Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
mahavidyas sadhana
Maha Vidya means great knowledge, power and wisdom. The 10 Mahavidyas pujas are the form of worship for 10 essential energies that are also 10 goddesses. 10 Mahavidyas Sadhna or puja give total protection from all kind of mishaps, black magic, accidents, and it neutralize all bad effect of all planets and remove poverty and give abundance of wealth to acquirer.
Goddess Mahakali – The Goddess Kali is the most superior among the ten Mahavidyas, which gives immediate result to her sadhak. She can give her sadhak everything which is necessary to live in the world. She give protection from bad influence of planet Saturn and gives name, prosperity, money, and fame to her sadhak.
Goddess Tara: – Goddess Tara gives power of speech, salvation and pleasure. She is worshipped for the destruction of enemies in tantrik method. She also removed the malefic effects of planet Jupiter. She should be worshiped by businessman for expansion of business, fame and name.
Goddess Tripurasundari:- Goddess Tripura Sundari maintain the third position among all the ten Dus Mahavidyas. She is the one having extreme beauty and possessing power of delighting the sense, exciting intellectual and emotional admiration in the three worlds of Akashm, patal and Dharti. Goddess Tripura sundari is also called shodashi because she posses all the sixteen supernatural powers.
Goddess Bhuvaneshwari:- Goddess Bhuvaneshwari is considered as the fourth Mahavidya. Goddess Bhuvaneshwari is the queen of the universe. She give protection from bad influence of planet Moon. Goddess Bhuvaneshwari gives immediate result to obtain House and vehicle, good fortune and beauty.
Goddess Bhairavi: – Goddess Bhairavi is the fifth of the Ten Mahavidya Goddess. Goddess Bhairavi is the consort of the bhairava which is the fierce manifestation of lord Shiva associated with the annihilation. Goddess Bhairavi bestows protection eloquent speech, radiance, safety and safe journey.
Goddess Chinnamasta:- Goddess Chinnamasta is a symbol of self control on sexual desire as well as embodiment of sexual energy depending on the interpretation. Goddess Chinnamasta is form of Shakti who is ferocious and Chinnamasta means ‘ several head’. Worshiping goddess Chinnamasta bring power of will and the vision.
Goddess Dhumavati:– Goddess Dhumavati is the smoke form of Shakti. She is known as the eternal widow, the Shakti without Shiva. She is the seventh Mahavidya. Goddess Dhumavati is the divine mother at the time of the deluge, when the earth is under water. While being ugly and fearsome, she is blessing with her right hand those who can still see the divine mother in her.
Goddess Baglamukhi:– Baglamukhi is the Eight form of the ten Mahavidya. She is symbolizing the potent female primeval force. Goddess Baglamukhi is worshipped for victory, smooth operation, protection from cuts, power and dominance over foes. Worshipping Baglamukhi Goddess aids to succeed in law-suits and competition. Worshipping her is also effective in warding off demonic spirits.
Goddess Matangi: – The Goddess Matangi is ninth form of the Dus mahavidya. Goddess Matangi is the dark one, a form of Saraswati incarnated as the daughter of Matang Rishi. She is siddha Vidya or tantras personified, thus commanding occult power.
Goddess kamala: – Goddess Kamala is the tenth form of the Dus Mahavidya. Goddess kamala is the goddess of inner and outer prosperity. Goddess Kamala is the symbol of Spirituality, love, relationship, passion and pleasure. Worship of Goddess kamala free one from debt, tension, poverty, problems and danger.
Goddess Mahakali – The Goddess Kali is the most superior among the ten Mahavidyas, which gives immediate result to her sadhak. She can give her sadhak everything which is necessary to live in the world. She give protection from bad influence of planet Saturn and gives name, prosperity, money, and fame to her sadhak.
Goddess Tara: – Goddess Tara gives power of speech, salvation and pleasure. She is worshipped for the destruction of enemies in tantrik method. She also removed the malefic effects of planet Jupiter. She should be worshiped by businessman for expansion of business, fame and name.
Goddess Tripurasundari:- Goddess Tripura Sundari maintain the third position among all the ten Dus Mahavidyas. She is the one having extreme beauty and possessing power of delighting the sense, exciting intellectual and emotional admiration in the three worlds of Akashm, patal and Dharti. Goddess Tripura sundari is also called shodashi because she posses all the sixteen supernatural powers.
Goddess Bhuvaneshwari:- Goddess Bhuvaneshwari is considered as the fourth Mahavidya. Goddess Bhuvaneshwari is the queen of the universe. She give protection from bad influence of planet Moon. Goddess Bhuvaneshwari gives immediate result to obtain House and vehicle, good fortune and beauty.
Goddess Bhairavi: – Goddess Bhairavi is the fifth of the Ten Mahavidya Goddess. Goddess Bhairavi is the consort of the bhairava which is the fierce manifestation of lord Shiva associated with the annihilation. Goddess Bhairavi bestows protection eloquent speech, radiance, safety and safe journey.
Goddess Chinnamasta:- Goddess Chinnamasta is a symbol of self control on sexual desire as well as embodiment of sexual energy depending on the interpretation. Goddess Chinnamasta is form of Shakti who is ferocious and Chinnamasta means ‘ several head’. Worshiping goddess Chinnamasta bring power of will and the vision.
Goddess Dhumavati:– Goddess Dhumavati is the smoke form of Shakti. She is known as the eternal widow, the Shakti without Shiva. She is the seventh Mahavidya. Goddess Dhumavati is the divine mother at the time of the deluge, when the earth is under water. While being ugly and fearsome, she is blessing with her right hand those who can still see the divine mother in her.
Goddess Baglamukhi:– Baglamukhi is the Eight form of the ten Mahavidya. She is symbolizing the potent female primeval force. Goddess Baglamukhi is worshipped for victory, smooth operation, protection from cuts, power and dominance over foes. Worshipping Baglamukhi Goddess aids to succeed in law-suits and competition. Worshipping her is also effective in warding off demonic spirits.
Goddess Matangi: – The Goddess Matangi is ninth form of the Dus mahavidya. Goddess Matangi is the dark one, a form of Saraswati incarnated as the daughter of Matang Rishi. She is siddha Vidya or tantras personified, thus commanding occult power.
Goddess kamala: – Goddess Kamala is the tenth form of the Dus Mahavidya. Goddess kamala is the goddess of inner and outer prosperity. Goddess Kamala is the symbol of Spirituality, love, relationship, passion and pleasure. Worship of Goddess kamala free one from debt, tension, poverty, problems and danger.
The Sankhya System
SAMKHYA
It means "enumeration". Of the shad (six) darshans, or points of view of traditional Hinduism, is the one that greater antiquity is attribute . It is a dualistic philosophy that postulates a person of two eternal realities; Purusha, a consciousness that witnesses phenomena, and Prakriti, a seed of the cause of phenomena, composed of three principles (elements): sattva, rajas and tamas.
Roughly speaking, Purusha represents the spirit, Prakriti represents the matter and the gunas, devoid of any moral , are what connect Purusha to Prakriti. The yoga practices are the "scissors" that cuts the "threads" (gunas) and release the spirit of matter.
Samkhya is a philosophy that explains how the world manifests. It is the metaphysics of self-realization and yoga is the sadhana (practice) to achieve the libertation.
Although we do not teach "theoretical" samkhya classes, this will be the philosophy underlying the yoga we teach.
It means "enumeration". Of the shad (six) darshans, or points of view of traditional Hinduism, is the one that greater antiquity is attribute . It is a dualistic philosophy that postulates a person of two eternal realities; Purusha, a consciousness that witnesses phenomena, and Prakriti, a seed of the cause of phenomena, composed of three principles (elements): sattva, rajas and tamas.
Roughly speaking, Purusha represents the spirit, Prakriti represents the matter and the gunas, devoid of any moral , are what connect Purusha to Prakriti. The yoga practices are the "scissors" that cuts the "threads" (gunas) and release the spirit of matter.
Samkhya is a philosophy that explains how the world manifests. It is the metaphysics of self-realization and yoga is the sadhana (practice) to achieve the libertation.
Although we do not teach "theoretical" samkhya classes, this will be the philosophy underlying the yoga we teach.
Friday, November 18, 2016
Truth - The most important thing in the universe and neighborhood
In a world that, even in the present days, is ruled by countries, nations, societies, families trought a Patriarchal society and his ways, Mother India manage to resist to the wheel of time becouse his kind of society organization knows that the knowledge is more important than armies,wars and guns.
If we look at the Hindu society we will find in the top the caste of the brahmans,the holders of the culture and knowledge.
Just after them we find the second caste, the kings and their armies, the Shatryas.
Hindus always had been conduct their lives according to the Dharma, the cosmic law and order, a path of righteousness that is supported by the truth.
Truth, sat, is behind everything that we should bring to our lifes, is what the Hindu Dharshanams seeks.
Truth is God.Truth is one of the first prescription of Patanjali in the pratice of raja yoga.
It is the goal of our sva dharma that aims that we can act from our heart,not anymore as personality, but as the true self that is there.
It´s to trade the false me assumed by the personality (word for the mask in Latin so, false) by the real self.
Ultimately it is the goal of yoga, it is dharma as action based on our intuition that reveal to us the true present in that moment and the action that needs to be done to protect dharma against adharma, the false.
Is so important for the hindu that true is in the nacional flag,the white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct. The green shows our relation to (the) soil, our relation to the plant life here, on which all other life depends. The "Ashoka Chakra" in the centre of the white is the wheel of the law of dharma. Truth or satya, dharma or virtue ought to be the controlling principle of those who work under this flag.
Gandhi baptized is philosophy of non-violence of Satyagraha,satya as true and agraha as firm,constant.
True is truly the most important gift from god to us as humans to guide our lifes and to being sure that we are on dharma.
Truth has several aspects,forms,aplications,shapes and sizes but is value is always the same independent of the adjectif that she ,the truth is dressing at the moment.
For exemple in relations between man and wife if someone find his other half,the true person and do not assume the love that arise or in love at first sight or in the form of attraction,they will never be happy with someone else.
Their lives,even if are full of sucess,money,fame etc can not be happy or make them feel realized,becouse that lifes are a lie,becouse they alredy taste the nectar of the pure cosmic love.
On the oposite if they do not separete themselves anymore,if a minute is to long to be apart,they will be the most happy persons in the universe even if they did not have food to eat,becouse they are living on the true.
They will be linked,(as real family that they are) to return to Earth together to help eachother to clean their karma and help the human kind to set free from the ilusion.
They will return to be part of the 122.000 cosmic disciples that are waiting to help human kind with the most powerfull weapon ever,the real love that this couples are experimenting and sharing between them while their are waiting that the kali yuga ends.
Truth protects you if you protect the truth and all kinds of lies are out of you even if you need to stand for the true until last consequences.
But true is not just about roses,there´s also the thorns because if one of the persons of the couple did not understand this things or did not realize the lucky of find something that thousands of persons are looking for and they give all to find it,or for some other reason the couple did not stay togheter, the bonds do not unify and some hundreds of years more can pass,in Earth time,for them to meet again.
Also both of them can not be happy with other partners with the diference that the one that did not understand will try to find hapiness with other persons but will not e possible becouse is not the true,he will just create more karma.
As for the other person,he will live with a big pain in his heart becouse he knows that he can not do nothing to stop the bleeding from his heart.
Great part of them,lives without partner and,if he already had taste the true love (again truth) he can not even stand the idea of stay with other person just for sex,he will make abstinence of something that instead of giving pleasure only will cause more suffering.
There´s a popular saying in Portugal that goes like this: "it´s easier to catch a liar than a lame".,and the pop culture always is always right :)
Love is so powerfull that he can change everything,now imagine the cosmic love emnated by two lovers.
Sat
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Hatha Yoga - A Tantric pratice
Small introduction
Without going into much historic details,becouse isn´t our goal,a tantric sect,the nathas,grab the yoga of Patanjali,the yogasutras,that where almost forgueted becouse a furious presecution to the practioners by the musulins and give them a new life.
A Natha called Gorakshanatha restaure the yoga of patanjali and give him a new breathing with the introduction of postures (asanas) creating Hatha Yoga but,as he warning us,hatha it was just a preparation for the raja yoga,the yoga of Patanjali.
In yogic literature, we have a few reliable texts on hatha yoga. One is by yogi Gorakhnath which is known as the Gorakhsha Samhita. Another text is Gheranda Samhita by the great sage Gheranda. Besides these two, there is another very well known text on hatha yoga which is Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Yogi Swatmarama. There is a fourth text on hatha yoga known as Hatha Yoga Ratnavali. All of these texts were supposed to have been written from 6th - 9th century A.D.
There are also minor references to hatha yoga in the ancient Upanishads. The Upanishads date back further than the Buddhist period, which was around the 6th century B.C. The references to hatha yoga made in the Upanishads prove that the science was known much before this period. There is another very important text known as Srimat Bhagavatam, the story of Sri Krishna. In that voluminous book, there are several chapters containing references to hatha yoga.
This is just to give you a glimpse of the historical aspect of hatha yoga. For centuries these books have guided the spiritual aspirants. Many sects were also formed in India, Nepal and Tibet on the basis of hatha yoga. What is the subject matter of these books? Is it just to maintain a youthful body, or to obtain siddhis (psychic powers) or is it to develop the capacity to awaken the kundalini and attain samadhi? If we analyse these texts carefully, the purpose becomes very clear.
Defining hatha yoga
In order to make the subject clear, it was termed as ha-tha yoga. Hatha is a combination of two letters ha and tha. Ha represents the moon and tha the sun. Sun and moon should not be understood as the external sun and moon. It has been explained in hatha yoga that sun represents prana, the life force, and moon represents the mind, the mental energy. So, hatha yoga means the union of pranic and mental forces. When union between the pranic and mental forces takes place, then a great event occurs in man. This is the awakening of higher consciousness.
An important point, which has been left out by the commentators, is that hatha yoga is not only the union of prana and mind. In fact, it means the union of prana and mind with the Self. Now, let us make this a little more clear. In the spine, there are three nadis known as ida, pingala and sushumna. Nadi here does not mean nerve; it is not a physical channel. Nadi means flow, like the flow of electricity within a cable. One wire carries the negative force, and another carries the positive force of electricity. So, in hatha yoga, ida nadi represents the negative force, the flow of consciousness; pingala nadi represents the positive force, the flow of vital energy, and sushumna nadi represents the neutral force, the flow of spiritual energy.
The union, the connection between these three flows, occurs in ajna chakra. Therefore, let us revise the literal meaning of hatha yoga. Commentators have said union between ida and pingala is hatha yoga. But I am obliged to say that union of ida and pingala with sushumna is hatha yoga.
When this union takes place there is an automatic awakening in mooladhara chakra at the base of the spine. This is the seat of primal energy or kundalini shakti. The awakening of kundalini is the subject matter of hatha yoga. Through the practices that are taught in hatha yoga, union is brought about. As a result of that union, the awakening of kundalini takes place. When awakening occurs, then kundalini ascends to the higher realms of consciousness, and finally it is established in sahasrara chakra.
When kundalini is established in sahasrara chakra, that is called yoga, not hatha yoga. This is the difference between yoga and hatha yoga. By yoga I mean the union between Shakti and Shiva. Shakti is kundalini energy; Shiva is the supreme consciousness seated in sahasrara chakra. When awakening takes place in mooladhara chakra, then kundalini starts ascending.
She ascends through sushumna, not through ida and pingala. Sushumna is the highway for kundalini. It passes through various chakras, sometimes all of a sudden and sometimes very slowly. When it unites with ida and pingala in ajna chakra, that is called hatha yoga. Then, after this first union, it forges ahead to sahasrara chakra. There it unites with supreme consciousness, Shiva. That is called yoga, which means ultimate union. Therefore, the ultimate object of hatha yoga is to experience yoga.
Emphasis on shatkarma
Now, coming to the practical side. In the raja yoga of Patanjali, you have eight steps: yama and niyama are the first two, asana and pranayama make it four, pratyahara and dharana six and dhyana and samadhi make it eight. The contention of Patanjali is that you have to perfect yama and niyama first. Without the perfection of yama and niyama, asana and pranayama etc. will not give the desired results. What is yama and niyama? Yama means self-control, rules and observances: truth, non-violence, celibacy, non-stealing, non-aggrandisement External and internal purity, contentment, etc. are niyama.
Patanjali was a contemporary to Buddha and therefore, I think, his system of yoga was influenced by the Buddhist philosophy of yama and niyama. But the authors of hatha yoga are very clear about it. They do not say that yama and niyama form the basis of this system. The order here is different - first comes shatkarma. Neti, dhauti, basti, kapalbhati, trataka and nauli constitute shatkarma, and with these, hatha yoga begins. But shatkarma alone does not constitute the whole of hatha yoga. After shatkarma comes asana, pranayama, mudra and bandha. Then comes pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.
The authors of the hatha yoga texts were very much aware of the practical difficulties of every man in relation to yama and niyama. Moreover, yama and niyama have more to do with religion than with man's spiritual life.
That is the reason why the texts on hatha yoga do not lay emphasis on yama and niyama. They straight away begin with shatkarma, and say that you should first purify the whole body- the stomach, intestines, nervous system and other systems. Then you should start asana and pranayama. After this, you should go on to practise kriyas like vajroli, sahajoli, khechari and shambhavi. Then you should practise mudras like vipareeta karani, yoga mudra and others. In this way, it will be possible to get into deep meditation.
Controlling the mind by controlling the prana
There is another difference between Patanjali's system of raja yoga and the traditional system of hatha yoga. The authors of the hatha yoga texts were very much aware of the difficulty of controlling the fluctuations of the mind. In fact, it is not possible to control the fluctuations of the mind. You may do it for some time, but still you will not be able to succeed all of the time.
So they designed another method. The hatha yoga texts say very clearly that by controlling the pranas, the mind is automatically controlled. It seems that prana and mind exert an influence on each other. When the pranas are restless, they affect the mind and vice versa. Some people do find it easier to control the mind than to control the prana. But I have given a lot of thought to this. Perhaps a few people may succeed, but most people cannot control the mind by the mind. The more they try, the more the split grows.
There is another important point to be noted. Sometimes you are inspired; you feel very well, very one-pointed. But every day it does not happen. Therefore, the authors of hatha yoga struck another theme. 'Don't worry about the mind, ignore it. Practise pranayama.'
By practising pranayama correctly, the mind is automatically conquered. But the effects of pranayama are not that simple to manage. It creates extra heat in the body, it awakens some of the centres in the brain, it can stop the production of sperm and testosterone. It may also bring down the temperature of the inner body. It may even bring down the rate of the respiration. It may change the waves of the brain. When these changes take place, you may not be able to handle it. Therefore, hatha yoga says that shatkarma must be practised first.
The purpose of emphasising shatkarma is then to prepare a base for the higher practices of pranayama. Shatkarma purifies the whole system and removes blockages on the paths of ida and pingala. When there are no blockages on these paths, the breath in both the nostrils flows systematically. When the left nostril flows, it means ida is active. When the right nostril flows, it means pingala is active. Again, when the left nostril flows, it means the mind is dominant. When the right nostril flows, it means the pranas are dominant. The flow of breath in the alternate nostrils indicates the position of the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems.
Now, if ida is flowing and you are practising meditation, you will go to sleep and your brain will produce delta waves. If the right nostril is flowing and you are trying to meditate, your brain will produce beta waves and you will be thinking so many thoughts at the same time. When both nostrils flow equally, that means sushumna is flowing. When sushumna flows, you can meditate without any difficulty. Awakening sushumna, making sushumna nadi flow, is the most important thing in yoga.
The basis of pranayama
Pranayama is a very difficult practice. There are many varieties of pranayama, such as nadi shodhana, brahmari, kapalbhati, bhastrika, ujjayi, etc. These are not actually pranayama, they are varieties of the practice. In the hatha yoga texts, it is clearly indicated that retention of the breath is pranayama. The gap between inhalation and exhalation is pranayama. When you inhale and exhale, in between there is a gap. That gap may be for one second, ten seconds or one minute. This is called breath retention - kumbhaka. That is pranayama.
When I use the word pranayama I do not mean nadi shodhana, bhastrika, brahmari. I am talking about just the retention. In the practice of pranayama, you should be able to retain the breath, but it is not that easy. Therefore, unless you have prepared the base, yama and niyama are not that important. Of course, people are religious, so they believe they must follow the dogma. Every religion has its own moral code, but you know how difficult it is to put this into practice. We have to be honest with ourselves, don't we?
So, in order to practise pranayama with a proper base, you must be able to perform the bandhas. Pranayama without bandha has no meaning. First, you should know what the bandhas are. Pranayama should be practised with bandhas, in the proper sitting posture and in the appropriate mudra. Either shambhavi mudra (focusing the gaze on the eyebrow centre), or nasikagra mudra (focusing on the nose tip) should be used.
The combination of mudra, bandha, pranayama and asana will help you to conquer the mind. He who can conquer the prana, can conquer the mind. And according to hatha yoga, it is easier to conquer the prana first and then the mind.
Unity behind the diversity
So, this is how hatha yoga is introduced. The guru instructs his disciple on hatha yoga, and he tells him about the universal shakti, of which the individual shakti is an aspect. At a certain moment of experience, one breaks the barriers of the limited mind. When the barriers are broken, then the individual shakti merges with the universal shakti.
The lower mind, which is not truth, becomes one with the cosmic mind. After all, the shakti is one. On account of our ignorance, we have perceived ourselves as different, and that erroneous perception has to be broken. I am not I, and you are not you. We are one. Even our bodies are not different. It is all one, but we are trying to realise this from a limited standpoint. That experience must dawn whereby we realise that the diversity is not true, only the unity is real.
The real purpose of hatha yoga
In the last forty to fifty years, hatha yoga has been accepted as a therapeutic science all over the world and many scientific studies have been conducted in this field. Today, we teach hatha yoga to the people because it is very necessary. Man has become sick, and medical science is not able to meet the challenge. Hatha yoga, however, has been helping everybody. So, we do not want to discourage this aspect, but at the same time we should not forget what hatha yoga really stands for.
Behind every sick man, there is a spiritual man. Behind a diabetic, there is a yogi. Behind a man suffering from depression, there is an aspirant. When a patient comes for help, teach him yoga and make him better. Treat his sickness, but please, do not stop there. Take him further into the spiritual domain of life.
This is the mistake that most yoga teachers have been making, particularly in the west. They just take a patient for arthritis, rheumatism or insomnia, teach him a few exercises and that is it. Hatha yoga has not been used to treat the total personality. This is why the teachers are not able to raise the level of their pupils. Just to improve the physical health is not enough. The mental health must also improve. Nature must change. Personality must change. The psychological and the psychic framework also has to change., You should not merely feel freedom from disease, but freedom from bondage, and from the vagaries of the mind. Now, the time has come that the teachers in every part of the world must understand and transmit the true spirit of hatha yoga.
Without going into much historic details,becouse isn´t our goal,a tantric sect,the nathas,grab the yoga of Patanjali,the yogasutras,that where almost forgueted becouse a furious presecution to the practioners by the musulins and give them a new life.
A Natha called Gorakshanatha restaure the yoga of patanjali and give him a new breathing with the introduction of postures (asanas) creating Hatha Yoga but,as he warning us,hatha it was just a preparation for the raja yoga,the yoga of Patanjali.
In yogic literature, we have a few reliable texts on hatha yoga. One is by yogi Gorakhnath which is known as the Gorakhsha Samhita. Another text is Gheranda Samhita by the great sage Gheranda. Besides these two, there is another very well known text on hatha yoga which is Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Yogi Swatmarama. There is a fourth text on hatha yoga known as Hatha Yoga Ratnavali. All of these texts were supposed to have been written from 6th - 9th century A.D.
There are also minor references to hatha yoga in the ancient Upanishads. The Upanishads date back further than the Buddhist period, which was around the 6th century B.C. The references to hatha yoga made in the Upanishads prove that the science was known much before this period. There is another very important text known as Srimat Bhagavatam, the story of Sri Krishna. In that voluminous book, there are several chapters containing references to hatha yoga.
This is just to give you a glimpse of the historical aspect of hatha yoga. For centuries these books have guided the spiritual aspirants. Many sects were also formed in India, Nepal and Tibet on the basis of hatha yoga. What is the subject matter of these books? Is it just to maintain a youthful body, or to obtain siddhis (psychic powers) or is it to develop the capacity to awaken the kundalini and attain samadhi? If we analyse these texts carefully, the purpose becomes very clear.
Defining hatha yoga
In order to make the subject clear, it was termed as ha-tha yoga. Hatha is a combination of two letters ha and tha. Ha represents the moon and tha the sun. Sun and moon should not be understood as the external sun and moon. It has been explained in hatha yoga that sun represents prana, the life force, and moon represents the mind, the mental energy. So, hatha yoga means the union of pranic and mental forces. When union between the pranic and mental forces takes place, then a great event occurs in man. This is the awakening of higher consciousness.
An important point, which has been left out by the commentators, is that hatha yoga is not only the union of prana and mind. In fact, it means the union of prana and mind with the Self. Now, let us make this a little more clear. In the spine, there are three nadis known as ida, pingala and sushumna. Nadi here does not mean nerve; it is not a physical channel. Nadi means flow, like the flow of electricity within a cable. One wire carries the negative force, and another carries the positive force of electricity. So, in hatha yoga, ida nadi represents the negative force, the flow of consciousness; pingala nadi represents the positive force, the flow of vital energy, and sushumna nadi represents the neutral force, the flow of spiritual energy.
The union, the connection between these three flows, occurs in ajna chakra. Therefore, let us revise the literal meaning of hatha yoga. Commentators have said union between ida and pingala is hatha yoga. But I am obliged to say that union of ida and pingala with sushumna is hatha yoga.
When this union takes place there is an automatic awakening in mooladhara chakra at the base of the spine. This is the seat of primal energy or kundalini shakti. The awakening of kundalini is the subject matter of hatha yoga. Through the practices that are taught in hatha yoga, union is brought about. As a result of that union, the awakening of kundalini takes place. When awakening occurs, then kundalini ascends to the higher realms of consciousness, and finally it is established in sahasrara chakra.
When kundalini is established in sahasrara chakra, that is called yoga, not hatha yoga. This is the difference between yoga and hatha yoga. By yoga I mean the union between Shakti and Shiva. Shakti is kundalini energy; Shiva is the supreme consciousness seated in sahasrara chakra. When awakening takes place in mooladhara chakra, then kundalini starts ascending.
She ascends through sushumna, not through ida and pingala. Sushumna is the highway for kundalini. It passes through various chakras, sometimes all of a sudden and sometimes very slowly. When it unites with ida and pingala in ajna chakra, that is called hatha yoga. Then, after this first union, it forges ahead to sahasrara chakra. There it unites with supreme consciousness, Shiva. That is called yoga, which means ultimate union. Therefore, the ultimate object of hatha yoga is to experience yoga.
Emphasis on shatkarma
Now, coming to the practical side. In the raja yoga of Patanjali, you have eight steps: yama and niyama are the first two, asana and pranayama make it four, pratyahara and dharana six and dhyana and samadhi make it eight. The contention of Patanjali is that you have to perfect yama and niyama first. Without the perfection of yama and niyama, asana and pranayama etc. will not give the desired results. What is yama and niyama? Yama means self-control, rules and observances: truth, non-violence, celibacy, non-stealing, non-aggrandisement External and internal purity, contentment, etc. are niyama.
Patanjali was a contemporary to Buddha and therefore, I think, his system of yoga was influenced by the Buddhist philosophy of yama and niyama. But the authors of hatha yoga are very clear about it. They do not say that yama and niyama form the basis of this system. The order here is different - first comes shatkarma. Neti, dhauti, basti, kapalbhati, trataka and nauli constitute shatkarma, and with these, hatha yoga begins. But shatkarma alone does not constitute the whole of hatha yoga. After shatkarma comes asana, pranayama, mudra and bandha. Then comes pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.
The authors of the hatha yoga texts were very much aware of the practical difficulties of every man in relation to yama and niyama. Moreover, yama and niyama have more to do with religion than with man's spiritual life.
That is the reason why the texts on hatha yoga do not lay emphasis on yama and niyama. They straight away begin with shatkarma, and say that you should first purify the whole body- the stomach, intestines, nervous system and other systems. Then you should start asana and pranayama. After this, you should go on to practise kriyas like vajroli, sahajoli, khechari and shambhavi. Then you should practise mudras like vipareeta karani, yoga mudra and others. In this way, it will be possible to get into deep meditation.
Controlling the mind by controlling the prana
There is another difference between Patanjali's system of raja yoga and the traditional system of hatha yoga. The authors of the hatha yoga texts were very much aware of the difficulty of controlling the fluctuations of the mind. In fact, it is not possible to control the fluctuations of the mind. You may do it for some time, but still you will not be able to succeed all of the time.
So they designed another method. The hatha yoga texts say very clearly that by controlling the pranas, the mind is automatically controlled. It seems that prana and mind exert an influence on each other. When the pranas are restless, they affect the mind and vice versa. Some people do find it easier to control the mind than to control the prana. But I have given a lot of thought to this. Perhaps a few people may succeed, but most people cannot control the mind by the mind. The more they try, the more the split grows.
There is another important point to be noted. Sometimes you are inspired; you feel very well, very one-pointed. But every day it does not happen. Therefore, the authors of hatha yoga struck another theme. 'Don't worry about the mind, ignore it. Practise pranayama.'
By practising pranayama correctly, the mind is automatically conquered. But the effects of pranayama are not that simple to manage. It creates extra heat in the body, it awakens some of the centres in the brain, it can stop the production of sperm and testosterone. It may also bring down the temperature of the inner body. It may even bring down the rate of the respiration. It may change the waves of the brain. When these changes take place, you may not be able to handle it. Therefore, hatha yoga says that shatkarma must be practised first.
The purpose of emphasising shatkarma is then to prepare a base for the higher practices of pranayama. Shatkarma purifies the whole system and removes blockages on the paths of ida and pingala. When there are no blockages on these paths, the breath in both the nostrils flows systematically. When the left nostril flows, it means ida is active. When the right nostril flows, it means pingala is active. Again, when the left nostril flows, it means the mind is dominant. When the right nostril flows, it means the pranas are dominant. The flow of breath in the alternate nostrils indicates the position of the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems.
Now, if ida is flowing and you are practising meditation, you will go to sleep and your brain will produce delta waves. If the right nostril is flowing and you are trying to meditate, your brain will produce beta waves and you will be thinking so many thoughts at the same time. When both nostrils flow equally, that means sushumna is flowing. When sushumna flows, you can meditate without any difficulty. Awakening sushumna, making sushumna nadi flow, is the most important thing in yoga.
The basis of pranayama
Pranayama is a very difficult practice. There are many varieties of pranayama, such as nadi shodhana, brahmari, kapalbhati, bhastrika, ujjayi, etc. These are not actually pranayama, they are varieties of the practice. In the hatha yoga texts, it is clearly indicated that retention of the breath is pranayama. The gap between inhalation and exhalation is pranayama. When you inhale and exhale, in between there is a gap. That gap may be for one second, ten seconds or one minute. This is called breath retention - kumbhaka. That is pranayama.
When I use the word pranayama I do not mean nadi shodhana, bhastrika, brahmari. I am talking about just the retention. In the practice of pranayama, you should be able to retain the breath, but it is not that easy. Therefore, unless you have prepared the base, yama and niyama are not that important. Of course, people are religious, so they believe they must follow the dogma. Every religion has its own moral code, but you know how difficult it is to put this into practice. We have to be honest with ourselves, don't we?
So, in order to practise pranayama with a proper base, you must be able to perform the bandhas. Pranayama without bandha has no meaning. First, you should know what the bandhas are. Pranayama should be practised with bandhas, in the proper sitting posture and in the appropriate mudra. Either shambhavi mudra (focusing the gaze on the eyebrow centre), or nasikagra mudra (focusing on the nose tip) should be used.
The combination of mudra, bandha, pranayama and asana will help you to conquer the mind. He who can conquer the prana, can conquer the mind. And according to hatha yoga, it is easier to conquer the prana first and then the mind.
Unity behind the diversity
So, this is how hatha yoga is introduced. The guru instructs his disciple on hatha yoga, and he tells him about the universal shakti, of which the individual shakti is an aspect. At a certain moment of experience, one breaks the barriers of the limited mind. When the barriers are broken, then the individual shakti merges with the universal shakti.
The lower mind, which is not truth, becomes one with the cosmic mind. After all, the shakti is one. On account of our ignorance, we have perceived ourselves as different, and that erroneous perception has to be broken. I am not I, and you are not you. We are one. Even our bodies are not different. It is all one, but we are trying to realise this from a limited standpoint. That experience must dawn whereby we realise that the diversity is not true, only the unity is real.
The real purpose of hatha yoga
In the last forty to fifty years, hatha yoga has been accepted as a therapeutic science all over the world and many scientific studies have been conducted in this field. Today, we teach hatha yoga to the people because it is very necessary. Man has become sick, and medical science is not able to meet the challenge. Hatha yoga, however, has been helping everybody. So, we do not want to discourage this aspect, but at the same time we should not forget what hatha yoga really stands for.
Behind every sick man, there is a spiritual man. Behind a diabetic, there is a yogi. Behind a man suffering from depression, there is an aspirant. When a patient comes for help, teach him yoga and make him better. Treat his sickness, but please, do not stop there. Take him further into the spiritual domain of life.
This is the mistake that most yoga teachers have been making, particularly in the west. They just take a patient for arthritis, rheumatism or insomnia, teach him a few exercises and that is it. Hatha yoga has not been used to treat the total personality. This is why the teachers are not able to raise the level of their pupils. Just to improve the physical health is not enough. The mental health must also improve. Nature must change. Personality must change. The psychological and the psychic framework also has to change., You should not merely feel freedom from disease, but freedom from bondage, and from the vagaries of the mind. Now, the time has come that the teachers in every part of the world must understand and transmit the true spirit of hatha yoga.
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