"Ma"
Yoga |
Object of Contemplation |
End to be attained |
| Mantra-yoga… |
The form (of the Deity)... |
Mahabhava (great disposition of mind) |
| Hatha-yoga... |
Jyoti (the non-generated Light)... |
Mahabodha (great enlightenment) |
| Laya-yoga… |
Vindu (the Point)… |
Mahalaya (absolute or final absorption) |
| Raja-yoga… |
Bigger than the biggest… and smaller than the smallest (Anoraniyan mahato mahiyan) |
Brahma-Nirvana (becoming one with the Absolute) |
A man feels excessive attraction for a particular mode of spiritual exercise in accordance with the rights acquired by him as the result of the deeds performed by him in his previous lives.
1. MANTRA-YOGA
The deities to be contemplated in the Mantra-yoga are: (i) Vishnu, the lord of space (ii) Maheswari, the ruler of fire (iii) The Sun, the ruler of air (iv) Shiva, the ruler of earth and (v) Ganesha, the ruler of water.
Akashasyadhipo Vishnnragneschapi Maheshvari.
Vayorognih kshiteriso jivanasya ganadhipah.
A devotee who has within him a particular element in abundance constantly repeats the sacred formula (mantra) associated with that Deity who rules over that particular element. The sound produced by the utterance of a mantra is the first body of that mantra. Naad (the non-generated Sound), Jyoti (the non-generated Light) etc. are the second body. When the mantra begins to act as a conscious force, Jyoti (the non-generated Light), etc. play their divine roles. The easiest way (to attain supreme Bliss) in the Kali-yuga is to repeat the Name of God, to meditate on His leela (sport), to eat holy food and to practise celibacy (Brahmacharya). When a devotee repeats the name and meditates on the divine sports of the Deity regularly he reaches a stage at which the mantra dissolves. For example, a man has adopted the mantra ‘Rama’. As he repeats the mantra, in this way, ram-m-m-m, etc., the mantra is lost in the sound of ‘om’ and he loses the power of uttering the mantra. Gradually japa, (repetition of mantra) worship and study of the Shastras (scriptures) vanish. When he reads the chandi, (a part of the Markandeya Purana known as Durgasaptashati—extolling the Goddess Durga) he begins to weep and the reading comes to a stop. While listening to any discourse on God, the devotee remains constantly with his eyes full of tears and with hairs standing on end. The state of absorption in the Deity begins to appear. He has nothing to regard as his own. At last he has a vision of God, all his activities come to an end, he attains the state of complete absorption in God and all his desires are fulfilled. He has no other prayer than to be permitted to serve the Lord.
The devotee’s desire may be expressed thus: “I desire but to come and go and serve His feet and be privileged to love him.”
In this world he is engaged in serving the Lord and repeating His Name. After his death he goes to Vaikuntha or Goloka (the Abode of God) by the celestial path known as Devayana and resides there serving the Lord according to his desire. The devotee does not want liberation. He wants to have love and devotion. The Lord has exultingly declared, “A sincere devotee of mine does not accept liberation even if I offer it to him”.
2. HATHA-YOGA
Next to be considered is the case of one who practises Hatha-Yoga. “Hatha-yoga is nothing but the process of arresting the impulses of mind directed towards external objects by means of a certain activity of the gross body composed of the five elements in order to stimulate spiritual exercise.”
The practitioner of Hatha-yoga wants Nirvana (union with the Supreme Spirit), Asana (bodily posture), Mudra (certain positions of the fingers practised in devotion or religious worship), Bandha and pranayama (regulation of breath) constitute the way to it. Their object of meditation is Jyoti (the non-generated Light). First they see Jyoti by a specific form of exercise. Later Jyoti appears spontaneously.
Light (Jyoti) is active even when spiritual exercise is in abeyance. Pranayama is the highest form of spiritual exercise for them. The practitioner gains his fulfilment by triple Bandha viz., Mula-bandha, Uddiyan bandha and Jalandhara-bandha. The final state to be attained in this yoga is Mahabodha (great enlightenment). The practice of raja-yoga goes on simultaneously. Concentration of mind is achieved. The seeker is gratified by attaining asamprajnata samadhi (the highest spiritual realisation) as described by Patanjali.
3. LAYA-YOGA
Next comes Laya-yoga. Laya-yoga is of many kinds. Sri Shankaracharya has said, “Of all forms of layas I regard Nadanusandhana Samadhi as the highest”. Nadanusandhana occupies foremost place in Laya-yoga. This Naad (non-generated Sound) is first attained by artificial means. It can also be attained by a process called Kalajai Kriya or the process that overcomes time.
Devotees who dance with musical instruments and chant the Name of the Lord can attain Naad easily. Nadabrahma favours him who repeatedly utters the mantra prescribed for the Mantra yoga. The object to be contemplated in the Laya-yoga is Mahalaya (absolute or complete absorption). The saint who has attained fulfilment in Laya-yoga is not required to practise Raja-yoga.
The red coloured four-faced Brahma is to be contemplated in the navel region called Brahma-granthi (knot of Brahma). When that Brahma-granthi (knot of Brahma) is snapped either by means of one’s own spiritual effort (sadhana) or on account of the grace of the preceptor, Kundalini (the primal Divine energy) ascends to the heart. At this stage the twice born people (Dvijas i.e. people who are entitled to wear the sacred thread) should meditate on the form of Narayana who looks blue as the petals of a blue lotus. The seeker is to practise meditation on the sports of the Lord known as sthuladhyana, the figures of the Lord, etc. When the Vishnu-granthi (knot of Vishnu) is untied on account of the grace of the preceptor, Kundalini ascends to a point beneath the Dvidal which is between the two eye brows and pervades entire space.
Hundreds of many coloured spiritual atoms varying from the more minute to the most minute continue to dance. The power of Kundalini (Serpent power) moves in its downward course, assumes the form of Kundalini (Serpent-power) encircles the self-evolved symbol of Shiva, the Supreme (swayambhu linga) in the Muladhara (the root support at the base of the spine) three and a half times and sleeps obstructing the gateway to the Supreme reality (Brahmadvara). By the grace of the preceptor she wakes up and dances in the heart of the Yogi. Before she wakes up she resides in the heart in the form of the flame of a lamp. Just as the same vital breath performs different kinds of activities at different places in different forms such as Prana, Apana, Samana, Udana and Vyana, similarly, the one and the same Supreme Soul (paramatma) sports at Sahasradal (the Lotus with a thousand petals) in the form of Vindu (Dot) which is as bright as a crore of suns and as cool as a crore of moons, in the heart in the form of the flame of a lamp and in the Muladhara in the form of Kundalini. The finite individual is his para prakriti (higher nature). In the downward course she is called Shakti and when she moves upwards she is called Jiva (the finite individual).
When the rudra-granthi (Knot of rudra) is untied it is she who assumes the form of (infinite) space. The most minute atoms of consciousness sing welcome songs in between the two eye brows. Sometimes there is deep roar of thunder, sometimes is heard the sound of ‘Soham’ (I am He), sometimes Vyomanada. Sometimes a very faint Naad attracts the devotee and takes him to an unknown land. In certain individuals the sound ‘Jai Guru’, ‘Om Guru’ sport continuously. There are many other indistinct sounds. A ray of light, sometimes very thin, and sometimes very thick, comes out of the right eye, whirls fast from the right to the left both within and without and sports with the infinitely microscopic ‘Vindus’ (dots).
Sometimes it all comes to a stop, and the seeker falls asleep as it were. The process does not stop here. One can advise thus far only: what follows cannot be revealed at this stage. Nobody is able to say more than this. Saints who have realised the ultimate truth describes it as a dumb fellow’s tasting of molasses.
Before that, while listening to the Naad some seekers find their closed eyes opening, the gaze of the eye attempts to rise to the space that lies in between the two eye brows. He wants to remain totally still in between the two eye brows. Only this much can be said that this is the culmination of Laya-Yoga.
4. RAJA-YOGA
Finally comes Raja- Yoga. “It is said in the Shastras that this is the highest of the four forms of Yoga. It is just the process of arresting the course of the mind by repeated intellectual operations. After practising the three Yogas already mentioned the seeker becomes fit for practising this Yoga. This may be called Jnana-yoga also” (Gurupradipa, p. 334).
When the Mantrayogin attains Mahabhava, when the Hathayogin is fully satisfied after attaining Mahabodha and when the mind and spirit of the Layayogin are merged in Paramatma, samadhi is attained. Samadhi is another name of Rajayoga.
Anyway, a man finds satisfaction by practising either Hathayoga or Layayoga in accordance with the results of the deeds performed by him in previous lives. Our merciful preceptor has bestowed on us the power of practising the three Yogas simultaneously by just imparting the mantra to us. Many of the male and female devotees hear Naad and have a vision of Jyoti and Vindu. The world is overflowing with his mercy. This is his message—“None will be deprived”.
In order to merge mankind in the ocean of Supreme Bliss at this hour of crisis, my revered preceptor has flooded the world with his mercy through the medium of the mantra:
“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.”
Chant this Name of the Lord and live in joy: when the preceptor imparts the mantra to the disciple he gives back to the disciple the body taken possession of by him (the preceptor) and teaches him (the disciple) to forget the two words ‘I’ and ‘Mine’ and to say instead, ‘this servant’ and ‘this servant’s’. Male and female devotees exhaust the effects of their previous deeds and progress towards their goal. When the accumulated effects of all previous deeds are worn away, primeval Ignorance (Avidya) i.e. the perception of the body as the self goes away for ever. Ripples arise on the surface of the ocean, are tossed about for some time and then fall into sleep as it were, on the bosom of the same ocean.
What is all this? All this is divine sport and nothing else (Tat tu lilakaivalyam).
We shall chant the name of Hari and have
a glance at Madanmohan.
And in this way we shall travel on
the road of Braja.
Say ‘Radha’, ‘Radha-Govinda’.
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