Philosophy of Raja Yoga Essay

For many in the West, yoga is simply just a part of your workout plan, a means of strengthening the body, curing body ailments, and improving flexibility. As we review the philosophy of yoga we’ll find that it is â€Å"much more than a system of physical exercise for health, Yoga is . . . an ancient path to spiritual growth. † (Raphael) The word yoga is related to the English word yoke. A yoke is a wooden plank custom fitted on cattle to help them pull the load. The same way the yoke is unifying the cattle to the beam, yoga is the union of body, mind and spirit. (Chopra ix) We first find traces of yoga in ancient texts dating back to 500 B.  C where they speak of uniting â€Å"the light within you with the light of Brahman†. There are four main forms of yoga Gyan, Bhakti, Karma, and Raja, all which we have covered in class, but I will only go into detail about Raja yoga. It wasn’t until the work of Maharishi Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras that we come to see the main philosophy of Raja yoga as it stands now. (Chopra 23) Legend has it that Patanjali’s mother, Gonnika, was praying to Lord Vishnu and that he was so moved by her devotion that Vishnu asked the cosmic serpent, Ananta, to prepare for human incarnation. A speck of Ananta’s cosmic seed fell into Gonnika’s hand, she nurtured this cosmic seed, which then soon developed into a baby boy. Quite similar to the Christian story of the Virgin Mary and the birth of Jesus, Gonnika named her child Patanjali from the root word pat meaning â€Å"descended from heaven† and Anjali the word for praying posture. Patanjali set up a system of eight branches of Raja each meant to get you closer to unification with Brahman, they are: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. (Chapra 47) I will briefly discuss all eight branches and how it compares to some catholic beliefs. The first branch of yoga, Yama, deals with how you interact with others. These social rules include practicing nonviolence, speaking truthfully, exercising proper sexual control, and being generous. Like Christianity and all other religious traditions they encourage people to live ethical lives. The essence of Yama is to achieve, in Sanskrit, ahimsa. Mahatma Ghandi advocated this principle during the independence movement in India. Ahimsa means your whole body is in peace, your thoughts are nonviolent, and your actions are nonviolent. Ghandi was quoted on saying, â€Å" If you express your love in such a manner that impresses itself indelibly pon your so called enemy, he must return that love†¦and that requires far greater courage than delivering of blows. † (Chapra 33) The second branch, Niyama, are the rules of personal behavior. How does one live when no one is watching? What choices do you make when you’re the only witness? Niyama yoga encourages a surrender to the divine, discipline, purity and contentment. Asana is the main branch of yoga that has grown in popularity in the western world. It is the third branch of yoga and it deals with physical flexibility and tone. At the deepest level of asana you will achieve full mind-body integration. The different postures offer great benefits in balance, and strength, and when preformed continuously it can also be a great aerobic exercise, but if not done properly it may cause serious damage. Pranyama is the fourth branch of yoga, which is similar to the Christian belief of the Holy Spirit. Prana means life force. Like the Holy Spirit, prana is the deciding factor between a living being and a cadaver. It is your soul. Modern day meditation derives from the fifth branch of yoga, Pratyahara. This is the process of ignoring the senses from the outer world and recognizing those in your inner world. The concept is similar to when you stay away from food for a while; usually your next meal is going to taste better than normal. When you withdraw from your senses you are able to experience them again with more vibrancy. Monks walking on hot coals seeming to feel nothing are practicing pratyahara. Dharana, the sixth branch, is the mastery of attention. This has grown in popularity by modern day quantum physics and in the book â€Å"The Secret† which tries to prove the law of attraction. Once you activate your attention on something, your intentions have a powerful magnetic influence to attract those same thoughts. Basically, if you set your mind to it you can achieve it. Very similar to Dharana, Dhyana, the seventh branch of yoga, is achieving complete awareness. You develop this skill in meditation, something I believe everyone should practice no matter your religious affiliation. Meditation teaches you to stay centered and awake to all possibilities, in order to be able to choose the best course of action for any obstacle. (Chapra 47) The eighth and final branch of yoga is called Samadhi. This is the belief that we are forever infinite, that although our bodies are temporarily on this planet our spirit is forever flowing in the cosmic world. Samadhi’s main goal is to know yourself as a spiritual being disguised as a human being. These teachings clash heavily with western philosophy of the afterlife. Christians believe that if we live good moral, ethical lives then we will be granted permission into the gates of heaven and therefore be in eternal peace. This belief, in my opinion, has been misinterpreted causing a materialistic movement. We tend to believe that since we are only here on this earth once, that we are forced to make as much money as possible and to have as many things as we can while it lasts. It has also led to carelessness in our environment. When western civilization begins to realize that the earth is in fact a living organism and we share the same breath of air with everyone, then we can begin to treat the Earth as our Mother Nature not just a temporary medium to the afterlife. Raised into a Roman Catholic family I still hold all the same values and beliefs I grew up with. But I believe no one religion is right, and it is naive to think that Christianity is the only way of life. Christianity, being one of the youngest religions, was derived from many beliefs of many different religions. Similarities are everywhere, but over time, power, greed and many other factors have changed the customs and traditions to their favor. I no longer see myself as Catholic, but I am still highly spiritual. I took this course hoping to find some answers and I’ve come to the realization that I don’t have to be a devout follower of any particular religion. I can take bits and pieces from various teachings to establish my own beliefs in a way that’s going to help me live a morally righteous life. Namaste.