Hinduism And Yoga Paths

[Psyche]

This is an essay I wrote on Hinduism for a college class, comparing two of the yogas. What are your thoughts on this subject?

“I can’t accept things on faith alone. I have difficulty believing in what the saints or the prophets say. How can I be sure that they are not self-deluded or mistaken? I can’t believe in God because I have not experienced or know Him yet. Besides, I am not even sure if this world really exists; the whole thing may be just an illusion or my mental projection!”[1] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftn1) This is the question that one many ask oneself, (especially in reference to Jnana Yoga). Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga, though two different ways of reaching Brahman, have the same motives.

Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga both explore the idea of becoming closer to God, and bettering the self through their practices. Jnana Yoga is the practice of rational inquiry[2] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftn2) and Karma Yoga is the practice of the right action[3] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftn3). These two methods applied to one’s lifestyle may better the psyche, spirit, and mental health. It is necessary to compare and contrast different forms of Yoga to discover which is right for the individual soul.

Karma Yoga explores the idea that through work and dedication of its path one may become closer to Brahman. Karma Yoga teaches that your actions and thoughts can lead you to a better, more fulfilled spirit through your deeds. It emphasized that any work one does, be it any form of work, must be done for Brahman and not for the self. When one works for God only then can it be considered unselfish and good. It also gives you the feeling of freedom in whatever work you choose to do. The point of this work is so “the continuity of the chain of repeated births and deaths will be broken”[4] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftn4).

In Karma Yoga action and inaction are considered the same thing. If one does not act it is the same thing as if one were to act! There are many times in our life that we think “if I just stay out of this argument everything will be okay. I can’t be blamed for the way things turned out”. This is not true. A decision not to do something is the same thing as deciding to do something, because both cause a result. Many seem not realize this idea.

Jnana Yoga is a Yoga for the skeptic; one who questions things, one who uses the rational mind. “The first instruction of Jnana Yoga is ‘Atmanam Viddhi’ or ‘know thyself’”[5] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftn5) which means to strive to reach Brahman by knowing one’s own mind. “The goal of students of Jnana Yoga is to gain 100% conviction that this true Self is divine”[6] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftn6). It is important for a Jnana Yoga student to go inside himself or herself and get an awareness of God through the self.

There are several ways that one might go about exploring Brahman within one’s own mind in Jnana Yoga. Through various forms of meditation and practices does the student clear the soul of everything that is not God-related. One of these practices is called “neti neti”; the phrase “not this, not this” is repeated over and over again in the mind. The purpose of this manana is to eradicate everything within the psyche that is not divine.[7] [/URL]

These two forms of Yoga, though having the same intentions are two different ways for people to find Brahman. Through these sometimes difficult practices one feels closer to God or the spirit. One cleanses the mind of impurities and climbs off the cosmic ladder of reincarnation. It is the goal of most things to find eternal happiness and contentment in everything that one seeks to participate in. Life is a series of learning experiences; why not enjoy the mistakes as well as the rewards? Non-attachment and finding Brahman are some of the ways to achieve this ideal.

The application of Yogas in everyday life is quite a bit more complex than one might assume. In our western perspective of fast-paced living, computers, TV, and alarm clocks, it may seem impractical for most of us to strive for spiritual enlightenment. Hiding under the guise of Atheism can be an attempt to deny spirituality. It’s easy to forget the feeling of feeling close to God or Brahman in the greater picture of things.

The western world view is one of Christian and Atheistic domination instead of Hindu enlightenment. People hardly ever stop to “sniff the flowers” or admire the great beauty of the world. They are so wrapped up in their egos that they are utterly unaware of the earth that they stand on. It is more practical for an American to be on time to work than to repeat “neti neti” for hours to purify the mind[8] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftn7).

It is a common North American and European view that thought is very different than action. We are under the impression that “as long as we don’t do it it’s fine to think it”. An eastern view would have a different opinion on the matter. Hindus believe actions are the same as thoughts, thoughts are the same as actions. The Hindu perspective makes quite a bit more sense because for an action to come into existence a thought must first be thought. It is generally accepted that optimists live longer than pessimists!

It is necessary to slow down, stop, think, and reflect upon our surroundings. If one looks at the different Yoga methods one sees an ancient wisdom and intelligence behind the practices. It is a beautiful thing to be open minded to various forms of seeking the “higher being”: through these practices it is possible. Hinduism is flexible in this manner with the various Yogas to choose from.

A passage in [U]The Essentials of Hinduism states “it is not to be supposed, however, that there is no selfishness in Hindu society. Selfishness is universal. It exists in Hindu society as well. However, the Hindu value system strongly condemns it. For instance, a son with a comfortable income who does not take care of his elderly or financially handicapped parents is considered by society to be no better than an animal. In Hindu society money does not necessarily bring respectability. What generates respectability is a person’s noble qualities and cultural and educational level”[9] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftn9). This idea means that no one is perfect, but Hindu society is believed to have higher morals than western society. Westerners are expected to grow up, leave home, and parents behind, and not support them. Hindus are expected to help their families from the time they are able to earn a living. This act would seem difficult and distasteful to a westerner, but it is sign of love for Hindus.

It would be ignorant for an American to say that the various Yoga practices are a waste of time. If it really is a waste of time then why is eastern society so much more spiritual, creative, and open minded than we are? It would be a fallacy to believe that were are superior over India just because westerners are (on average) wealthier than easterners are. Money does not say anything about a person except that one may drown deeper and deeper in Samsara.

It would seem that Jnana Yoga would be perfect for most Americans who question everything and believe nothing. Yet it is difficult to believe that they would have the patience or cultural understanding to utter “neti neti” for hours. Most westerners embrace their skepticism yet fail to keep an open mind at the same time. Instead of trying to be one with Brahman Americans often let spirituality dwindle down to nothing until it entirely vanishes from the conscious mind. It is never healthy to let this happen but it does in our materialistic world.

“Hinduism speaks of many different methods or paths to reach God. Of them four are considered major paths: (1) Bhakti Yoga – the path of devotion, (2) Jnana Yoga – the path of rational inquiry, (3) Raja Yoga – the path of mental concentration, and (4) Karma Yoga – the path of right action. The Sanskrit word Yoga means yoke – the “connecting link” between the spiritual aspirant and God. Yoga also means a method or technique to establish mental communication with God”[10] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftn10). Through these different Yogas one may escape the delusion of samsara and become closer to God. If the Atman or individual soul wishes to be at peace it must become one with Brahman.

“The idea that God can be realized through different spiritual paths has been taught through the ages by many saints and godmen of India”[11] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftn11). Down through the years Hinduism has not lost the universal idea of peace and harmony and the many Yogas bring this truth to light. If westerners were to study Hinduism closely they would find things in it that today’s modern society clearly lacks. Karma Yoga’s method of action (or inaction) and Jnana Yoga’s method through thought are two of the four Yoga paths leading toward the same goal of Brahman and spiritual enlightenment.

[1] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftnref1) Swami Bhaskarananda, The Essentials of Hinduism, p. 119

[2] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftnref2) Swami Bhaskarananda, The Essentials of Hinduism, p. 119

[3] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftnref3) Swami Bhaskarananda, The Essentials of Hinduism, p. 130

[4] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftnref4) Swami Bhaskarananda, The Essentials of Hinduism, p. 134

[5] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftnref5) Swami Bhaskarananda, The Essentials of Hinduism, p. 120

[6] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftnref6) Swami Bhaskarananda, The Essentials of Hinduism, p. 120

[7] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftnref7) Swami Bhaskarananda, The Essentials of Hinduism, p. 121

[8] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftnref8) Swami Bhaskarananda, The Essentials of Hinduism, p. 121

[9] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftnref9) Swami Bhaskarananda, The Essentials of Hinduism, p. 51

[10] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftnref10) Swami Bhaskarananda, The Essentials of Hinduism, p. 115

[11] (http://www.forums.abrahadabra.com/#_ftnref11) Swami Bhaskarananda, The Essentials of Hinduism, p. 189

[Psyche]

My bad double post. :)

[Kain]

Well, Jnana Yoga and Karma Yoga (respectively, the Yogas of Knowledge and Action/Reaction) in a way embody two poles of the same essential construct. Different tools are certainly more appropriate for different occasions, and it is certainly far more productive to be aware of the options and strategies offered to oneself from various fields (that eventually complement each other), thus including their combined potential in one's arsenal, than simply focusing on only one aspect and approach of the problem at hand.

Of course, there will always be an approach more favored than the rest, one that you feel especially at home with concerning your way of thinking and personality, and that is innevitable to some extent, but overall it is essential to accquaint yourself with more appraoches than what your immediate and instinctual tendencies denote...

An also interesting note: In Tantra Yoga, the Kamakala (composed of the Sanskrit words Kama, i.e. "desire", and kala, i.e. Time/Manifestation) is a universal creative construct in the form of an equilateral triangle, that differentiates itself in three Saktis (Powers): Iccha (Will), Kriya (Action) and Jnana (Knowledge). So, I think in the end it is all interrelated and virtually indistinguishable functions that collectively compose the very essence of Self, and the Will stemming therefrom, and should be used accordingly...

Kain

[m1thr0s]

Cool post Psyche...it's been awhile since I really thought within the framework of the various limbs of Yoga so I need to revisit some of this. I do know that the Yogas were originally intended to work in tangent, the idea being that mastery of one level would inherently facilitate mastery of the next and so on up the ladder.

Unfortunately the caste system seriously impeded this ideal since in India only the highest castes are allowed to practice the higher limbs of yoga! Leave it to politicians and merchants to screw everything up...Ghandi labored tirelessly against the caste system to virtually no avail in the end. It is unfortunately still with us. He could turn back the British Empire but he could not eradicate thousands of years of cultural predjudice.

Hermetic philosophy has a role to play in all of this as it is in a prime position to reassert the original aims of the yogas and also repackage things as needed. Much of what you say about westerners being time-obsessed is very true...people don't want to stop the clock and they don't want to slow it down. If anything, they want to speed things up.

One can actually work with that if one is shrewd enough to engineer practices that can be applied at any velocity from any location or under any space and time contingencies. Modifying ones vibrational constant from lesser to greater magnitudes is not something that has to be done in isolation, nor according to any one set methodology...it can be approached in a variety of ways.

Though it is happening very slowly, I am confident that we are living in a time that is openly struggling with these kinds of issues and little by little new possibilities are coming to light. I applaud your focus on the yogas...I was very much considering opening up a special forum just for this kind of discussion and still may...it's just so very important and we see so much chit-chat about ideas and so little discussion about hands-on practice of any kind. There comes a time when you really need to stop debating the pros and cons of the water and just jump on in... You'll never really learn how to swim until you have done this I think...

One can still remain skeptical but have a little fun at the same time...

m1thr0s

[Seipiriz]

Unfortunately the caste system seriously impeded this ideal since in India only the highest castes are allowed to practice the higher limbs of yoga! Leave it to politicians and merchants to screw everything up...

Another sad thing that occured by the caste system was that Budda himself was given a god like aspect to the minds of people and this was helped by the upper castes to broaden their control over people. However, Budda's place shouldn't have been the one of a God but the one of an example...

[omniprosopus]

I was unaware that the Buddha had converted to Hinduism.

Must have been a terrible shock to his family.

-omni

[...]

5 seconds on google took me to this--

"Both Hinduism and Buddhism originated in the Indian subcontinent and share a very long, but rather peculiar and uncomfortable relationship, which in many ways is comparable to that of Judaism and Christianity. The Buddha was born in a Hindu family, just as Christ was born in a Jewish family. Some people still argue that Buddhism was an offshoot of Hinduism and the Buddha was a part of the Hindu pantheon, a view which is not acceptable to many Buddhist. It is however widely accepted that Buddhism gained popularity in India because of the caste system and the predominance of ritual form of worship and the exclusive status of the priestly class in the Vedic religion.
Long ago, over 1500 years ago, Hindu tradition accepted the Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu. However strong rivalry existed between both traditions in the subcontinent for a very long time. The followers of Siva and the Buddha could hardly stand each other in the earlier times. There were instances of Buddhist persecution by Hindu rulers, though a great majority followed a policy of religious toleration. Sasank, a ruler from Bengal and contemporary of Harshavardhana vandalized Buddhist monuments and burnt the pipal tree under which the Buddha got enlightenment. "
--http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_buddhism.asp, emphasis mine.

it is also true that buddha condemned the caste system.

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Here is a link from another forum I frequent.. regarding tantric buddhism. There are some very disturbingthings.. did you know yogi's participated in ... human sacrifice?

http://flameout.org/flameout/gurus/shadow/index.html


mayhaps not the best thread to place this, but I wanted to share it with the forum without creating a whole new thread for this link alone.