Spiritual Enlightenment

Spiritual Enlightenment - extract of article by Self Awareness Institute

India has a rich philosophy filled with explanations of what enlightenment is and how to attain it; generally referred to as the Santana Dharma, or eternal truths, as recounted by the Rishi's and Yogi's from this subcontinent, enlightenment serves as the very goal of human existence and the source of true enduring happiness and peace.

In the world's oldest written spiritual text, the Rig Veda, who's oral tradition extends to pre-history but was first written around 1,400 BC, the aspirant is guided to attain enlightenment. It's the first thing man sought to find and write about. Seeking enlightenment is found in the classical Eastern teachings within the Upanishads, the Mahabharata and Vedanta. The whole purpose of Yoga and meditation is to attain enlightenment.  All the guru's, swami's and saints teach the path to spiritual enlightenment in one way or another. Enlightenment is a universal teaching and increasing numbers are seeking it now.
In 1893 Swami Vivekananda from the Sri Ramakrishna mission based in Calcutta, was invited to speak at the Parliament of World Religions held in Chicago, and he is generally credited with bringing Advaita Vedanta, the path to enlightenment and God realization, to Western civilization. It was Vivekananda who inspired Whitman, Emerson and Theroux and lead another enlightenment movement in the United States. In 1920 Paramahansa Yogananda, a guru from within the Kriya Yoga lineage, came to America and planted the seeds of yoga as a path enlightenment as explained in his best-selling book Autobiography of a Yogi. In 1955 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a guru from the Himalayas, first inspired the famous rock group The Beatles, who started writing songs about consciousness (e.g. Within Without) and then brought his Transcendental Meditation to Europe, the United States and then the rest of the world, becoming the a primary vehicle for bringing meditation to millions in Western Civilization.

During the past few decades we have seen an interest in eastern approaches to enlightenment explode and teachers from all over the world have come to America and Europe (and the world at large), including: Sivananda, Satchidananda (Woodstock), Iyengar, Krishnamurti, Sri Chinmoy, Sri Aurobindo, Baba Muktananda and Gurumayi, Satya Sai Baba, Yogi Bhajan, Osho, and Amma (among others), with each reaching millions. The seeking of enlightenment also shows up in modern spiritual movements and organizations.It's on the radio, it's all over the Internet, it's all over the world.
In studying with dozens of Gurus over the years, there was one teacher who stood out to be amongst the wisest of guru's and the most powerful of teachers of our age, and his name was Vethathiri Maharishi from Tamil Nadu state in India. This Swamiji taught the classical path to enlightenment via accessing the innate intelligence, life force, spirit or "Kundalini" directly. In other words, our true nature is the spirit itself that is eternal, and our physical body and mind are vehicles for consciousness to be expressed and made manifest through. As we become more conscious of our own consciousness, our consciousness expands until the mind becomes fully conscious - Satchitananda (beingness-consciousness-bliss). By connecting with our own spirit and consciousness directly, our own mind's become aware of our true eternal nature and the presence of God is realized within one's Self and in everyone one else, and in everything else, everywhere, all the time. In other words, the Kingdom of Heaven lies within and is already spread out upon the earth (as Jesus explains in the Coptic Gospel of Thomas).

I began an apprenticeship with this Maharishi in the early 1980's and after extensive training with him both in United States and India, was asked to first give initiations and lead classes in Swami's absence (when he returned to India or traveled abroad) and then to start the Self Awareness Institute in 1985. Since then the Self Awareness Institute has spread to over 120 countries, teaching the path to enlightenment through self awareness. Our mission is to bridge the differences in our theology to find the universality of truth and omnipresence of God, and enable people from different cultures and religions to enlighten through a practical means within a Western Civilization.

The most powerful yogi I had come across was the legendary arch yogi Sri Sri Sri Shivabalayogi Maharaj from Bangalore, India. This guru had the highest calibrated level of consciousness on the planet (for an explanation of "calibrated levels" see Dr. David Hawkins book Power vs. Force). This yogi sat in continuous meditation for 12 years (with brief breaks for eating and washing) and was a guru to other guru's throughout India and a pilgrimage destination to Sadhus (seeker's) around the world. He is the guru's guru. Rather than gaining an understanding to enlighten, this Maharaj taught to completely transcend mental activity and sense perception through Shaktipat, the transmission of spiritual energy or spirit through one who has attained enlightenment. The teachings are in silence, the insights and awareness are attained from within through Dhyana meditation. As a part of my training to give initiations into this discipline I spent many years sitting many hours a day, eventually building up to a period of meditation called Yoga Tapas sitting 23 hours a day for 40 consecutive days and nights under the guidance of this Maharaj. When the mind's consciousness joins with total consciousness it is "liberated" (moksha) from the trammels of the mind and senses and God is Realized and the consciousness is enlightened.

Having said all this, it is understood by all the great masters that enlightenment itself cannot be understood or adequately explained. Words, ideas and perspectives actually diminish and convolute awareness. The words and ideas only help to direct the mind inward to behold that which observes the mind and lies beyond it (and within it, undifferentiated). This approach to enlightenment is eloquently explained by such Jnana Yogi's as Ramana Maharshi, Papaji (H. L. Poonja), Ramesh Belsekar and Nisargadatta Maharaj. This teaching of "nondualism" or "Advaita" enables the aspirant to realize the true nature of the Self by turning the consciousness inward and beholding what is already there and what you ultimately are. Quoting Papaji: "How far from your house do you need to go to find your way home?" Ultimately, the path is pathless and the true "Self" is already realized. Our mind has created its own sense of "self" based on data that is received through the senses from life experiences, that leave impressions upon the mind that form the basis of our character and personality that the mind identifies with as being "you".

When the mind is turned inward, through meditation, and beholds the eternal nature of our consciousness, this consciousness is awakened, as if one had awakened from a dream and an indescribable awareness and bliss are realized. But at the same time, the sense of one having attained a realization is transcended. The term for this realization is "Samadhi", as described by the arch yogi Patanjali who wrote the Yoga Sutras sometime during the Mauryan dynasty (321-185 BCE) and defines yoga as "the cessation of mental modification (thought)". Samadhi appears to have different levels: Laya Samadhi is the latent potential level of Samadhi which occurs in deep meditation, trance or even in movement such as ecstatic dance or yoga asana (postures and breathing exercises) and is experienced as great joy, well being and peacefulness. Savikalpa Samadhi is an initial temporary state where the conscious mind is still active, but not real (like a Television playing in your head) and the true sense of Self becomes realized. Here one gets a taste of bliss and beingness of God, but is still attached to the vehicle experiencing and discerning. Often a spiritual aspirant mistakes this awakening of consciousness as enlightenment itself, and the egoic sense of self thinks it is enlightened. Most of the gurus teaching today have entered either of these levels.

Nirvikalpa Samadhi is the highest transcendental state of consciousness (and in reality it is not a state, but this is the only word that approximates what is beyond all states of mind). In this state, there is no subject-object differentiation or dualism and the interconnected and undifferentiated whole (the latent potential from which everything appears and goes) is realized. Traditionally, an aspirant would study with a Master who had attained enlightenment, not so much to learn and understand what it is, but, rather, to first experience and then realize it for themselves. Through the guru's "Darshan" (blessings or presence) the fields of awareness transmitted by the guru in their enlightened state become exposed to the student who then acclimates to these higher states naturally and without effort. As "doership" only get's in the way, the guru can help the student move beyond their mind and it's patterns of resistance, and enter these higher states of Samadhi. This effortless state is called Sahaja Samadhi. These states are routinely experienced by students of the Self Awareness Institute. They seem beyond reach, but some part of you is already there, or "here" even now, and that is why you are compelled to read this. Bhakti (devotion) is the key to being receptive enough to receive the grace of the guru and experience their Shaktipat. Finally, Maha Samadhi refers to the state where the physical body is dropped (physical death) and the consciousness and the illusion of separation (layla) is completely transcended.

How to Become an Early Riser

The Secret on How to Become an Early Riser
Meditation and Yoga Guide: Personal Development
Posted in Meditation,Personal Development,Yoga by Anmol Mehta

One of my grandfather’s favorite quotes was, "The heights of great men reached and kept, Were not attained by sudden flight, But they, while their companions slept, Were toiling upwards in the night." Well at least toiling upwards in the early morning would be a good start for some of us . So how is this to be done? How is one to wake up early and thus make full use of that most beautiful time of the day? The answer does not lie in taping an alarm clock to your head, or in using electric shocks, or in hiring a drill sergeant as a personal trainer – the answer is simpler than that – the answer is to figure out what you are most passionate about in life. Those great men above, I am certain, had one thing in common. They all had a burning passion for something in life. That is the key. The secret to not only becoming an early riser, but also for living a fulfilling life. That passion, that love, will give you the energy to spring out of bed at the break of dawn so you can give yourself to that which you love most.

Here is a simple experiment that you can do to validate the above argument. Think about what you really enjoy doing and plan to do that early in the morning. Here are a few simple examples of such an experiment. If you really love a particular TV show and have a DVR (or VCR), tape that show instead of watching it when you normally do. Now wait for a day when you don’t have to rush off to work and plan to watch that show on that day early in the morning. See what happens. You may be surprised at the energy available to you to get out of bed that morning. When there is something that needs to be done, observe carefully within yourself and you will notice that the energy is there at that time for you to do it. Try to never delay or procrastinate the necessary response to a requirement of life in a given moment (this is actually a very interesting topic in and of itself but I will leave that for another article). Here are a few more examples. If you are an avid gamer, lets say playing World of Warcraft. Well, stop right before you level up or before you get your reward for a completed quest and see how quickly you get out of bed the next day and run to the computer. Or leave the book you are reading at an interesting juncture and observe your ability to wake up the next day early to continue. I think the point has been made. Getting up and out of bed early has to do with your enthusiasm for starting the next day.

One problem that comes up of course is that many people do not know what their true passion is and so are not living an inspired life. The article Stop the Madness of Self-Discipline goes into this more but here I will paste one portion of that post which presents the following questions to ask yourself to help you figure out what you love to do. Here are those 6 questions….

1.What is it that you like to do for its own sake, without any concern for reward or compliment? Do you like the joy of building things? Do you like to just create music? Do you like to teach? Do you like the challenge of watching your thoughts in action?
2.If you won the lottery, I mean the really, really big one how would you like to spend the rest of your life?
3.If you were informed you are about to die shortly, what would you regret most as not having spent your time doing?
4.No matter where on Earth you are. In a rich, first world country, in the bush lands of Australia or high up in a Himalayan village what do you see yourself doing regardless of location?
5.What activity do you always find yourself coming back to throughout your life?
6.What activity can you just not see yourself doing without?
Hopefully these questions will start to reveal to you your real interests in life. Once that happens, and you start to live according to your passions, trying to wake up early will be a non-issue.

There is another problem that sometimes comes up with regard to becoming an early riser and that has to do with health and energy. Having good physical, emotional and mental health will go a long way in helping you, not only sleep better, but also in providing the necessary energy to kick-start the day bright and early. If you find yourself lacking energy and feeling depleted there is no better cure for that than exercise and Yoga. Here is a nice beginner Kundalini Yoga Kriya (set) that covers many aspects of your being and will help build your energy and health. The kriya is actually called Morning Wakeup Series and ironically should be done in the morning when you wake up. This Kundalini Kriya, in a short time with regular practice, will help you overcome any energy issues that were hampering you from getting up early.

One last item that I think is worth touching upon while I am on this topic is the motivation for those who practice meditation, yoga, pranayama or other spiritual work to wake up early. Here is a list of reasons why it is advantageous to practice sadhana in the early morning if possible…

1.Early morning is called brahmamuhurta in Sanskrit. It literally means "The Divine Time." This is the time of the day when the spiritual energy on our lovely planet is at its highest.
2.The air at this time is fresh and contains the greatest amount of prana (cosmic life force).
3.The mind is also fresh and unburdened with the worries of everyday life. This will help in the practice of concentration and meditation.
4.This is the time of day when you are least likely to be distracted by the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
5.The stomach is empty, which is necessary before practicing many of the Yoga asanas and pranayamas.


It is said that one of the things that we human beings waste our lives doing is sleeping (too much). So let that not be the case for you. Search inwards, experiment, figure out what you love to do in life and then muster up the courage to go after it. There is a story of a Yogi high up in the Himalayan mountains and what he does early every morning is get up, stand and applaud. He is applauding creation for the wonder of a new dawn, for the beauty of the sunrise and for the opportunity each new day provides. Let us join him bright and early tomorrow morning.

Importance of God Realization, Obstacles to Spiritual Enlightenment

Importance of God Realization
Obstacles to Spiritual Enlightenment
Posted in Personal Development,Spiritual Enlightenment by Anmol Mehta

Hitch your wagon to a star!" is a famous Ralph Waldo Emerson quote urging you to aim high and have soaring aspirations. I would like you to actually raise the level of your aspirations even higher, I would like you to raise the level of your aim to the very highest achievement possible in life, I would prefer if you "Hitch your wagon to infinity!" Why even settle for a star?

Before all the experts on non-duality start clamoring that there should be no purpose to life, you should not set goals, etc, let me say that if there is any purpose at all to life, then it is Self-Realization, or to put it another way, it is to find God. Everything else is immature.


So you must make the most of this chance. No matter if you believe in reincarnation or not, this life is a golden opportunity to achieve this highest possible purpose of human life. For those who believe reincarnation exists, you know how very precious and rare a human birth is, and for those who believe there is just one go around, well you certainly don’t want to waste this opportunity then for sure. Either way, since you are here anyway, why not shoot for highest high.


 5 major obstacles that often prevent you from fulfilling this great journey to God Realization.

5 Major Obstacles to Self-Realization:

1. Ignorance:

By ignorance here I mean that folks are just not aware that they actually have an infinite, divine aspect which can be discovered and abided in. I remember speaking to a close relative once, who was surprised that there were people today who had awakened to their Infinite nature and lived life from there.

You don’t have to believe that there is an eternal aspect to your being, although doing so and clinging to that belief is a valid Advaita Vedanta technique for enlightenment, but what you have to consider is that there is this possibility, and then explore your inner walls to discover if there is any truth to this claim.

If you outright reject that such as aspect to your being exists, life does not care, it does not matter to anyone else, it only means you will miss the whole point of being born.

One other point I would like to make with regard to ignorance, has to do with the pursuit of wealth, power, fame, etc. Without getting into a big debate regarding the Easterlin Paradox (the research that says, money cannot buy you happiness), I would like to point out that chasing these material pleasures can potentially make your dream world nicer, but they do little for you in terms of waking up to the Truth.

This waking up, or Self-Realization, is worth it because it means you are now finally free from delusion, and can fully express your true self and live the life you were meant to live. So if you want to pursue just material pleasures, in lieu of Enlightenment, then please go ahead and do so, just understand that this is ignorant and only manipulation of a dream reality.

Just to be clear here, I am not against material gains, wealth, power, fame, etc, what I am saying is that if you just chase that, you will go through life asleep. Also, one other secret I will share with you is that all these material rewards are likely to be yours anyway, if you truly walk the path to Enlightenment. After all, who is more famous than the Lords of the scriptures.


2. Compromising:

Just don’t do it. Don’t settle. I know life and society wears you down slowly. Chipping away at your heart and soul. The uncompromising attitude, fire and exuberance of youth is slowly smothered by the endless responsibilities and difficulties of life, but don’t give up.

Research finds that men in their 40s and 50s, are quite prone to depression, and this is primarily because they are starting to feel that the great life they aspired to live, won’t be realized anymore. They feel they must swallow the bitter pill of "reality" and practicality. This is rubbish. Remain inspired, keep going, fight, don’t settle. Find ways to stay on course. The only answer ever is God, everything else will fall into it’s right place when Self-Realization is the underlying theme of your life. Let this great work, light your way forward.


If you are young, choose wisely. I hope you find great teachers who will guide you well, so that you don’t find yourself so mired in financial commitments and other responsibilities that you no longer have time to think about your divine nature. You are blessed with abundant energy and death is far on the horizon, you have no excuse to not walk the walk.

3. Confusion:

Perhaps worse than the ignorant are the confused. They really piss me off. The confused are those who have health, know Self-Realization is the purpose of life, have food, clothing and shelter, but find excuses to run after other things endlessly. What is wrong with you all? Stop it. At least the ignorant were clueless, they simply did not know better, but you do. You know and yet you don’t do what is necessary.

At one point or another we all make this mistake. Sometimes repeatedly . I know I have and when I do, I get mad at myself too. What the hell am I doing? Not doing my daily meditation, not doing my yoga, not staying aware from moment to moment. What am I doing? Blogging and working all the time. It’s pathetic and I yell at myself and get back on the right path. You must do the same, and if you need someone to yell at you, call me .

So confused means you lose sight of the fact that the true purpose of life, if any, is God Realization, Self-Realization, Enlightenment. This must be the guiding force of your life. Don’t worry, life will give you everything else you need, she is our mother, and she won’t abandon us. You just keep your eye on finding Dad .

4. Laziness:

Perhaps I should categorize these folks with the confused, but I wanted to give them their very own space so they could feel truly pathetic. The ignorant don’t know better, the confused are at least trying to build an empire or something, what in the world are you folks doing?

You know what is at stake, have time and health, but are just mindlessly wasting precious time. There are a million forms of mindless entertainment to keep you drugged and serving the purpose that society wishes from you. But from this you must break free. Come on yaar (friend), make some effort, show some willpower, turn off the TV, stop browsing the web, the sports matches can wait, infuse some balance into your life. Once you start to gather momentum and break the cycle of inertia you will be unstoppable, so let’s get going.

5. Impatience:

It is unlikely that the highest achievement in life, is going to be easily accomplished by you overnight. We are being trained to become quite an impatient and instant gratification society. This can be easily seen not only in the use of medical drugs for muscle building, fat loss, pain, etc, but is also more subtly visible in relationships that today tend to skip romance all together and go straight to sex.

This attitude has spilled over into the spiritual arena as well, and I have written about this in the article, No Shortcuts to Enlightenment. Essentially, the point here is that for Self-Realization, you will have to stay on the path for as long as it takes. Another secret I would like to share with you here is that the path itself is really a lot of fun, Enlightenment is great, but so is the work leading up to it.

Summary:

In the article, How to Discover Your Divine Nature, I wrote about how to recognize your Higher Self by experiencing an aspect of it. The key to such awakening, is meditation and I want to stress that this is the real reason for human birth. Although Enlightenment has absolutely no material value, without it life is absolutely useless. If you don’t want to have lived such a meaningless life, you need to wake up and claim your birthright of knowing you and God are One. Let’s get to it.

SELF-REALIZATION

WHAT IS SELF-REALIZATION?

Self-Realization is a scientific process which reveals a new vision and understanding so that you have:

•Freedom from worries and fear
•Scientific solutions to inner and external conflicts
•Smoother relationships
•Inner peace
•Equanimity amid any circumstances
•Eternal happiness
•Experience of your true eternal Self
•Experience the depths of spirituality while fulfilling your worldly responsibilities

Have you stopped to wonder what the goal of human life might be? While each day contains unique quests for happiness, any happiness we do attain remains with us only temporarily. Then, after each phase of happiness passes, have you noticed that only an underlying dissatisfaction remains inside? This dissatisfaction prompts the next quest for happiness which again is, by nature, temporary. And so the cycle continues..
Aware of this, you may question whether permanent happiness even exists; and if it did, how could it be attained?

The answer is Yes, it does exist. Permanent happiness is, the goal of human life and is experienced continuously upon attaining Self-realization.

But what exactly is Self-realization? It is to know and experience directly who You really are! By discovering the real eternal nature of "Who am I", true permanent happiness is attained.

When asked "Who are YOU", most people will answer "I am William" But this name is only a title given to identify your body, just as store names such as Wal-mart and Tesco are given simply to specify the store's presence. In reality, "YOU" are the owner of your name and not the name itself. If this were not true, how could your name be changed countless times even while "YOU" remain the same inside?

Before Self-realization, it is natural to identify with your name and with the countless temporary qualities that are believed to be "YOU". But who YOU really are is beyond all of these temporary identifications, for "YOU" are eternal, and permanent happiness itself. Self-realization is to experience the nature of your very own Self, from that vantage point, to understand the non-self known as "William".

Hindu Temple - New Delhi

Festival of Colors in America

Moksha

                                                                                                  

How to Attain Moksha
In Hindu religion, self realization is considered to be the best means to achieve Moksha. The Hindu Dharma preaches the path of Karma and Bhakti. Well, there can be different ways of achieving salvation. In totality, there are four paths of attaining liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth, namely, selfless work, self dissolving love, deep meditation and total discernment.

Moksha is associated with the concept of self realization, in which an individual understands the purpose why he is being sent on earth. When a person realizes the power of God and understands his ultimate goal, he strives hard to reach his final destination, i.e. Moksha or salvation. Among Hindus, Moksha is viewed as the unification of man and God.

Moksha (Freedom or Salvation) from the cycle of birth and death is the ultimate goal of Hindu religious life.  Moksha is called Mukti (freedom) by yogis and Nirvana by Buddhists

The individual soul (atman), in its liberated state, possesses divine qualities such as purity, omnipresence and omnipotence, and is beyond limitations.  Within the individual, however, the atman is involved in the working of samsara (the cycle of birth and death in the phenomenal world), thereby subjecting itself to bondage by Law of Karma.  Moksha is attainted when the individual becomes liberated from the cycle of birth and death and attains eventual union with the Supreme Being.

This union can be achieved through true knowledge (gyana or jnana), devotion (bhakti), or right work (karma).  Purity, self-control, truthfulness, non-violence, and compassion toward all forms of life are the necessary pre-requisites for any spiritual path in Hindu dharma.  The Hindu dharma emphasizes the importance of a true guru (spiritual master) for the attainment of true knowledge of the soul and God.

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Fundamentals of Dharma

The Vishnu Samhita enumerates forgiveness, truthfulness, control of the mind, purity, practice of charity, control of the senses, non-violence, service of the Guru, visiting places of pilgrimage, compassion, simplicity, absence of greed, worship of the gods and the Brahmanas, and absence of malice as the ingredients of Samanya Dharma, the general law for all men.

The Mahabharata enumerates as the fundamentals of Dharma:
1.The performance of Sraddha or offering oblations to the forefathers,
2.Religious austerity,
3.Truth,
4.Restraint of anger,
5.Satisfaction with one’s wife,
6.purity,
7.Learning,
8.Absence of envy,
9.Knowledge of the Self and
10.Forbearance

It is said in Padma Purana that Dharma proceeds from continence, truthfulness, austerity, charity, self-control, forbearance, purity, non-violence, serenity and non-thieving and that one should recognise Dharma by these ten factors. According to this Purana, bestowing gifts on deserving persons, fixing one’s thoughts on Lord Krishna, adoration of one’s parents, offering a portion of the daily meal to all creatures and giving a morsel of food to a cow are the characteristics of Dharma.

According to Matsya Purana, freedom from malice, absence of covetousness, control of the senses, austerity, celibacy, compassion, truthfulness, forbearance and fortitude constitute the fundamentals of Sanatana Dharma.

Patanjali Maharshi, the exponent of Raja Yoga philosophy, recommends that ten virtues should be practised by all men. The first five are: Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Brahmacharya (celibacy in thought, word and deed), Asteya (non-stealing) and Aparigraha (non-covetousness). These constitute Yama or self-restraint. The other five virtues are: Saucha (internal and external purity), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (austerity), Svadhyaya (study of scriptures or recitation of Mantra) and Isvarpranidhana (consecration of the fruits of all works to the Lord). These constitute Niyama or religious observance.

The Gita enumerates the following virtues as Daivi-Sampat or divine qualities: fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in the Yoga of Wisdom, alms-giving, self-restraint, sacrifice, study of the scriptures, austerity, straightforwardness, harmlessness, truth, absence of wrath, renunciation, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion to living beings, non-covetousness, mildness, modesty, absence of fickleness, vigour, forgiveness, purity and absence of envy and pride. All these virtues are manifestations of the four fundamental virtues:
1. Non-violence, 2. Truth, 3.Purity, 4.Self-control
All the above virtues come under the above four cardinal virtues. The virtues that are enumerated under the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism and the virtues prescribed by Lord Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount, also come under the above fundamental virtues.

The development of the divine qualities is indispensable for the attainment of Self-realisation. Brahman or the Eternal is purity. The Eternal cannot be attained without the attainment of purity. Brahman is Truth. The Eternal cannot be attained without practising truth. Brahman is fearlessness. The Eternal cannot be attained unless you become absolutely fearless. Attachment to the body causes fear and Dehadhyasa. If only you become fearless, then the identification with the body will vanish.

You have rendered the heart harder than flint, steel or diamond through greed, miserliness, harshness and rudeness. You can soften it only through the practice of mercy, sympathy, charity, generosity, magnanimity, harmlessness, mildness, disinterested action and untiring service of the poor. You have made the heart crooked and narrow through hypocrisy, untruthfulness, backbiting and tale-bearing. You can expand it through the practice of straightforwardness, truthfulness, purity of heart, alms-giving and non-covetousness. You have rendered the heart impure through lust. You can purify it through the practice of celibacy in thought, word and deed.

Non-violence
Ahimsa or non-violence is the most important virtue. That is the reason why Patanjali Maharshi has placed it first in Yama. Practice of Ahimsa must be in thought, word and deed. Practice of Ahimsa is not impotence or cowardice or weakness. It is the highest type of heroism. The practice demands immense patience, forbearance and endurance, infinite inner spiritual strength and gigantic will-power.

Ahimsa is a modification or expression of truth only. Satyam (truth) and Ahimsa always go together. He who is established in Ahimsa can move the whole world. In his presence, all hostilities vanish; lion and cow, cobra and mongoose, live together peacefully.

[Note: In support of this statement of Swami Shivananda, we cite the example from the life of Sri Ramana Maharshi as observed by the Scottish scientist Alick McInnes. The following extract is taken from the book "The Secret Life of Plants" by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird. Chapter titled ‘Dowsing Plants for Health’. The book was first published in 1973. :

"In South India, Alick McInnes, a Scottish scientist, witnessed the strange spectacle of Sri Raman Maharshi on his evening walk. Within seconds of his leaving his house, cattle tied up in stalls in the village half a mile away would struggle to get out of their ties. When released they careered along the road to accompany the old man on his walk, followed by all the dogs and children of the village. Before the procession had gone very far wild animals and even snakes joined it from the jungle. Thousands of birds appeared, almost blotting out the sky. There were tiny tits, huge kites, heavy-winged vultures and other birds of prey, all flying in harmony around the Maharshi on his walk. When he returned to his room, said McInnes, all the birds, animals and children would quietly disappear."

We continue below with Swami Shivananda’s explanations on the topic of ‘Non-violence’ :

Hinduism lay great stress on Ahimsa. Lord Jesus also has emphasised much on Ahimsa in his Sermon on the Mount. He says: "If any one beats you on one cheek, show him the other cheek also".

He who is firmly established in Ahimsa can hope to attain Self-realisation. He who practises Ahimsa develops cosmic love to a maximum degree. Practice of Ahimsa eventually leads to realisation of oneness or unity of Self. Such a man only can attain self-restraint. Retaliation – tooth for tooth, blow for blow – is the maxim, doctrine or principle of an Asura or a man of diabolic nature. This belongs to the beastly nature. To return good for evil is divine. Constant vigilance and alertness are needed in the practice of Ahimsa. If you are careless even a little bit, you will be carried away by the force of previous wrong Samskara (impression or tendency) and impulses and will become a victim of Himsa (violence), despite your good intentions.

Truth
Brahman (the Supreme Reality) is Sat or Existence-Absolute. Truth must be observed in thought, word and deed. If you are established in truth, all other virtues will cling to you by themselves. Harishchandra sacrificed everything for the sake of truth. He lives still in our hearts. Yudhishthira was also devoted to truth. There is no virtue higher than truth. Practice of truth and Ahimsa constitute the crown and glory of ethical life. In the Taittiriya Upanishad, the preceptor says in his convocation address to the students: "Satyam vada"-Speak the truth. The world is rooted in truth. Dharma is rooted in truth. All religions are rooted in truth. Honesty, justice, straightforwardness and sincerity are only modifications or expressions of truth.

Purity
Purity comprises both external purity and internal purity. Purity implies both purity of body and purity of mind. Purity of body is only the preliminary to purity of mind.

The body is the temple of God. It should be kept clean by daily bathing and clean dress. Cleanliness is a part of godliness.

The restriction in diet is best calculated to make the mind pure. Food exercises a direct influence on the mind. Sattvic food makes the mind pure. Purity of food leads to purity of mind. Mind is only made up of the fine essence of food. As the food is, so is the mind.

You must be pure in thought, word and deed. Your heart must be as pure as crystal; as pure as the Himalayan snow. Then only the divine light will descend. Purity comprises such virtues as frankness, innocence, straightforwardness and absence of all evil thoughts. He who is endowed with purity will find it easy to tread the spiritual path.

Self-control
You must have perfect self-control or self-mastery. Self-control implies both control of the body and control of the mind. Self-control does not mean self-torture. You must lead a well-regulated and disciplined life. You must keep all the senses under your perfect control. The senses are like turbulent and wild horses. This body is like a chariot. Mind is the reins. Intellect is the driver. The Atman is the Lord of the chariot. If the senses are not kept under proper control, they will throw this chariot into a deep abyss. You will come to ruin. He who keeps the reins firm and drives this chariot intelligently by controlling the horses (senses), will reach the destination (Moksha or the abode of Eternal Bliss) safely.

Self-control implies self-sacrifice, annihilation of egoism, patience, endurance, forbearance and humility. Overcome Raga or attachment by Vairagya or dispassion. Dispassion will dawn in your mind if you look into the defects of sensual life such as birth, death, disease, old age, pain, sorrow, etc. (Mithya-Drishti and Dosha-Drishti). Overcome anger and hatred by Kshama or forgiveness, love and selfless service. Overcome evil by good. Return good for evil. Overcome lust by the practice of Brahmacharya and regular Japa (repetition of Mantra or Lord’s name) and meditation. Conquer greed by charity, generosity and disinterested actions. Conquer pride by humility and delusion by discrimination and enquiry. Overcome jealousy by magnanimity, Atma-Bhava and nobility. Conquer egoism by self-sacrifice, self-surrender, self-abnegation and meditation on the non-dual, eternal, self-luminous Brahman, thy innermost Self, the Inner Ruler, the immortal.

May you all attain eternal bliss and immortality through the practice of the cardinal virtues or the fundamental Dharma.

Dharma Explained

Dharma
By Swami Shivanada The Divine Life Society, Rishikesh

Silent adorations to the Lord, the Embodiment of Dharma, the Controller and Protector of Dharma and the fountain-head of Dharma. What is Dharma? What is Dharma? Dharma is so called, because it holds: Dharma alone holds the people, etc. The word Dharma is derived from the root DHR- to hold- and its etymological meaning is ‘that which holds’ this world, or the people of the world, or the whole creation from the microcosm to the macrocosm. It is the eternal Divine Law of the Lord. The entire creation is held together and sustained by the All-powerful Law of God. Practice of Dharma, therefore, means recognition of this Law and abidance by it. That which brings well-being to man is Dharma. Dharma supports this world. The people are upheld by Dharma. That which accrues preservation of beings is Dharma. Dharma leads to eternal happiness and immortality. That which is Dharma is verily the Truth. Therefore, whosoever speaks the truth is said to speak Dharma, and whosoever speaks Dharma is said to speak the truth. One and the same thing becomes both. Dharma includes all external deeds, as well as thoughts and other mental practices which tend to elevate the character of a man. Dharma comes from the Divine and leads you to the Divine. Definition of Dharma No language is perfect. There is no proper equivalent word in English for the Sanskrit term Dharma. It is very difficult to define Dharma. Dharma is generally defined as ‘righteousness’ or ‘duty’. Dharma is the principle of righteousness. It is the principle of holiness. It is also the principle of unity. Bhishma says in his instructions to Yudhishthira that whatever creates conflict is Adharma, and whatever puts an end to conflict and brings about unity and harmony is Dharma. Anything that helps to unite all and develop pure divine love and universal brotherhood, is Dharma. Anything that creates discord, split and disharmony and foments hatred, is Adharma.


Dharma is the cementer and sustainer of social life. The rules of Dharma have been laid down for regulating the worldly affairs of men. Dharma brings as its consequence happiness, both in this world and in the next. Dharma is the means of preserving one’s self. If you transgress it, it will kill you. If you protect it, it will protect you. It is your soul companion after death. It is the sole refuge of humanity.

That which elevates one is Dharma. This is another definition. Dharma is that which leads you to the path of perfection and glory. Dharma is that which helps you to have direct communion with the Lord. Dharma is that which makes you divine. Dharma is the ascending stairway unto God. Self-realisation is the highest Dharma. Dharma is the heart of Hindu ethics. God is the centre of Dharma.

Dharma means Achara or the regulation of daily life. Achara is the supreme Dharma. It is the basis of Tapas or austerity. It leads to wealth, beauty, longevity and continuity of lineage. Evil conduct and immorality will lead to ill-fame, sorrow, disease and premature death. Dharma has its root in morality the controller of Dharma is God Himself.

Maharshi Jaimini defines Dharma as that which is enjoined by the Vedas and is not ultimately productive of suffering.

Rishi Kanada, founder of the Vaiseshika system of philosophy, has given the best definition of Dharma, in his Vaiseshika Sutras:

"That which leads to the attainment of Abhyudaya (prosperity in this world) and Nihsreyasa (total cessation of pain and attainment of eternal bliss hereafter) is Dharma".

Vedas-The Sole and Ultimate Authority
The four Vedas, the Smriti texts, the behaviour of those who have entered into their spirit (the spirit of the Vedas) and act according to their injunctions, the conduct of holy men and satisfaction of one’s own self- these are the bases of Dharma.

In the matter of Dharma, the Vedas are the ultimate authority. You cannot know the truth about Dharma through any source of knowledge other than the Vedas. Reason cannot be the authority in the matter of Dharma. Among the scriptures of the world, the Vedas are the oldest. This is supported by all leading scholars and antiquarians of the entire civilised world. They all declare with one voice, that of all books, so far written in any human language, the Rig-Veda Samhita is undoubtedly the oldest. No antiquarian has been able to fix the date when the Rig-Veda Samhita was composed or came to light.

The Changing Dharma
Just as a doctor prescribes different medicines for different people according to their constitution and the nature of their disease, so also Hinduism prescribes different duties for different people. Rules for women are different from the rules for men. The rules for different Varnas (castes) and Ashramas (the four stages of life) vary. But, non-violence, truth, non-stealing, cleanliness and control of the senses, are the duties common to all men.

Dharma depends upon time, circumstances, age, degree of evolution and the community to which one belongs. The Dharma of this century is different from that of the tenth century.

There are conditions under which Dharma may change its usual course. Apad-Dharma (apad = distress) )is such a deviation from the usual practice. This is allowed only in times of extreme distress or calamity.

What is Dharma in one set of circumstances becomes Adharma in another set of circumstances. That is the reason why it is said that the secret of Dharma is extremely profound and subtle. Lord Krishna says in the Gita: "Let the scriptures be the authority in determining what ought to be done and what ought not to be done" - Gita, Ch.16- 24). The truth of Dharma lies hidden. Srutis and Smritis are many. The way of Dharma (which is) open to all is that which a great realised soul has traversed.

Benefits of the Practice of Dharma
Of the four grand objects of human aspirations ( Purusharthas), viz., Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha, Dharma is given the foremost rank in the scriptures. Dharma alone is the gateway to Moksha, to immortality, infinite bliss, supreme peace and highest knowledge. Dharma alone is the primary Purushartha. Dharma is the first and foremost Purushartha. Through the practice of Dharma alone can you ever hope to achieve the crowning glory of all human endeavours, viz., Moksha (liberation) which is the best and the highest of all desirable things.

Practice of Dharma leads to the perfect realisation of essential unity or the final end, the highest good, namely, Moksha (liberation). The practitioner experiences peace, joy, strength and tranquillity within himself. His life becomes thoroughly disciplined. His powers and capacities are exceedingly intensified. He realises that there is one underlying homogeneous essence, a living truth, behind these names and forms. He is transmuted into divinity. His whole nature gets transformed. He becomes one with the Eternal. He beholds Brahman (the Supreme Reality) above, Brahman below, Brahman to the right, Brahman to the left, Brahman in front, Brahman at the back, Brahman within, Brahman without and Brahman pervading the whole world.

What Is Dharma?

About the Path of Righteousness

By Subhamoy Das

Dharma is the path of righteousness and living one's life according to the codes of conduct as described by the Hindu scriptures.

Moral Law of the World

Hinduism describes dharma as the natural universal laws whose observance enables humans to be contented and happy, and to save himself from degradation and suffering. Dharma is the moral law combined with spiritual discipline that guides one's life. Hindus consider dharma the very foundation of life. It means "that which holds" the people of this world and the whole creation. Dharma is the "law of being" without which things cannot exist.

According to the Scriptures

Dharma refers to the religious ethics as propounded by Hindu gurus in ancient Indian scriptures. Tulsidas, author of Ramcharitmanas, has defined the root of dharma as compassion. This principle was taken up by Lord Buddha in his immortal book of great wisdom, Dhammapada. The Atharva Veda describes dharma symbolically: Prithivim dharmana dhritam, that is, "this world is upheld by dharma". In the epic poem Mahabharata, the Pandavas represent dharma in life and the Kauravas represent adharma.

Good Dharma = Good Karma

Hinduism accepts the concept of reincarnation, and what determines the state of an individual in the next existence is Karma which refers to the actions undertaken by the body and the mind. In order to achieve good karma it is important to live life according to dharma, what is right. This involves doing what is right for the individual, the family, the class or caste and also for the universe itself. Dharma is like a cosmic norm and if one goes against the norm it can result in bad karma. So, dharma affects the future according to the karma accumulated. Therefore one's dharmic path in the next life is the one necessary to bring to fruition all the results of past karma.

What Makes You Dharmic?

Anything that helps human being to reach god is dharma and anything that hinders human being from reaching god is adharma. According to the Bhagavat Purana, righteous living or life on a dharmic path has four aspects: austerity (tap), purity (shauch), compassion (daya) and truthfulness (satya); and adharmic or unrighteous life has three vices: pride (ahankar), contact (sangh), and intoxication (madya). The essence of dharma lies in possessing a certain ability, power and spiritual strength. The strength of being dharmic also lies in the unique combination of spiritual brilliance and physical prowess.

The 10 Rules of Dharma

Manusmriti written by the ancient sage Manu, prescribes 10 essential rules for the observance of dharma: Patience (dhriti), forgiveness (kshama), piety or self control (dama), honesty (asteya), sanctity (shauch), control of senses (indraiya-nigrah), reason (dhi), knowledge or learning (vidya), truthfulness (satya) and absence of anger (krodha). Manu further writes, "Non-violence, truth, non-coveting, purity of body and mind, control of senses are the essence of dharma". Therefore dharmic laws govern not only the individual but all in society.

The Purpose of Dharma

The purpose of dharma is not only to attain a union of the soul with the supreme reality, it also suggests a code of conduct that is intended to secure both worldly joys and supreme happiness. Rishi Kanda has defined dharma in Vaisesika as "that confers worldly joys and leads to supreme happiness". Hinduism is the religion that suggests methods for the attainment of the highest ideal and eternal bliss here and now on earth and not somewhere in heaven. For example, it endorses the idea that it is one's dharma to marry, raise a family and provide for that family in whatever way is necessary. The practice of dharma gives an experience of peace, joy, strength and tranquillity within one's self and makes life disciplined.

Dharma

Shukavak N. Dasa                                           
Copyright © 2007 Sanskrit Religions Institute

What is Dharma?

Dharma is one of the most important themes within Hinduism. One often sees dharma translated as religion, duty, or even righteousness, but in fact, there is no single direct translation for dharma. Religion, duty and righteousness are not wrong; they are simply included within the idea of dharma. The word "dharma" comes from the Sanskrit root dhri, meaning to "uphold" or to "sustain." From this perspective, the best way to think of dharma is to say, "that which upholds or sustains the positive order of things: the nation, the community, the family and ultimately even the universe." At a social level, every individual has a particular dharma according to their place in life. Children have a dharma, parents have a dharma, teachers have a dharma, the police have a dharma and even the head of a nation has a dharma. One of the dharmas of a child, for example, is to obey parents and to study. Parents have a dharma to protect and look after children: to make sure they are educated, fed, housed and trained. It is sometimes written on the sides of police cars: To Serve and to Protect. This is a statement of dharma for police. A head of state has a dharma to protect the country and to provide a secure environment for its citizens. If everyone performs their dharma: children obey parents, parents look after children, citizens uphold the laws of the land, the police enforce the law, a head of state protects the nation, then the family, the community and the nation are "upheld" and there can be prosperity. This is dharma, and it all follows from the idea of dhri, to uphold.

The opposite of dharma is "a-dharma." What this means is obvious. If children fail to obey parents, if parents do not train and discipline children, if the police misuse their power and fail to protect, if the head of state fails to act in the interest of the nation, then adharma exists, and when there is too much adharma, there will be a break down of the family, society or the nation. The nation, the community, the family and even individuals cannot prosper when too much adharma reigns. There is a saying, "Protect dharma and dharma will protect you."

Individuals have different dharmas at different times in their lives. A child has a certain dharma that we mentioned above, but the same person as an adult has different dharmas to focus upon. And still later in life, there are other dharmas that need to be stressed. When one is married, one should not live according to the dharma of a child. If an adult adopts the dharma of a child this is adharma. A child cannot follow the dharma of the police. If an ordinary citizen tries to follow the dharma of the a head of state it results in adharma.

The ancient Hindu social system was called Varnashrama Dharma and the great epics of India, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are built on this system of dharma. In the Ramayana, the hero Rama exhibits the ideal execution of the dharma as a son and king. Sita, his wife, illustrates the dharma of the ideal woman and wife. Hanuman, the divine monkey, exhibits the dharma of a devoted servant in the way he serves Rama. The evil Ravana, the villain, is the very personification of adharma as he kidnaps Sita and tries to usurp Rama's kingdom. In the end adharma destroys Ravana. In the Mahabharata, a great war takes place as dharma and adharma collide in a cosmic struggle over good and evil. In the end, good triumphs over evil. Dharma always rules over adharma. This is the way of the universe.

What Is Karma?

What Is Karma?                             

The Law of Cause & Effect                                 

By Subhamoy Das

The self-controlled person, moving among objects, with his senses free from attachment and malevolence and brought under his own control, attains tranquility.
~ Bhagavad Gita II.64

The law of cause and effect forms an integral part of Hindu philosophy. This law is termed as 'karma', which means to 'act'. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English defines it as the "sum of person's actions in one of his successive states of existence, viewed as deciding his fate for the next". In Sanskrit karma means "volitional action that is undertaken deliberately or knowingly". This also dovetails self-determination and a strong will power to abstain from inactivity. Karma is the differentia that characterizes human beings and distinguishes him from other creatures of the world.

The Natural Law

The theory of karma harps on the Newtonian principle that every action produces an equal and opposite reaction. Every time we think or do something, we create a cause, which in time will bear its corresponding effects. And this cyclical cause and effect generates the concepts of samsara (or the world) and birth and reincarnation. It is the personality of a human being or the jivatman - with its positive and negative actions -that causes karma.

Karma could be both the activities of the body or the mind, irrespective of the consideration whether the performance brings fruition immediately or at a later stage. However, the involuntary or the reflex actions of the body cannot be called karma.

Your Karma Is Your Own Doing

Every person is responsible for his or her acts and thoughts, so each person's karma is entirely his or her own. Occidentals see the operation of karma as fatalistic. But that is far from true since it is in the hands of an individual to shape his own future by schooling his present.

Hindu philosophy, which believes in life after death, holds the doctrine that if the karma of an individual is good enough, the next birth will be rewarding, and if not, the person may actually devolve and degenerate into a lower life form. In order to achieve good karma it is important to live life according to dharma or what is right.

Three Kinds of Karma

According to the ways of life chosen by a person, his karma can be classified into three kinds. The satvik karma, which is without attachment, selfless and for the benefit of others; the rajasik karma, which is selfish where the focus is on gains for oneself; and the tamasik karma, which is undertaken without heed to consequences, and is supremely selfish and savage.

In this context Dr. D N Singh in his A Study of Hinduism, quotes Mahatma Gandhi's lucid differentiation between the three. According to Gandhi, the tamasik works in a mechanic fashion, the rajasik drives too many horses, is restless and always doing something or other, and the satvik works with peace in mind.

Swami Sivananda, of the Divine Life Society, Rishikesh classifies karma into three kinds on the basis of action and reaction: Prarabdha (so much of past actions as has given rise to the present birth), Sanchita (the balance of past actions that will give rise to future births - the storehouse of accumulated actions), Agami or Kriyamana (acts being done in the present life).

The Discipline of Unattached Action

According to the scriptures, the discipline of unattached action (Nishkâma Karma) can lead to salvation of the soul. So they recommend that one should remain detached while carrying out his duties in life. As Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita: "To the man thinking about the objects (of the senses) arises attachment towards them; from attachment, arises longing; and from longing arises anger. From anger comes delusion; and from delusion loss of memory; from loss of memory, the ruin of discrimination; and on the ruin of discrimination, he perishes".

Yoga and Mental Health

Yoga and Mental Health                      

Those practicing yoga experiences a number of factors that results in a profound effect on their mental health. These can be classified under:

reduction of tension and
restoration of pliability.
"personal" and
"social."

1. Reduction Of Tension

Many people who practice yoga speak of "freeing the mind from mental disturbances," "calming the spirit," or "steadying the mind." Reduction of nervousness, irritability and confusion, depression and mental fatigue are some of the benefits experienced. One experiences a relief from the pressure of his "compulsions." His nervousness, especially any jitteriness, should subside or disappear.

The extent to which these benefits may be expected will depend in part upon whether or not one can approach and participate in them willingly and wholeheartedly; for one who tries to practice postures with anxiety cripples his chances for very much benefit.

2. Restoration Of Pliability

"The positive side of the benefits from a full round of yogic exercises may be described as renewal of mental agility. Both mood and capacity for alertness, attentiveness and willingness to tackle problems revive. One may not be able to rekindle boundless enthusiasm late in a working day; early morning, or even noonday, efforts to recharge mental energies can revive a full measure of willingness. Traditional phrases, such as restored "spiritual vitality," intend to convey the complex idea of mental spryness, agreeableness, resiliency, and feelings of confidence and self-sufficiency. Some even testify to attaining feelings of buoyancy and euphoria; these then provide a background or mood of well-being and assurance such that one naturally more fully enjoys both his ability and the worthiness of being more tolerant and generous."
Archie Bahm, ‘Executive Yoga’

3. Personal Values

a. Avoidance of fear: Yoga is said to result in the reduction of a variety of mental ills. These may range all the way from vague feelings of frustration, persecution, insecurity, on the one hand, to acute and specific types of insanity, on the other.

Yoga is not a cure all for all conditions. But its attack upon, and diminution of, some basic mental ills may indeed be just enough to pay dividends that grow in magnitude.

If, through use of yogic techniques, we can merely halt and reverse some mental cancer, some compulsive complex that keeps us chained to unrelenting, omnipresent and gradually increasing anxiety, we may reset a course which will bring us around to a healthier adjustment. We are all at times insane. We are all, in some degree, insane. Overwhelming waves of tension and stress, which may catch us in periods of physical and mental exhaustion, can produce a spiritual explosion which leaves us so helpless that we are at a loss to know how it all came about.

By recurrent, regular efforts to reduce tension through yogic exercises, we may stay and finally reverse our tendencies toward insanity.

Most of us succumbs to fears and anxieties – some valid and some purely imaginary. For example, as one gets older, he begins to fear that his life has not been sufficiently worth while, that he has fallen short of his goals, that he has failed to attain his proper ambition, that he has lost out in the race to keep up with the Joneses or in his attempt to measure up "in the sight of God"-however he happens to conceive his shortcoming.

Thus, when Ramacharaka, in his ‘Hindu-Yogi Science of Breath’, says one may, by controlled breathing, "practically do away with fear and worry and the baser emotions," he refers to the growing ability of a devoted practitioner to diminish the power which both momentary and permanent fears have over us. One seeks to develop habits of resistance to the disturbing effects of excitement, ambition, antagonism and frustration.

The long-range goal of yoga is not just momentary relaxation, but the living of a relaxed life.

b. Acceptance of Faith in Life.

The goal of yoga is confident living. Its aim is to replace pessimism and its varieties such as cynicism with a "Yea-saying" appreciation of life, not only on any given day, but as a gracious, wonderful whole. When you achieve the yogic spirit, then you can say with the Stoics, "I accept the universe."

If you cannot accept all of it, because some problems remain unavoidably troublesome, then you will accept the troubles which you have as (1) yours and (2) enough for you, without wishing you had still more troubles.

Poise, serenity, contentedness, patience, assurance-all of these are positive mental values attainable by anyone who has achieved a willingness to be at peace with himself and the world. The confidence desired is not just enough to do the day's work but enough to live one's whole life and one can do his day's work more confidently if he has already predisposed himself to living his life with trustful serenity.

Thus a person seeks through yoga not merely momentary mental agility, but an agile life; not just momentary pliability, but a continuingly pliable existence; not just momentary relief from disturbance, but a permanently peaceful perspective.

Although not everyone who undertakes to experiment with yoga can expect to achieve or maintain the goal described by Shri Yogendra, Yoga: Personal Hygiene, as "exuberant and exultant health, he should notice the sun more often when it shines. Swami Sivananda pictures the goal as "ecstatic joy" (Yoga Asanas).

4. Social Values

a. Yoga may reduce your annoyance with others and others' annoyance with you. If you become less irritable, you tend to irritate others less and tend to be less irritated by what others do when they present themselves as problems to you.

Your obdurate, demanding, insistent, morose attitudes can make you hard to get along with. Diminution of these should make you less difficult to deal with. The social effects-upon your colleagues and clients, superiors and inferiors, to say nothing of family, public officers and service specialists-could be overwhelming.

b. You tend to be easier to get along with and you tend to find others easier to get along with.

Or, if your personal improvement grows beyond mere contentment, to exuberant appreciation, you may find both more people liking you and you liking more people. You become more adaptable, reliable, steady, alert, responsive, ever-ready, patient, gentle and humane.

When this happens, you become recognized as a more desirable person to deal with.

If you develop a buoyant spirit, you will find that buoyancy is catching.

Others, seeing you as cheery, tend to respond in kind, reacting more cheerily to you.

Yoga and Beauty

Beauty of figure, graceful carriage, melodious voice, glowing face and charming smile have all been mentioned as possible rewards of yogic practice.

Swami Sivananda says that "By practicing the Asanas regularly, men and women will acquire a figure which will enhance their beauty and that suppleness which gives them charm and elegance in every movement," and "be endowed with a peculiar glow in his face and eyes and a peculiar charm in his smile".

Yoga and Pride

Pride, and especially anxiety about pride, is something which hatha yoga seeks to diminish or eliminate. We are not advocating pride, but some will choose to consider pride a value anyway. To one who has been dejected because he cannot do his work properly when he becomes tired, irritable, or haggard, any degree of refreshment may be accompanied by additional degrees of self-respect. Furthermore, one who has benefited from yoga may be moved to help his friends who are obviously in need; he may instruct others and be rewarded with appreciation due a gracious teacher.

But if one succeeds in achieving skill which provides health and self-confidence, one may justly raise his self-esteem simply by observing himself living the improved results as an achieved fact.

Yoga and Knowledge

Readers of treatises on yoga soon become familiar with a recurrent refrain. Yogic theory and practice lead to increased self-knowledge. Although many of these treatises extend the meaning of yoga beyond hatha yoga the values of self-knowledge indicated are intended to include those derivable from using breathing and posture exercises for attaining and maintaining health, physical and mental, and relaxation. The knowledge is not merely that of the practical kind relating to techniques, but especially of a spiritual sort pertaining to grasping something about the nature of the self at rest.

Knowing the self at rest, at peace, as a being rather than merely as an agent or doer, is a genuine kind of knowledge which usually gets lost in the rush of activities and push of desires. The value of discovering one's self and of enjoying one's self as it is, rather than as it is going to be, is indeed a value as well as a kind of knowledge.

Yoga and Wealth

About the last thing one should expect from yoga is wealth. Yet, when certain facts are pointed out, it becomes obvious that here is a value not to be overlooked.

First of all, as Swami Sivananda argues, "Health is wealth.... If you do not possess good health you cannot prosper in any walk of life" (Yogic Home Exercises). As we can see from the factors listed under Physical Health and Mental Health, yoga does affect our ability to deal with the problems in our businesses and professions. Many factors affecting our day-to-day and long-range; capacities for achieving business and professional goals may be influenced by yogic endeavors. One can hardly calculate results, but still can easily sense the significance of improved health for business success.

Not only may one acquire more financially from good health, but he need spend less upon measures to alleviate illness. By reducing anxiety and desirousness, yoga tends to diminish our desires and the expenditures we make trying to satisfy those desires. A person who achieves peace with himself, even if only part of the time, has less motive for spending money to win the battle for satisfaction of his cravings. Yoga is less expensive than most other methods of attaining and maintaining health and relaxation.

Yoga For Insomnia

Yoga will benefit your sleep in three ways:

The quality of your steep will improve because of yoga's beneficial effect on the nervous system, and in particular the brain. This results from certain yoga asanas increasing the blood supply to the steep center in the brain, which has the effect of normalizing the steep cycle.
You will need less sleep because of the improved quality of your sleep, and because yoga increases the elimination of toxins from the body. On average, for every minute you put into yoga you will need one minute less sleep. This makes yoga an excellent time investment.
You will fall asleep in a shorter time. This is mainly because the body and mind are more relaxed.
Yoga will make you fall asleep sooner and improve the quality of your sleep so that you need less. You will have a more restful sleep because of the relaxing aspect of yoga and the subsequent relieving of stress, tension and fatigue.

Anti-ageing Properties of Yoga: Remain Young Forever!

Anti-ageing Properties of Yoga:

According to yoga philosophy, it's the flexibility of the spine, not the number of years, that determines a person's age. Yoga slows down the aging process by giving elasticity to the spine, firming up the skin, removing tension from the body, strengthening the abdominal muscles, eliminating the possibility of a double chin, improving the tone of flabby arm muscles, correcting poor posture, preventing dowager's hump and so on. Yoga lets you trade in characteristics of old age for characteristics of youth.

Yoga is dynamite to make you feel younger with heightened mental prowness. Longer life often result from following yogic ways of health maintenance. When both external dangers and internal diseases and habits leading to degeneration have been removed, one naturally lives longer.

Swami Nikhilananda wrote in ‘Vivekananda: The Yogas and Other Works’, as follows: "The result of hatha yoga is simply to make men live long. Health is the chief idea, the one goal of hatha yoga. He is determined not to fall sick, and he never does. He lives long. A hundred years is nothing for him; but he is quite young and fresh when he is one hundred and fifty, without one hair turned gray."

The following are some of the anti-ageing effects of yoga, according to Dr. Paul Galbraith, author of ‘Reversing Ageing’:

1) Live longer. Yoga affects all the important determinants of a long life: the brain, glands, spine and internal organs.

2) Increased resistance to disease. Yoga produces a healthy strong body with increased immunity against disease. This increased resistance extends from the common cold to serious diseases like cancer.

3)Increased vitality due to yoga's effect on the brain and glands.

4) Rejuvenation of the glands. Yoga has a marked effect on the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal and sex glands. This produces a feeling of well-being, prevents premature ageing and extends sexual virility well into old age.

5) Look and feel younger. Yoga reduces facial wrinkles and produces a natural 'face-lift'. This is mainly due to the inverted postures. By doing the inverted postures for a few minutes each day, we reverse the effect of gravity and use it to our advantage. The result is firmer facial muscles, which cause a reduction in wrinkles, and a natural face-lift.

The inverted yoga postures often convert gray hair back to its natural color and they will certainly delay the onset of gray hair. This is due to the inverted postures causing an increase in blood supply to the hair follicles in the scalp. Also, the increased flexibility of the neck produced by the asanas removes pressure on the blood vessels and nerves in the neck, causing an even greater blood supply to the scalp. The release of pressure on the nerves in the neck also causes the scalp muscles to relax, since the nerves in the neck supply the scalp muscles. This means that the hair follicles are better nourished and thicker healthier hair is the result.

Yoga will take years from your face and add years to your life. As you get older, you will take on an ageless appearance.

6) Vision and hearing improve. Normal vision and hearing depend to a large extent on the eyes and ears receiving a good nerve and blood supply. The nerves and blood vessels which supply the eyes and ears have to pass through the neck. As we get older, the neck becomes less flexible, like the rest of the spine, and there is a tendency for nerves and blood vessels to be encroached upon as they travel through the neck. This impairs the nerve and blood supply to the eyes and ears, affecting their function. Yoga postures and yoga neck exercises improve the condition of the neck, resulting in better eyesight and improved hearing.

7) Mental/emotional benefits. Because of yoga's rejuvenation effects on the glands and nervous system,     including the brain, yoga results in a positive mental/emotional state. It will help you to feel more confident, enthusiastic and generally optimistic. You will also become more creative in your everyday life.

As you start to feet and took better and unfold more of your full potential, these positive mental and emotional states occur as a consequence.

Within a few weeks you will feel calmer and have better concentration. Within a few months, rejuvenation of the organs will start to occur.

You will take years from your face and add years to your life. As you get older, you will take on an ageless appearance.

Benefits of Yoga l

Yoga’s primary emphasis is upon general well-being. Although yoga has been shown to be beneficial in a variety of conditions, it is not considered a therapy for specific illnesses. Rather, yoga employs a broad holistic approach that focuses on teaching people a new lifestyle, way of thinking, and way of being in the world. In the process, however, it is also found to bring a myriad of healing effects. By attending to practices for improving, regaining or retaining general good health, a person is likely to find that some of his more specific difficulties tend to disappear. Many of the healing effects of yoga is clinically verified. However, one of the most important benefit of yoga is its application in relieving stress, fatigue, invigoration and vitality and its anti-aging properties and its application for relaxation therapy.

According to Swami Sivananda, the benefits of pranayama (yogic breathing practices) include: "The body becomes strong and healthy. Too much fat is reduced. There is luster in the face. Eyes sparkle like diamonds. The practitioner becomes very handsome. Voice becomes sweet and melodious"

Indra Devi, author of many books on yoga suggests that with yoga: "You will be able to enjoy better sleep, a happier disposition, a clearer and calmer mind. You will learn how to build up your health and protect yourself against colds, fevers, constipation, headaches, fatigue, and other troubles. You will know what to do in order to remain youthful, vital and alert, regardless of your calendar-age; how to lose or gain weight; how to get rid of premature wrinkles, and keep a smooth skin and clear complexion."

Self-Awareness

Yoga also strives to increase self-awareness on both a physical and psychological level. This allows people to take early collective action, such as adjusting posture, when discomfort is first noticed.

Patients who study yoga learn to induce relaxation and then can use the technique whenever pain appears. Practicing yoga can provide chronic pain sufferers with useful tools to actively cope with their pain and help counter feelings of helplessness and depression.

Mental Performance

A common technique used in yoga is breathing through one nostril at a time. Electroencephalogram (EEG) studies of the electrical impulses of the brain have shown dial breathing through one nostril results in increased activity on the opposite side of the brain. Some experts suggest that the regular practice of breathing through one nostril may help improve communication between the right and left side of the brain.

Other studies show this increased brain activity is associated with better performance and suggest that yoga can enhance cognitive performance. For example, a study of 23 men found that breathing through one nostril resulted in better performance of tasks associated with the opposite side of the brain.

Mood Change And Vitality

Mental health and physical energy are difficult to quantify, but virtually everyone who participates in yoga over a period of time reports a positive effect on outlook and energy level. A British study of 71 healthy volunteers aged 21 to 76 found that a 30minute program of yogic stretching and breathing exercises was simple to learn and resulted in a "markedly invigorating" effect on perceptions of both mental and physical energy and improved mood.

The study compared relaxation, Visualization and yoga. It found that the yoga group had a significantly greater increase in perceptions of mental and physical energy and feelings of alertness and enthusiasm than the other groups. Relaxation was found to make people more sleepy and sluggish after a session, and visualization made them more sluggish and less content than those in the yoga group

Benefits of Yoga II

Specific health benefits you can expect to enjoy from doing yoga regularly.

Physical Benefits

Flexibility: Stretching your tight body in new ways will help it to become more flexible, bringing greater range of motion to muscles and joints. Over time, you can expect to gain flexibility in your hamstrings, back, shoulders, and hips.

Strength: Many yoga poses require you to support the weight of your own body in new ways, including balancing on one leg (such as in Tree Pose) or supporting yourself with your arms (such as in Downward Facing Dog). Some exercises require you to move slowly in and out of poses, which also increases strength.

Muscle tone: As a by-product of getting stronger, you can expect to see increased muscle tone. Yoga helps shape long, lean muscles.

Pain Prevention: Increased flexibility and strength can help prevent the causes of some types of back pain. Many people who suffer from back pain spend a lot of time sitting at a computer or driving a car. That can cause tightness and spinal compression, which you can begin to address with yoga. Yoga also improves your alignment, both in and out of class, which helps prevent many other types of pain.

Better Breathing: Most of us breathe very shallowly into the lungs and don't give much thought to how we breathe. Yoga breathing exercises, called Pranayama, focus the attention on the breath and teach us how to better use our lungs, which benefits the entire body. Certain types of breath can also help clear the nasal passages and even calm the central nervous system, which has both physical and mental benefits.

Mental Benefits

Mental Calmness: Yoga asana practice is intensely physical. Concentrating so intently on what your body is doing has the effect of bringing a calmness to the mind. Yoga also introduces you to meditation techniques, such as watching how you breathe and disengagement from your thoughts, which help calm the mind.

Stress Reduction: Physical activity is good for relieving stress, and this is particularly true of yoga. Because of the concentration required, your daily troubles, both large and small, seem to melt away during the time you are doing yoga. This provides a much-needed break from your stressors, as well as helping put things into perspective. The emphasis yoga places on being in the moment can also help relieve stress, as you learn not to dwell on past events or anticipate the future. You will leave a yoga class feeling less stressed than when you started. Read more about yoga for stress management here.

Body Awareness: Doing yoga will give you an increased awareness of your own body. You are often called upon to make small, subtle movements to improve your alignment. Over time, this will increase your level of comfort in your own body. This can lead to improved posture and greater self-confidence.