In recent years yoga has gained tremendous popularity. In the western world, the image associated with yoga is a class full of young men and women stretching on yoga mats and performing breathing exercises, with the aim to improve both mental and physical health. The yoga market has become a big business. Students pay high fees for courses and retreats. And not to forget all kinds of yoga equipment like yoga mats, shirts, pants, and incense. The varieties of concocted yoga are numerous such as: naked yoga, hot yoga, dream yoga, and laughing yoga. However, the actual goal of yoga is far beyond any of the physical gymnastics. This article is an attempt to bring things into perspective.
Detachment from the body is the primary goal
The word yoga literally means “link”. But “link” to whom or what? To get an answer we have to consult Vedic scriptures. The basics of the entire yoga science are described by Patañjali in the Yoga Sutras and by Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the Śrīmad Bhagavadgītā (BG). From these scriptures, we understand that yoga refers to our connection with the Supreme by focusing our mind on the divine power and trying to control our uncontrolled senses. By practising yoga you gradually become free from attachment to material things. When you are no longer attached to matter, you lose interest in things based only on the body and become interested in spiritual perfection. In essence, the perfection of yoga means that after death you are no longer part of the cycle of birth and death.
Yoga ladder: the ladder of spiritual realization
In the BG, Śrī Kṛṣṇa explains different kinds of yoga and all these types are practised in different ways, depending on our level of spiritual progress. It can be compared to a ladder leading to the supreme spiritual realization. He starts with karma yoga.
1) Karma Yoga: the path of action
The biggest part of the first six chapters of the BG is dealing with the path of karma yoga. When a person comes to the conclusion that self-realisation is the goal of life, but still likes to strive for material comfort, then that person is engaged in karma yoga. The path of karma yoga starts with sakāma karma yoga. The word sakāma means “with desires”. At this level, the practitioner is still attached to enjoying the fruits of one’s work, but one agrees to offer part of these fruits to the Supreme in the form of charity, donations etc. In this way, he progresses in spiritual life and becomes purified. The second level is called niṣkāma karma yoga (without desires). At this level, one is already purified enough and is not attached to the fruits of his work. Although externally engaged in activities, he is internally renounced.
2) Jñāna Yoga: the path of knowledge
When karma yoga is enriched with knowledge it is called jñāna yoga. In the BG Śrī Kṛṣṇa describes this process as Sankhya philosophy. Sankhya is the analytic study of the Soul. The 24 elements of the material world (earth, water, etc.) are the subject of the study. Among other things, by reflection, speculation, logic, intuition, and discourse, exploring and evaluating ideas the Jñani tries to understand the Absolute Truth. This process aims, finally, to bring us from speculation to knowledge, from wondering to seeing, from seeking to finding.
3) Aṣṭāṅga Yoga: the path of meditation
When meditation is added to jñāna yoga it is called Aṣṭāṅga Yoga or the eightfold yoga system (BG chapter 6), conceived by the ancient sage Patañjali. This classical method emphasizes controlling one’s mind. The materially conditioned mind is absorbed in contemplating objects of sensual pleasure like sounds and sights. By diverting the mind from external engagements, the yogi directs his mind to the Supersoul (Paramatma) in the heart. Patañjali describes the following eight progressive steps of the Aṣṭāṅga Yoga system: Yama (do’s), niyama (don’t), āsana (physical postures), prāṇayāma (restraint or expansion of the breath), pratyāhāra (withdrawal of the senses), dhāraṇā (concentration), dhyāna (meditation) and samādhi (complete integration).
What is usually seen as yoga in the western world is the third step, āsanas, most popularly called haṭha yoga. The side effects include a healthy, slim body, but the real purpose of this step is that the discipline prepares the body to stay in different postures for long periods.
What also has become common is that the first two principles, yama and niyama (do’s and the don’ts), are skipped by “modern” yogis. Yama, the first step, means avoiding things that hinder the attainment of the goal, samadhi. For example, one must give up things like illicit sex, intoxication, and certain foods, such as meat, fish, and eggs. These things pollute the consciousness, distract the attention away from the Self. Niyama, the second step, refers to the beneficial activities – daily meditation, rituals, exercise – one has to perform to reach the ultimate goal of yoga; union with the Supreme. Skipping the first two steps and jumping to the third step will not give the proper results.
4) Bhakti Yoga: the path of devotion
After hearing the system of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga Arjuna rejects its as a suitable method for his enlightenment (BG 6.33-34) as it is long and severe (BG 6.11- 14).
योऽयं योगस्त्वया प्रोक्त: साम्येन मधुसूदन । एतस्याहं न पश्यामि चञ्चलत्वात्स्थितिं स्थिराम् ।। चञ्चलं हि मन: कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम् । तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव सुदुष्करम् ॥
yo ’yaṃ yogastvayā proktaḥ sāmyena madhusūdana etasyāhaṃ na paśyāmi cañcalatvāt sthitiṃ sthirām. cañcalaṃ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham tasyāhaṃ nigrahaṃ manye vāyor iva su-duṣkaram (Śrīmad Bhagavadgītā – Chapter 6, verse 33-34)
The system of yoga which You have summarized appears impractical and unendurable to me, for the mind is restless and unsteady. The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kṛṣṇa, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind.
शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरमासनमात्मन: । नात्युच्छ्रितं नातिनीचं चैलाजिनकुशोत्तरम् ॥ तत्रैकाग्रं मन: कृत्वा यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रिय । उपविश्यासने युञ्ज्याद्योगमात्मविशुद्धये ॥ समं कायशिरोग्रीवं धारयन्नचलं स्थिर: । सम्प्रेक्ष्य नासिकाग्रं स्वं दिशश्चानवलोकयन् ॥ प्रशान्तात्मा विगतभीर्ब्रह्मचारिव्रते स्थित: । मन: संयम्य मच्चित्तो युक्त आसीत मत्पर: ॥
śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ nāty-ucchritaṃ nāti-nīcaṃ cailājina-kuśottaram tatraikāgraṃ manaḥ kṛtvā yata-cittendriya-kriyaḥ upaviśyāsane yuñjyād yogam ātma-viśuddhaye samaṃ kāya-śiro-grīvaṃ dhārayann acalaṃ sthiraḥ samprekṣya nāsikāgraṃ svaṃ diśaś cānavalokayan praśāntātmā vigata-bhīr brahmacāri-vrate sthitaḥ manaḥ saṃyamya mac-citto yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ (Śrīmad Bhagavadgītā – Chapter 6, verse 11-14)
To practice yoga, one should go to a secluded place and should lay kuśa (grass) on the ground and cover
it with a deerskin and a soft cloth. The seat should be neither too high nor too low and should be situated in a sacred place. The yogī should then sit on it very firmly and practise yoga to purify the heart by controlling his mind, senses and activities and fixing the mind on one point. One should hold one’s body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa basically agrees with Arjuna’s analysis (BG 6.35) and therefore recommends Arjuna to follow the path of bhakti.
असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम् । अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ॥
asaṃśayaṃ mahā-bāho mano durnigrahaṃ calam abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate (Śrīmad Bhagavadgītā – Chapter 6, verse 35)
O mighty-armed son of Kuntī, It is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by suitable practice and by detachment.
Bhakti is derived from the Sanskrit word bhaj, which means loving service. By bhakti yoga, we connect to the Supreme by means of loving devotional service in the spirit of surrender. The path of bhakti yoga is developed through a variety of activities. These include mantra meditation, the chanting of the names of God, individually or collectively accompanied by music (kirtan). The study of sacred texts, associating with like-minded spiritual aspirants, eating sanctified vegetarian food, and living in a way that upholds the principles of truthfulness, mercy, austerity, and cleanliness are all core practices for a life of a follower of bhakti. Śrī Kṛṣṇa guarantees that one who practices bhakti yoga can reap any result obtained from practising any other yoga and can very easily cross over nescience.
All one has to do is surrender completely to the Lord and fulfil their duties under his protection.
दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया । मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते ।।
daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṃ taranti te. (Śrīmad Bhagavadgītā – Chapter 7, verse 14)
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it. (BG 7.14)
Conclusion
To conclude, the ultimate goal of yoga is not to reduce stress, improve health or achieve well-being, what to speak of making money. These are all side-effects. Yoga is meant to free us from worldliness and bodily identification. Such a process is named differently by various practitioners in terms of the particular method adopted. When the linking process is predominantly in fruitive activities it is called karma yoga, when it is predominantly empirical it is called jñāna yoga, and when it is predominantly in a devotional relationship with the Supreme Lord it is called bhakti yoga.
References
- Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Available at: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/ [Accessed 25 May 2021].
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