Supreme Wisdom.
Karma, Jiṋána, Bhakti Yoga
The great wisdom – Mahávákya viveka – outlines the importance of understanding and discriminating between three paths of yoga, which lead us to the Supreme Goal.
Yoga is the unification of the unit soul and the Highest Soul. This unification is not like that of sugar and sand, but like that of sugar and water. Once they are combined, they cannot be separated. In a similar way, a unit entity in the course of life while fulfilling the spiritual practices gradually merges with the Cosmic Entity forgetting its individual limitedness. In case the practice has been impeccable, the individual becomes a jiivanmukta or liberated during lifetime. This happens when one is living in a physical body of a human, but your consciousness is cosmic.
Yoga is the unification of the unit soul and the Highest Soul. This unification is not like that of sugar and sand, but like that of sugar and water. Once they are combined, they cannot be separated. In a similar way, a unit entity in the course of life while fulfilling the spiritual practices gradually merges with the Cosmic Entity forgetting its individual limitedness. In case the practice has been impeccable, the individual becomes a jiivanmukta or liberated during lifetime. This happens when one is living in a physical body of a human, but your consciousness is cosmic.
Jiṋána-Yoga– the path of knowledge,
Karma-yoga – the path of action, Bhakti Yoga – the path of love.
There are three types of Yoga, three ways of practicing the path. They are Jiṋána-Yoga – the path of knowledge, Karma-yoga – the path of action, Bhakti Yoga – the path of love. According to philosophical definition, Yoga is non-attributive, super-psychic ability of cognition, non-attributive, super-psychic active ability and non-attributive, super-psychic aspiration. What does “non-attributive” mean?
Attributes are the qualities, which the consciousness acquires.
There is Sattvaguńa, which gives noble, highest characteristics. Rajoguńa gives less noble characteristics and Tamaguńa gives low qualities. The consciousness acquires its form under the influence of these three Gunas or of three binding forces of nature. Yoga is the way to gradually liberate oneself from the influence of nature, from that “crudeness” that has been acquired and finally come to one’s initial state.
Attributes are the qualities, which the consciousness acquires.
There is Sattvaguńa, which gives noble, highest characteristics. Rajoguńa gives less noble characteristics and Tamaguńa gives low qualities. The consciousness acquires its form under the influence of these three Gunas or of three binding forces of nature. Yoga is the way to gradually liberate oneself from the influence of nature, from that “crudeness” that has been acquired and finally come to one’s initial state.
Jiṋána-Yoga
Non-attributive super-psychic cognition is aimed at the world, which is beyond the form; it is aimed at the sphere where the object of cognition is beyond the scope of mind. You realize it with the help of combination of the intellect and intuition. You are focusing your attention with the intellect, then scrutinize with your intuition, consequently the intellect should fall silent. This intellectual-intuitive capability, aimed at cognition, is crucial for Jiṋána-Yoga.
In order to gain wisdom on this path, one should read the works of the spiritual Master. By pondering the scriptures, you discover the whole world. This is intellectual part. Meditation is the intuitive part. You are aiming at the Supreme Consciousness and realizing It by means of intuition. Hence, It manifests Itself within you. For example, you turn a mirror towards the sun. If you catch the sun with your mirror, you mirror will shine. Thus, proper ideas arise, the correct direction is seen clearly and wisdom develops. This is called Jiṋána-Yoga.
In order to gain wisdom on this path, one should read the works of the spiritual Master. By pondering the scriptures, you discover the whole world. This is intellectual part. Meditation is the intuitive part. You are aiming at the Supreme Consciousness and realizing It by means of intuition. Hence, It manifests Itself within you. For example, you turn a mirror towards the sun. If you catch the sun with your mirror, you mirror will shine. Thus, proper ideas arise, the correct direction is seen clearly and wisdom develops. This is called Jiṋána-Yoga.
Throughout our life we are to practice Jiṋána-Yoga, the main purpose of which is realization of the Supreme Entity. When doing meditation we are to channelize our intellect and intuition to the Supreme Entity, conduct your thought, which desires to move in a dozen directions. But we are targeting it in one and only direction. We are to constantly read, learn, refining our understanding of the world.
Karma-Yoga
Karma-Yoga is an active capacity, non-attributive and super-psychic. The purpose of such action is not the world, not the material objects. The purpose is to establish the connection between the microcosm and the Macrocosm. When we are taking actions in order to avoid the “stick” or to get the “carrot”, this is not Karma-Yoga. When the motive of your actions lies within the super-psychic sphere, when taking actions you are striving for God, then this is Karma-Yoga.
Karma-Yoga is the activity, which drives you out of the reactions to your past actions (samskara) and does not create new reactions (samskara).This activity is motivated by your consciousness and bliss. In other words, the cause underlying an action is not “I want, I do not want”, but “it should be done like this, it is a fair course of action”. Such action is encouraged by the state of fullness, inspiration, when one desires to share, give away, rather than take. This is called Karma-Yoga and its aim is unification with God. Thus, understanding comes that He is performing actions and you are His tool. The actions performed in the spirit of service draw you beyond the limits of your ego, break down the fetters of the mind. After such service you see the world differently, and realize changes within yourself. By doing service you are gradually moving out of the darkness to the light. The easiest way to reach prosperity is to perform selfless actions aimed at the welfare of all living beings.
Karma-Yoga is the activity, which drives you out of the reactions to your past actions (samskara) and does not create new reactions (samskara).This activity is motivated by your consciousness and bliss. In other words, the cause underlying an action is not “I want, I do not want”, but “it should be done like this, it is a fair course of action”. Such action is encouraged by the state of fullness, inspiration, when one desires to share, give away, rather than take. This is called Karma-Yoga and its aim is unification with God. Thus, understanding comes that He is performing actions and you are His tool. The actions performed in the spirit of service draw you beyond the limits of your ego, break down the fetters of the mind. After such service you see the world differently, and realize changes within yourself. By doing service you are gradually moving out of the darkness to the light. The easiest way to reach prosperity is to perform selfless actions aimed at the welfare of all living beings.
After such service you see the world differently,
and realize changes within yourself.
By doing service you are gradually moving out of the darkness to the light.
Bhakti-Yoga
The last non-attributive super-psychic aspiration – Bhakti-Yoga. Karma-Yoga is “I perform the action, I serve the world”. Jiṋána-Yoga is “I meditate, I explore the Supreme Being, my mind is focused on Him”. Karma-Yoga and Jiṋána-Yoga can bring you to the God’s doorstep, but you will not cross it until you develop love within yourself, until the attachment to your I-feeling, which is located in Ájiṋá cakra, is still there. This I-feeling is the most precious thing out of your belongings. Yoga encourages you to break the shell of the I-feeling. The unit consciousness ought to free itself from the fetters of Maya and merge with the Supreme Consciousness.
This cannot be done with the intellect only. At the beginning of your practice you sit down to meditate, but you tend to think about common things. Mundane anchors hinder your longing for the Supreme Consciousness, so you are to struggle overcoming the gravity. But if you reach high enough, where the gravity of Sun is stronger than the gravity of Earth, you are going to start falling on the Sun. From this moment Yoga becomes spontaneous, there is no more need making efforts.
This cannot be done with the intellect only. At the beginning of your practice you sit down to meditate, but you tend to think about common things. Mundane anchors hinder your longing for the Supreme Consciousness, so you are to struggle overcoming the gravity. But if you reach high enough, where the gravity of Sun is stronger than the gravity of Earth, you are going to start falling on the Sun. From this moment Yoga becomes spontaneous, there is no more need making efforts.
…your devotion becomes so strong that you are ready to renounce your identity,
ready to step beyond your ego…
When you have developed Love to the Supreme, and all your propensities are directed towards Him, your devotion becomes so strong that you are ready to renounce your identity, ready to step beyond your ego. Then you are ready to merge with Him.
Therefore it is necessary to cultivate Bhakti – love to the Supreme. When you sit to meditate, feel as if you are dating Him. He is looking at you and you are looking at Him. Feel the real live contact. Think that you are not ready to share Him with anyone else, because He belongs only to you. There are logical grounds for that, since there is so called Ota-yoga – the connection of the Nucleus with every microcosm and Prota-yoga – collective connection of the Nucleus with the whole Universe. By means of Ota-Yoga you are able to feel His presence and concern. Bhakti is realization, that He is feeling special, unique, exclusive love precisely to you.
Therefore it is necessary to cultivate Bhakti – love to the Supreme. When you sit to meditate, feel as if you are dating Him. He is looking at you and you are looking at Him. Feel the real live contact. Think that you are not ready to share Him with anyone else, because He belongs only to you. There are logical grounds for that, since there is so called Ota-yoga – the connection of the Nucleus with every microcosm and Prota-yoga – collective connection of the Nucleus with the whole Universe. By means of Ota-Yoga you are able to feel His presence and concern. Bhakti is realization, that He is feeling special, unique, exclusive love precisely to you.
In order to reach the purpose of life one should choose the path, which comprises all three directions: Jiṋána – wisdom, Karma – action, dynamism and Bhakti – love towards the Supreme.
Mahávákya viveka means that you understand all the above and realize its relevance.
In order to reach the purpose of life one should choose the path, which comprises all three directions: Jiṋána – wisdom, Karma – action, dynamism and Bhakti – love towards the Supreme. Channelizing all the energy of your mind to one direction, you will be moving as an arrow towards your goal.
In order to reach the purpose of life one should choose the path, which comprises all three directions: Jiṋána – wisdom, Karma – action, dynamism and Bhakti – love towards the Supreme. Channelizing all the energy of your mind to one direction, you will be moving as an arrow towards your goal.
Channelizing all the energy of your mind to one direction,
you will be moving as an arrow towards your goal.
Read also:
- Everything, that is happening, is happening not in vain, but due to a particular reason. Facing some life difficulties, people tend to ask: why did it happen to me? An immature person would murmur, grumble at life – such position is not constructive. A practicing person uses either knowledge or action approach in all life circumstances.
- The answer to this question is not lying on the surface. To understand the essence one should go deep inside and ask oneself: why am I living? Hence, all living beings have meaning and purpose of existence. What is mine?
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