Namaskar Below is summary of relevant points, and a bit more. Covered are such matters as: - 8 limbs of yoga - 5 elements - 5 sensory organs - 5 motor organs - 3 main levels of mind - 3 binding principles - 50 basic propensities - 7 cakras (chakras) / psychic energy centres - 5 Yamas - 5 Niyamas --- Astaunga Yoga or the eight limbed Yoga. Is a complete system to develop a human being in all aspects. This includes the physical body and all layers of the mind, from conscious to super-conscious. There are eight parts to this method. Yama (Part 1) and Niyama (Part 2) are ethical principles on which one can base one's relationship with oneself and one's relationship with others. These principles help to attain balance in the first layer of mind, the conscious mind. The third part is Asanas. Commonly known as Hatha Yoga. These are the psycho-physical exercises of Yoga. It is the most common aspect of Yoga and it helps to keep a healthy and balanced body and mind. The fourth part is Pranayama or the control of the vital energy through breathing techniques. This is an advanced practice for which care is needed. The fifth part is Pratyahara - introspection or withdrawal of the mind from external objects. Happiness lies within one's mind. The sixth part is Dharana - concentration - only a concentrated mind can have the power to go deep within and perceive the flow of consciousness. There are special techniques to concentrate the mind on the different chakras (psychic energy centers) situated along the spinal chord. The seventh part is Dhyana - meditation - a special technique of meditation which makes the mind flow towards the Goal. The eighth part is Samadhi - the attainment of the Goal of Yoga - the union between the microcosm (individual consciousness) and the Macrocosm (Cosmic Consciousness). A state of perfect happiness and contentment. --- 5 elements and 3 levels. There is a logical and scientific connection to the elements as follows: The five elements: solid liquid luminous aerial etherial earth water fire air ether smell taste shape touch sound nose tongue eyes skin ears anus genitals hands legs vocal chord static static mutative sentient sentient senses of perception: nose tongue eyes skin ears organs of action: anus genitals hands legs vocal chord COSMOGONY: GOD (BRAHMA) PURUSA PRAKRTI (Cosmic Consciousness) (Creative Principle) NIRGUNA BRAHMA - Non-attributional Cosmic Consciousness SAGUNA BRAHMA - Attributional Cosmic Consciousness COSMIC MAHAT Cosmic Intelligence COSMIC AHAM Cosmic Doership COSMIC CITTA Objective Universe Unit mind of human beings at 3 levels: I exist (pure I feeling) - mahat I do (doer I) - aham Done I (objectivated mind) - citta All these elements revolve around 3 bondages (gunas or binding principles): sattva (sentient) rajah (mutative) tamah (static) These gunas (bondages) are of the Creative Principle. --- The 5 elements and the Mahabharata Now, mind (of itself) is blind. With the help of conscience, it is able to see and visualise. So the mind is Dhirtaras'tra (who was blind), and its forces, that is, the ten agents, the ten organs (5 sensory and 5 motor organs), can work in ten directions simultaneously. So the mind has 10 x 10 or 100 external expressions. Or in other words, Dhirtaras'tra has one hundred sons (ie in a clan sense - not necessarily physically). As was the case in the Mahabharata. What about the 5 Pandavas (brothers)? They are the five factors in the human structure. Sahadeva is the solid factor represented by the Muladhara Cakra (1st chakra) capable of answering everything. Next is Nakula at Svadhistana Cakra (2nd cakra). Nakula means "water", which flows having no boundaries - the liquid factor. Next is Arjuna, the representation of energy or force, luminous at the Manipura Cakra (3rd cakra) - always fighting to maintain balance. Then Bheema, the son of Pavana or Vayu, the aerial factor, at the Anahata Cakra (4th cakra). Finally, the position of Yudhisthira is at the Vishuddha Cakra (5th cakra) where matter ends and the other world starts. So in the fight between materialists and spiritualists, in the struggle between matter and the sublime, Yudhisthira remains undisturbed, unperturbed. One who remains steady in battle is called 'Yudhisthira'. Ajina cakra (6th chakra) is of 2 propensities (apara - secular knowledge; and para - spiritual knowledge) Krs'na or Supreme Consciousness is above the Sahasrara Cakra (7th chakra located at the crown of the head). --- The 50 propensities Why do we practice a'sanas (yoga posture) ? To increase the flexibility of the body. To rectify glandular defects and balance hormonal secretions in order to control the physio-psycho propensities. To balance the body and mind. To withdraw the mind from undesirable thinking. To prepare the mind for subtler and higher sa'dhana' [spiritual practices]. The learned yogic scholar, Patanjali, many centuries ago said 'Sthirasukham a'sanam' (Patanjali). The purport of this sutra is that a'sanas are calm, quiet and easy postures which are held with proper inhalation and exhalation. They exercise the nerves, tissues, glands and organs of the human body. While practising a'sanas one enjoys physical comfort and mental composure. The regular practice of a'sanas keeps the body healthy and cures many diseases. A'sanas control the glands, the glands control the secretion of hormones, and the secretion of hormones controls the propensities. So a'sanas help a sa'dhaka [spiritual aspirant] to balance the body and concentrate the mind. The 50 propensities of mind affected by asanas are: Mula'dhara' Cakra (4) 1. Dharma - psycho-spiritual longing. 2. Artha - psychic longing. 3. Kama - physical longing. 4. Moksa - spiritual longing. Sva'dhis't'ha'na Cakra (6) 5. Avajina - indifference. 6. Murccha - psychic stupor, lack of common sense. 7. Prashraya - indulgence. 8. Avishvasa - lack of confidence. 9. Sarvanasha - helplessness. 10. Krurata - cruelty. Man'ipura Cakra (10) 11. Lajja - shyness. 12. Pishunata - sadistic tendency. 13. Iirsa - envy. 14. Susupti - staticity, sleepiness. 15. Visada - melancholia. 16. Kasaya - peevishness. 17. Trsna - yearning for acquisition. 18. Moha - infatuation. 19. Ghrna - hatred, revulsion. 20. Bhaya - fear. Ana'hata Cakra (12) 21. Asha - hope. 22. Cinta - worry. 23. Cesta - endeavour. 24. Mamata - attachment. 25. Dambha - vanity. 26. Viveka - conscience. 27. Vikalata - nervous breakdown. 28. Ahamkara - ego. 29. Lolata - avarice. 30. Kapatata - hypocrisy. 31. Vitarka - the propensity of altercation. 32. Auntapa - repentance. Vishuddha Cakra (16) 33. Sadaja - peacock. 34. Rsabha - ox. 35. Gandhara - goat. 36. Madhyama - deer. 37. Paincama - cuckoo. 38. Dhaevata - donkey. 39. Nisada - elephant. 40. Onm - acoustic root of creation. 41. Hummm - sound of the kulakundalinii. 42. Phat - practication, putting a theory into practice. 43. Vaosat - expression of mundane knowledge. 44. Vasat - welfare in the subtler sphere. 45. Svaha - performing noble actions. 46. Namah - surrender to the Supreme. 47. Visa - repulsive expression. 48. Amrta - sweet expression. A'jina' Cakra (2) 49. Apara - mundane knowledge. 50. Para - spiritual knowledge. So, 50 x 2 x 10 = 1000 The thousand petalled lotus of yoga is the 50 propensities, expressed internally or externally (ie 2) in 10 directions (N, S, E, W, NE, SE, SW, NW, up, down) to give 1000. --- ETHICS While the goal of meditation is Cosmic Consciousness, it is necessary to follow a moral, ethical life as well. Without a firm moral base, the mental strength and knowledge we gain from meditation can lead to personal and social harm. Therefore, one must be willing to sincerely follow a code of ethical conduct to the best of one's ability . This ethical conduct is called Yama and Niyama. YAMA The following five principles of Yama deal mostly with helping us to achieve a positive sense of balance in our dealings with society. Ahimsa', the first principle of Yama, means action performed without the intention of harming anyone or anything by thought, word or deed. As long as one is chained to the desire to harm or exploit, one's progress towards peace and spiritual understanding is hindered. The dynamics of life however, do at times involve the use of force. To take a very basic example, every time we breathe we are killing thousands of micro-organisms. Here the intention is not to harm the bacteria, but simply to breathe. In other instances, it might be necessary to use force to preserve human lives and liberties and this would be in accordance with Ahimsa' as long as the action was not motivated by hatred or anger. Satya, is the second principle of Yama. Satya means to guide all thought, speech and action with the feeling of welfare. We should stick as close to the objective truth as we can, but sometimes even a lie may be in the spirit of Satya. For example, if an innocent person running away from a violent mob comes to hide in your house and the mob asks you where that person is, you should in the spirit of Satya tell them, "He went that way." -> :) Satya is at the core of the five Yamas, around which all the others can depend on - it gives immense positive will power when following it. Asteya, the third principle, means not taking, either physically or mentally, what rightfully belongs to someone else. In striving for true balance in our dealings with others, the thought of stealing is almost as bad as the physical act itself. Therefore, Asteya also has more subtle implications. Accordingly, the thought of stealing - mentally stealing - from others will violate Asteya. Not acknowledging the use of written or other works by someone else can also violate Asteya. The principle of Asteya reminds us that we should not actively take from others. Brahmacarya, the fourth principle of Yama, refers to a state of mind in which we see everyone and everything as an expression of the Supreme. To practice Brahmacarya, we must open our minds to delve into the hidden depths of creation and to see that there is a single flow and a single consciousness pervading all forms. A person who is truly established in Brahmacarya will have no tendency to harm, to selfishly lie, to steal, or to exploit others through over-indulgence. It is the hardest Yama to follow. But if we continue with our meditation, and try to apply the other principles of Yama and Niyama to our lives, gradually we will find ourselves taking this perspective more and more of the time. Aparigraha, is the fifth principle of Yama. The meaning is that we should live in such a way as to have more to share with others. Aparigraha means that we should limit our consumption of luxuries out of sympathy for the suffering of others and out of respect for the common ecological heritage of humanity. For one person to hoard wealth while his or her neighbours are in dire poverty is a clear violation of Aparigraha. This principle also has ecological implications: minimize your resource consumption. It also has psychological importance: when we cling to something that we don't really need (when sharing it or the wealth that it represents would alleviate the suffering of others), we are fostering a tendency of mind which closes us up in a very small world. This runs against the current of our spiritual practices which lead us to ever greater, universal identification. It is also true that the excessive enjoyment of physical comfort tends to dull the mind and make spiritual effort more difficult. NIYAMA The principles of Niyama explained below deal more with our own personal integration than with our relations to society. Both Yama and Niyama are essential, and we can see that each compliments the other. Shaoca, the first principle of Niyama, is the cultivation of cleanliness, both physical and mental (external and internal). A clean body and environment have a very positive effect on the mind, but it is important to maintain internal cleanliness too. This also emphasizes the importance of developing a strong, supple, and relaxed body through exercise, yoga postures or asanas, and through eating a pure and balanced diet. Some people find that a vegetarian diet helps them maintain a clear, calm state of mind. The mental aspect of Shaoca involves combating tendencies toward selfish motives and greedy thoughts. One way to strive for mental cleanliness is to cultivate the spirit of giving to others and of serving their needs - physical, mental, and spiritual. Santosa, is the second principle of Niyama. It means contentment. Santosa can be defined as "a state of proper mental ease". In order to achieve Santosa, we can remind ourselves throughout the day that behind our anxieties and our tensions we have a vast reservoir of creativity and energy which we can use to solve any problem. We very often have movements during the day when our minds are not fully engaged in what we are doing - perhaps we are waiting to see a doctor, perhaps we are riding the bus, perhaps we are going for a walk - and at times like this it is very helpful to repeat our ista mantra (mantra that leads to the Goal) mentally. This state of 'half meditation' is very conducive to the development of Santosa. Tapah, the third principle of Niyama, is the practice of sacrificing petty personal pleasures in the greater joy of serving others. This is really an essential part of achieving real self-integration for we do not live alone. Indeed, the person who sees spirituality as for being alone develops a sense of personal spiritual capitalism which can be detrimental to the spiritual path. In every living being there is the desire for the Infinite, and as we expand our minds in meditation, we come to feel the poignancy of that universal desire as our own. At that point, the natural thing to do is to try to share with others the possibility of fulfilling that desire through helping them physically, mentally, and spiritually. Compassionately recognizing our common nature we lead others along the path of self-fulfilment by our service, by our love, and by our example. Tapah is at the core of the five Niyamas, around which all the others can depend on - it gives immense positive will power when following it. Svadhayaya is the fourth principle and it means clearly understanding a spiritual subject. One must read or listen to all spiritual works so as to understand their meaning and nor merely for regurgitation. It is essential to understand its significance - the underlying idea. It is the inner meaning that counts. Iishvara Pranidhana, the fifth principle, means to accept Iishvara - the controller of the Universe (ie the Supreme Consciousness) - as one's only shelter in life, (not money, employment, relationships, personal talents or abilities, etc) and to move with accelerated speed (by one's spirituality) towards that Supreme Shelter. Whether in happiness or sorrow, prosperity or poverty, one surrenders to the will of the Cosmic Entity, knowing that ultimately nothing happens without God's grace. ---