GYANA YOGA

By – Mahesh Agrawal,  Adarsh Agrawal Samaj

YOGA : THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

God is of the nature of Gyana (sublime knowledge), free from every trace of sorrow- The jiva (individual soul) becomes liberated from sorrow and affliction (klesa) by shedding nescience when he realises para-brahman which transcends nescience.

Thus the cause of jiva’s sorrow and affliction is the lack of knowledge of the  Self. For sorrow and affliction are not natural qualities of the jiva; ananda (bliss) is the natural state: in other words aiman or the principle of sentience (chetana) is free from of sorrow and inertia Maya, prakrti or inertia is the opposite of brahman and has duhkha (sorrow) and affliction for its qualities. Therefore the easy path of liberation from these last qualities lies along knowledge which discriminates between the atman (purusa) and the inert (jada); for, this liberation is synonymous with moksa. It has been mentioned above that Gyana yoga. Bhakti yoga karmayoga and raja yoga are four cardinal paths to moksa. These will be briefly described now.

GYANA YOGA

Gyana yoga has for its objective the knowing of pure, absolute ultimate soul which transcends the three (gross, subtle and causal) bodies caused (respectively) by the three gunas-tamas, rajas and sattva, the five (progressively subtler) sheaths of food, life force, mind, knowledge and bliss, i-e., the body, senses, mind, ego and consciousness; knowledge here does not refer to the external world i.e. the outward modalities of these; jnana yoga is an endeavour at inwardness. Thus while physical knowledge is outward-oriented ard signifies the growth of the physical world, jnana yoga is inward-oriented and signifies an inner evolution.

The jnana yogi has Self realisation alone for objective and endeavour.This comprises four phases according to vedanta nityanitya viveka (discrimination between the permanent and impermanent), which leads to disenchantment (virakti) in enjoying the fruits of this and the next worlds; this is strengthened and firmly rooted through the six-fold wealth of sama, dama etc. This leads to an intense desire for liberation i.e. moksa.

These are together called fourfold endeavour (sadhanacatustaya). The practitioner progressively attains the states baddha (fettered), mumuksu (aspirant), sadhaka (practitioner) and siddha (accomplished): such transition from baddha to siddha is the aim of jnana yogi.

The competent practitioner is enjoined never to neglect sravana manana or nidhidhyasana while attaining to the first three of these phases, because unless a vessel is daily washed and polished, it becomes corroded and coated. Sravana, manana and nididbyasana serve to wash and polish the jiva. But this does not apply to the siddha, for he is like a golden vessel which is neither corroded nor coated. Of what need is a ladder to one who has already ascended, the alphabet to the accomplished in literature! In the state of brahmananda, the duality of jiva and siva disappear and everything is manifest only as brahman, Here are rooted out entirely intelligence mental modalities, experiential residues, body consciousness and nescience.

Here is undifferentiated oneness: there-fore it has no place for endeavour, worship or contemplation. This is the nondual state of “sarvam brahma-mayam jagat (the entire world is brahman alone), and ‘sarvam khalv-idam brahma’ (all that is, is but brahman). This is the fourth state in which the jiva has transcended the state of wakefulness, dream and deep sleep. This is also called kaivalya (absolute.) Here, the consciousness of the jiva surpasses his intelligence and merges integrally into the form of brahman. This is the final phase of the competent, spiritual practitioner, the final halt in the sojorn of the jiva, the jiva’s final posture. In effect, the jnana yogi tests everything on the teststone of critical discrimination, evaluates and detracts, looks for the infinite among the finite; the truth amidst illusion, perceives only Brahman everywhere in everything and himself becomes brah man There is nothingother than himself.

His cognition transcends body, mind and intelligence. His consciousness is independent of all superimposition, in a state of absolute existences-pure consciousness-bliss, in which he feels ‘I am shiva’- Even as there is a progressive transformation : milk-curd-butter-ghee and there is no further change; for the practitioner there is a progression from baddha to siddha : when siddha, his state is no longer mutable.-Window To News Network