{"id":4363,"date":"2018-11-15T06:00:30","date_gmt":"2018-11-15T05:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theophilelancien.org\/?p=4363\/"},"modified":"2024-03-06T10:06:59","modified_gmt":"2024-03-06T09:06:59","slug":"yoga-part-1-raja-yoga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theophilelancien.org\/en\/yoga-part-1-raja-yoga\/","title":{"rendered":"Yoga, part 1, raja-yoga"},"content":{"rendered":"

Theo. \u2013 There is much talk about yoga, these days, but it seems the talking covers many different practices, including ours. Could you please clarify what Yoga really means?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 Like the Vedas, Yoga dates back to ages ago. At the time, the Rishis of Ancient India (Bharata) would meet and discuss such topics as: What is Brahma (God) like? What first caused the Universe to exist? How do we take birth? How to live? How do we come to exist? What laws govern life? What is that force that governs life and death? Why do we have to suffer? … and many more questions.
\nThey would discuss topics relating to time, to matter, to nature and its various elements (space, air, fire, water and earth). They would also talk about the soul (purusha<\/em>), about the self, and so they discovered that none of those could have absolutely been the reason why the universe existed. In order to discover the reason why, they practiced Yoga and meditation (dhyana<\/em>), which led them to unveil Truth (Satpad): the Absolute is Brahman; it is at once ‘Existence, Knowledge and Bliss’ (Sat-Chit-Ananda).<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 So, on top of being a philosophy, Yoga is also an applied science!<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 In Sanskrit, ‘yug’ means to unite. It is the union of an individual being (jivatman<\/em>) to the Ultimate Principle (Paramatman<\/em>). The word ‘yoga’ refers both to the goal, that is unifying, and to the method, which gives the way for unifying.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 That condition compares to the one mystics aspire to, whether they are Christians, Sufis or Kabalists: being one with God.<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 In India, they would be considered as yogis and assimilated either to bhakti-yoga<\/em> (the path of devotion), to karma-yoga<\/em> (the path of skill in action) or to jnana-yoga<\/em> (the path of inner knowledge), the three paths being synthesized in Love.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 Like the Heartfulness path we practice?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 That path is also called \u2018raja-yoga\u2019. One thing must be clearly specified: the only purpose of Yoga is Realization, speculation being totally irrelevant.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 Is it the reason why, concerning Yoga, you’d rather mention the ‘Principle’, rather than ‘God’, as we do in the West?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 With the Heartfulness meditation<\/a>, which follows the Sahaj Marg’s syste<\/a>m of Raja Yoga, the spiritual seeker (yogi) has to draw his or her own conclusions from personal inner experiences, just like ancient rishis<\/em> used to do.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 The ancient yogis\u2019 methodology is apparently very strict!<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 It is. It is a synthesis of the yogic disciplines, which had to be mastered before being taught.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 Are there any different schools?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 Inevitably! Yoga has existed for thousands of years, and researchers are still making discoveries. New ways are being opened to approach the Ultimate. Humankind keeps changing.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 What big secret allowed Babuji<\/a> to make all these discoveries?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 He had Lalaji<\/a> as a spiritual Master. Lalaji is the one who rediscovered yogic transmission (pranahuti<\/em>)<\/a>, which allowed connecting meditators directly to the Source, that famous Centre at the very basis of existence, the Ultimate Principle rishis<\/em> referred to. But Babuji’s main characteristic was his capacity to read Reality (his anubhava-shakti<\/em>) in the various dimensions of the being and to open new paths for humankind.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 Is Babuji’s science what trainers are now being taught?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 Absolutely! There are over six thousands of them in the whole wide world. Babuji opened that new way to access the Ultimate to the largest possible number of people. That way is known as Babuji’s science. Previously, it was reserved for yogis capable of amazing ascetic practices. They would follow the ashtanga-yoga<\/em> eight steps (ashtanga<\/em> meaning eight). Patanjali developed a synthesis of these eight limbs.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 According to Sahaj Marg, what are the specificities of raja-yoga<\/em> as compared to traditional yoga?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 First, you must know that Patanjali lived 300 years B.C. and that he did an enormous work, compiling Yoga Sutras. When he came back down here he modified these data in order to adapt them to the times and to the evolution of humanity.
\nLet us take concentration, for example: he or she who can read a book or write an article in a railway station hall is sufficiently capable of concentrating to learn how to meditate. So, concentration will adapt to each period and lifestyle, making meditation available whatever the conditions.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 Babuji has updated Yoga, but what could you say about the other steps Patanjali proposed?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 Quite at the beginning, there are yama<\/em>, or moral imperatives, and then, niyama<\/em>, the virtuous observances that will allow a yogi to remain calm and perseverant, and to reduce external and internal influences (whether they are tamasic or rajasic).<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 What does that mean?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 A yogi will control his mind (manas<\/em>) so that only the Self can remain. All other movement in the inner mind (chitta-vrittis<\/em>), as well as passions and emotions, will have to cease.
\nIn asthanga-yoga<\/em>, you will also find the practice of renunciation, vairagya<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 Why renounce?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 It helps develop the observer<\/a> in you, and stop being affected by miseries, misfortunes, suffering or anxieties. In his Yoga Sutras<\/em>, Patanjali called all these feelings ‘affections’. Such a rigorous practice helps purify the mind, to make it more balanced, Sattvic. It provides access to the observer, which will allow you to develop your discrimination skills, viveka<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 What about postures (asanas<\/em>)? These yoga-postures are famous in the West, where many people will practice hatha-yoga<\/em> for health purposes. They evoke harmonious physical exercises.<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 They promote good physical, mental and emotional health, help you hold your body poised and foster a physical stability in these three functions of the being. They mainly concern the gross body (sthool-sharir<\/em>). They won’t be efficient unless they are associated with intelligent breathing.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 Does posture matter in the field of spirituality?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 What matters most is that the body may remain still. Similarly to the tortoise retracting its head and limbs inside, we meditate with our legs and hands crossed (cross-legged sitting, or lotus position). The spinal column is straight, but the head slightly bends forward, as if it were going to enter the heart. At the same time, all the senses and their actions (indriyas<\/em>) are in an entrenched position.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 What’s the use?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 The Lotus position fosters a state of negation (tam<\/em>). Babuji explains it in his commentary on Maxim n\u00b01<\/a>: \u201cIt is the central point of the real state of Being which in most of the cases remained unattained in spite of all the efforts of the pursuer. That state of negation is at the basis of a Being’s life. It is the Divine mystery, where there is neither light nor darkness. Sitting in that posture (asana<\/em>), the person lives a mini dissolution (pralaya<\/em>), and being thus in touch with Reality, that person will see the Divine flow begin to rain upon him or her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 And in much simpler terms?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 A meditative posture improves our balance. Then, soul, body and mind are in a state of oneness, and the three bodies become God’s temple.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 You always told me that God was simple!<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 Our posture is simple, stripped of any superfluity and it is as still as the Centre of the Being. A very good sitting posture is enough to have us be absorbed into the heart. All complexities are left outside. That is very simple.<\/p>\n

The Elder (smiling):
\n\u2013 Particularly at the end of the process; then, purity prevails within the individual, and it all becomes identical to the original state.<\/p>\n

Theo. (laughing):
\n\u2013 I think we’d better go directly through experiencing meditation … I won’t even dare ask you about breath (pranayama<\/em>), for there, I fear the worst!<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 It’s quite easy for us, because we don’t have to do any breathing exercises (pranayama<\/em>) in order to revitalize the chakras, since transmission (pranahuti<\/em>) has been made continuously available to us from the moment we have had our three introductory meditations.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 And that’s all?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 That’s all!<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 This is baffling. I was expecting you to speak about nadis<\/em>, inda<\/em>, pingala<\/em> and shushumna<\/em>…<\/p>\n

The Elder -In Sahaj Marg, you need not work on them to grow spiritually. Energies are naturally regulated through the heart.
\nThe postures (asanas<\/em>) provide health, force and balance to your physical body.\u00a0 Originally, to be effective, each posture had to be maintained for about four hours by the rishis<\/em>. Note that yogis, when in a period of intensive research, were able to meditate around the clock. For that, their bodies had to be strong and healthy, energy had to flow efficiently throughout their entire systems and through the seven major chakras. They would also combine breathing and energizing exercises. Various energies (pranas<\/em>) were thus flowing throughout their whole bodies via the nadis<\/em>, the network of our energy channels.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 It looks like our meridian system of acupuncture.<\/p>\n

\"102-pingala-ida\"

The nadis.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Elder \u2013 They share the same origin. They fall into two broad streams: ‘ida’, regarded as the lunar nadi<\/em> …<\/p>\n

\u2013 That’s the Yin, Theo commented proudly.<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 The other one is ‘pingala’ \u2013 the solar nadi<\/em> \u2013 and so it corresponds to the Yang. Ida and pingala spiral around the ‘sushumma’ nadi. Energies from the moon and the sun cross each other. The vital breath enters the network at the level of the occipital lobe, in a lunar centre called ‘chandra-chakra<\/em>‘, then it flows down to cross the five lower chakras before going upwards to leave through the lunar centre, the ‘ajna-chakra’.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 What is the next step?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 I’ll tell you, but first I’d like to ponder a little further over yogic anatomy: a human being is made of three bodies and five coverings. The astral body, also called subtle body, is composed of four elements: mind (manas<\/em>), consciousness (chit<\/em>), intellect (buddhi<\/em>) and ego (ahamkara<\/em>). That will be the starting point for our spiritual work.
\nThe following stages consist in controlling the energy travelling through the body (pranayama<\/em>) and the subsiding of the senses (pratyahara<\/em>) for the sake of concentration and interiorization.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 Could you tell me more about that subsiding of the senses (pratyahara<\/em>) and about concentration?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 We acquire them through meditating (dhyana<\/em>). We start with attention, leaving concentration be “merely the instrument of revelation”, as Babuji would say.<\/p>\n

Theo. -That is to say?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 In meditation, we use our attention. It is turned towards the infinity of the heart. You do the same when you watch the vastness of the sky. If you keep your gaze fixed on a bird that is flying in the sky, concentration will reveal the bird’s position to you.
\nWhen meditation is over, before opening your eyes, with your inner eye, you let your spiritual condition emerge, focusing on it so as to read it and you let it be revealed to you. Attention is an opening onto the akasha<\/em> (the infinite space) of your heart.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 In Sahaj Marg, it’s all much simpler. We meditate directly on the heart and we can feel something right from the beginning.<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 Absolutely, and that is due to the transmission of yogic energy, called ‘pranahuti’. It connects you directly to the Source and to the heart of the spiritual guide.<\/p>\n

Theo. \u2013 That’s a job! Are there many yogis in the West?<\/p>\n

The Elder \u2013 There are more and more of them. They practice a modern raja-yoga<\/em>. That is what Babuji contributed to humanity. He simplified raja-yoga<\/em> so that human beings may practice it while having a family life, a social life. He advocated finding a good balance between a material and a spiritual life.<\/p>\n

To be continued\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Theophile the Elder
\nAn excerpt from Dialogs with Theophile the Elder<\/em>
\nTheophile the Younger’s initiation<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Theo. \u2013 There is much talk about yoga, these days, but it seems the talking covers many different practices, including ours. Could you please clarify what Yoga really means? The Elder \u2013 Like the Vedas, Yoga dates back to ages ago. 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The Elder \u2013 The eight limbs Patanjali described are to be considered as a whole, a whole that is as indivisible as the individual is. 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The Elder. \u2013 First of all, we must be aware that we are welcoming a soul and recognize it as a heart-to-heart communication, as a soul whose destiny has to be respected, without interfering, and just accompany it on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/theophilelancien.org\/en\/category\/blog-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"107-enfance","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theophilelancien.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/107-enfance-partie-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theophilelancien.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/107-enfance-partie-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theophilelancien.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/107-enfance-partie-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theophilelancien.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/107-enfance-partie-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theophilelancien.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/107-enfance-partie-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4003,"url":"https:\/\/theophilelancien.org\/en\/advanced-practice-4-non-practice\/","url_meta":{"origin":4363,"position":3},"title":"Advanced Practice \u2013 Part 4: A non-practice","author":"Patrick Fleury","date":"30\/07\/2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Theo. \u2013 I would like to make a summary of all that you taught me last week, and thus make sure I have well understood what the different phases of that spiritual journey are. So, during the first years of our spiritual journey, the raja yogis that we are will\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Advanced practice"","block_context":{"text":"Advanced practice","link":"https:\/\/theophilelancien.org\/en\/category\/working-on-oneself\/practice\/advanced-practice\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"065-pratique-avanc\u00e9e-non-pratique","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theophilelancien.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/065-pratique-avanc%C3%A9e-partie-4.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theophilelancien.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/065-pratique-avanc%C3%A9e-partie-4.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theophilelancien.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/065-pratique-avanc%C3%A9e-partie-4.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theophilelancien.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/065-pratique-avanc%C3%A9e-partie-4.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theophilelancien.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/065-pratique-avanc%C3%A9e-partie-4.jpg?fit=1200%2C793&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4448,"url":"https:\/\/theophilelancien.org\/en\/from-dimension-to-other\/","url_meta":{"origin":4363,"position":4},"title":"From one dimension to the other","author":"Patrick Fleury","date":"09\/12\/2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Theo. \u2013 I have understood that practicing meditation, cleaning and the prayer in a proper way would automatically lead to constant remembrance, and also that I could directly start with constant remembrance, which is the quickest and the most direct way. The Elder \u2013 It is the simplest one indeed,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/theophilelancien.org\/en\/category\/blog-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"D\u2019une dimension \u00e0 l\u2019autre","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theophilelancien.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/123-D%E2%80%99une-dimension-%C3%A0-l%E2%80%99autre.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theophilelancien.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/123-D%E2%80%99une-dimension-%C3%A0-l%E2%80%99autre.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theophilelancien.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/123-D%E2%80%99une-dimension-%C3%A0-l%E2%80%99autre.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theophilelancien.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/123-D%E2%80%99une-dimension-%C3%A0-l%E2%80%99autre.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theophilelancien.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/123-D%E2%80%99une-dimension-%C3%A0-l%E2%80%99autre.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4414,"url":"https:\/\/theophilelancien.org\/en\/raja-yoga-way-love\/","url_meta":{"origin":4363,"position":5},"title":"Raja-yoga or the Way of Love","author":"Patrick Fleury","date":"05\/12\/2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The Elder \u2013 Here we are dealing with a more advanced stage. 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