Category Indian Philosophy

Who Is Lord Siva, Nirvana Shatakam

Realization is going beyond the pairs of Opposites,

Pleasure and Pain, Happiness and Sadness,sacred and the Sinfulness.

Nirvana or Moksham or Realization is attaining that where these pairs of Opposites do not affect us.

Things are what they are.

The SivaLinga
We can not change them.

As in day today Life, we can not change things, people or events, but we can change ourselves.

In our Daily life, changing ourselves denote changing into a Mode which is gives us pleasure , comfort.

Unfortunately, the feelings of Happiness or Sadness are also alien to our Nature, the Nature of the Soul.

From our mundane life, we know that what gives us pleasure at one point of Time gives us pain at another time.

Changing ourselves to suit our comfort,pleasure is not solving the problem.

What does one do?

Necessity of God In Yoga,Sutra 21 22 23

Having spoken about Perfection and Imperfection in Yoga, Patanjali now speaks of the reasons for these and recommends corrective action.

Yoga Sutra 1.21
Intensity , constant and regular practice will speed up the process of Yoga .

tivra = rate is fast, speedy
samvega = momentum, force, vigor, conviction, enthusiasm
asannah = very close, near, speedy
1.21 Those who pursue their practices with intensity of feeling, vigor, and firm conviction achieve concentration and the fruits thereof more quickly, compared to those of medium or lesser intensity.
(tivra samvega asannah)

He adds,

Patanjali's Yoga Sutra 1.22
mridu = mild, slow
madhya = medium, middling
adhimatra = intense, strong
tatah = from that
api = also
visheshah = differentiation, distinction
For those with intense practices and intense conviction (1.21), there are three more subdivisions of practice, those of mild intensity, medium intensity, and intense intensity.
(mridu madhya adhimatra tatah api visheshah
Now we come to an important aspect of Yoga,Indian Philosophy.

That of God.

Hinduism speaks of Polytheism,Henotheism,Monotheism,Dualism and Non Dualism.

It speaks of principle as the Realiy, yet advocates worship of God as well.

ord Krishna in The Bhagavad Gita says that 'Whatever God you pray, I shall, in the form of That God shall give you the fruits in that Form"

Does this mean God is only an imaginary Concept?

Again we find many Gods in the Indian Pantheon, which is contrary to the Vedic Mahavakyas,

Aham Brahmaasm,

Tatatvam Asi and

Soham Asi.

When I am That, You are That and He Is That, where is the question of God?

Detail on this

"In a Nut-shell, God does not have Name and Form. But we need to have name and Form to Realize the Reality. So, different forms and names are best left to individuals as they know best what they like."

http://ramanan50.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/does-god-have-name-and-form/

At the Ultimate Level thre is no God with Name and Form.

Yet it is needed as a Concept to graduate in Spiritual Practice, it is a tool.

But how come there are legends and Histories of God s in Hinduism"

Reality projects itself as God.

It is Real in this temporal world, ceases its relevance at the Paramaarthika Level, ParaVidya Level.

Sounds not convincing?

The same question was asked of Adi Sankaracharya when he explained the Theory of Maya and Brahman.

We know Sankaracharya advovates Non Dualism ,Advaita.

He syas the Reality has to be reailzed by the Individual by reclaiming the Knowledge that He is None other than the Reality.

How come the One Reality became or appears, as he put it, as Many"