Tag Patanjali

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"

Why,How Faith Helps Imperfect Yoga Sutra 1.20

Panajali has explained how and Yogis were reborn in the Yoga Sutra 1.20.

He explained that this is due to the remnants of impressions in one's chitta, though one has been practicing Yoga arduously.

Patanjali goes deep into the cause for this aberration in attaining Samadhi.

This Yoga Sutra lists five causes.

Faith,(Shraddha)

Strength of Will, Energy,( Virya)

Smriti, (Remembrance)

Samadhi, Deep Contemplation and

Prajna,(Cognition,Right Awareness)

Sraddha.

Faith is fundamental.

Whether one likes it or not, one practices it;the only difference between those who have faith and those who do not have is that while the former is aware of and acknowledges it, the latter is either unaware or refuses to acknowledge it.

Those who deny Faith have faith at least in what they believe in or in the Belief that they do not believe.

The rationalists are the funniest lot.

They do not believe in any thing which they can not reason out, forgetting that Reason can nor t be proved except by its results or by Inference, both premises are at fault.

Who can guarantee I will live after I post this Blog or live as I post?

Scientists, not all of them, do not believe in anything excepting what Science tells them to, conveniently forgetting that Science is based on, mainly, two assumptions,

Law Of Uniformity of Nature and

law Of Causation.

Both are axioms, they can not be questioned.

If Faith is Belief is unquestioned trust on something that is proved, then where does this leave Science?

We assume that Nature behaves Uniformly and systematically.

What if it it is not?

There are already Theories of Chaos, Uncertainty Principle in Science.

Law of Causation.

Two events occur.

We connect them by saying one is the Cause of another.

That's all.

So faith is something which drive us whether we acknowledge it or not.

Now we have positive thinking.

Not all positive thinking is probable or even possible.

Still we are advised to follow it.

Why?

Because it delivers.

Patanjali says this.

Have Faith , continue having it and you will get results.

To me so long as it delivers results it is fine, no matter whether it is true or false.