Encountering the Brahma Kumaris, and "Raja Yoga."

By Robert Searle






My first encounter with Indian mysticism proper was with the devotees of Brahma Kumaris. They teach a system referred to as Raja Yoga, but it is not the same as the Patanjali version which they would probably regard as being a later corruption. Anyway, I first discoverd the BKs back in 1980, or thereabouts. I saw an add in the local rag claiming that someone was teaching hypnosis, or something very much like it. I got into contact with the advertiser who happened to be a certain Brother Julius Larsen. He was a pleasant enough person, and seemed more interested in making me aware of the BKs. I had to confess this supplanted my initial interest in discussing hypnosis. Yet, the more I learned about its philosophy the more doubts it engendered. Ofcourse, apart from Julius the devotees were very pleasant. Unfortunately though, the former appeared to have blind faith in it altogether. It was if his critical mental faculties were totally suspended which was a shame, and this caused undue stress in his family life.
BK philosophy is fine as far as it goes...the Raja Yoga as it is propounded by them is positive, and uplifting. It uses visualization, and auto-suggestion in which one imagines oneself being a point of light at the Third Eye, and one mentally repeats that "I am a point of light"...et cetera . The aim of this is to become "bodiless", and at the same imagine being bathed in the reddish light of God, or Shiv Baba residing in the Silent Ocean of Bliss in Brahmloka. Yet, official communication from the "Supreme Being" comes in the form of "mediumistic" sourced teachings (or Murlis, meaning the flute of Krishna). Baba made the following claims to his "sweet children."


1) He has stated that God is not omnipresent, and that no guru, or incarnation is manifestation of the Supreme Power in human form

2)There are only a certain number of souls who are meant to follow Shiv Baba. They are the ones which are meant to start the Golden Age at the beginning of the so-called Five Thousand Year Cycle (made up of the Four Ages). This Cycle is repeated again,and again EXACTLY IN EVERY DETAIL. At the present time, we are living in what is called the Iron Age which is soon to come to an end. Those souls who do not follow Shiv Baba are born in in one of the Four Ages of the Five Thousand Year Cycle. This whole process is called Drama. Shiv Baba claimed that "No one can question Drama" even though it is clearly nonsensical...and the traditional Hindu Swastika sign is used in their illustrations of this "evolutionary" process.

3) The BKs believe that Sat Yuga, or the Golden Age would be a world of wonders. The life expectancy of the reborn BKs would be extremely long, and healthy. Special vimanas, or "aircraft" would be able to take them to various destinations at the speed of thought. Buildings would be built like palaces, and if one recalls rightly crystals would be used as special energy rather like electricity.

4) The BKs try not to mention anything about the above claims concerning "doomsday", and the succeeding Golden Age. This is deliberate as to not alarm newcomers into their sect. This is arguably dishonest of them.

5) Ofcourse, the BKs claim that religions are based on subconcious memories of the Golden Age when concious knowledge of the Five Thousand Year Cycle was known about but later forgotten.

6) It has been claimed that at the end (ie.doomsday)of the Iron Age (ie. our present time) the magnetic fields of the earth could be altered leading in part to repitilians suddenly growing in size, and becoming dinosaurs. This is an explanation for the prehistoric remains of such creatures! This though is not something suggested by Shiv Baba himself as far as I know...

Also, I made Brother Julius (mentioned earlier) aware of a certain section(s) in the book Treastise on Cosmic Fire by Alice Bailey which seem to predict the emergence of the Brahma Kumaris. This was something which was recognized by Benjamin Creme (a noted esotericist) when I phoned him. In Sant Mat, the reddish sky or "Brahm Element" in which Shiv Baba resides is usually associated with Kal, or Universal Mind Power which is concerned with the continuation of the physical creation.....

Siddhis................

SIDDHIS:
Supernormal Perceptual States

the Wanderling

"Buddhism teaches that after a practitioner achieves a certain degree of realization, spiritual power develops. A person at the level of an Arhat is said to possess six supernatural powers. Even so, it is understood that it is through Enlightenment that supernatural powers are manifested, rather than that supernatural powers enhance Enlightenment. Furthermore, it is acknowledged as well that supernatural powers are not attainable exclusively JUST by Buddhists and Buddhists only. It is possible for anyone who has deep religious and spiritual cultivation to develop some kind of 'super-normal powers.'"(source)

SIDDHI (Sanskrit: "accomplishment," "attainment," "perfection"). The term Siddhi is most often applied to a variety of spritual-related psychic capabilities or powers manifested by adherents in the Hindu and Buddhist realms. Through recognizing emptiness, clarity and openness of the mind, different qualities arise naturally, since they are part of mind. The Buddha, whose personal name Siddharta is based in the root-word and means "he whose aim is accomplished," distinguishes between two types:

• Normal Siddhis: all those forces of the conditioned world that transform elements.
• Extraordinary Siddhis: the ability to open beings up for the liberating and enlightening truths; to lead to Realization.

Siddhi is typically defined as "a magical or spiritual power for the control of self, others and the forces of nature." The Siddhis described by occultists and yogis are in actuality Supernormal Perceptual Statesavailable to all human beings. These are absolutely natural abilities that can be explained in highly rational terms. There is nothing mysterious or magical about the Siddhis.[1]

SUPERNORMAL PERCEPTUAL STATES:
According to the "experts" then, Siddhis are actually supernormal perceptual states. All well and good, but what the heck are supernormal perceptual states? The explanation basically just shifts the unexplained definition of Siddhis being called Siddhis to another set of words that are just as much unclear.
Simply put, what is being said is that supernormal perceptual states are states that are beyond what is typically within the purview of the normal range of perception. For example, a dog whistle. The sound of a dog whistle is beyond the range of human hearing, yet a dog can hear it. Relative to us it is a supernormal perceptual state, but NOT for the dog.
Most of us are familiar with the colors of the rainbow. Those "colors" are just a small part of a larger spectrum of light that of which, beyond the colors of the rainbow, are unavailable to most people without the use of some sort of an enhanced mechanical device.
Infrared is located just beyond the red side of the spectrum with ultraviolet appearing just beyond the violet end. Night vision devices primarily operate utlizing infrared light, enhanced through the use of lenses and such to the point that it becomes visible. Going in the same direction beyond infared are microwaves and radio waves.
Bees can see ultraviolet at the short-wavelength end of the spectrum. But, unlike humans, bees can't see red -- at the longer wavelength end of the spectrum. Red looks black to bees. X-rays, which we use machines for all the time, are beyond ultraviolet. In some cases for some people X-rays are faintly visible to the dark-adapted naked eye but it is not known what exact mechanism in the eye produces the visibility. Although some exprimental tests have born out the possibility to be true, people who do see them, because they do not fall within the normal range of vision most are conditioned for, often do not realize what they are or what they are seeing.
Before the rise of the variety of detection devices all those x-rays, microwaves and such were unknown and thus did not "exist." The thing is, they did exist all along, just super perceptual. Most people these days, even though those supernormal perceptual states are not typically perceived during their routine daily lives, would pretty much agree that they do exist. The same is true of any number of potential states beyond the normal range of most peoples experience.

THE POWER OF SIDDHIS:
The Buddha said "If a monk should frame a wish as follows: "Let me exercise the various magical powers, let me being one become multiform., let me being multiform become one, let me become visible, become invisible, go without hindrance through walls, ramparts or mountains as if through air, let me rise and sink in the ground as if in the water, let me walk on the water as if on unyielding ground, let me travel through the air like a winged bird, let me touch and feel with my hand the moon and the sun mighty and powerful though they are, and let me go without my body even up to the Brahma world," then must he be perfect in the precepts (Sila), bring his thoughts to a state of quiescence (Samadhi), practice diligently the trances (Jhana), attain to insight (Prajna) and be frequenter to lonely places."
Three quick examples of those Siddhis, seen above in bold, "let me travel through the air like a winged bird," "let me become visible, become invisible," and "let me walk on the water" can be found in:

• The power to travel in the sky (see)
• The ability to become invisible (see)
• The ability to walk on water (see)

According to the Buddha and what has come down to us in the sutras, for the powers of Siddhis to manifest themselves through any given personage to the utmost maximum, that person must be PERFECT in the precepts (Sila), bring his thoughts to a state of quiescence (Samadhi), practice diligently the trances (Jhana), attain to insight (Prajna) and be frequenter to lonely places.

• SILA
• SAMADHI
• JHANAS
• PRAJNA

However, Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Chapter IV, verse 1 states:

• "janma-osadhi-mantra-tapah-samadhi-jah siddayahsamadhi."

Which in english translates into:

• "Births, herbs, mantras and tapas can help you to attain Samadhi and its accomplishments."

One of the accomplishments of Samadhis is known to be Siddhis.

The power of Siddhis can come because of genetics (i.e., birth) (janma), from herbs (aushadhis), the use of mantras, the kindling of the psychic fire through the practicing of austerities (tapas), and/or reversely from or the gaining of Samadhis.

SIDDHIS THROUGH BIRTH:
Just like any other natural human ability, different people display differing abilities towards learning and/or spontaneously displaying Siddhis with Karma often playing a primary role. Some people are born with Siddhis that they exercise without being aware that their particular psychic gift is unusual. In such cases, it may come as a traumatic event to the individual when they learn that their ability is not common and that they are considered a misfit by other people not possessing similar abilities.

SIDDHIS THROUGH HERBS
Another means to trigger Siddhis also mentioned in Patanjali's sutra, albeit in an unexpected and uncontrolled manner, is by the use of certain drugs. For example, certain hallucinogenic drugs an herbs such as LSD, mescaline, peyote and others. However, UNLESS used under the auspices of experienced Spiritual Guidessimilar to Native American rituals that use Sacred Datura or the Mazatec Velada Ceremony they can stimulate siddhis in an uncontrolled fashion and quite possibly lead to an internal mental environment that causes great psychological trauma. Regarding potential outcomes through the use of drugs, in the opening quote ofAUSHADHIS: Awakening and the Power of Siddhis Through Herbs the following is found:

In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Chapter IV, verse 1 it is stated that the supernormal perceptual powers of Siddhis CAN be reached through the use of certain herbs, replicating on the short term a mind-strength ability and potential execution of powers similar to or equal to that of a person versed in Siddhis garnered via the highest levels of Spiritual Attainment.

SIDDHIS THROUGH MANTRAS AND AUSTERITIES:
In other cases, deep meditative methods actively develop Siddhis. In addition to birth and Karma Patanjali states the power of Siddhis can come about through the use of mantras, through the practicing of austerities and/or Samadhi, especially so Access Concentration (Samprajana Samadhi). According to occult theory, this is the rational and desirable way to go about achieving Siddhis.

Inessa King Zaleski, in Introduction to The Siddhis, writes:

"(S)iddhis are absolutely natural abilities latent in all humans. If one takes the time to learn and practice the correct yoga exercises, then it is inevitable that one will directly experience the awakening of their own siddhis. Again, there is nothing magical or mysterious going on here, and all claims put forth regarding the siddhis stand open to any type of test of their validity that anyone wishes to pose. However, those skeptical of the siddhis and who wish to challenge the claim to the existence of the siddhis must be prepared to recognize that the nature of the siddhis will not fit easily into biased misconceptions. One who experiences siddhis operates in a greater, more expanded psychological reality than one who does not and therefore the skeptic must be prepared to expand his or her understanding in an attempt to either prove or disprove the existence of the siddhis."(source)

RECORDED EXAMPLES OF SIDDHIS, Modern Day and in History:

There are many examples of siddhis throughout history, in a variety of texts and various religions, but one of the greatest observed or recorded exponents of modern day is Sri Seshadri Swamigal, the so-called "saint with the golden hand," of which, for example, the following is written:

Sri Krishnaswamy Sastri's wife was suffering from swelling of the stomach,hands and legs and vomiting of roundworm. Doctors gave up hope and they visited the Swami in Tiruvannamalai as a last resort on a horse carriage. Sri Seshadri Swamigal got into the carriage and put his leg on her swollen body and rode the carriage into the sadhu choultry and asked her to swallow some sand and apply it on her body for three days. Miraculously, she was cured of her disease completely.

Other siddhis attributed to the Swami are:

• Making rains come on the request of his devotees.
• Giving a darshan of himself to five or six devotees at different places at the same time.
• Showing devotees swargalokam(heaven) and mumurthi devas (mythological Gods in Hindu literature).
• Giving darshan as Parvathi devi(Hindu Goddess) to many devotees.

Rather than anything closly related to Siddhis, Ganapati Muni is known more for his "conversion to," and Enlightenment under, the great Indian sage Sri Ramana Maharshi. Before that however, he was a personage in his own right, known for and sometimes feared for the following:

Ganapati Muni was born as an ‘amsa’ of Dundi Ganapati, had a huge following, and was a born poet. He was a great scholar and a tapasvi with powerful Siddhis who could bring down or stop the rains! He could destroy a whole town. Once when he was harassed during his stay in the city of Nasik he cursed that the whole city should be destroyed. Soon the whole city was destroyed through the dreaded disease of plague.

The following example of siddhi was written by the British author W. Somerset Maugham and published in A Writer's Notebook. Maugham was well versed in Indian mysticism, had met the Baghavan Sri Ramana Maharshi personally, and traveled extensively in India:

In India a yogi wanted to go somewhere by train, but having no money, asked the station-master if he could go for nothing; the station-master refused, so the Yogi sat down on the platform. When it was time for the train to go it would not start. It was supposed that something was wrong with the engine, so mechanics were sent for and they did all they knew, but still the train could not go. At last the station-master told the officials of the Yogi. He was asked to get in the train and it immediately started.

The above train story sounds a lot like one of those urban legends, but, if you want to see the on recordoriginal source for it, go to Lahiri Mahasaya


The next example is also from Maugham, but comes from his novel The Razor's Edge:

An Indian Yogi came to a bank of a river; he didn't have the money to pay the ferryman to take him across and the ferryman refused to take him for nothing, so he stepped on the water and walked upon its surface to the other side. The Yogi (telling the story) shrugged his shoulders rather scornfully and said, "A miracle like that is worth no more than the penny it would have cost to go on the ferryboat.

How Maugham got that last story, where it comes from or if it is an original or a modification from some other source is not known...it is known, however the following is attributed to Gautama Buddha and found in the book "BUDDHISM: It's Essence and Development" by Edward Conze (pp 104-5):

One day the Buddha met an ascetic who sat by the bank of a river. This ascetic had practised austerities for 25 years. The Buddha asked him what he had received for all his labor. The ascetic proudly replied that, now at last, he could cross the river by walking on the water. The Buddha pointed out that this gain was insignificant for all the years of labor, since he could cross the river using a ferry for one penny!

Of course the most notable personage cited throughout history to exhibit the ability to walk on water was Jesus. What most people do not realize there are recorded instances where he exhibited the ability to fly as well. A whole section of documentation of same as well as other similar bibical events can be found by going to the link toward the top of the page titled The power to travel in the sky.

In a more up to date, modern-day account of Siddhis, in an event actually observed and experienced in real life by the Wanderling personally, the following is offered:

My very first encounter with an Obeahman occurred long before I began my apprenticeship under the Jamaican man of spells I eventually studied under. Although I had been in Jamaica for some time I had never heard of Obeah or an Obeahman until the day a Jamaican friend of mine and I were taking a trip across the island in his car. We had gone to Montego Bay along the north coast for several days and on our return trip to Kingston my friend decided it would be quicker as well as more fun if we took a short cut through some of the cane fields. We were doing about eighty miles per hour when we passed a little old man on the side of the road walking with a wooden staff and carrying a bundle over his shoulder. My Jamaican friend immediately hit the brakes and screeched to a halt telling me the old man was an Obeah and leaving him to walk so far out in the middle of nowhere would be bad luck. Since his vehicle was a small little two-door British car, to show respect due the Obeah, I got out and squeezed into the small rear seat allowing him to sit in the front. Soon we were back up to speed cruising the back roads of the cane fields at about eighty miles per hour. Then, all of a sudden the engine started to cough and sputter, eventually just dying and stopping to run altogether. We coasted to the side, my friend got out and asked me to get into the drivers seat to try and start the engine as he fiddled with stuff under the hood. Two or three times we tried and the car refused to start. The Obeah got out and went to the front of the car, and, although the hood obscured my view somewhat, I could tell he tapped the engine a couple of times with his staff. My friend asked me to try it again and immediately the engine fired up. The next morning my friend was late to work. He said after we left the Obeah off where he requested and me home, he went home. However, when he got up the next morning his car refused to start and that it acted exactly the same as it had in the cane fields. When he got it to the shop to be repaired the mechanic showed him theONLY thing he could find wrong with it. A spring in the carburetor was physically broken and with that spring broken the car could not run under any circumstances. The mechanic replaced the spring and the car started up and ran perfectly. (source)

A rather minor event in the overall scheme of things and for sure nothing like a giant locomotive and entire train being held in abeyance. However, under the auspices of the Obeahman that I eventually apprenticed under I observed and participated in any number of events that do not fit experiences typically found or allowed to transpire on the conventional plane --- including one that to have been accomplished, which it was, would have required nothing less than the warpage of time. The problem is all things must return to a balance. If you create any movement in the normal flow of events somehow somewhere there must be a return to the equalibrium. Who or what gets caught up in that rebalancing is an area of questioning.
The mysterious wandering monk Totapuri, recognized for bringing the full fruit of Awakening to Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, tells, it has been said, of the following:

There once was a great Siddha (a spiritual man possessing psychic powers) was sitting on the sea-shore when there came a great storm. The Siddha, being greatly distressed by it, exclaimed, ‘Let the storm cease!’ and his words were fulfilled. Just then a ship was going at a distance with all sails set, and as the wind suddenly died away, it capsized, drowning all who were on board the ship. Now the sin of causing the death of so many persons accrued to the Siddha, and for that reason he lost all his occult powers and had to suffer.

Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna, #118 Pitfalls

The Buddha was cognizant of the fact that there are those who devote themselves to yogic exercises only to acquire supernatural powers as well. He refined the practice by telling devotees that acquisition of supernatural powers does not confer any special spiritual advantage (Akankheyya Sutta, Vol. XI, see link below). It was for this reason that the Buddha forbade his disciples to work miracles for display. Craving for supernatural powers and taking delight therein after acquirement does not help to free one from The Three Poisons of Desire, Hatred and Ignorance. It is advised that anyone striving along the path of holiness toward final liberation guard themselves to not get caught up in it all and forget the true purpose.

The following, by Sri Swami Sivananda from his paper Satsanga and Svadhyaya, is being offered as a cautionary word of advice:

"Another great blunder people generally commit is that they judge the Enlightenment of Sadhus by the Siddhis they display. In the world generally, the common inclination is to judge the merits and ability of a Sadhu through his Siddhis. It is a blunder indeed. They should not judge the Enlightenment of a Sadhu in this way. Siddhis are by-products of concentration. Siddhis have nothing to do with Self-realization. A Sadhu may manifest Siddhis due to strong passions and intense desires, and if that be the case, he is undoubtedly a big householder only. You must believe me when I tell you that Siddhis are a great hindrance to spiritual progress, and so long as one is within the realm of Siddhis and does not try to rise above it and march onwards, there is not the least hope of God-realization for him. But, this does not mean that a person manifesting Siddhis is not a realized soul. There are several instances of such persons who have exhibited several Siddhis purely for the elevation and uplift of the world, but never for selfish motives."During the days of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa a certain Sadhu approached him and showed two Siddhis: one was that he could roam about without being seen by anybody. The other was that light emanated from portions of his body when he walked.

This man, after some time, began misusing his power, entering the apartment of a lady unseen, fell in love with her and LOST his two powers.

In the world generally, the common run of people and even educated persons judge Sadhus by their Siddhis only. It is a serious blunder and hence I seriously warn you." (source)

SEE:
THE NINE MAIN SIDDHIS
AKANKHEYYA SUTTA: Vol. XI of The Sacred Books of the East

Fundamentally, our experience as experienced is not different from the Zen master's. Where
we differ is that we place a fog, a particular kind of conceptual overlay onto that experience
and then make an emotional investment in that overlay, taking it to be "real" in and of itself.

Raja Yoga

Blogger Reference Link Blogger Reference Link

http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Multi-Dimensional_Science




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Rāja yoga ("royal yoga", "royal union", also known as classical yoga and aṣṭānga yoga) is concerned principally with the cultivation of the viewer's (ṛṣih) mind using a succession of steps, such as meditation (dhyāna, dhyana) and contemplation (samādhi, samadhi). Its object is to further one's acquaintance with reality (viveka), achieve awakening (moksha) and eventually enlightenment, kaivalya.
Rāja yoga was first described as an eightfold or eight-limbed (aṣṭānga, ashtanga) path in the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, and is part of the Samkhya tradition.^[1]
In the context of Hindu philosophy Rāja Yoga is known simply as yoga. Yoga is one of the six orthodox (āstika, existing) schools of Hindu philosophy and forms an integral part of the spiritual practices of many Hindu traditions.

Contents [hide] 1 Etymology 2 Concept 3 Practice 4 Eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga 4.1 Yama 4.2 Niyama 4.3 Asana 4.4 Prāṇāyāma 4.5 Pratyahara 4.6 Dharana 4.7 Dhyana 4.8 Samadhi 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References

[edit] Etymology

Bhagavad Gita 4.2 mentions a very ancient knowledge, a vidyā named yoga, transmitted by lineage of "rājarṣayah" rāja ṛṣi-, rishi kings. (source)
The term Rāja Yoga is possibly a retronym, introduced in the 15th-century Hatha Yoga Pradipika to distinguish the school based on the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali from the more current school of hatha yoga expounded by yogi Swatmarama.

[edit] Concept

Rāja yoga is concerned with the mind (citta) and its fluctuations (vṛttis, vortexes, variations) and how to quiet or master the mind's fluctuations. The mind is traditionally conceived as the "king", the horseman, of the psycho-physical (body) structure. Because of the relationship between the mind and the body, the body must be first "tamed" through self-discipline and purified by means such as the outer, preliminary five limbs of this eightfold yoga, by hatha yoga or other means. A good level of overall health and psychological integration must be attained before the deeper, inner aspects of yoga can be pursued. Humans have all sorts of addictions and obsessions and these preclude the attainment of tranquil abiding (meditation). Through restraint (yama) such as celibacy, abstaining from intoxicants, and careful attention to one's actions (niyama) of body, speech and mind, the human being becomes more fit to practice meditation. This yoke that one puts upon oneself (discipline) is another meaning of the word yoga.

Every thought, feeling, perception, or memory you may have causes a modification, or ripple, in the mind. It distorts and colors the mental mirror. If you can restrain the mind from forming into modifications, there will be no distortion, and you will experience your true Self.

—Swami Satchidananda

Rāja yoga is traditionally referred to as aṣṭānga (eight-limbed) yoga because there are eight aspects to the path to which one must attend.^[2]
Patañjali's Yoga Sutras begin with the statement yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ (1.2), "Yoga limits the oscillations of the mind". They go on to detail the ways in which mind can create false ideations, and advocate arduous, dedicated meditation on real objects or subjects. This process, it is said, leads to a state of quiet detachment, vairāgya, in which there is mastery over the thirst (tṛṣṇā, taṇhā) of the senses.
Practices that serve to maintain for the individual the ability to access this state may be considered rāja yoga practices. Thus rāja yoga encompasses and differentiates itself from other forms of yoga by encouraging the mind to avoid the sort of absorption in obsessional practice (including some traditional practices) that can create false mental objects.
In this sense rāja yoga is called the "king among yogas": all honest yogic practices are seen as tools in the quest to cleanse karma and obtain mokṣa, nirvāṇa or kaivalya. Historically, schools of yoga that label themselves "rāja" offer students a structure of yogic practices and a solid viewpoint on dharma.
Lord Kṛṣṇa describes the yogi as follows: "A yogi is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist, and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all circumstances be a yogi" (Bg. 6.46).

[edit] Practice

Rāja yoga aims at controlling all thought-waves or mental modifications. While a Hatha Yogi starts his sādhanā, or spiritual practice, with āsanas (postures) and prāṇāyāma, a rāja yogi starts his sādhanā with the mind as well as a certain minimum of āsana and prāṇāyāma usually included as a preparation for the meditation and concentration. In Samādhi Pada I,27 it is stated that the word of Īśvara is OM, the Praṇava. Through the sounding of the Word and through reflection upon its meaning, the Way is found.
In the Jangama dhyana technique of Rāja yoga, the yogi concentrates the mind and sight between the eyebrows. According to Patanjali, this is one method of achieving the initial concentration (dharana: Yoga Sutras, III: 1) necessary for the mind to go introverted in meditation (dhyana: Yoga Sutras, III: 2). In deeper practice of the Jangama dhyana technique, the mind concentrated between the eyebrows begins to automatically lose all location and focus on the watching itself. Eventually, the meditator experiences only the consciousness of existence and achieves Self Realization. In his classic Raja Yoga, Swami Vivekananda describes the process in the following way:

When the mind has been trained to remain fixed on a certain internal or external location, there comes to it the power of flowing in an unbroken current, as it were, towards that point. This state is called dhyana. When one has so intensified the power of dhyana as to be able to reject the external part of perception and remain meditating only on the internal part, the meaning, that state is called Samādhi.^[3]

[edit] Eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga

The eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga are:

• Yama – code of conduct, self-restraint
• Niyama – religious observances, commitments to practice, such as study and devotion
• Āsana – integration of mind and body through physical activity
• Pranayama – regulation of breath leading to integration of mind and body
• Pratyahara – abstraction of the senses, withdrawal of the senses of perception from their objects
• Dharana – concentration, one-pointedness of mind
• Dhyana – meditation (quiet activity that leads to samadhi)
• Samādhi – the quiet state of blissful awareness, superconscious(?) state. Attained when yogi constantly sees Paramatma in his (jivaatma) heart.

They are sometimes divided into the lower and the upper four limbs, the lower ones—from yama to pranayama—being parallel to the lower limbs of Hatha Yoga, while the upper ones—from pratyahara to samadhi—being specific for the rāja yoga. The upper three limbs practiced simultaneously constitute the Samyama.

[edit] Yama

Main article: Yamas

Yama (restraints) consists of five parts: Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (perceiving Brahma in everything you see Brahma: "That which contains an inexhaustible potential of creativity" Carya: " The way of living" - The way of living in Brahma's perception - wrongly interpreted as meaning sexual abstinence), and Aparigraha (non-covetousness). Ahimsa is perfect harmlessness, as well as positive love. The five directives of Yama lay down behavioral norms as prerequisites for elimination of fear, and contribute to a tranquil mind.^[4]

[edit] Niyama

Main article: Niyama

Niyama is observance of five canons: Shaucha (internal and external purity), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (austerity), Svadhyaya (study of religious books and repetitions of Mantras), and Ishvarapranidhana (self-surrender to God, and His worship). Niyama, unlike Yama, prescribes mental exercises to train the mind to control emotions.

[edit] Asana

Main article: Asana

Asana in the sense of a posture that one can hold for a period of time, staying relaxed and with normal (calm) breathing (or, as some sources say, "without effort").
In Sanskrit, asana means literally "seat", the place where one sits; or posture, position of the body (any position). Asanas (in the sense of Yoga "posture") are said to derive from the various positions of animals' bodies (whence are derived most of the names of the positions). 84 asanas are considered to be the main postures, of which the highest are Shirshasan (headstand) and Padmasan (lotus).
The practice of asanas affects the following aspects or planes of the human being:

• physical (blood circulation, inner organs, glands, muscles, joints and nerve system)
• psychological (developing emotional balance and stability, harmony)
• mental (improved ability to concentrate, memory)
• consciousness (purifying and clarifying consciousness/awareness)

From the rāja yoga perspective, it is considered that the physical postures and pranayama serve to prepare the body and mind for the following steps: pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samādhi (withdrawal of the senses, contemplation, meditation, and state of expanded or transcendental consciousness, where the activity of the mind ceases and "The Knower and The Object of Knowledge Become One").

[edit] Prāṇāyāma

Main article: Pranayama

Prāṇāyāma is made out of two Sanskrit words (prāṇa = life energy; ayāma = control or modification). Breathing is the medium used to achieve this goal. The mind and life force are correlated to the breath. Through regulating the breathing and practicing awareness on it, one learns to control prana.
According to Rāja yoga, there are three main types (phases, units, stadia) of pranayama:

• purak (inhalation)
• rechak (exhalation)
• kumbhak (holding the breath); which appears as:
  • antara kumbhak (withholding the breath after inhalation)
  • bahar kumbhak (withholding the breath after exhalation)
  • keval kumbhak (spontaneous withholding of the breath)

There are numerous techniques of Pranayama, each with their specific goals. The main techniques are:

• surya bhedan
• candra bhedan
• nadi shodhan (anuloma viloma)
• bhastrika
• kapalabhati
• ujjaji
• plavini (bhujangini)
• bhramari
• sheetkari
• sheetali
• combination of sheetkari and sheetali
• murccha

All pranayama practice ultimately works toward purification of the nadis (energy channels) and the awakening of kundalini shakti at the muladhara chakra. The awakening of kundalini energy (also described as the awakening of divine consciousness or wisdom), and its ascent to the crown chakra is the final goal of rāja yoga.

[edit] Pratyahara

Main article: Pratyahara

Pratyahara is bringing the awareness to reside deep within oneself, free from the senses and external world. The Goal of Pratyahara is not to disrupt the communication from the sense organ to the brain. The awareness is far removed from the five senses. Pratyahara cannot be achieved without achievement of the preceding limbs (pranayama, niyama, etc.). The awareness comes to rest deep in the inner space, and during this time the yogi's breath will be temporarily suspended. Pratyahara should not just be likened to concentration or meditation, etc. It is a yogic practice that takes on adequacy with the prior 8 limbs as prerequisites.

[edit] Dharana

Main article: Dharana

Real Yoga starts from concentration. Concentration merges into meditation. Meditation ends in Samadhi. Retention of breath, Brahmacharya, Satvic (pure) food, seclusion, silence, Satsanga (being in the company of a guru), and not mixing much with people are all aids to concentration. Concentration on Bhrakuti (the space between the two eyebrows) with closed eyes is preferred. The mind can thus be easily controlled, as this is the seat for the mind.^{[clarification needed][citation needed]}

[edit] Dhyana

Main article: Dhyana in Hinduism

"Sleep, tossing of mind, attachment to objects, subtle desires and cravings, laziness, lack of Brahmacharya, gluttony are all obstacles in meditation. Reduce your wants. Cultivate dispassion. You will have progress in Yoga. Vairagya thins out the mind. Do not mix much. Do not talk much. Do not eat much. Do not sleep much. Do not exert much. Never wrestle with the mind during meditation. Do not use any violent efforts at concentration. If evil thoughts enter your mind, do not use your will force in driving them. You will tax your will. You will lose your energy. You will fatigue yourself. The greater the efforts you make, the more the evil thoughts will return with redoubled force. Be indifferent. Become a witness of those thoughts. They will pass away. Never miss a day in meditation. Regularity is of paramount importance. When the mind is tired, do not concentrate. Do not take heavy food at night.

The mind passes into many conditions or states as it is made up of three qualities: Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Kshipta (wandering), Vikshipta (gathering), Mudha (ignorant), Ekagra (one-pointed), and Nirodha (contrary) are the five states of the mind.

By controlling the thoughts the Sadhaka attains great Siddhis. He becomes adept. He attains Asamprajnata Samadhi or Kaivalya. Do not run after Siddhis. Siddhis are great temptations. They will bring about your downfall. A Raja Yogi practices Samyama or the combined practice of Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi at one and the same time.

Control the mind by Abhyasa (practice) and Vairagya (dispassion). Any practice that steadies the mind and makes it one-pointed is Abhyasa. Dull Vairagya will not help you in attaining perfection in Yoga. You must have Para Vairagya or Theevra Vairagya, intense dispassion." — Swami Sivananda from Amrita Gita

[edit] Samadhi

Main article: Samadhi

Meditation on OM with Bhava removes obstacles in Sadhana and helps to attain Samadhi. Avidya (ignorance), Asmita (egoism), Raga-Dvesha (likes and dislikes), Abhinivesha (clinging to mundane life) are the five Kleshas or afflictions. Destroy these afflictions. You will attain Samadhi.
Samadhi is of two kinds:

• Savikalpa, Samprajnata or Sabija; and
• Nirvikalpa, Asamprajnata or Nirbija.

In Savikalpa or Sabija, there is Triputi or the triad (knower, known and knowledge). Savitarka, Nirvitarka, Savichara, Nirvichara, Sasmita and Saananda are the different forms of Savikalpa Samadhi. In Nirvikalpa Samadhi, Nirbija Samadhi or Asamprajnata Samadhi there is no triad.
In the last sutra (4,34), Patañjali says the soul reaches its end in liberation, enlightenment, kaivalya.

[edit] See also

• The term is used to describe the meditation practice of Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University.
• Also as the title of an entirely unrelated practice by Prajapita Brahma Kumaris.
• It is not to be confused with the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga of K. Pattabhi Jois.
• The Kriya Yoga by Paramahansa Yogananda is closely related.

• Bhakti Yoga
• Jnana Yoga
• Karma Yoga
• Phonetical astrology / Shiva Swarodaya / Swara Yoga
• Meditation
• Shin Shin Tōitsu-dō - Japanese Yoga
• Yoga

[edit] Notes

1. ^ K A Jacobsen & G J Larson Theory And Practice of Yoga: Essays in Honour of Gerald James Larson, p. 4.
2. ^ "The Yoga Sutras of Maharishi Patanjali - a translation and commentary by Yogacharya Shivaji Mizner"
3. ^ See Swami Vivekenanda on dhyana and samādhi in rāja yoga here.
4. ^ Swami Kriyananda, J. Donald Walters, The Art and Science of Raja Yoga, p.100

[edit] References

• Sen, Amiya P. (2006). "Raja Yoga: The Science of Self-Realization". The Indispensable Vivekananda. Orient Blackswan. pp. 219–227. ISBN 978-81-7824-130-2. http://books.google.com/?id=OjwwJcdKEy8C&printsec=frontcover#PPA219,M1.
• Feuerstein, Georg; Ken Wilber (2002). "The Wheel of Yoga". The Yoga Tradition. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. ISBN 978-81-208-1923-8. http://books.google.com/?id=Yy5s2EHXFwAC&pg=PA37.
• Akhilananda, Swami; Gordon W. Allport (1999). Hindu Psychology. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-203-00266-7. http://books.google.com/?id=aANjt2mn27MC&printsec=frontcover.
• Vivekananda, Swami (1980). Raja Yoga. Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center. ISBN 0-911206-23-X. http://www.amazon.com/Raja-Yoga-Swami-Vivekananda/dp/091120623X.
• Wood, Ernest (1951). Practical Yoga, Ancient and Modern, Being a New, Independent Translation of Patanjali's Yoga Aphorisms. Rider and Company.
• Prabhavananda, Swami; Christopher Isherwood. How to Know God. Vedanta Press & Bookshop. ISBN 978-0-87481-041-7. http://www.amazon.com/How-Know-God-Aphorisms-Patanjali/dp/0874810418.

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