by Acarya Ganadevananda Avadhuta
If you want to know all, know One
Interesting
concept isn't it? It is one of the many realizations coming from the ancient
wisdom of yoga.
Deep
realizations are the product of synthesis, often stimulated by practical
experimentation, and yoga falls pretty much within this type of reality, in
which bookish knowledge has a very relative importance.
Today
many people are intellectually sharp due to their education and the complexity
of modern life and yet, this precious wisdom remains elusive, just like it was
thousands of years ago.
What is
that 'one', the pearl of yoga wisdom is talking about? It is your own inner
"I".
How do
you know that you exist? When you think, "I know that I exist". That
inner "I" which knows of it, is the consciousness within you, which
is eternal and can't be limited.
By
deeply concentrating the mind, we can go beyond the normal state of awareness,
and reach deeper levels of consciousness. This journey within ends when we
reach the realization that our own consciousness is the very same endless
Consciousness that pervades the entire Cosmos. This feeling of complete unity
with the creation is the ultimate goal of yoga and it is a state of
unimaginable joy or bliss, which is called "Ananda" in Sanskrit, the
ancient language of
What is "Ananda Marga" Yoga?
Well,
you already know what is 'Ananda' so we just need to translate 'Marga' which
means 'path'. "The path of bliss" is primarily a philosophy, a
practice and a movement that offers physical, mental and spiritual practices
capable of leading sincere seekers toward deeper inner realizations. It is also
a service-oriented movement dedicated to the all-round welfare of humanity,
animals and plants. Only when we make a balanced effort between
self-realization and service, then our ultimate potentiality is gradually
fulfilled.
Ananda
Marga yoga teachings are based on the system of Tantra Yoga first systematized
by Sadashiva 7000 years ago. "Tantra" literally means, "that
which liberates from darkness". The techniques of Tantra gradually
liberate one from physical, psychic and spiritual bondages through the
expansion of consciousness.
Tantra
yoga's concepts and practices have been inspiring countless human beings to
achieve all round progress perhaps also because it supports no blind belief,
religious doctrine, ritual or dogma. It follows a subjective approach yet
remaining adaptable enough to allow external adjustments. You can learn Tantra
only through your personal experience and, in this sense, Tantra is 95%
practical and 5% philosophical.
The main
characteristic of Tantra is that it represents a continuous fight with our own
weaknesses. This is because without a meaningful effort it is impossible to
conquer a crude idea and to replace it with a subtle one (a spiritual idea).
Human
beings exist on three levels: physical, mental and spiritual and to fulfil
their existential purpose, need to constantly grow in each one of them. Ananda
Marga Yoga incorporates practices and exercises that help develop all three
levels and thus is considered a complete yogic approach.
Yoga and Biopsychology
As with
everything that has been evolving for so long, Yoga has many branches or
approaches to reach its Goal, and probably the most known here in the West is
its use of special postures, called "Asanas" in Sanskrit.
Yoga
postures can help you in controlling, through their subtle effect on the
glandular system, the many propensities of the mind. This is because our minds,
our thoughts and our emotions have an indisputable relationship with our bodies
and actions, and vice versa. This is the subject of study of Bio-Psychology, a
new and yet ancient science that is an integral part of Yoga practices. Let's
see what is this science all about and why the regular practice of Asanas can
help you become a more balanced and happier human being.
There
are 7 energy centres in the body, which are the controlling point of the 50
main human emotions. These centres are called 'cakras' (or chakras) which means
'nucleus' and they are the controlling nuclei of the human body.
Where
are the cakras located? You know, the spinal cord seems to be one entity, but
there are actually three channels connected with it, containing three subtle
nerves. One central nerve descends from the brain, passing directly through the
spinal cord to the base of the spine. The second and third start at the root of
each nostril respectively and twist and twine around the central nerve,
crossing at five points in the trunk of the body until they reach the base of
the spine.
Where
these three nerves cross each other within the spinal cord marks the location
of the first five cakras and around each of them there are a number of cluster
glands
The
first cakra is located two fingers above the anus, the second is located at the
root of the genital organs, the third at the navel, the fourth cakra is found
at the centre of the chest, and the fifth is at the vocal cord. Of the other
two cakras, the sixth cakra is located at the pituitary gland and the seventh
and highest cakra is located at the crown of the skull where, as a baby, our
skull was soft.
There
are fifty sets of cluster glands producing fifty hormones or chemicals in the
body. Each hormone or chemical activates a unique feeling, emotion or tendency
within the mind, so there are a total of fifty mental tendencies. This chemical
stimulation of the body affects the mind. Therefore, the cakras are
physico-psychic; that is, the body influences the mind.
The
three subtle nerves act as the extensions of the brain so when a particular
thought, memory or idea or emotion arises in the mind, the glands respond
accordingly and the corresponding hormone or chemical is released into the
blood activating the particular emotion or tendency. So the cakra is also
psycho-physical because the mind stimulates the chemical reaction in the body
leading to emotional behaviour.
Thus the
cakras, with related glands, hormones and nerves, act like antennas capable of
receiving the subtle vibrations that are constantly reaching us from each and
every entity we come in contact with, and transmit through the nerves, a
stimulating signal that activates the chemicals of a particular gland,
prompting the mind to experience an emotion, feeling or urge as a result.
The Yoga of Knowledge (Jinana Yoga)
The yoga
of knowledge consists primarily of meditation. It develops the feeling of
oneness with the Cosmic Self. A concept that is almost synonymous of meditation
is the one of "Sadhana" which means "the effort to become
complete". Any effort made to express the potential of your life
constitutes sadhana. So whatever activity you do, needs to be measured against
this simple yardstick. Of course the most important aspect of sadhana is
psycho-spiritual development.
Tantra
is an intuitional science aimed at the realization of the infinite
consciousness and meditation is its key practice. In meditation you make an
effort to fully concentrate your intellect on the idea of the infinite.
Eventually you develop a "pointed intellect" or "intuition":
a direct super-conscious knowledge.
Now
that's a challenge! How can you think of Infinity? You have no comparative
elements through which you can relate to it. Well, this too is an ancient
question and, as such, for a long time yogis have struggled with it.
Fortunately they found a workable answer and certainly there is no need to
re-invent this ‘wheel’.
The
answer is the "mantra". In this word, "man" means mind, and
"tra" means liberate. So "mantra" means "that which
liberates the mind". Mantra is a crucial part of meditation and in fact
mantras, which are all in Sanskrit, are but symbols of the Infinite. Hence,
through the regular mental repetition of its acoustic form, and contemplation
on its meaning, you can gradually develop sufficient intuition to realize the
true nature of your inner self.
Along
with the mantra, there are other techniques to be learned that are meant to
help your mind withdraw from what keeps you distracted and unable to
concentrate on the mantra. You can learn a simple meditation technique, that is
if you are interested in exploring the uncharted waters of your mind. As you
grow in experience, so do the tools of meditation at your disposal but you will
have to learn them from a qualified teacher who will know when it 's time for you
to know more.
Here in
the West, the word 'initiation' has sometimes being given a sinister meaning
but in Tantra it simply marks the first step on a spiritual journey within.
During initiation, you learn a personalized meditation technique and a mantra
that will be able to awaken your latent psycho-spiritual potential and continue
to vibrate the right cakras within you.
While
explaining the concept of initiation, it is impossible not to mention who makes
it possible - the realized teacher, in Sanskrit "Guru" which means
"one who liberates others from ignorance".
A Guru's
life and example should be impeccable. He must have complete and direct
knowledge of the ultimate goal of life. Without the guidance of such a
self-realized teacher, it will be an impossible task to overcome the many
obstacles that anyone, seeking to know the inner self intimately, will
encounter.
The Yoga of Service
The yoga
of service creates the circumstances to apply the experience you acquire by
meditation in day-to-day's life, thus helping you establish the realization of
the true essence of this vast Cosmos.
Service
to others is a fundamental part of your spiritual progress. Without a service
attitude, once having learned meditation you could develop a tendency to focus
on just your own progress, thus constricting your individual ego instead of
expanding it to its infinite potential.
Therefore
you shouldn't be satisfied with the personal progress that can be achieved in
solitude rather, the mental expansion caused by your meditation will creates a
natural desire within to see others grow. Hence, you can experience maximum
happiness by actively contributing in social life and help bring happiness to
others. In other words the radius of your concern will gradually expand until
your outlook becomes universal.
These are some aspects of the meditation and yoga as taught by Ananda
Marga. For more information contact:
Email: meditation@ways-ahead.net