Spiritual Glossary

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2 words found.

Word Meaning

1 Yagnas Ritualistically invoking, worshipping and appeasing gods and goddess, who are the representation of certain cosmic powers, for the common good of one's society and also the entire world-community is Yagna. It is a very elaborate and as well an intricate field of religious tradition. This is not a part of the Sadhana, which a Sadhak in quest for TRUTH need to learn or master.

2 Yoga The basic meaning of this most popular Sanskrit word is, 'To unite', 'Joining', 'Union'. Many thousand years ago, a school of philosophy was established by the Sage Patanjali, which is considered to be the part of 'Sankhya' philosophy. But practically it is reckoned as a separate spiritual system under the name, 'YOGA'. Patanjali sums up in a very short aphorism the total essence of 'Yoga'. "Yoga, Chita vrutti nirodha." This means, " Yoga is to prevent (cease) the mental modifications." Involuntarily, thinking-process takes place in the human mind. Most of the content of this uncontrollable mentation is irrelevant. This activity exhausts human energy and induces deep-rooted mental and behavioral disorder. The originating point of all disorders in a human being, is his/her thought process. None seem to have any control on this essential aspect of "Oneself"! 'YOGA' is the system, which helps to restore order and peace in this most personal realm of a human being.
There is a state of 'fracture' in each and every human mental perception. This separation is felt due to a limited 'Self-identity', which the perceiving modality stubbornly feels, within. This 'Self-notion' has divided and isolated each one in the humankind, from the state of togetherness prevailing in the Creation. Thus there is an unbridgeable division between human beings and also between humankind and rest everything else in the Creation. A systematic approach aimed to unify (not just bridge) such a division is 'YOGA'
The unifying act should first and foremost, has to take place 'Within' a human being. The 'self-identity', which creates the divisive thought process, has to be fundamentally cured. This cure brings a profound unification within the person. An individual becomes deeply balanced from within, if the unification by Yoga has worked. Only a deeply balanced person can relate wholistically with other human beings and as well with the natural environment. This in-depth balance is not psychological, but spiritual in nature. Thus, Yoga is not a psychological 're-adjustment' method. This has to be clearly understood, before undertaking the pursuit of unification through 'YOGA'.
The entire authentic doctrine of YOGA, if it is studied faithfully, it is immensely beneficial for the student. But, some teachers of Yoga have attempted to meet the need of popular-demand by oversimplifying the subject itself! They have presented before the students, just a few preliminary aspects of the total Yoga-system, which are easy to understand without much deeper attention. Many of these practices like 'Asana' (Yogic physical postures) and 'Pranayama' (Breath-control) are purely physical in nature. When they are divorced from the higher and most essential teachings of Yoga-system, they only get reduced to a science of physical culture. They are then, on par with many other systems of physical fitness and muscle building exercises doing their rounds in the market place. Thus, what the vast majority under the name of YOGA normally practice is the soulless structure. This cannot bring about the qualitatively radical transformation in the Being of the student, which authentic YOGA addresses itself to.