffering, the theory of karma and karmic law, and the levels and function of human consciousness. For those interested in basic preparatory exercises, this book also includes guidelines for beginning yogic practices such as the yamas and niyamas, pranayama, and beginning meditation.
Swami Rajarshi Muni is an Indian yogi who writes with the authority of years of intensive study and practice, resulting in direct personal experience of the transcendental truths of yoga. He has devoted himself to serious yoga study since the 1950s. After renouncing the world to receive Sannyas initiation in 1971, he now lives in India in seclusion.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The word yoga derives from the Sanskrit root yuj meaning to unite, to join, to harness, to yoke, to contact, or to connect. Yoga means union, joining, harnessing, yoking, contact, or connection. It is the union between the individual self and the universal self. It is the joining of a healthy body and a disciplined mind for spiritual development. It is the harnessing of one’s own underlying nature as well as wider natural forces from which one has emerged. It is the yoking together of the body, mind, and spirit through self-discipline. It is the contact with the element that is higher than the highest of the known elements, through the process of absorption or dissolution. It is establishing oneness between the finite and the infinite, between the microcosm and the macrocosm, between the inner being and the supreme being. Such union or oneness is experienced only when a higher state of consciousness is reached through the spiritual effort of yoga. When the duality of matter and mind is totally dissolved into the original source, spirit, the supreme goal of yoga, is achieved. In order to experience eternal bliss, the conscious self should merge into the divine superconscious self which gives rise to it. That transcendent self is beyond all forms and names, beyond the cycles of births and deaths, beyond the notions of bondage and release, and beyond even the concepts of time and space. There is Brahman (ultimate reality), which is advaita (nondual), eka (one-without-a-second), sanatana or nitya (eternal), avikari (changeless), sarvagata (all-pervading), achala (unshakable), sthanu (stable), gunatita (transcendental), and ananta (infinite).
Yoga Is a Gift from the Sages
In India from time immemorial, many great sages devoted their entire lives to studying the secrets of human nature and existence. They pursued this search with indefatigable striving and iron endurance. They completely withdrew themselves from the commotions of the world and concentrated all their efforts solely upon this pursuit. Ultimately, their dedicated efforts bore fruit. They discovered the deepest secrets of life and the mysteries of being. They discovered a hiddenmost path leading upward to freedom and emancipation. Collectively they named it yoga.
Subsequently, out of pity for suffering humankind, they systematized this yoga in the form of a discipline with definite techniques. Whosoever applies them properly and in earnest can enter bliss and reach the goal of liberation. This great gift of the ancient Indian sages, yoga, is passed on to society in continuous traditional succession so that everyone may benefit.
The great Indian sages of the past dedicated their lives in search of the truth. Incidentally, they tried to save the world from misery, apart from reaching perfection themselves. Just as a person with sight can lead a blind person along the proper path, in the same way, a realized yogi can lead other human beings along the right spiritual path. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna enjoins Arjuna to practice yoga not only for the sake of his own spiritual uplift but also out of consideration for the world order and loka sangraha (conservation of society). He says, “Whatever is done by a great person, the very same is followed by the ordinary ones. Whatever standards are set up by him, the common people adhere to them.” (III:21) The great sages worked out the system of yoga in order to make it possible for every person with genuine aspiration to attain the self-appointed goal of liberation.
Yoga Is Both Philosophy
and Science
Yoga is the greatest philosophy of India. It deals with the mysteries of life as well as of the universe. It deals especially with those aspects of life and universe that are beyond the comprehension of normal human intellect. Its doctrines are based on spiritual experiences, and so they appeal more to intuitive discrimination rather than to intellectual understanding. These doctrines are of a profound nature since they deal with a very wide range of transcendental experiences. They have stood the test of time, since they have proven to be in conformity with the facts of experience. These doctrines are not mere dogmas but are scientific truths and those who have experimented with them have invariably borne witness to their practicability.
Yoga is not a mere theoretical philosophy but a practical discipline based on personal spiritual experiences. It is the most ancient science of spiritual self-development, based on the laws governing the natural forces and the higher life. It is a science that is as perfect as it is exact in its methods and techniques. It not only lays down the philosophical precepts, but also teaches the practical means by which a human being can attain salvation. It is a profound system of spiritual efforts that can be practiced through definite procedures of physical and mental mortifications with positive results at each stage. Yoga is at once a unified philosophy and science.
Yoga Is Not a Religion
Yoga is neither a religion by itself nor part of any other religious system. In fact, it is around the practice of yoga that the great religions of the world have developed, be it Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, Muslim, Zoroastrianism, Confucianism, Taoism, or any other religion. Great persons of all these religions (call them yogis, mystics, sufis, or saints) have obtained glimpses of spiritual experiences through arduous training and discipline that basically resembles yoga. That is why the basis of all religious faiths of the world is common. All religious teachers have expressed in their own language and words that the soul is immortal and it emerges from some source higher and greater than itself. We may call this divine source to be Brahman, Ishvara, God, Allah, supreme being, universal spirit, divine principle, ultimate reality, highest truth, or give it any other name. But all religions believe that the individual soul belongs to this divine source that can be realized by the former, and that such realization can bring eternal bliss and emancipation. What such realized souls speak arises from that divine source that is beyond the intellectual comprehension of ordinary human beings. Their words are uttered by the divine source itself. They become the driving forces of nations. The knowledge revealed by them is yoga of one sort or the other. All teachings of the great masters of different religions are esoterically similar, leading toward one and the same truth.
Yoga is universal and a yogi is not necessarily bound to any particular religious faith. The yogi may belong to any religion if he or she so chooses or the yogi may not accept any religious faith at all. The science of yoga is much older and higher than any religion. No religious philosophy or dogma can give to the human being knowledge about his or her true self or offer salvation. That can be provided only by a practical and higher spiritual discipline like yoga.
It is true that India has been the home of yoga, but that does not mean that yogic practice is the monopoly of Indians only. Anyone belonging to any other nation or race and following any religion has a right to practice it, because yoga has a much broader appeal than nationality, race, or religion. It does not bind a person to specific dogmas or notions leading to prejudices but guides a person to follow an independent, individual, ized path to self-discovery. It permits an individual to establish a relationship with the divine in his or her own chosen manner. That yoga discipline, even today, provides practical as well as sublime teachings to people of all religions and cultures throughout the world is itself the greatest proof of its broad appeal and universality.
Emphasis of Yoga
Indian yogis, since early history, have discovered the Brahman (ultimate reality) and its independent entity, atman (individual spirit), both of them being identical, eternal, imperishable, changeless, beyond time and space, and also beyond the veiling net of causality and the dominion of the physical eyes. Yogis have mainly explored not the visible world, which belongs to the sphere of time, space, and change, but to the hidden forces of life underlying the conscious human personality and the physical frame. Yoga philosophy has always provided information about metaphysical principles, ethical values, and moral standards, but its primary goal is to bring about a complete transformation of human nature in a spiritual manner. Its chief aim has been not merely a renovation of intellectual understanding, but also a radical change of heart at the core of human existence. Its emphasis has been not on the outer and tangible spheres leading to bondage and limitation but on the inner and intangible spheres leading to freedom and perfection. Yoga envisages a sort of alchemical transformation or a total conversion of the bound soul into the released self, bringing an end to the soul’s rounds of births and deaths.
Yoga philosophy propounds that the bound human soul is reflected as an animating principle in the gross human physique. In the same manner, the veiled divine spirit is reflected in the entire universe. A human being can transcend the gross body and realize the true nature of self through the techniques of yoga. Similarly, one can also transcend gross creation and realize God or Brahman through yoga. As the human body is the vehicle or instrument for self-realization, so also creation is the instrument for God-realization. Yoga is the ladder through which a person reaches God.
Approach of Yoga
Yoga philosophy views an individual person as a whole being that includes his or her physical, mental, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual nature. Its view of a human being is much grander than that of any other philosophy since it tries to see a person beyond the limits of time and space. It views the entire being and not just a few of his or her aspects. The final conception is that of a perfect being with perfect manifestation in the body, a divine human. Yoga is a process of growing, unfolding, and becoming aware or conscious as a whole, and not partially, so as to reach perfection: the psychological interpretation embraces the intermediary objective, while the spiritual interpretation formulates the lofty objective of liberation, which is the final goal of yoga.
Yogic discipline works up gradually through its various techniques to unfold and develop all the forces that are existent in a human being. Such growth begins at the gross level or the physical plane and then proceeds slowly toward the subtler levels, finally ending in the spiritual plane. Of course, such transformation occurs very slowly and usually continues for many years before one realizes his or her inner self.
The achievement of the final stage of perfection in which an individual self merges into or becomes one with the universal self is extremely difficult. It remains beyond the reach of even many advanced yogis. Very few can reach the final stage of perfection after passing through the various planes below that highest level. Only a few exceptional yogis, worthy by their own merits, can attain such a level of perfection. For most ordinary human beings it remains beyond conception, let alone an attainable experience.
The approach of yoga is to unfold the real nature of the self by bringing out all the best from within and to lead a finite human being toward the infinity. Yogic discipline enables one to differentiate between the ego and the true self through proper discrimination and right knowledge. Such discrimination and knowledge spontaneously dawn upon a person through the practice of yoga. They are born out of actual spiritual experiences.
On the other hand, the knowledge acquired by reading books or hearing discourses is dry understanding derived through the psycho-mental intellect. It is devoid of experience and is likely to be wrong at times. Moreover, such acquired knowledge depends upon one’s memory and is often forgotten after a lapse of time and certainly lost after death. Contrary to this, real knowledge born out of yogic experiences is always true, and being transcendent (beyond the scope of intellect and memory), it can never be forgotten. Even the catastrophe of death cannot destroy it. Once it dawns upon a soul, it becomes eternally enjoined with that soul even if there is a rebirth.
The chief approach of yoga is that it envisages the fuller exploitation of one’s entire inner resources. As such, yogic discipline is an inward journey not dependent on any kind of outer aid. Its external techniques (only so-called) are fully concerned with the body and partly with the mind, while its internal techniques are concerned partly with the mind and fully with the spirit. These external and internal techniques together constitute the scientific system of yoga, which is designed to bring about a complete and harmonious development of the three-fold aspects of a human being―matter, mind, and spirit. Yoga does not recognize the body, mind, and spirit as separate entities but as a trinity that covers all areas of human existence under a single fold. It approaches each unrealized area of human nature and expands human consciousness beyond the gross plane of experience. It makes one fully aware and inwardly conscious about one’s whole being through experiences on the spiritual plane.
Yoga should not be misunderstood only as a physical discipline or merely as a mental discipline, or even as a purely spiritual discipline. It is a unified system of all three. Beginning with physical prowess at the gross level, a student of yoga progresses toward the subtler phases of mental and spiritual development. Because of such a unified approach, yoga is frequently described as a process of harmonizing the body, mind, and spirit.
Objectives of Yoga
The objectives of yoga can be interpreted in physical, psychological, as well as spiritual ways because it deals with body, mind, and spirit. The physical interpretation is connected with the preliminary objective of yoga, the psychological interpretation embraces the intermediary objective, while the spiritual interpretation formulates the highest objective.
There are several levels of development along the path of yoga. An aspirant has to attain these levels in turn and step by step. Starting from the lowest level, he or she has to proceed gradually, mastering the preliminary and intermediate levels and finally reaching the highest one. As a person masters one level, he or she shifts goals to the next level. Moreover, as the aspirant approaches a particular level, he or she also finds the necessary means to cover the distance to the next higher level.
During such step-by-step advancement, a person goes on fixing higher and higher objectives for him or herself, from the preliminary to the intermediary, and from the intermediary to the final objective. In this manner, he or she goes on shifting objectives, each time focusing on a different but quite modest objective that may remain within grasp. One does not suddenly jump to a lofty objective that may be beyond reach for the time being. One proceeds gradually, level by level, until finally the distant goal of liberation is reached.
The preliminary objective of yoga is to improve body health and physical abilities. It is through physical soundness and stability that mental prowess can be achieved. Thereafter, the intermediary objective of yoga is to bring a greater degree of harmony between one’s thoughts, emotions, desires, aims, motives, reasoning, etc. Through that coalescence it is possible to discover the hidden potentials of the mind. It is by way of unfolding potential mental powers that one can become aware of the inner spirit.
To whatever degree one may develop physical abilities and mental powers, one remains incomplete without spiritual growth. It is through spiritual development that a person realizes one’s whole being and becomes perfect. Such spiritual growth is the ultimate objective of yoga. In order to attain the final goal of yoga, one first has to realize the inner spirit and then to merge the atman (individual spirit) with the Brahman (universal spirit), while still in this body. Thus it can be said that the overall objective of yoga is to aid and guide a person to transcend one’s temporal limitations and to break the barriers that separate one’s individual self from the universal self.
Access to Yoga
We have seen that the preliminary objective of yoga is the purification of the body and the intermediate objective is the purging of mental impurities. When both the body and the mind are freed from defilements, consciousness becomes clear and pure. The inner spirit is reflected without any distortion. It means that the highest objective of self-realization is facilitated by the external as well as internal purity attained during the preliminary and the intermediate stages.
But it is by no means easy to attain this. One may succeed in arriving at it after many lives. One has to go through spiritual mortifications in many previous lives as prior preparation for the final birth. In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says, “After journeying through many cycles of birth, the enlightened one reaches me with the conviction that everything is vasudeva (myself), but it is exceedingly rare to find such an exalted person.” (VII:19) It may take thousands of years and may require many births to attain perfect evolution of the soul and to reach the final goal of yoga.
One has to strive hard and pay a very high price for attaining that lofty objective. One must undergo arduous asceticism for many years, living a life of renunciation, practicing celibacy and moderation in diet, observing silence and residing in seclusion. Such a difficult path obviously cannot be within the reach of every person. It certainly is not for an average person. Only those who are above average stand a chance of getting access to the path of yoga. And it will really be a great fortune for any of them to attain the final goal of yoga. Of those who strive for the final target, only a few fortunate ones succeed. In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna also says, “Among thousands of persons, hardly one strives to achieve the goal of perfection; and even of those who strive, one hardly knows me in reality.” (VII:3)
The final objective of yoga or liberation is not such an ordinary thing for which everyone can aspire. Thousands of aspirants grope along to cross the ocean of existence, yet scarcely anyone succeeds in reaching the other shore. Of those aspirants who take to the practice of yoga in the present times, hardly anyone truly learns to live by the arduous rules and discipline.
Aspirants of Yoga
It is no doubt true that the path of yoga is very difficult. None is barred, however, from practicing it. One should only be careful in fixing the goal to be achieved. An aspirant should recognize his or her own shortcomings and limitations, but with sincerity of effort, should strive persistently to achieve a modest goal. He or she should choose a goal that is really attainable. It may be a preliminary or intermediary goal; it does not matter so far as even these lead to physical health and the development of mental abilities.
Those aspirants who have not yet overcome the appetites, passions, vanity, arrogance, selfishness, greed, cravings, etc., are not fit to receive higher spiritual experiences. They should not fix higher spiritual goals for themselves. They should be modest in fixing their goal and at the same time should sincerely try to avoid their shortcomings if they genuinely intend to go further along the path of yoga.
A true aspirant has to conform strictly with all the rules set down by yoga discipline. The student should have shraddha, full faith that the truth can be discovered through the techniques of yoga. The aspirant should have mumukshutva, earnest longing for attaining freedom from the bondage of worldly existence. He or she should have viveka, discriminating insight to differentiate between what is permanent and real and what is transient and illusory. The pupil should have vairagya, readiness to renounce the worldly way of life, or say, indifference to worldly enjoyments. The aspirant should possess shat-sampatti (treasure of six precious virtues), shama (pacification of mind and passions), dama (self-restraint or subjugation of senses), uparati (withdrawal from the outer world), titiksa (endurance), shraddha (perfect faith), and samadhana (composure of mind). Such an aspirant is truly qualified to tread upon the higher spiritual path of yoga.
Guidance and Self-effort in Yoga
The path of yoga is rigorous, but there are experienced yogis or gurus who have achieved higher spiritual levels and can guide others. Such gurus have themselves learned yoga through hard training and arduous discipline. A real guru (preceptor) is one who has experienced the real nature of his or her own self and attuned him or herself with God or universal self. Such a person always experiences oneness with all and loves all without discrimination. He or she abides serene in the uninterrupted stillness and superconsciousness. This person has achieved the highest goal of yoga.
According to ancient tradition, and even today in India, the knowledge of yoga is passed on from a guru to a disciple. But in ancient times, this sacred knowledge was never revealed to an undeserving person. Moreover, the teaching of yoga was never made a business. Yoga was not a commodity for sale as it is at present. In ancient times a guru gave this knowledge only to a worthy disciple as a sacred gift, expecting nothing in return. The guru also sincerely wished that the disciple would excel the guru in prowess. Such was the nobility and goodness on the part of a guru in ancient times. The disciple also revered the guru sincerely and intensely. The aspirant received the sacred knowledge of yoga from the guru as a great blessing. Then the student regularly applied the practice of yoga. The aspirant always remained vigilant and practiced without any lapse or laziness, surrendering everything, including the aspirant’s own self, at the holy feet of the guru without reservation. Such model relationships existed between guru and shishya (disciple). But this also is a rare thing in present times.
The basic tenet of yoga discipline is that every individual is responsible for his or her own liberation. One has to climb the ladder of yoga step by step reaching each successive level by one’s own efforts. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna also says, “One should raise himself by his own self; he should not cause his self to degrade. For, the self alone is the benefactor of the self and the self is the enemy of the self.” (VI:5)
Though in the initial stages one has the need for a guru to show the ladder of yoga and the technique of climbing it, the role of self-effort cannot be underrated. The guidance from a guru, in subsequent stages, makes the progress smooth and easy and also saves time and energy, no doubt; but it is entirely left to the pupil to make efforts to attain the goal. One can help a child practice walking by providing support, but it should be left entirely to the child’s own effort to learn walking. In the same manner, a guru can set the truth before a pupil and also give directions on how to reach it, but it remains entirely the student’s responsibility to strive and train in conformity with the guru’s teachings.
A guru may inspire a pupil to know the truth and guide the pupil toward the path of yoga, but the guru cannot compel the aspirant to walk or to walk on the right track. If the pupil falls short in self-efforts or loses interest halfway or even goes astray, the student will suffer and the guru should not be blamed for that. On the other hand, if the pupil is completely receptive and possesses a genuine desire to know the truth, then the pupil is bound to make efforts with all his heart to reach the set goal. Such a pupil is a true seeker who will succeed.
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