Astaunga
Yoga: Eight Steps to Perfection
by Dada Vedaprajinananda
The goal of Tantra is complete happiness and the
method for attaining it lies in the full development of mind and
body. Although this perfection of mind and body can be slowly achieved
through natural means there is also a well-defined method for more
rapid self-development. There are eight parts of this practice and
since its goal is union (yoga) with the Cosmic Consciousness, it
is also known as Astaunga yoga, or eight-limbed yoga.
The first two steps are Yama and Niyama, which are moral guidelines
for human development. The idea of morality here is that by controlling
our behavior we can achieve a higher state of being. The idea is
not simply to follow a rule for the sake of following a rule. Rather
the object is to attain perfection of the mind. When this state
is attained then there will be no question of "rules"
because the desire to do something which is detrimental to the welfare
of our self or another person will no longer be present in the mind,
which is in a state of perfect equilibrium. Yama means "that
which controls", and the practice of Yama means to control
actions related to the external world. In his book A Guide to Human
Conduct, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti has clearly explained the different
aspects of Yama and Niyama, giving an interpretation that is clear
and also practical for people in the 20th century. Here we will
briefly review the five parts of Yama and the five parts of Niyama,
but for a fuller explanation one should read A Guide to Human
Conduct.
The first principle of Yama is Ahimsa. Ahimsa means not to do harm
to others in thought, word and actions. To the best of our capacity
we should never inflict injury on another living being. This principle
is sometimes interpreted to mean complete non-violence, but if carried
to an extreme it becomes very impractical. For example each time
we breathe there are microbes which we inhale and kill! To solve
this dilemma Anandamurti gives suggestions, saying that in selecting
our diet we should choose the food where consciousness is less developed
before killing highly developed creatures. Another problem is the
question of self defense. Here Anandamurti says that to defend oneself
against an aggressor or against an anti-social person is justifiable.
Even if you use force, your intention is to save and protect life,
not to cause pain or block the mental, physical or spiritual progress
of that person.
The second principle of Yama is called Satya. The definition of
Satya is "action of mind and the use of speech in the spirit
of welfare". It means to tell the truth and act in a straightforward
and honest way which will promote the welfare of all. In cases where
telling the exact truth will harm others, then Satya means to say
what is best for the welfare of others rather than to tell the exact
facts. Adherence to Satya brings about tremendous strength of mind
and is extremely important for spiritual success.
The third principle is Asteya. Asteya means not to take possession
of things which belong to others. This means not to commit actual
theft. Also stealing should not be done mentally. Those who want
to steal but who refrain from doing so out of fear of being caught
are 'mentally' stealing. Asteya means to refrain from both mental
and physical stealing.
The fourth principle is Brahmacarya and it means to remain attached
to Brahma (the Cosmic Consciousness) by treating all beings and
things as an expression of the Cosmic Consciousness. The mind takes
the shape of the object of our thought. If we are thinking in a
materialistic manner, seeing all things only as material objects,
then the mind will gradually become dull. If we can perform all
actions remembering that everything in this world is actually the
Cosmic Consciousness in a transformed state, then the mind will
move towards a state of oneness with the Cosmic Consciousness. In
some books Brahmacarya has been described as sexual abstinence.
This definition was put forward in the middle ages by priests who
wanted to attain supremacy over ordinary family people.
The fifth part of Yama is Aparigraha and it means not to hoard wealth
which is superfluous to our actual needs. It means to live a simple
life with only as much physical wealth as is actually necessary.
This amount is variable according to time, place, and person. It
is an important principle in both individual and collective life,
because if one person or one nation hoards wealth, it may result
in starvation and misery for other people. It is an important part
of spiritual practice, because if one is always preoccupied with
physical objects, then he or she can not think about the Cosmic
Consciousness.
The second major part of Astaunga Yoga is called Niyama. Niyama
means self-regulation. Without self-regulation, it is impossible
to attain higher states of consciousness.
The first principle of Niyama is Shaoca. Shaoca means Purity of
mind and body. It includes cleanliness of one's external world such
as the body, clothing and environment, as well as the internal world
of the mind. External cleanliness can be achieved by regular cleaning
of the body and the environment, while internal purity of mind can
be attained by auto-suggestion. That is, one must substitute a good
thought in place of a destructive thought. For example, if one feels
greedy, one should think about and then perform a generous action.
The second part of Niyama is Santosa. It means to maintain a state
of mental ease. When the mind hungers for something it is in a state
of uneasiness. Upon satisfying that desire, the moment of relief
and ease which the mind gets is called tosa in Sanskrit. Those people
who are easily satisfied and can maintain a state of contentment
are following Santosa. The achievement of Santosa is linked with
Aparighraha (mentioned previously).
The third principle of Niyama is Tapah. It means to undergo hardship
on the path of personal and collective development. An act which
is done in the spirit of service helping others without expecting
anything in return is considered to be Tapah. The service should
be rendered to people who really need help. If you undergo suffering
to feed a rich person it is not a very useful service. In the past
some spiritual aspirants practiced self-inflicted hardships and
austerities (like walking on fire) but such austerities do not provide
benefits to the aspirant, to the society or to Cosmic Consciousness,
so they have no importance in spiritual advancement.
The fourth principle is Svadhyaya. It means having a clear understanding
of a spiritual subject. One should read and assimilate the meaning
of great books and scriptures written by spiritually advanced people.
Mere reading without understanding is not Svadhyaya. The importance
of Svadhyaya is that it gives one contact with great personalities
and inspires one to continue on the path of self-realization.
The fifth part of Niyama is Iishvara Pranidhana. It means to make
the Cosmic Consciousness the goal of your life. This is done through
a process of meditation in which the meditator thinks only of one
thought, the Cosmic Consciousness. As previously explained, in Tantric
meditation the meditator repeats a mantra which reminds him or her
of his or her relationship with the Cosmic Consciousness. Part of
this meditation process also includes steps where the mind is detached
from other objects and is focused on the Cosmic Consciousness.
The third limb of Astaunga Yoga is Asana. An asana is a posture
which is comfortably held. It is the most well-known part of yoga,
but it is often misunderstood as well. Asanas are not normal exercises
such as calisthenics or gymnastics. Asanas are special exercises
which have specific effects on the endocrine glands, joints, muscles,
ligaments and nerves.
Thousands of years ago sages used to observe the animals of the
forest. They noticed that each animal had certain qualities and
that the animals often assumed different poses. By imitating these
poses they began to notice important effects on the human body.
For example, the peacock is a bird with a powerful digestive system
capable of digesting even a poisonous snake. The ancient sages developed
a posture for humans, imitating that of the peacock, which strengthens
the human digestive system. Other postures were also developed which
exercise other organs and glands. The ancient sages developed thousands
of postures. However, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti has selected around
forty which are useful to help one's spiritual Progress as well
as to cure and prevent different diseases.
The most important effect of asanas is on the endocrine glands which
secrete hormones directly into the blood stream. The endocrine glands
include the pancreas, thymus, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenals and
reproductive glands (testes and ovaries). If the secretion of any
gland is too much or too little, then there will be a malfunctioning
in the body. For example, if the thyroid gland, located in the throat,
secretes too much fluid, a person will become thin. If the gland
secrete too little fluid the person will become very fat. The reason
is that thyroxin, the hormone secreted by this gland, regulates
metabolism or the rate in which the body converts food into energy.
Asanas can correct the malfunctioning of the thyroid and other glands
by putting pressure on the gland, which in effect massages the gland
and regulates the amount of blood flowing to that gland.
Asanas also help to keep the spinal cord flexible which is important
in retarding the effects of aging on the body As people grow older
the spinal column usually becomes rigid. Proper performance of asanas
can prevent this process.
Another important effect of asanas is that they help various organs
of the body to function properly. For example there are several
asanas which massage the stomach and intestines and the organs involved
in the digestion of and the elimination of wastes. Problems such
as indigestion, constipation, gastric ulcer, liver malfunction,
etc. can be checked and corrected by performing certain asanas in
combination with a proper diet.
According to Ananda Marga yoga, yoga postures should be selected
for the student by a teacher who is able to prescribe the asanas
needed by that individual. Although there are numerous asanas, everyone
has a different physical structure with different strengths and
weaknesses, so certain asanas may be more suited to one person than
to another. In choosing the asanas, the yoga teacher (acharya) will
also consider the effect of the asanas on the subtle nervous centers
of the body – the cakras. There are two subtle nerves running up
the trunk of the body crisscrossing each other five times at the
spinal column. Where these nerves cross are centers of psychic energy
known as cakras (or chakras). These cakras are not anatomical organs
but they control the functioning of the various organs in the region
adjacent to the cakra. Thus a person suffering from respiratory
problems will need asanas which strengthen the cakra at the center
of the chest. To overcome digestive problems, asanas which exercise
the cakra at the navel region will be required. The diagram below
shows the location of the cakras and the organs and basic factors
which they control. Tantric philosophy explains that the world is
composed of five funndamentals factors: etherial, aerial, luminous,
liquid, and solid. The human body is composed of these factors and
the cakras control these factors.
In addition to helping to bring about physical well-being the asanas
have an important effect on the mind. when glandular functions are
well balanced this contributes to mental balance. Also, by strengthening
the psychic centers the asanas help control the mental propensities
(vrttis) controlled by these centers. These fifty mental propensities
are distributed in the six lower cakras.
The fourth component of Astaunga Yoga is Pranayama or control of
vital energy. Pranayama is a well-known practice of yoga, but the
principle upon which this practice is based is less well known and
deserves explanation here.
Tantra defines life as the parallelism of physical an mental waves
in proper coordination with vital energies. The vital energies are
known as Vayus or "winds". There are ten vayus in the
human body which are responsible for the moving activities including
respiration, circulation of the blood excretion of wastes, movement
of limbs; etc. The controlling point of all these vayus is an organ
known as Pranendriya. (The Pranendriya, like the cakras, is not
an anatomical organ.) This Pranendriya also has the function of
linking the various sensory organs with a point in the brain. The
Pranendriya is located in the center of the chest and it pulsates
in synchronization with the process of respiration. when there is
a rapid pulsation of the breath and also of the pranendriya it is
more difficult for the mind to link up with sensory perceptions.
For example if you run a race of 1000 meters you cannot immediately
eat something and recognize the flavor of what you have eaten due
to the rapid breathing and disturbed functioning of the pranendriya.
During rapid breathing it also becomes more difficult to concentrate
the mind.
In pranayama there is a special process of breathing in which the
pulsation of the Pranendriya becomes still and the mind becomes
very calm. This helps meditation greatly. Pranayama also readjusts
the balance of vital energy in the body. Pranayama is a complicated
practice and can be dangerous if not taught and guided by a competent
teacher. The practitioner of pranayama must maintain a spiritual
thought in the mind while doing the exercise – if not, his or her
mind may focus on a negative propensity (such as anger for example)
and the mind will become degraded rather than elevated. It is also
important to know in which part of the body the vital energy should
be concentrated. Because of these complexities Pranayama is usually
taught following a preparatory period in which the student becomes
familiar with the basic meditation process and other practices.
In the system of Ananda Marga yoga evolved by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti,
Pranayama is the fourth lesson in a series of six lessons of meditation
techniques taught individually to students as they become ready
for successive lessons.
The fifth limb of Astaunga Yoga is know as Pratyahara which means
to withdraw the mind from its attachment to external objects. In
Tantra the repetition of mantra is preceded by a process in which
the meditator retracts his or her mind to one point. The stories
of yogis who are so deep in meditation that they cannot even feel
pins which are being stuck into their bodies are examples of the
efficacy of this practice. However, it is not an easy matter to
arrive at such a state of sensory withdrawal. Progressively, after
constant and regular practice, a beginning meditator can gain more
success in this process.
Another part of Pratyahara is called "the offering of colors."
Each vibration in the universe has a color associated with it, and
for every object of the mind, there is an associated vibration and
color. During meditation one's mind may be occupied with different
objects. At the end of meditation, the meditator visualizes and
symbolically offers to the Supreme Consciousness the colors associated
with the thoughts which have disturbed the mind during meditation.
Through this process the mind becomes detached from these thoughts
and objects. This lesson of offering the colors is taught as part
of the second stage of individual instruction in the Ananda Marga
system of Tantra Yoga.
The sixth part of Astaunga Yoga is Dharana. Dharana means the concentration
of the mind at a specific point. In the basic lesson of Tantric
meditation the aspirant brings his or her mind to a specific cakra
which is his or her spiritual and psychic nucleus. This point (called
the Ista Cakra) varies from person to person and is indicated by
the teacher of meditation at the time of initiation. When the mind
is well concentrated on the point, then the process of repeating
the mantra begins. If the concentration is lost, the aspirant must
again bring his or her mind back to the point of concentration.
This practice of bringing one's mind to the point of concentration
is a form of Dharana.
In addition to this Dharana found in the first lesson of meditation,
there is another form of Dharana known as Tattva Dharana in which
the aspirant concentrates on the cakras and the specific factors
controlled by the cakras. This lesson is important because it helps
the meditator to gain control over the mental propensities governed
by that cakra as well as to increase the concentration powers of
the mind which is especially valuable in the other lessons of meditation.
Tattva Dharana also has the effect of loosening the pressure of
the ida and pingala nerves on the susumna nerve. When this pressure
is loosened, then the spiritual energy Kulakundalinii) can flow
more easily upward. Tattva Dharana is taught as the third lesson
of this series of Tantra Yoga.
When someone has gained skill in Dharana, he or she can then learn
the seventh limb of Astaunga Yoga which is Dhyana. In this process,
the mind is first brought to a particular cakra and then is directed
in an unbroken flow towards the Supreme Consciousness. This flow
continues until the mind becomes completely absorbed in the Supreme
Consciousness. This process is difficult and is only given after
the aspirant has practiced all the preceding steps, particularly
Dharana.
There are different forms of dhyana and through the study of Dhyana
we can understand the relationship of Tantra with other spiritual
traditions. When Tantric teachers from India first brought this
form of meditation to China it became known as Chan, and when Chan
was brought to Japan via Korea, it finally became known as Zen.
Although there are important differences between contemporary Zen
meditation and the Dhyana as practiced by the Tantric masters in
India, the root teaching was the same. Dhyana helps to perfect the
most subtle layer of the mind and leads the person to the final
step of Astaunga Yoga which is samadhi.
Samadhi is not like the other seven steps in that it is not a particular
method or practice, rather it is the result of practicing the other
parts of Astaunga Yoga. It is the absorption of mind in the Supreme
Consciousness. There are two principal forms of samadhi, nirvikalpa
and savikalpa. Savikalpa is a trance of absorption with distortion
or qualification. In savikalpa samadhi the person has the feeling
that "I am the Supreme Consciousness", but in nirvikalpa
samadhi there is no longer a feeling of "I". The individual
consciousness is totally merged in the Cosmic Consciousness.
Those who experience this state are not able to explain or describe
it because it occurs when the mind has ceased to function. The only
way they can even know that they experienced this state is after
the mind leaves this trance of absorption. Then they experience
waves of extreme happiness and can assume that they were in the
state of nirvikalpa samadhi. The attainment of samadhi comes after
long practice in this life, or as a result of much practice in a
previous life or through the grace of the Guru. It is the culminating
point in millions of years of development from lower forms of life
to humanhood and finally to merger with the source of all being.
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