A brief description of ten major Yogas

Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga is rarely practiced in full for it is not really possible to do so while the ego drives remain. To many, Karma Yoga is merely doing something-specially if it benefits others. The word karma comes from a root ‘to do’. It means action, but in the context of Yoga, it means selfless action. It cannot be ‘practiced’ for to do so would be the outcome of a motive and would, to that extent, be egocentric. But Karma Yoga should be innocent of any intent. Selfless action flows out as perfume flows out of a flower.

Nevertheless, life itself forces us into some form of Karma Yoga, like it or not. It is not possible to live without some form of sacrifice.

A young man, fancy free and glowing with youth and ambitious desires, sees in love the fulfilment of all his sexual and romantic notions. Dazzled by the wonder of it all, he plunges into marriage. Five years later he is a tired wage slave struggling to bring up a family, pay off a mortgage or rent, and responsible for the well-being and support of a number of others; his wife likewise. Their consciousness has stretched from their own being only, to encompass a family. Seen this way, they are Karma Yogis. Whenever one forsakes personal wants, especially needs, for a common good or advantage, one is practicing a little Karma Yoga. Whenever one goes out of one’s way to help another, one is to some extent a Karma Yogi.

Karma Yoga is a stretching of personal consciousness so that, to some extent, it expands towards universal consciousness. From the highest level of universal consciousness to the lowest of a small selfless act Karma Yoga is love in action. It is universal compassion expressed in action at its fullest, and at its lowest, an expansion of the limitations of the ego.Perfect Karma Yoga is the natural outpouring in action, of a soul immersed in love, joy and gratitude, with no ulterior motive and no expectations.

In Hinduism, the Yajnas, or sacrifices, which are the duties of a householder, is a form of karma. For the Hindu, religion is centred in the home, not in a church. No matter how humble there will be a shrine. The daily sacrifices remind the individual of the debts owed to all life. They are Nri yajna, the daily service to others or guests. Bhuta yajna acknowledges the individual’s debt to the elements, Pitri yajna is sacrifice to the ancestors and higher beings. Deva yajna is a fire sacrifice to the angels, whose presence is invoked. The last is Brahma yajna, the study of the scriptures as an offering to the saints and sages or immortal beings, whose food is knowledge. These daily rituals atone for the destructive processes of human life, in which other things and beings are involved in our support. Their purpose is the realisation of the oneness, connections, responsibilities, and obligations of our individual lives. As such, they help to expand the personal consciousness beyond the confines of the individual, bringing home the fact that life is based upon sacrifice.

The life of an orthodox Hindu is nothing but the practice of Karma Yoga. Their life is lived, not for themselves, but as a sacrifice to Ishvara (God). The orthodox Hindu life is lived in four stages, called ashramas. The first, brahmacharya, is as a celibate student learning the Vedas by heart and the skills of daily life. The second stage, garhasthya, is the life of the householder. As a married couple their life is one of performance of daily rituals

(Puja) and sacrifices (Yajna), attention to civic duties according to their caste, and the rearing of a family. As the signs of old age appear, the ideal is to give up most of these worldly concerns and devote more time to the practice of religion. This stage is known as vanaprastha. In this stage some of the details of the rituals are overlooked. More attention is given to what the articles of the rituals actually symbolized, so action is reduced to contemplation of what the rituals really symbolized. The final stage of life is known as sannyasa. Life is then dedicated to the study of the Upanishads while the performance of the rituals and sacrifices applicable to the first three stages gives way to the contemplative life as a mendicant, supported by the society to which they had given the earlier part of their life. The ashramas are still followed in the main, adapted to modern times.

Throughout life, the great Gayatri mantra is to be recited at the conjunctions (sandhya) of night and day, midday, and day and night, along with simple ritual acts such as the sipping and sprinkling of water, touching parts of the body with specific fingers and pranayama. Full sandhya puja can be complex. The reciting of the Gayatri 108 times is a part of a full sandhya puja. Prayers for the well being of all creatures are an essential finale to sandhya rituals.

A translation of the Gayatri reads –

“OM. I meditate on the spiritual effulgence of the Supreme Reality, the source and protector of the three worlds (physical, psychic and causal). May that Supreme Being illumine my intelligence so that I realize the Truth.”

The practice of Karma Yoga for a Hindu is also connected to caste, as each caste has its own duties. Within the paradigms of spiritual philosophy, caste follows the nature of the macrocosm. Just as humans have a head, arms and hands, thighs and feet, so has society as the body of Ishvara. Philosophers, scientists and spiritual people (Brahmins) are the head, warriors and doers (Kshatriyas) the arms and hands, merchants and traders are the thighs (Vaisyas) and labourers (Sudras) are the feet. This is also an expression of swadharma, the natural inborn proclivities of individuals. The Bhagavad Gita lists the duties of the castes:

“Control of the mind, control of the senses, austerity, cleanliness, forbearance, and uprightness, as also knowledge, realisation and faith are the duties of a Brahmin born of his own nature.Heroism, high spirits, firmness, resourcefulness, dauntlessness in battle, generosity and sovereignty are the duties of a Kshatriya born of his own nature.Agriculture, cattle-raising, and trade are the duties of a Vaisya born of his own nature. The duties of a Sudra, born of his own nature are any action consisting of service.”

Officially structured or not, caste is a natural outcome of all civilizations. Plato extolled it in his Republic when he wrote that everyone should perform the social function “for which his nature best suited him…and when each order…keeps to its own proper business in the commonwealth and does its own work that is justice and makes a just society.”

Caste is the product of virtue and karma. It was originally flexible but became hereditary over the millennia. Caste is not a religious institution but a social one. When a Hindu becomes a monk caste laws are no longer applicable.

Perhaps one reason that the Hindu culture has survived for at least 5.000 years in spite of periods of degeneration, might be because each day, millions of people affirm their place in the cosmic order through the Yajnas. Perhaps Karma Yoga is the saviour of cultures and civilizations, as it is of individuals.

Many sincere souls, who go into battle to right social injustice or ecological errors, or to uphold principles are practicing Karma Yogis. It is also Karma Yoga to attempt to conform our actions to the cosmic order (Rita). Living in accordance with Rita as individual law, is dharma. Living in harmony with the cosmic order is true virtue. It is based on an understanding of the nature of life, and so requires great intelligence.

The great Hindu scripture known as the Bhagavad Gita teaches Karma Yoga. Its message is to learn your true nature and act in accordance with it. It extols action, but without desire for, or attachment to, its fruits. So self-knowledge is the well spring of Karma Yoga. There may be many pitfalls on the way to perfectly selfless action, such as getting involved with others, or becoming attached to or lost in the work. But as the understanding grows so our actions and thoughts are transformed to accord with truth, reality, Rita and dharma, and the action becomes untainted again

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti is the way of worship of a personal God, or the incarnation of God in human form, or of a deity. Devotees of every religion practice some form of Bhakti Yoga.It is profoundly subtle and at once the most natural, and for some, the most difficult way.

Firstly, who is this personal God? In the Yoga texts the personal God is called Ishvara, “The supreme Lord”. “From whom is the birth, continuation and dissolution of the universe – the eternal, the pure, the ever-free, the almighty, the all-knowing, the all-merciful, the teacher of teachers” and “The Lord is inexpressible love”.

In Vedanta and the other Yogas the ultimate is Brahman, defined as Satchitananda – absolute existence, intelligence and bliss; one without a second. But the Bhakti says,”All very well, but how can I love and serve such an abstraction? It is my nature to worship and serve, so I will relate to the relative aspect of Brahman: Ishvara, the Supreme Lord”. Bhakti harnesses the most powerful and beguiling forces in the human psyche by appealing to the affections. This is why it can be the easiest of the Yogas for most, though with more pitfalls.

In the Narada bhakti sutras is written,”Bhakti is greater than Karma, greater than Yoga, because they are intended with a future object in view, but Bhakti is its own fruition, its own means and its own end.”

Bhakti begins with some form of simple worship expressed as a ritual act or dedicated attitude involving some notions of splendid qualities in the deity, and ends with intense love.

Bhoja, commenting upon Patanjali’s Ishvara sutra says, “Bhakti to Ishvara is that love which does not seek results such as sense enjoyments and all works are dedicated to the teacher of teachers”.

Prahlada, king of Bhaktas, writes, “That deathless love which the ignorant have for the fleeting objects of the senses, I offer to thee, Lord, may that love never slip away from my heart.”

Bhakti does not require the devotee to suppress any feelings or emotions, but only direct them to God. Even in the lowest forms of attraction there is the germ of divine love. One of the names of Ishvara is Hari,”He who attracts all to himself”.

“Wherever there is any bliss, even in the grossest of things, there is a spark of that eternal bliss which is the Lord himself”“None, O beloved, ever loved the wife for the wife’s sake, but it is the Lord in the wife which is loved”. From the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

The Lord is the great magnet and we are the iron filings. All Yogas are a means of cleaning dirt off the iron filings so the natural attraction to the magnet is unimpeded. The guru’s job is to help with the process and push the iron filings further into the magnetic field. The rest is natural and inevitable.Finally, Bhakti leads to universal love, which is also self-surrender, and self-surrender is higher knowledge. Bhakti and Jnana (knowledge) are ultimately the same and the expression of them is Karma. So, there is no real division between the Yogas though Bhakti is always dualistic, for separation between worshiper and worshiped is essential, though the nature of each is seen differently in the various schools of Bhakti. Although inwardly established in the knowledge of Brahman, Ramakrishna was a devotee of the goddess Kali. He used to pray,”Mother, don’t make me a dry Jnani, keep me a little separate, so I can enjoy your sweetness.” He used to say,”I don’t want to be sugar, I want to taste sugar!” Thus he taught others the beauty of Bhakti.

Bhakti has six limbs – shravana, listening to scripture, kirtana, chanting and singing, smarana, remembering the divine, pada-sevana, and service to God, arcana, ritual worship and vandana, prostration before the image, guru or thought of them.

Many devotional moods can be developed from human affections in which the human traits can be transformed into Bhakti. In this way samskaras and vasanas can be transmuted naturally which is the advantage of the Bhakti way. Hence, one does not struggle with them as in Raja or seek to deny them as in Jnana or transform them by neglect, as in Karma. The first form is that of mild, peaceful love, such as a non-passionate person may feel for a close companion. This is known as shanta. It is calm and gentle. Next is dasya, the attitude of a servant, popular with Christians. Next is sakhya, friendship. One feels closer to God as a faithful friend. Next is vatsalya, parental love. Hindu widows tend to this, for obvious reasons. But it has profound significance. The baby Krishna, Rama or Christ is worshiped, as it takes feelings of awe and ideas of power away from God. Here, no favour may be asked but only love and service given. Next is madhura, the sweet. This is human love transformed. All the love the devotee may have for a lover is given to God, from Whom all love comes.

Ultimately Bhakti leads not only to Jnana, but supreme renunciation in the madness of ecstatic love. “Lord, I do not want wealth, or friends, or beauty. Not even learning, not even freedom but let me be born again and again, so long as I may love You.”The Bhakti cares for nothing – except love. Ramakrishna said:

“The whole world is a lunatic asylum. Some are mad after sex, some are mad after worldly success, others after fame, some after wealth, and some after powers or salvation in heaven. I too am mad. I am mad after God. You are mad, so am I. I think my madness is the best.”The dangers of Bhakti are notions of exclusion that may lead to prejudice and

fanaticism, or over-emotionalism unless bhakti is tempered with intelligence and discrimination. Unreasonable attachment to the image or one’s conception of God, or being satisfied with the sweetness of the lower stages can also be a hindrance.

Hatha Yoga

There is much confusion about this most common of Yogas. To many it is the only Yoga known – postures to keep you fit, young, attractive or sexy. The writers of the old Yoga texts had no such notions in mind, though health advantages were certainly important.

The origins of Hatha go back to the 9th century AD and are attributed to the sage Goraksha, who developed it from ancient traditions of alchemy and occultism. Only a few of the Hatha texts have been translated. There are also 21 Yoga Upanishads not yet translated, some as late as the 14th and 15 Th. century, so there is still much to be understood about this complex art.

Apart from the basic Yamas and Niyamas (does and don’ts) Hatha categories are the postures (Asanas) breathing exercises (Pranayams) symbolic postures (Mudras) and contractions (Bhandas). The original meaning of the word asana is ‘seat’ and refers to a mat of grass animal skin or woven material. All the Yogas use asanas, even if it is only the simple cross-legged ‘tailor pose’. The sitting postures are excellent for meditation as they provide a stable posture that can be held for long periods of time without stress. According to Yoga metaphysic they also have a sedating effect on the Nadis and Vayus, thus calming the mind.

According to one scripture there are 840.000 asanas though only 84 are recommended by Goraksha.

Pranayama means the control of Prana but is taken to mean the breathing methods that lead to it. Most Yogas use some form of Pranayama. It is often done for short periods of time before meditation or worship in order to harmonize the body energies and calm the mind. The most common pranayam for this purpose is alternative nostril breathing.

Mudras have various meanings in Hindu culture. They are hand gestures used by dancers in the same way as can be seen in the images of Gods and Goddesses, to express meaning. In Hatha mudras are special asanas usually combined with bandhas and according to tradition should be kept secret. They are said to produce paranormal abilities (Siddhis).

Bandha mean ‘lock’ or ‘constriction’ in Hatha. Bandhas involve contractions of muscles, usually around the alimentary canal, such as the Mulabandha, contraction of the anal sphincter, Jalandharabandha at the throat or the contraction of the abdomen and isolation of the rectus abdominis muscle in Uddiyanabandha. Bandhas lead to control of Prana and produce siddhis.

The original Hatha Yoga was a complex system of psychophysical exercises and breathing methods to serve two purposes. One was to prepare the organism for the awakening of a powerful energy latent in the body, called the Kundalini. The other was to prepare the being for the practice of Raja Yoga, which is the science of Self – Realisation through mind control.

The word Hatha may have two derivations – one from the word for elephant, suggesting power and force, the other for the sun and the moon. Both are applicable as Hatha has been called the ‘forceful way’ and the sun and moon refer to concepts of Yoga metaphysics, previously explained. In this fascinating subject, the body is seen as a manifestation of cosmic forces and the endocrine glands are counterparts of the planets. The pineal gland represents the sun and the pituitary the moon. When the kundalini energy is roused from its chakra (energy vortex) at the base of the spine it rushes up the spine linking the two glands in a charge of energy which changes their nature and excretions.

Enlightenment occurs and Amrit, the nectar of immortality flows from the pineal changing the molecular structure of the body. This is the real aim of Hatha Yoga.

As practiced in the west Hatha is a watered down variation of the original, which is just as well, for it is a difficult and dangerous practice. It requires much more sacrifice and discipline than the average person is capable of, and must be done under strict supervision by a master of the art. The original texts state many qualifications required by beginners, and warnings, which if ignored can lead to instability or severe physical or psychological breakdown.

Some Western enthusiasts have come to grief in this way by following self-styled teachers or attempting advanced techniques while ignoring dietary or sexual restraints and the Yamas and Niyamas. The ancient Sat-Karma-Samgraha is a text much of which is devoted to purification methods for those who suffer from diseases caused by failing to observe the rules applicable to Yoga practices.

There is much more to Hatha than contortions. It involves complicated breathing rhythms, contractions of sphincters and muscle groups and various psychophysical practices, sometimes all to be done while holding a pose for extended periods of time. There are very strict dietary and lifestyle requirements as well. Further, most of the techniques are dangerous or become ineffectual if not preceded by initiation by a master of the art and practiced under guidance.

The problem with Hatha from a spiritual point of view is that there are so many techniques to achieve this or that, due to its development from occultism and alchemy that it has become little more than a compendium of metaphysical technology. Another issue is that the cause of personal suffering is the identification with mind and body according to Samkhya and classical Yoga. This identification increases the more attention is put upon body and the personality. This is one reason why Shri Ramakrishna advised his disciples against the practice of Hatha Yoga. Another reason was that such severe methods are no longer needed with his advent. Unlike the practice of traditional Hatha in India the Western attitude is powerfully body-conscious, while traditional Hatha involves disregard for the demands of the body such as comforts as well as severe practices to break attachment to it.

One of the many contributions of Westernized Hatha is research into the health benefits of the postures in various maladies, or in its application to learning difficulties and some personality disorders.

Many people have found that Hatha is a great help to their physical well being or that maladies have mysteriously disappeared after taking it up. It is an excellent antidote to the excesses and tensions of modern life. The practice of Hatha Yoga has also helped many people towards an appreciation of Hindu culture, which is not the least of its possible benefits.

Tantra Yoga

Tantra is the most complex, fascinating and mystical of Yogas. It is a meld of many diverse practices, traditions and ideas. It has its own world-view replete with mythology, dealing with the symbolical and metaphorical acts of the Goddess Durga and others.

Tantra draws heavily on Hatha Yoga theory and practice and ancient cults of the Vedic period. It is a mix of Vedanta, the other Yogas, mantras, rituals, mystical rites, cosmogony, metaphysics and mysticism. It purports to be a new revelation suitable for the dark ages of the Kali Yuga, when the human mind is clouded with materialism. The same could be said for Hatha Yoga as well, and like Hatha, Tantra is body-centred.

The word Tantra is derived from a root word meaning to extend or expand, giving the idea of Tantra as a means of spreading Vedic truths to the general population. For this reason, the Vama Marga or ‘left-hand’ path of Tantra uses the very obstacles to higher evolution as a means. This involves the panca-tattva rite which includes the ritual use of meat, wine and sexual intercourse. It has nothing whatever to do with sexual gratification of any kind. It is a rigorous discipline extending over many months during which, sexual desire (kama) is both heightened and sublimated. It culminates in the Maithuna rite, when physical union produces samadhi with Ananda, transcendental bliss, known as the triple Kumbaka or retentions, when the breath, the mind and the ejaculation of semen, are suspended.

The Kaula sect is a Tantra school dating from about 500 AD. Like the Hatha yogis, it teaches that enlightenment is a bodily event, and so, manipulation of bodily processes can result in self-realisation. This requires the awakening of the ‘serpent-power’ or kundalini which resides in the Muladara chakra, an energy centre at the base of the spine.

The Bhakti aspect of Tantra Yoga worships Shakti, which means primal energy or power. The primal energy is deified in a female form called Durga or Kali. Non-dualistic Advaita Vedanta declares the sole reality to be Brahman and the universe a mere appearance produced by delusion. Tantra sees it as the creative power of Shakti. The universe is Her play as She manifests mind and matter. Shakti is Brahman in the aspect of creator and nourisher of all the worlds. She has three forms, the Supreme beyond relative knowledge, the second form is the subtle consisting of the Mantras for Her devotees to use in rituals and meditation. She also appears in Her gross form as a subject for contemplation. There are ten of these divine forms. Each of these images is replete with symbols expressing a wealth of metaphysical meaning.

She is also imaged as the Goddess Durga, with 10 arms and riding a tiger. Kali epitomizes the contrary forces of nature, dancing upon the prostrate form of Shiva. Her image seems to be a grim one to the uninitiated but the symbols are otherwise for Her devotees. Her necklace of severed heads represents the fifty letters of the Sanskrit language for She is the Primal Sound (The pranava, OM) and the giver of speech. The hand gestures of the upper and lower right hands signify the removal of obstacles and the granting of desires. Her upper left hand wields a sword with which She severs the bonds of illusion and ignorance, and Her lower left hand holds a severed human head because She grants knowledge beyond all cerebration. The belt of human hands signify karma, the acts that give rise to individual circumstance, and that all Jivas with their karmas are merged in Her at the end of the cycles of creation.

Kali stands upon the breast of the recumbent Shiva, dancing the dance of creation upon Him, for without Him it could not take place. Kali is in blissful union with Shiva in the joy of creation.

Mother Kali is also God-in-nature. Her opposites of pleasure and pain, gain and loss, prod its beings along a torturous evolutionary spiral to final consummation and release. Without Her boons and consent, freedom from nature is not possible, nor is any fulfilment or growth. In contemplating Kali the mind moves beyond the opposites. “She gives bondage to fools and liberation to the wise”.

The many hymns to the Devis are profound and beautiful. Here are two prayers from the ‘Candi’, a book of the Sakta Tantras,

Oh Mother, thou art the embodiment of all knowledge. Wherever there are intelligence and learning, there thou art manifest. All women are thy forms. Thou hast thy being in the universe, filling and permeating all things.“To the Devi who is known as intelligence in all beings,Reverence to Her, reverence to Her,

Reverence to Her, reverence, reverence.To the Devi who dwells in the form of buddhi in all beings,Reverence to Her, reverence to Her,Reverence to Her, reverence, reverence.To the Devi who exists in the form of race and species in all beings,Reverence to Her, reverence to Her,Reverence to Her, reverence, reverence. Kali speaks: I am the energy of Brahman; I am the mother of all. It is for me that Brahman resides in all intellects and it is I who has penetrated all the worlds with my power and am holding them in their places. Apart from this heaven and apart from this earth, I remain always the all-intelligent primal energy as well as the one intelligent being, perfect and untouched by my magic creation.

In those marvellous verses the nature of God and the philosophy of Tantra are shown. If the complex rites of Tantra practices are followed by aspirants who are not qualified to do so the way of Tantra can have many pitfalls. The varma marga is slippery and dangerous.

Raja Yoga

Raja means the royal or kingly Yoga expounded in Patanjali’s Yoga sutras, probably about 200 AD. Because it compiles earlier works and traditions Patanjali’s 195 sutras are classified as ‘Classical Yoga’ of this late period of its development.There are other works on Raja Yoga, which are very different. One explains Raja Yoga as the union between the male and female energies in the practitioner, producing a radiant, dynamic balance. Though Patanjali’s Yoga sutras are not the only Raja Yoga texts they are the best compilation, not only because of their intrinsic merit, but also because of the excellent commentaries which have been written on them.

Similar to Hatha, the practice begins with the Yamas (Restrictions) in which the moral virtues of noninjury, truthfulness, nonstealing, chastity, and nongreed are listed. Then follows the Niyamas (Restraints) the practices of purity, contentment, asceticism, study and devotion to the teacher. In later texts, patience, cleanliness, sympathy, and forbearance were included as necessary preliminaries for the practice of Yoga.

Patanjali’s contribution to Yoga philosophy is the psychology expressed in his famous sutras. According to Patanjali, the mind has three components: manas, buddhi and ahamkara. Manas convert sensory stimulation into impressions. Buddhi is the discriminating faculty, which classifies the impressions and reacts to them. Ahamkara is the sense of ego that claims them. To the ahamkara, buddhi and manas appear to be intelligent and conscious. Not so, says Patanjali. Only Purusha – the indwelling soul – is intelligent and conscious. The mind and ego only appear to be so, because they reflect the nature of the Purusha. The ego appears to be a subjective, conscious entity. Not so, says Patanjali. What we call experience or knowledge whether objective or subjective, are merely waves in the mind – stuff. It is not really subjective, for all experience, including the feeling of the ego being the subjective experiencer, is objective to the indwelling Purusha. Body and mind are in fact insentient and unconscious in their own nature. This is a profound and remarkable statement.It means that there is no subject – object relationship between matter and mind for everything inner and outer is objective to the real see-er which remains unknown, for it cannot be objectified. This is why it is not apprehended in normal experience. It can only be known from scripture (verbal testimony) and transcendental experience. Further, the ego’s

sense of being is likewise derived. It is not an intrinsic property of the ego. The sense of being is derived from the Purusha. Yet the ego claims the waves and patterns in mind stuff as its own, and so suffers and enjoys.

The Purusha, ever pure and uninvolved, looks on as witness throughout the three phases of waking, dreaming and dreamless sleep.

The aim of the disciplines of Raja Yoga is to develop samyama. When mental activity can be focussed totally upon one object of consciousness, samyama is obtained. This is the Raja yogi’s tool, for by so doing, super sensuous knowledge is obtained. Steps towards this are pratyahara – suspension of outgoing sensory activity, darana, concentration, dyana, meditation, and samadhi. When these are focussed upon an object or subject, its nature is revealed in transcendental awareness. In this way, yogic knowledge of divine truth, cosmogony, physic and metaphysic has been revealed.

Those who know nothing of yoga might know a simple form of samyama, which is the main subject of part three of the yoga sutras. People deeply interested in a subject may be able to focus their attention in such a way as to produce a form of samyama. Anne Sophy Mutter is a violinist who has memorized all ten of Beethoven’s sonatas and plays them with waveless concentration. Such fetes are not possible without samyama.All scientific breakthroughs are due to this form of yoga. It frequently follows wrestling with a problem to near exhaustion. Suddenly perhaps a day later, the mind is inundated with the immaculate solution that mere thought could not produce.Great musicians, craftspeople, actors, artists and poets specially possess the gifts of darana, dyana, and samyama to some extent.

Another significant contribution is the explanation of our individuality and character. These are products of samskaras and vasanas. Samskaras are deep imprints in manas. They are the hidden potentialities of actions and the sum total of previous experience. They are not passive, but are the informing foundations of our individuality. Negative impressions may appear as positive and vice versa, however. In this way, a person who is fearful may put on a bold front and so on. They are thus, the activators of our psychic life. Vasanas are similar to complexes, as they are the subliminal traits or a meld of similar samskaras, especially in relation to desires, which impel us to seek their satisfaction.

Raja Yoga teaches that we can change both the deep and superficial images in our psyche, which impel our actions and attitudes. This is the aim of the moral precepts called the Yamas and Niyamas. Essential to these disciplines is the understanding that to attempt to eliminate desires and proclivities by satisfying them is like trying to quench a fire with petrol. Yet they should not be repressed, but channelled to a higher purpose. Other methods are by concentrating upon positive qualities, which oppose the negative ones, the discipline of the senses and a deep study of philosophy and scriptures. Beneficial samskaras then replace ones that hinder. But the one sure method is self-realisation. Sutra 10 of chapter two states: ‘Samskaras are to be conquered by resolving them into their causal state.’ What is the causal state? Sutra 17 of chapter two states; ‘The cause of that to be avoided (samskaras) is the junction of the seer and the seen.’ In other words, the basic error of identifying the Purusha with the mind. When this identification ceases all ordinary mentation is suspended, rendering the samskaras inactive. Ramakrishna once said,”In a self-realized person, only the samskaras of compassion remain.” Samskaras and vasanas that can no longer influence action have been likened to ‘cooked’ seeds. They have no life. They can be used but can no longer sprout. ‘The seeds of karma are scorched in the fires of wisdom’

The texts may also conceal a deeper meaning. If one reads sutra 3/34 in Vivekananda’s translation, it states ‘Or by the power of Pratabha, all knowledge’.

Pratabha is spontaneous enlightenment because of purity of mind. So it follows that one does not have to be a practitioner of yoga to obtain samyama on the Atman. Many Christian saints became saints by this means. However, this sutra is rendered in many fanciful ways, and this interesting meaning is lost. It is frustrating to know this. The lesson to be learnt is not to accept a translation as gospel.

A beneficial outcome of this difficulty is to meditate your way into a sutra to delve out its other possible meanings. Many of them, which seem simple, have deep hidden meanings. Many of the cosmic truths they hold may not be developed by modern commentaries.

Here are two brief but profound sutras that require such unlocking. (2/22) ‘Experience is for him.’ This simple statement has been expanded in some translations to a paragraph! It begs the question, ‘Who is him?’ The Purusha is the Him, the primal male. Prakriti is then, the primal female. In bhakti yoga and tantra these are personalized as Shiva and Parvati (or Kali); Krishna and Radha. Patanjali states here that nature exists for the Purusha only.

Does this infer that nature has no end purpose? Or does it imply that nature exists so that the Purusha can play games with it? This possibility has been taken up by the bhakti schools of Vedanta as the Ras Lila. The universe is seen as a sport of God with no meaning save that of play.Another possibility is that nature exists to express the Purusha in time and space, which brings in the notion of evolution. Also, if nature exists for the Purusha it could not be inimical to it or be a problem for humankind – the Purushas greatest manifestation. Yet nature is often seen as the sole obstacle to religious life or ultimate realisation. What then is the truth? These are not academic issues; because how you live your life depends upon your world-view. The challenge is to get one’s views in accordance with the truth.

(4/2) throws light on the puzzle. It states: ‘Evolution is by the infilling of nature.’ Now the meaning of 2/22 can be understood. Nature exists to express more and more Purusha through evolution in infinite time. Further, it means that whatever changes are to be expressed throughout evolution is here and now and are not solely produced by physical changes. Changes in the structure or function of an organism are the products of the manifesting intelligence. Involution is evolution. Vedanta and science agree that the universe is the product of a self-evolving cause. If this is so then it follows that the cause must be present in all its evolved products. Vedanta affirms that this self-evolving cause is an intelligent principle (Ishvara) and that intelligence is the highest product of evolution. (Science, when it tends to regard the cause as a non-intelligent force is stuck with the problem of explaining how a non-intelligent cause can produce intelligence.) When nature changes to a higher form it is because more Purusha flows into that combination of elements. Purusha therefore, is a constant pressure within nature, and so, within us, like steam in a boiler. All life strives to express more and more consciousness against circumstances that tend to deter it. This is the very nature of game. Thus nature both impedes evolution and expresses it. This is expressed by the image of Kali worshiped by the tantric yogis.

In Patanjali’s Yoga there are four phases of consciousness; the unconscious, the subconscious, conscious and super conscious – the latter is a most important one that modern psychology is just beginning to accept.

The object of Raja Yoga is to remove the mental impressions that cause mentation so the super conscious realisations can come about, finally centring on the sublime consciousness of the Purusha. There are many translations of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, some very imaginative. The second sutra, defining Yoga, reads ‘Yoga is the cessation of Vrittis (waves) in chitta (mind-stuff)’ Yet see how it comes out according to different translators -

1…’ settling the mind into silence’2…’state of being where the ideational choice-making movement of mind slows down and stops.’3…’restraining mind – stuff from forms.’4…’Ability to direct mind to object and sustain it’.

The translator of number two has philosophical axes to grind and does so throughout the entire work. All the others miss the very important concepts of vrittis and chitta explicit in the original. This example explains the need to study different translations of any Sanskrit work.

Swami Vivekananda’s rendering is one of the best with a very tight translation and excellent commentary. Another good translation is ‘How to know God’ by Swami Prabhavananda. The dangers of the practice of Raja Yoga are the exploitation of psychic phenomena for selfish or egocentric purpose’s, getting lost in the subtle states, and misuse of personal power.

Mantra Yoga

Mantra is not so much a separate Yoga but a modality of Tantra and others. It involves the repetition (Japa) of mystic syllables or prayers. There is a vast literature on Mantras and Mantra Yoga.

In Raja Yoga, Patanjali limits it to the repetition of the syllable OM. Mantra proper is more complex. One meaning of the word mantra is ‘mind-tool’. The word is first mentioned in the ancient Rig-Veda where mantras are credited with magical powers. Mantras are integral parts of the Karma Khanda section of the Vedas to do with rituals and much of the philosophy of Mimansa relates to them. They were also used in medieval Yoga and occultism as charms and invocations to obtain power over nature or satisfy desires.

The ideas behind mantras are interesting. Mantra Yoga teaches that all manifestations of Prakriti are vibrations of sound. The pranava or OM is the vibration of the cosmic motor, pouring all creation out as unheard music. It is considered very sacred as it is regarded as God, or the voice of God, for it manifests the three gunas (threads of energy) that structure creation. It is so sacred that the separate letters of the word are not written and OM is an abbreviation. The letters are A (satva guna) U (raja guna) and M (tamas guna). So OM represents the gunas, waking, dreaming and deep sleep states, all trinities and the whole gamut of sounds produced by the human voice, which makes speech possible. When the mouth is opened and the throat relaxed the base sound made is A, when it is half-closed it produces the U sound, and when the mouth is closed it produces the M.

When introversion of the senses occurs, known as pratyahara in Hatha and Raja Yoga, this sound can be heard in the inner ear. The sages, so meditating, perceived that there were seminal sounds, which are the seeds of physical, mental and spiritual things. When these sounds are articulated in a rhythmic way for some time, they produce effects which expand consciousness or invite revelations. Some mantras invoke gods or goddesses and others are used in ritual magic.

Most mantras now used are one of the names of God, preceded by the pranava OM and given specific direction by its bija, or seed mantra, which invokes an aspect of God or resonates with a chakra. These energy centres each have a specific syllable.

Philosophically Mantra Yoga sees the world as a combination of name and form. Word and thing are inseparably connected. One is, in fact, an aspect of the other.

The texts say, “God and His name are one”. By repeating the mantra as a name of God, or as an aspect of God, and visualizing the form, either in the image or in the mind,

that aspect of God is manifested to consciousness. This may even take the form of a being as true to the senses as one’s own body.

Nada Yoga

Nada means sound. This Yoga is similar to Mantra and Laya Yoga, but is only possible for those who have advanced to complete sensory inversion. In Nada Yoga one concentrates upon the subtle inner sounds of the spinning chakras, and through them, the creative energies of the body and universe. These subtle sounds can only be heard after the Nadis have been purified. The inner sounds lead ultimately to the Pranava and through that and Amrit to final Enlightenment. Absorption in the subtle sounds produces control of the elements and through them the control of nature and knowledge of the language of birds and animals. Many of the untranslated Yoga Upanishads deal with Nada and Laya Yoga.

Laya Yoga

The word comes from the root meaning to dissolve, or absorb. Similar to Nada Yoga, it is based upon an understanding of the subtle energies in the body known as chakras, vayus and nadis. The vayus are the five life breaths, which cause the physiological functions. The nadis are the energy flows within the energy body, numbering 72.000. Laya teaches the connections between the macrocosm and the microcosm, the body and the universal processes of creation. The endless cycles of countless solar systems appear and disappear in what is called the Lila Vigraha or ‘play image’.

The most interesting feature of Laya is how the cosmic forces of the Lila manifest a human being. It is in fact a restatement of the metaphysic of Tantra and Hatha. The chakras are called Pithas; (divine seats) and most of the terms of the other Yogas are given different shades of meaning. Samadhi becomes Maha Laya, for instance. The Laya philosophers explain how the five elements, (air, fire, water, earth, and ether) function and how to realise their inner essence. Similar to Nada Yoga, the Laya Yogi transcends the person to the cosmic by absorption of the mind into its divine essences.

The ‘Yoga-bija’ defines Laya as the identity of the field and the field-knower, which echoes Patanjali’s seer and seen.

“Upon realizing that identity, O Goddess, the mind dissolves. When Laya Yoga occurs, the life force becomes stable. Owing to absorption there is bliss, the transcendental state.”

Kriya Yoga

Kriya means act or rite, so this Yoga is one of regularly performing a spiritual discipline. In this very general sense it applies to all Yogas, but it now refers to one.

The great guru, Paramhansa Yogananda (1893-1952) taught a system of graded psycho-physical exercises he called Kriya Yoga, a technique that speeds the development of divine consciousness, by the regular practice of a breathing method, linked to the circulation of bioenergy up and down the spine. Contrasted to the slow evolution of consciousness imposed by nature, he often called the Kriya technique the “Jet plane way” to Self-realisation.

In the Raja Yoga of Patanjali, Kriya stands for the action of Yoga that obliterates the samskaras, (subliminal activators).

Jnana Yoga

This is the way of pure discrimination suitable for people with a disciplined intellect and a philosophical temperament. There are few real Jnanis in any world cycle, though one such, Ramana Maharshi, lived in a village south of Madras during the two world wars. He died in 1950.

Jnana means wisdom or knowledge, though these words should be understood in a transcendental sense when applied to Yoga. This is the most difficult Yoga to understand yet ultimately all the Yogas aim for it, though from the point of view of Jnana some of the other Yogas, Hatha and Tantra particularly, have the problem of encouraging identification with the body. This is a very valid objection as it is precisely this powerful identification of the Self with phenomena that is the cause of confusion, ignorance, delusion and suffering.

The statements of those who know the absolute truth leave one mindlessly speechless. To quote Gaudapada,

"…There is no death, there is no birth; there is none in bondage, no one aspiring to knowledge, no seeker after liberation, no one liberated. This is the absolute truth.”Jnana can only be understood in the absolute samadhi. Until then, its principles can

only be taken upon trust while diligent study and strict discipline seek the truth.Jnana Yoga is based upon Advaita Vedanta, which is a profound subject, so deep

and subtle that few minds can plumb its depths. Jnana Yoga is uncompromising in its discipline and integrity, so it is best practiced by monks and recluses who do not need to compromise.

The most famous exponent of Jnana was Shankara, who was born in south India in the sixth century AD. A genius, he was an intellectual prodigy at the age of ten. He had by then, memorized the scriptures and had written commentaries on them. His literary output was prodigious. He died aged 32, yet his brief span revolutionized Hindu life. He reorganized the ancient Swami order of monks, which still exists. He is also famous for his philosophy of non- dualistic Advaita Vedanta.

The right understanding of the Advaita Vedanta of Shankara produces a world-view that reconciles the longings of the heart and the needs of the intellect. It harmonizes all philosophies and religions. The great sage Swami Vivekananda hinted that one day in distant ages; it will be the world-view that inspires the entire world culture.

Much of Shankara’s philosophy filters down through the Yoga texts and later scriptures. These include the doctrines of ‘avidya’ or ignorance which produces the idea of a world which is a magical superimposition upon the absolute Brahman, similar to the images on a movie screen. The nature of this phenomenon cannot be fathomed because it is ‘Maya’ – contradictory and inexplicable; a paradox by its very nature. Only the eternal, infinite Brahman is true. The method of Jnana Yoga is philosophical study, one-pointed concentration and discrimination between the real and the unreal, the true and the false and constant meditation on the Mahavakyas (great sayings). It requires an honest observation of ordinary experience and of one’s mental habits and delusions. In its absolute adherence to the transcendental reality that is the Atman in us all, Jnana is at first world denying. The body and persona are negated in a life of self-denial and asceticism. Everything relative is investigated and discarded as not being Brahman, in a process known as ‘Neti-Neti’ – meaning ‘not this, not this’. When the Truth of Brahman is realized in Nirvalkalpa Samadhi, neti-neti becomes ‘All this is It’.

The pitfalls may be pride, over development of the intellect and a certain type of hypocrisy if one flies high in thought and words, but is worldly and materialistic in acts and attitudes. This failing however is more likely in Jnana philosophers than practitioners.