When
they hear the word "yoga," most people think of the early
morning TV routine of stretches, bends and other poses, or asanas.
However, a special few know yoga to be an ancient, though timeless
spiritual science of the highest order. Along with its underlying
philosophy, known as Vedanta, this ageless system of mind-upliftment
can ultimately lead one to the highest attainment of life, a transcendental
state generally known to Westerners, such as myself, as "liberation."
Because it is spiritually-based, it is easy to mistake yoga-Vedanta
for a religion. And perhaps in its early stages, new yogis or yoginis
even consider it to be so. But it is not.
To be sure, this pathway does have its share of religious-seeming
practices and rituals. But upon closer inspection, we come to realize
that yoga-Vedanta's various techniques and methods ultimately have
but a single purpose: The purification of the mind. For it is believed
that only when the mind has been cleansed (especially of worldly desires),
can the subtle yet profound truths of yoga reveal themselves, then
become installed as heartfelt Knowledge or Wisdom.
Some think of yoga-Vedanta as a house with many doors, each one leading
eventually to the same place: The "center" of the house
... liberation. The "doors" could be compared to the different
schools or factions of this eternal system which exist. Each system
places its emphasis or primary focus upon one or another of the various
methods of stimulating the mental development and clarity which naturally
occur as we walk this unique pathway.
My own school, Neti Yoga — a westernized version of jnana
yoga ("the Way of Highest Knowledge") — takes a
"top-down" approach by revealing yoga's highest secrets
and delivering "Enlightenment" early in a student's studies.
We then ask that this enlightened student to follow a variety of practices
(e.g., a vegetarian diet, intensive affirmations, etc.).
These practices are aimed at speeding the purification of the mind
and conversion of yoga's unusual message to Knowledge and Wisdom.
But without incorporating these practices, the student has simply
added to his or her mass of infoglut and gains no, real benefit from
that precious information.
Other schools of yoga-Vedanta insist upon meditation, still others
on breathing, service or devotion. But beneath it all, there are clear
and comparable "levels" of development which arise at their
own pace within the minds of sincere students from every school or
style of yoga-Vedanta. These are like signposts which mark an aspirant's
transition from human animal, you might say, to human being.
There are at least five such mile-markers, and each one is characterized
by a distinctly different "paradigm shift" (thank you, Marilyn
Ferguson) — a new way of viewing familiar data ... or even one's
entire world, as s/he most recently knew it. And I believe that each
of these steps, if you will, arises in a specific sequence, regardless
of the route one takes (or the "curriculum" the school teaches),
as he or she enters and grows in yoga-Vedanta.
There is an old saying: Many are called, but few are chosen.
The "calling," in this case, refers to hearing that inner
voice we know as "conscience." While we each have this clarion
voice, not all of us listen to it ... especially at crucial times.
So you could say that heeding one's Inner Guidance at such a significant
moment is the hallmark of that person known in Vedanta as a karma
yogi or yogini. This is the first "level" of mind
cleansing which elevates the yogi/ni beyond his or her more worldly
fellowkind.
While many Westerners equate the word "karma" to fate or
predestination, in Sanskrit — the original language of yoga-Vedanta
— karma only means "action." In most systems of yoga,
a karma yogi, then, is one who delights in work and devotes his life
to selfless assistance to humanity. By so doing, it is believed that
this service-oriented person's mind will be gently cleansed of the
egotism which keeps us so closely tied to the world.
Beyond that, however, based upon Vedanta's highest teachings, "karma
yoga" also has a more subtle interpretation. Namely, it refers
to the special and memorable time(s) when a person clearly followed
the guidance of his or her conscience — even when it was
to their own disadvantage or even detriment. In Neti Yoga, such people
have become qualified as karma yogi/nis ... even if they have never
heard the term, before.
The mindstate in which we are left following this action is a kind
of quiet contentment. Right has been done; honesty has been chosen.
It might have been a grand and noble deed, or something as simple
as apologizing when it was called for; but a sort of purging or cleansing
has taken place. And in so doing, an egotistical barrier — which
is normally an expression of fear — has been removed. Growth
toward human beingness can climb to its next level.
In the Neti Yoga classes I have taught over the years, virtually all
of our students have been able to recall at least one such "defining
incident." When prompted, many have agreed that this special
event actually marked their transition into true adulthood (regardless
of the age when it happened) ... and, in a way, earned them the right
to proceed along the pathway of yoga-Vedanta.
The next phase of mind-upliftment (yoga) is that of searching for,
discovering, then surrendering to God. In Vedanta, this stage
is known as bhakti yoga — "the Way of Devotion and
Surrender."
It takes no, firm belief in the existence of God (in whatever term
or way God is defined) to become a karma yogi/ni. But the phase of
bhakti yoga is much different. And it is more than merely holding
religious thoughts, believing in God's existence or even of praying
regularly — it is near-total immersion in the life of Divine
Radiance.
Many people have been religious — or at least belonged to a religious
organization — since childhood. The fortunate, blessed ones are
even able to believe in their hearts that God, and a better Afterlife,
exist. After carefully and seriously following the dictates of their,
particular religion, such people often feel content in the conviction
that an eternal, heavenly reward — in whatever way they may define
It — awaits them.
And some religionists are called even further: They make God their
life's work by becoming ministers, priests, rabbis or other reverend
individuals. By becoming God's servant, they have mostly reached the
epitome or pinnacle of their religion. They can go no further (or,
at the most, climb that religion's political hierarchy of its clergy).
But for a bhakta — one devoted to God — becoming
a Divine servant is only an early step along yoga's unique and unusual
footpath. What separates the bhakti yogi/ni from other religionists
is the depth of his or her dedication. As the yogi/ni grows in devotion,
s/he gradually becomes an instrument of God, and in so doing,
denies more and more responsibility for his or her own actions.
"I do nothing," claims the bhakta. "I am simply a vehicle
through which God operates." And such soul denies not only the
responsibility for these actions, but also the "fruit" or
consequences from them. Pride for doing "t
he right
thing" is eliminated, as well as any guilt or sorrow for doing
"wrong." Not surprisingly, the more one voluntarily surrenders
to God, the more any notion of "free will" is erased. And
it is here where yoga-Vedanta makes a complete about-face compared
to all, major religions.
The means by which a religionist "earns" heavenly credits
or hellish demerits is through "good" or "evil"
thoughts and deeds. Indeed, the basis of most religions is that we
must freely exercise our power to do the right thing and shun the
wrong.
The bhakti yogi, on the other hand, does "whatever God tells
me to do" ... perhaps even to his own astonishment. For "God's
actions" may be completely out of character for the bhakta —
totally unlike anything s/he might have done, alone, without the Hand
of Divinity guiding that surrendered soul.
If giving up ego overcomes the first, important blockade to liberation,
then voluntarily giving up one's own free will eliminates the next,
major obstruction blocking most people from following the pathway
of yoga-Vedanta. The great scripture of yoga-Vedanta, The Bhagavad-Gita,
devotes many shlokas (verses) on the importance of bhakti yoga.
While surrender to God could, in theory, occur simply by hearing
about the rightness and wisdom of it, such handing over of one's free
will is seldom that easy. Like Arjuna on the battlefield, for this
second, great step of purification to occur, nearly always one must
have painted him-/herself into an impossible corner, where the only
viable option is to shamelessly grovel in absolute desperation at
God's Feet.
Bhakti yoga is intoxicating in the power and release from limitations
it can bring. To the extent one is able to turn all his/her actions
over to God, to that same extent a true sense of emancipation is felt.
For many, it is the first, real feeling of freedom they may have experienced
since childhood ... if they have ever experienced it, at all!
And it is addictive, too. Moving into the next Great Phase of mind
purification is no easy task, once one has become accustomed to the
bliss and freedom of Divine Irresponsibility ... and its indescribable
companion-feeling of perpetual "accompaniment" or sense
of no longer ever, ever being alone in the world.
Until Phase Three: Jnana yoga. Then the world becomes totally
topsy-turvy!
This is the stage of mind-development which could be called "the
Revelation of Truth" or "Establishment of Wisdom."
This phase of the yoga-process is the final step which can actually
be taught.
Please understand: These mile-markers to not relate to when the yogi/ni
receives the knowledge about these five steps, only when they become
established in the heart as True Knowledge. For it is possible to
read or otherwise receive yoga-Vedanta's teachings from countless
books on the subject. But even memorizing every shloka of The Gita
in no way converts this information to Wisdom.
The dues must be paid. The walk must be walked.
These are universal mind-phenomena and are not limited to just those
people who follow yoga-Vedanta. Indeed, one need never have even heard
the term, "yoga," to qualify as a yogi/ni of the highest
order.
All that is needed is to walk the path: Karma, bhakti, jnana, tyaga
and atma bodha.
