Jnana yoga is one of the four main paths of yoga and the most direct road to reach the goal described in the philosophy of advaita vedanta: Self-realization.
The Ideal Case Scenario
As recounted many times in vedantic scriptures such as the Upanishads and the Yoga Vasishta, when the student is ready, liberation, or moksha, can come very quickly. Here is the three-step process that leads to self knowledge:
1. The guru explains to the students the teachings of vedanta and what is Brahman. He often uses stories and analogies to make his point. The students listen attentively and this step is called sravanam, which literally means listening.
2. The student reflects upon what he or she has heard, cogitates, and tries to really comprehend the subtle truths that have been taught to him or her. This is called mananam, which means reflecting or contemplating.
3. The student meditates on the Brahman of the upanishads and this leads to the intuitive, direct experience of Truth. This is called nididhyasana, or meditating.
Sravanam - Mananam - Nididhyasana
Sravanam is superior to mere reading of the scriptures. To get the full benefit from this practice, a qualified guru should impart the teachings directly to the student. A mystical transfer of the spiritual state of consciousness experienced from the guru to the student takes place at this time. This is one of the reasons the internet and books are just preparation before meeting a teacher and will never replace the direct contact with a live teacher.
Mananam indicates that the student should spend some time in solitude and quiet in order to think deeply about the implications of what has been learnt. This helps develop depth of thinking which is quite a rare quality in our modern times.
Nididhyasana is deep and constant meditation. From the last two steps it is now obvious to the practitioner that Brahman is the only reality that counts and its realization is all the aspirant wants. That eagerness leads to successful meditation.
How Long does it Take?
There are many scriptural instances where the student reaches the goal in a matter of just a few days or just a little longer. Results may vary with each case. Joking aside, most of us find that the results are not coming as soon as they should. What is the reason?
The reason is that the aspirant must be ready to receive that knowledge. He or she must be qualified for it, pure enough. Sri Sankaracharya explains that the student must be equipped with the four means of salvation.
The Four Means to Salvation
The jnana yoga student should equip himself with the four means of salvation in order to be fit to receive the knowledge of Brahman. These four means are called Sadhana Chatushtaya.
The student can work on these practices all at once or serially. For example starting with the first one for a week or two, or for a month, then proceeding with the second one for the same period of time, and so on.
Sadhana Chatushtaya
These four means are:
Viveka
Viveka means discrimination. This is the intellectual ability to discriminate, or discern, between the real and the unreal. Vedanta defines the real as being permanent and the unreal as being temporary. The absolutely real, Brahman, is eternal. It lasts for ever.
Vairagya
Vairagya means dispassion, detachment. There is a logical order in the four means. After sufficient practice of viveka, the temporary, ephemeral nature of the world and its objects becomes obvious and a natural lack of attraction to them takes place. This is vairagya. One should then endeavor to become more dispassionate in order to purify the mind and improve one's concentration and steadiness of mind.
Shad-sampat
Shad-sampat means the six virtues. This practice actually consists in developing six qualities or virtues. They are:
Sama - Tranquility or control of mind. Calmness. This is the ability to keep the mind within and unaffected by the external world.
Dama - Control of the senses. This consists in not letting the senses run out towards the sense objects. To the question, "Why do we need to control the senses when we can directly work on sama and control the mind itself - the mind being superior and more powerful than the senses?", the vedantins answer: If one were able to control the mind perfectly, dama would be unnecessary, otherwise it is a more powerful strategy to work on the mind apparatus from all sides.
Uparati - Renunciation of activities which are not duties. Following the last two practices, the mind is so peaceful and calm most desires have been eradicated and there is no more reason to perform the activities in which most people indulge. Swami Sivananda beautifully expressed this practice in his famous motto: "Simple living, high thinking."
Titiksha - Endurance, forbearance of the pairs of opposites. The mind must become strong enough to not waver in the face of the opposites: success and failure, hot and cold, pleasure and pain, sunshine and rain, etc.
Shraddha - Faith. It is defined by Sri Sankaracharya as faith in one's guru, god, the self (atman) and the scriptures (shastras).
Samadhana - Perfect concentration, one-pointedness of the mind. It takes a great degree of mastery to reach this level. Few reach it.
Mumukshutva
Mumukshutva means intense longing for liberation. When this stage is reached, moksha (liberation ) is not one of the jnani's desires, it is not even the biggest desire, it is the ONLY desire.
"An Ounce of Practice is Worth Tons of Theory"
So said Swami Sivananda. Sadhana chatushtaya is the foundation of the practice of jnana yoga. It is of paramount importance for the beginner and no one is too advanced for these important qualifications.
SATTVIKA KARMAS
- compulsory for every mumuksu or seeker of moksa. All sattvikakarmas
primarily contribute to the inner and spiritual growth of a person.Their focus is inner
growth. By performing these actions a person does not get much material benefit; does
not get any visible, tangible benefit. The benefits are all subtle internal benefits.
PANCAMAHAYAJNA
1. Devayajna Worship of the Lord in any form, ritualistic, puja, Japa,visit the temple, service to the temple A tremendous inner growth is taking place through such activities.
2. Pitryajna Worship of parents and forefathers
3. Brahmayajna Worship of the scriptures and the rsis who have given us the
scriptures is called Brahmayajna. Brahma means Veda. One should study and teach
or help others study and teach.
4. Manusyayajna This is worship of or service to humanity. Children have to be taken care of; poor people have to protected;
5. Bhutayajna - This is worship of and service to all other living beings.s. These
include animals., birds, plants, forests, the aquatic creatures etc.
All these actions take me towards moksa but I do not see it; it is an invisible
growth. they directly contribute to spiritual growth.
RAJASAKARMA
These are actions
based on our desires.
Tamasa karma, the last type is niddhaKarma (prohibited action). These actions
take me away from moksa. They have a retarding effect on me and pull me backwards
because the actions are wrong. Violence, cheating etc.
YOGA
It is proper
attitude,
(1) Acceptance As a part of living; Learn to accept all actions and also
the result of all actions; accept both choiceless actions and choiceless results of
actions.
(2) Noncomparison comparison creates problem.
(3) Humility
I am but an instrument of the Lord . Therefore, be humble. I serve God.
(4) Devotion Devotion is dedicating all my actions to the Lord as worship with the
following words "Oh! Lord, whatever be the consequences, I will accept them as Your
prasada, Your gift. I do not resist anything that comes in my life.
BENEFIT OF KARMA YOGA
When
moksa becomes the top priority, artha and kama become secondary.
Desire is one thing and competence is another. One may
desire moksa but he may not be qualified.
Bhakti means devotion towards God. Devotion is love directed towards a higher
principle. Reverential love can be defined as devotion. bhakti is love
towards a higher principle, especially love towards God.
Three direction of Love
1 The first one is love of goal, end love
2 the second
direction of our love is, love of the means. I will call it "Meanslove".
3 The third object of
love is oneself. Everyone loves himself or herself. I will call it "Selflove".
Therefore all
forms of love are only of three categories: "Means love", "Endlove" and "Selflove".
This is love in general. Why study? I want to be graduated ( goal) . I love book, university, professor ( mean) I want to be happy ( myself).
There is intensity of love
3> 1>2
The Upanisad says: "Nobody
loves the husband for husband's sake, everybody loves the husband for one's own
sake." Therefore no end is loved for the end's sake. Everything is loved for one's own
sake only. Therefore, if you have to grade "Meanslove" is manda, "Endlove" is
madhyama, and "Selflove" is uttama. This is the general principle regarding human
love.
Three grades of devotion
1 As long as you look upon God as a means, that love is
called mandabhakti (inferior devotion).I go to temple in order to get something back. If the condition is fulfilled, I love. World bakti
2 . Men know God represents security. God represents peace. God represents happiness.
They know that everyone is seeking security, peace and happiness alone. Naturally
their love of God is as the end and therefore it is more intense than the previous one. World bakti
3 It is a love in which I look upon God neither as the means nor even as the end.
The Lord and the Self being identical, Godlove is equal to Selflove. Since Selflove is
the most intense love, that form of love is called uttamabhakti. Real bakti.
Story , the king allow three women to choose the gift from him. The one love him, the king himself, get the total kingdom.
Now, we will come to the second meaning of the word bhakti. Bhakti is the course
of discipline meant to accomplish the highest goal of life namely 'moksa' or freedom.
It is one consisting of all these three. So karmayoga + raja yoga +
jnanayoga equals bhaktiyoga.
All the three path should need help from Bakti yoga. Karma for Lord, study to know Lord, Meditation for discovery of lord.
What is God ? So, I
cannot talk of love of God without understanding and that's why knowledge of God
becomes necessary
1 God is the creator of the universe. God has quality Sat+ Chit+Ananda. Existence consciousness bliss. Intelligence is behind all the creation of this universe.
2 God is the cause of the world. Any creator can
create something only with a raw
41
material. Carpenter requires wood as raw material; builder requires iron, wood, bricks
etc. as raw material.
God Himself happens to be the very material also out of which the world is shaped. Bigbang cannot answer all the questions. Since God is the raw
material, God alone has become the universe. Therefore, the universe is nothing but
God alone. So where is God? The whole universe is God. Ex of a spider.
3 I say God created the world. Then I say God became the world. question ? why bad things happen ?
God does not become the
world. God appears as the world with different forms. He is not affected by any form in
which he appears. To put it in another way, God is the very substratum of all the forms.
He transcends the entire creation. God is the ultimate substratum behind the creation.
But not affected by them. He is Jagadadhisthanam. Since God transcends all these
forms of the creation, no particular form belongs to God. Therefore, God as
adhisthanaisvara is arupaisvara, i.e. formless God.
God creates the world first stage of
understanding; God becomes the world second stage of understanding;God appears
as the world third stage of understanding.
1 There are three gunas, according to this worldview, that have always been and continue to be present in all things and beings in the world in energy, matter, consciousness. These three gunas are called: sattva (goodness, constructive, harmonious), rajas (passion, active, confused), and tamas (darkness, destructive, chaotic). there is insightful discussion on the qualities of forces that make up nature and creation. These forces are called gunas Man have the capacity to modify the gunas. We humans have the unique ability to consciously alter the levels of the gunas in our bodies and minds. The gunas cannot be separated or removed in oneself, but can be consciously acted upon to encourage their increase or decrease. A guna can be increased or decreased through the interaction and influence of external objects, lifestyle practices and thoughts. Tamas Darkness
Tamas is a state of darkness, inertia, inactivity and materiality. Tamas manifests from ignorance and deludes all beings from their spiritual truths. To reduce tamas avoid tamasic foods, over sleeping, over eating, inactivity, passivity and fearful situations. Tamasic foods include heavy meats, and foods that are spoiled, chemically treated, processed or refined.
Rajas Activity Rajas is a state of energy, action, change and movement. The nature of rajas is of attraction, longing and attachment and rajas strongly binds us to the fruits of our work. To reduce rajas avoid rajasic foods, over exercising, over work, loud music, excessive thinking and consuming excessive material goods. Rajasic foods include fried foods, spicy foods, and stimulants. Sattvas Beingness Sattva is a state of harmony, balance, joy and intelligence. Sattva is the guna that yogi/nis achive towards as it reduces rajas and tamas and thus makes liberation possible. To increase sattva reduce both rajas and tamas, eat sattvic foods and enjoy activities and environments that produce joy and positive thoughts. Sattvic foods include whole grains and legumes and fresh fruits and vegetables that grow above the ground. All of the yogic practices were developed to create sattva in the mind and body. Thus, practicing yoga and leading a yogic lifestyle strongly cultivates sattva. Summary
Sattva is the quality of balance, harmony, goodness, purity, universalizing, holistic, constructive, creative, building, positive, peaceful, virtuous.[22]
Rajas is the quality of passion, activity, neither good nor bad and sometimes either, self centeredness, egoistic, individualizing, driven, moving, dynamic.[4][23]
Tamas is the quality of imbalance, disorder, chaos, anxiety, impure, destructive, delusion, negative, dull or inactive, apathy, inertia or lethargy, violent, vicious, ignorant.[23][24]
Raja
Sattva
Tamas
Activity
Truth / Goodness
Inertia
Passion / desire
Light / illumination
Darkness
Energy
Spiritual Essence
Mass / matter / heaviness
Expansion
Upward flow
Downward flow
Movement
Intelligence / Consciousness
Sloth / dullness
Binds by passion born of craving and attachment.
Binds by means of attachment to knowledge and joy.
Binds by means of ignorance and obstruction.
Is the ruling trait when greed, excessive projects, cravings and restlessness arise.
Is the ruling trait when the light of knowledge shines forth.
Is the ruling trait when darkness, dullness, stagnation, indolence, confusion, torpor, and inertia appear.
Color
Sattva – White, purity and harmony
Rajas – Red, action and passion
Tamas – Black, darkness and delusion
Time
Sattva – Day, clarity
Rajas – Sunrise and Sunset, twilight, transition
Tamas – Night, darkness
Energy
Sattva – neutral or balanced
Rajas – positive, sets things in motion
Tamas – negative, retards motion
Worlds
Sattva – heaven or space, the region of peace
Rajas – atmosphere, the region of storms
Tamas – earth, the realm of gravity and inertia
Levels of Cosmos
Sattva – causal or ideal
Rajas – subtle or astral, pure form
Tamas – gross or physical
Kingdoms of Nature
Sattva – spiritual beings: Gods, Goddesses and sages
Rajas – human realm
Tamas – mineral, plant and animal kingdoms
States of Consciousness
Sattva – waking
Rajas – dream
Tamas – deep sleep
The mind’s psychological qualities are highly unstable and can quickly fluxuate between the different gunas. The predominate guna of the mind acts as a lens that effects our perceptions and perspective of the world around us. Thus, if the mind is in rajas it will experience world events as chaotic, confusing and demanding and it will react to these events in a rajasic way.
All gunas create attachment and thus bind one’s self to the ego. “When one rises above the three gunas that originate in the body; one is freed from birth, old age, disease, and death; and attains enlightenment” (Bhagavad Gita 14.20). While the yogi/nis goal is to cultivate sattva, his/her ultimate goal is to transcend their misidentification of the self with the gunas and to be unattached to both the good and the bad, the positive and negative qualities of all life.
Tamas moves to Rajas and moves to Sattvas move to True Nature.
a) According to Samkya school, no one and nothing is either purely Sattvik or purely Rajasik or purely Tamasik.[4] One's nature and behavior is a complex interplay of all of these, with each guna in varying degrees. In some, the conduct is Rajasik with significant influence of Sattvik guna, in some it is Rajasik with significant influence of Tamasik guna, and so on.[4]
The balance of Gunas of everything and everyone can change and does. However, change in one quality faces inertia from other two qualities in Indian worldview. Change needs internal or external influence or reinforcement, as knowledge and force to transform. The force to change comes from Rajas guna, while Sattva guna empower towards harmonious and constructive change, while Tamas guna checks or retards the process.
In Indian mythology, Vishnu is envisioned with more Sattva, Brahma with more Rajas, and Shiva seen with all three Gunas.[21]
b) Action that is virtuous, thought through, free from attachment, and without craving for results is considered Sattvic; Action that is driven purely by craving for pleasure, selfishness and much effort is Rajasic; Action that is undertaken because of delusion, disregarding consequences, without considering loss or injury to others or self, is called Tamasic.
c) In theBhagavad Gita,Arjuna asks Krishna how he can recognize the man who has gone beyond the three gunas, and what has he done to have gone beyond them? Krishna replies by listing the characteristics of such a person and by reiterating the central theme in theGita: non-attachment to the fruits of one's labor:
Whatever quality arises –
Light, activity, delusion –
He neither dislikes its presence
Nor desires it when it is not there.
He who is unattached,
who is not disturbed by the gunas,
who is firmly rooted and knows
that only the gunas are acting
who is equally self-contained
in pain or pleasure, in happiness
or sorrow, who is content
with whatever happens, who sees
dirt, rocks, and gold as equal,
who is unperturbed amid praise
or blame of himself, indifferent,
to honor and to disgrace,
serene in success and failure,
impartial to friend and foe,
unattached to action – that man
has gone beyond the three gunas.
He who faithfully serves me
with the yoga of devotion, going
beyond the three gunas, is ready
to attain the ultimate freedom.
Bhagavad Gita, A New Translation, 14.22 – 26
Translation by Stephen Mitchell, 2000
d)
We live in a magical universe filled with great forces of life and death, creation and destruction. Divine powers can be found everywhere to lift us into a greater peace and understanding. But undivine forces are also ever present, working to lure us down further into confusion and attachment. Truth and falsehood, ignorance and enlightenment form the light and dark, the illumination and shadow of the world. In this basic duality of creation we struggle not merely to survive but to find meaning in our lives. We must learn to navigate through these contrary currents so that we can benefit by the ascending spiritual force and avoid the descending unspiritual inertia.
Nature herself is the Divine Mother in manifestation and the universe is her play of consciousness. She provides not only for material growth and expansion that moves outward, but supports our spiritual growth and development, which moves within. Nature possesses a qualitative energy through which we can either expand into wisdom or contract into ignorance. Nature functions through conscious forces, spirits if you will, which can be either enlightening or darkening, healing or harming. Most of these powers are unknown to us and we do not know to use them. Trained as we are in a rational and scientific manner to look to the outside we lack the ability to perceive the subtle forces hidden in the world around us. However for any real healing of the mind to be possible, we must understand these forces and learn how work with them as they exist not only in the world but in our own psyche.
e)
Sattva and the Mind
The mind, or consciousness in general, is naturally the domain of Sattva. Consciousness itself is called Sattva in Sanskrit. Unless the mind is calm and clear we cannot perceive anything properly. Sattva creates clarity, through which we perceive the truth of things, and gives light, concentration and devotion. Rajas and Tamas are factors of mental disharmony causing agitation and delusion. They result in wrong imagination and misperception.
From Rajas comes the false idea of the external world as real in itself, which causes us to seek happiness outside ourselves and lose track of our inner peace. Rajas creates desire, distortion, turbulence and emotional upset. It predominates in the sensory aspect of the mind because the senses are ever-moving and seeking various objects. As long as we remain immersed in the pursuit of sensory enjoyment we fall under the instability of Rajas.
From Tamas comes the ignorance that veils our true nature and weakens our power of perception. Through it arises the idea of an ego or separate self by which we feel ourselves alone and isolated. Tamas prevails in consciousness identified with the physical body, which is dull and limited. As long our identity and sense of well-being is primarily physical we remain in the dark realm of Tamas.
Sattva is the balance of Rajas and Tamas, combining the energy of Rajas with the stability of Tamas. By increasing Sattva one gains peace and harmony, and returns to Primordial Nature and Pure Spirit in which is liberation. However attachment to Sattva, such as clinging to virtue, can bind the mind. For this reason we must strive to develop pure Sattva, which is its detached form, or Sattva not clinging to its own qualities. Pure Sattva does not condemn Rajas and Tamas but understands their place in the cosmic harmony, which is as outer factors of life and body whose proper place is apart from our true nature.
When pure Sattva prevails in our consciousness we transcend time and space and discover our eternal Self. The soul regains its basic purity and unites with God. When out of balance, the three gunas bring about the process of cosmic evolution through which the soul evolves through the kingdoms of Nature, experiencing birth and death, happiness and sorrow in various bodies. The movement of the three gunas is coterminous with creation.
Sattva as the state of balance is responsible for all true health and healing. Health is maintained by Sattvic living, which is living in harmony with Nature and our inner Self, cultivating purity, clarity and peace. Rajas and Tamas are the factors that cause disease. Rajas causes pain, agitation and the dissipation of energy. Tamas brings about stagnation, decay and death. Rajas and Tamas usually work together. Rajas brings about the over expression of energy, which eventually leads exhaustion, in which Tamas prevails. For example, too much spicy food, alcohol, and sexual indulgence, are initially Rajasic or stimulating. These eventually lead to such Tamasic conditions as fatigue and collapse of energy. On a psychological level too much Rajas, which is turbulent emotion, leads to Tamas or mental dullness and depression.
f) The three stages
However, these three stages are not simply different levels. We all have Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattvic factors in our minds. We all need each of these three processes to some degree. There are times when our minds are Tamasic, like right after waking up in the morning or when daydreaming in the afternoon. Whenever we are mentally dull or emotionally depressed Tamas is predominant. Rajas prevails when we are agitated, disturbed, active or outgoing, like when we are very busy working with a number of people or projects. Sattva prevails when we are quiet, peaceful and content, or naturally fall into meditation.
Similarly we should not judge other people by how they appear when dominated by one quality only. Even a spiritually advanced person has Tamasic moments or periods when he or she may do something regrettable. In the same way spiritually undeveloped persons have Sattvic moments when they may do something inspired, noble or kind. When looking at ourselves we should try to see all three factors in our nature and behavior and try to develop our Sattvic side.
Stage 1: Breaking Up Tamas/ Moving from Tamas to Rajas – Personal Healing
For this transition fire is necessary. We must wake up, act and begin to change. Deep seated patterns of attachment, stagnation and depression must be released. We must recognize our suffering and learn from it, confronting our pain, including what we have suppressed or ignored for years. A new sense of who we are and what we need to do is required. Action (Rajas) is indicated, not only in the mind but involving outer aspects of our lives. We must break with the past, bring new energies into our lives, perhaps change jobs or modify our relationships, or move to a new locale.
Stage 2: Calming Rajas/ Moving from Rajas to Sattva – Healing of Humanity
For this transition space is necessary. We must surrender our pain and give up our personal seeking, letting go of individual hurts and sorrows. Egoistic drives and motivations must be surrendered for the greater good. We must depersonalize our problems and look to understand the entire human condition and the pain of others. Leaving behind our personal problems we must take up the problems of humanity, opening up to the suffering of others as our own. We must learn that life creates suffering in order to help us to grow spiritually. This is a stage of service and charity.
Stage 3: Developing Pure Sattva – Universal Peace
To bring about this transition we must develop love and awareness as universal forces. We must learn to transcend the limitations of the human condition to our higher spiritual nature. Inner peace must become our dominant force. We should no longer seek to overcome our pain but to develop our joy. We should no longer be centered in our personal or collective problems but in developing communion with the greater universe and the Divine powers at work within it. At this stage we move from the human aspect of our condition to the universal aspect, becoming open to all life. This is the stage of spiritual practice. It is beyond all ordinary healing and works to heal our relationship with God or the inner Self.
