The Yogic Way of Life

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:06:05 EST

Swami Vivekananda condenses various paths of yoga intofour main streams. ‘Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifestthis divinity within by controlling nature, internal and external. Do this bywork or worship or psychic control or philosophy - by one or more or all ofthese - and be free.'

Using any one or more or all these paths, we return to ourreal state of pure existence, consciousness and bliss. In this pilgrimage, wehave to transform ourselves within and without. This becomes possible byfollowing a yogic way of life - a lifestyle of peace and poise, health andhappiness, and energy and efficiency. This lifestyle is far removed fromlethargy and resistance to action, slavery to senses and comforts, and tensionsand stresses.

Living the yogic way involves using the innatefreedom within us at physical, pranic, mental, emotional andintellectual levels. Freedom is a choice. Intelligence manifests this freedom.Creativity springs from freedom within us. We can use this freedom to uplift ordegrade ourselves. When we use it to uplift ourselves, we call it yoga;when we use it otherwise, it is roga (disease). This freedom built atthe physical, mental, emotional, intellectual and super-conscious levels is thedivinity within us. As we uplift ourselves in the yogic way, thisfreedom goes on increasing.

We have to exercise our freedom from the beginning. If wefollow the path of Jnana-yoga, we are to exercise discrimination as towhat is permanent and what is not, and choose the former (nitya-anitya-vastu-viveka).This is the best explained in Katha-Upanisad. ‘Of the two, the preferable andthe pleasurable approaches, the man of intelligence, having considered them,separates the two. The intelligent one selects the electable in preference tothe delectable; the non-intelligent one selects the delectable for the sake ofgrowth and protection (of the body).'

If we choose the path of Karma-yoga, we shun tamas and rajas, and choose the way of sattva, the moral and theethical way. After teaching scriptures, the guru imparts the benedictoryinstruction to his pupils to live the ethical way of life. Taittiriya-Upanisadexplains it thus. ‘Speak the truth; Practice righteousness. Make no mistakeabout study. Having offered proper gift to the teacher, do not cut off the lineof progeny. There should be no deviation from righteous activity. There shouldbe no mistake about protection of yourself. Do not be careless about learningand teaching.'

On the path of Raja-yoga, we follow yama -the don'ts, namely, non-injury, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence andnon-possessiveness, and niyama - the dos, namely, contentment,austerity, study and surrender to God. To overcome difficulties on the path,the mind is to be steadied. Patanjali's Yogasutras states thus.

‘The mind is made clear by meditation on friendlinesstowards the happy, compassion for the suffering, goodwill towards the virtuousand disinterest towards the sinful.'

Yoga-Vaasista explains the yogic way of life thus. ‘By thepurity of food and dwelling, by the proper contemplation (or investigation) ofthe meaning of the scriptures, by the renunciation of enjoyments, by giving upanger, by serving virtuous people and by the intense, uninterrupted practice ofpranayama, the vital energies become exceedingly obedient to onefamiliar with them, on account of his mastery of the techniques of controllingthem, just as all the servants are controlled by the master.'

The path of devotion directs us to shun our gross love, kama,and to choose the real love, prema, which is disinterested and withoutany expectation of return. According to Narada Bhakti Sutras, true loveis to direct all secular and religious activities towards the Lord. In thegross form of love, self-interest overwhelms. It only leads to sensualexperience, which can never be blissful.

As a karma-yogi, one is to practice the art ofattunement to the deeper and subtler layers of mind characterized by calmness,peace and tranquility. One is to learn to work in relaxation, and act inblissful awareness. As a raja-yogi, one is to act as if one weremeditating on a single thought in a state of effortlessness, expansiveness andawareness. As a bhakti-yogi (devotee), one is to surrender one's mindand intellect to one's beloved Lord. As a jnana-yogi, one is to act as awitness considering that everything happens according to the Divine Will.

The yogic way of life involves setting up aspiritual goal, and efforts to realize it. The efforts are two-fold - abhyasa and vairagya. Abhyasa is constant, uninterrupted anddedicated practice for an indefinite length of time. It is to end only onattainment. This practice is to be rendered in vairagya, a spirit oftotal renunciation and detachment. Renunciation does not mean renouncing theworld of which one is part; but it means that the spirit within has noattachment to the physical objects or action.

K. R. Paramahamsa is an author of book Living in Spirit.

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The Yogic Way of Life