raja yoga teaches us to control the self and self realization

7/29/2019 Raja YOGA teaches us to control the self and self realization

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RAJA YOGA

Yoga, which has its origin, nearly 5000 years

ago in India is becoming relevant to this high tech

era. Over a millennia yoga grew to be a science of

specialities and super specialities. Techniques

after techniques are evolved catering to the needs

of human without any bias of caste, creed race or

gender retaining its experimental approach

through the inner laboratory of mind. Harnessing

the will, these techniques calm the mind, stabilise

the emotions, improves the quality of life and bring

health and harmony in the society.

The most basic question regarding reality, goalof life, happiness, misery, life beyond death etc.

are lingering in every mind. The deeper quest

takes us to the very source of intellect, which the

Upanishads claim as silence from where all


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solutions emerge. The intellectual harnessing the

WILL and the capacity to do or undo or to do in a

different way is the technique of Raja Yoga

propounded by the great Indian sage Patanjali.

These techniques help us to use the will at the

psychological as well as mental levels to a greater

extent. Unless the high sensitivity and sharp

intellect are properly controlled progress in life is

hampered. Patanjali recognising this need, has

offered many layered operations to harness the

will to eliminate negative reactions at Physical,

mental and emotional levels.

Now let us analyse our body - who rules our

body - It is the Mind. Sometimes we haveexperienced in our life occasions where mind

makes us do certain things against our wishes.

Mind is so very strong that it is very essential to

control this. One has to make an effort to control


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the mind. How do we do it? What we need is

internal control as explained by Lord Krishna in

Gita. 2-59.

fo;k fofuorZUrs fujkgkjL; nsfgu %

jlotZ jlkSMI;L; ija n`IV~ok fuorfrA

Object- cease for him who does not enjoy

them with his senses. But longing still lingers in the

mind. His longing also turns away on realising the

Supreme self.

Again another verse from Vivekachudamani.

316 Shri Shankaracharya

Sarvatra Saravatah Sarvam

brahma - matra valokanaih I

Sad-bhava-vasana-dardhyat

tat trayam layam asunte.


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Shankaracharya points out that the way to

destroy worldly influences lies in looking on every

thing under all circumstances, always every where

and in all ways as Brahman and Brahman alone.

Sometimes we take recourse to discrimination and

the next moment we forget to do so.

What is our goal? We want to reach the

ultimate Reality. We want to manifest the divinity

which is with in us we want to realise God. So we

have to snap. Somehow or the other the chain oftransmigration that drags us down to this vicious

cycle of birth and death. We should burn- the

thinking of sense objects and acting upon them.

Gita - Ch. - 3 - 6.

Karmendriyani samyamya

ya aste manasa smaran

Indriyarthan vimudhatma

Mithya carah sa ucyate


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The deluded man who restrains his organs of

action but continues in his mind to brood over the

objects of senses is a hypocrite.

So we should become very careful, mindful

and alert in our journey to the great goal. We

should go on weeding out and cultivate positiveattitudes.

Sense objects will produce their impressions in

our minds. We have to move about in this world.

We cannot keep our eyes closed and we cannot

keep all the organs shut. Naturally we are to live in

this world and different kinds of sense impressions

will come. But trouble arises when we entertain a

longing for these sense objects. Let them come,

but dont be a slave to them. If one does not have

the will power (ichcha sakti), one becomes a victim

to the allurements of the outside world. So we

must have the determination and reach our


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desired goal in this very life and be merged in the

bliss of the Divine and discover the real self. So, in

order not to fall, renounce the sense objects, reject

and rise above all kinds of sensuous thoughts. As

long as one has this feeling - I am the body.

Through Raja yoga we can steady our mindand make it one pointed.

Raja Yoga has been divided into three more

sub-divisions known as - Mantra yoga, kundalini

yoga and Hatha Yoga. These are various modes

of practice where by the chitta Vritti or mental

modifications are brought into control and the

absolute is in various ways realised.

Raja yoga is the path of psychic control and is

a systematic process of culturing the mind. It is

based on the 8-limbed yoga of Patanjali. It is a

path that leads to union with the Lord through self-


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restraint and control of mind. It teaches us to

develop concentration and how to commune with

God. The eight limbs are common to all three sub-

divisions of Raja yoga. These eight limbs may be

divided in to five exterior methods chiefly

concerned with the body and prana and the three

inner methods affecting the development of mind.

raja yoga teaches us to control the self and self realization

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