Guest guest Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 SAI RAM Dear Brothers and Sisters, This is by way of sharing with you the understanding of this humble self on Dhyana or Raja Yoga in response to the request of our sai brother Shri C.S. Rao. 'Royal Meditative Immersion', otherwise known as Raja Yoga or Dhyana is a system of yoga outlined by sage Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. It is also known by the name eight-limbed (Ashtanaga) yoga solely because there are eight aspects to the path to which one must attend . It is concerned mainly with the cultivation of the mind through meditation(Dhyana) with a view to further one`s identification with the Ultimate Truth and thereby achieve liberation (Moksha) in the end. This yoga is mainly concerned with the mind. Sages have found that mind is the 'king' of our psycho-physical structure. If the vagaries of the mind are tackled succcessfuly, the path to Moksha becomes easier. The system advocates that the physical body must be first 'tamed' through self-discipline and purified by various means such as Hatha Yoga. Before one can pursue the deeper aspects of Raja Yoga , he must ensure a good level of overall physical health and psychological integration. Success in meditation(Dhyana) is often beset with obstacles on account of our addictions of all sorts and also by our obsessions. By practisng restraint (yama) in the form of strict celibacy, abstaing from alcohol,drugs etc. and by careful attention of one`s actions of the body, speech and mind, we can become fit to practise this meditation. Royal Meditation aims at controlling all thought-waves or mental modification. A certain amount of minimum of postures (Asanas) and breath-control exercises(Pranayaam) are a preliminary to the meditation and concentration. The essential difference between Rajayoga and Hathayoga is that a practioner of Raja Yoga starts his sadhana with his attention on the mind, whereas a Hatayogi starts his sadhana with Pranayama and Asanas. Now, what are the eight limbs of the Raja Yoga? These are:- 1.Yama--- Self-restraint or some sort of code of conduct. 2.Niyama---Includes commitments to practise of study and devotion, religious observances etc. 3.Asana--- physical activity for achieving integration of body and mind. 4.Pranayama---Breath control or regulation leading to integration of mind and body. 5. Pratyahara---- Withdrawal of the senses of perception from their objects. 6. Dharana---Single-pointed concentration of mind 7.Dhyana----Quietening of the mind through meditation which ultimately leads to Samadhi state. 8.Samadhi---It is the state of blissful awareness or the superconsciou state The above are ,in brief, some aspects of 'Royal Meditative Immersion' or Raja Yoga. It is hoped that this would meet the expectations of our sai Brother. Since we are currently on the topic of Moksha, further elaboration of 'Raja Yoga ' at this stage would tantamount to digression and deviation. Hence we will go back to the topic of Moksha. (to be continued) With Loving SAI RAMs, G.Balasubramanian On 5/2/07, CS Rao <csrao wrote: I shall be grateful if the Respected Sai Brother Shri Balasubramanian, can kindly give a little elaboration on the 'royal meditative immersion' (Dhyana or Raja Yoga). What is the significance and uniqueness of this kind of meditation? Regards.csraoOn Tuesday, May 01, 2007, at 07:48PM, G. Balasubramanian <gbsub1 wrote: SAI RAM Dear Brothers and Sisters, Moksha or Mukti in Samskrit language refers to liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth and thereby from all the sufferings and limitations of worldly existence. According to Hindu scriptures, liberation occurs when the individual soul (jivatma) recognises its identity with the Substratum, the Source of all phenomenal existence viz. Brahman or Paramatman. Moksha is seen by the Advaitins as a state of perfection and final release from one`s wordly conception of self, the loosening of the shackle of experiential duality and reestablishment in one`s own fundamental nature. The Ultimate Truth according to them is Oneness without form or being, something which is without manifestation. Moksha is union or merger with that Oneness. The concept of Moksha and Buddhist Nirvana or Enlightment are more or less comparable. According to the Dvaitins(Dualists) and Visishtadvaitins(Qualified advaitic schools of the Vaishnava tradition), Moksha is a stage on the path to union or merger with God(Iswara) and is not considered as a state of Perfection. Our Scriptures tell us that Self-Realization (Atma-Siddhi or Atma-Sakshatkar) is true Moksha. The Bagavad Gita decribes four disciplines (Yogas) or paths(margas) for attainment of Moksha. They are the path of selfless work (Karma Yoga), path of Pure Devotion or Love(Bhakti yoga), path of absolute discernment or Knowledge (Gyana Yoga) and the path of 'royal mediataitve immersion' (Dhyana or Raja Yoga). Different schools of philosophy lay emphasis on different paths for attaining Liberation. This humble self,however, is of the view, that a proper synthesis of all the four Yogas is a must for attaining Moksha or Mukti. While the path of selfless work is, no doubt, noble and lofty, it has to combine with it Devotion and Knowledge. Similarly, the path of 'Royal meditation' bereft of Devotion and Knowledge is not perfect and so on. Unless one can practise simultaneously the essence of all the four disciplines, Mukti or Moksha is not guaranteed. (to be continued) With Loving SAI RAMs, G.Balasubramanian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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