YOGABHARATI

  It is very rare to find a teacher who not only teaches the subject, but is also concerned about the welfare of the student. The important thing is, he or she feels for the student from the bottom of their heart. One such incident I would like to recollect here on the occasion of Teachers Day. I always used to feel that our principal Dr Madhav Manohar, who was a very brilliant and kind human being, considered all the students as his children. More importantly, he had a very special consideration for me. He knew that my interest was more into Spirituality, Satsangs, meeting with the saintly people and visiting pilgrimage centers. All these things were going on, in addition to my education. Many people were worried whether I would complete my engineering or not, but when I gave the exams, I got positive results.  I went to the principal to thank him.   His words really touched my heart, which I can never forget in my lifetime. He said, “Raghuram, I was more concerned ...

  The source of creation is only one, which according to the wisdom of the ancient culture of Bharat (Sanatana Dharma) is Brahman. There is nothing mystic about it, but it is that which is all-inclusive, nothing exists outside of it, and it is constantly expanding. This One limited itself to become many individuals. This first individuation is called Creation . This has not happened just once and then stopped at one point in time. Eternal means it is a process that is happening all the time. This individuation we call as Ego . In the Sanskrit language, we have two words for this ego. They are Asmitha and Ahamkara. This pure individuation is called Asmitha.  This Asmitha has three directions and logically also there can be only three ways for the transaction.  1. Experiencer Asmitha- Bhoktrutva  (derived from Bhoga)  or  Iccha Shakti  2. Doer  Asmitha- Kartrutva.   (derived from Karma)    Kriya  Shakti 3. Identifier  Asmith...

Pratyahara is returning to the source,  by which the senses do not come into contact with their corresponding objects then, the mind is in original form.  Senses themselves are so designed that they will take us to the object belonging to them. The eyes see, ears hear, tongue tastes, nose smells and the touching sensation touches the objects. This is naturally designed and that's how the life started right from the beginning until we have come to the field of yoga. The objective world of the senses is known as Ahara. Pratyahara means turning the senses away from the object and the only way it can get used to is, by ‘Turning Inwards’. It   is a very subtle activity which needs proper understanding.  Our intellect is always trained to put one against the other  like, ‘White is good therefore black is bad, small is good and the big is bad’   just the way we always put one against the other, when we say ‘you turn inwards away from the object’  then so...

  What we are familiar with, is the world that has the manifestation. Important aspect of this world is that it’s perceivable by the senses. This is supposed to be gross. There maybe things which are so minute, so microscopic or so far away that we may have to use some technological means to reach them. To perceive them like the way that microscopes, telescopes or our telephones or  cell phones, that we  all use,  these instruments are equipments to enhance our perception. Once we enhance our perception and we are able to trace them they belong to the gross world. But then, apart from that there is something that you can never reach by the senses or enhancement of the senses. This is supposed to be the subtle world, it is something, which is beyond , for  any equipment to really bring about the details. It is like the way that the whole tree is there inside the seed but no amount of dissecting it, are we going to get the information that is hidden inside. It has...

  The emotions that we are familiar with is usually very disastrous. For e.g. a person in love is constantly under the fear that any moment he or she might be betrayed.  The moment somebody is in love with any person, he or she feels insecurity, there is always a fear that someone can take advantage. Heart-break is many times unbearable! Love may be a soft emotion, but when we look at other violent emotions, such as anger, hatred, jealousy and fear, all these emotions affect self and other people. You lose intellect, balance and right thinking such that one can become destructive.   Therefore, people are always wary of emotions, and the only thing they think in the name of culturing of emotions is not to be emotional, as emotions are bad! Emotions they believe are enemy to intellect and rationale.  The right or the real way of looking at it is that the emotion called love & compassion are born in a child before any other faculty is born. Not only human ...

  Sage Patanjali in this Yoga sutras has explained this concept of Pratipaksha bhavanam in the Sadhana Pada.  ‘ वितर्कभाधने प्रतिपक्षभावनम् ‘ | PYS 2.33 Pratipaksha bhavanam is to cultivate a positive thought, every time the mind is disturbed by negative emotions or thought. For this, we have to be aware and be mindful. Pratipaksha means opposite and Bhavana means emotions. When disturbed by negative thoughts, opposite [positive] ones should be thought of. This is pratipaksha bhavavanam.  He further states that ‘ वितर्का हिंसादयः कृतकारितानुमोदिता लोभक्रोधमोहपूर्वका मृदुमध्याधिमात्रा दुःखाज्ञानानन्तफला इति प्रतिपक्षभावनम’ | PYS 2.34 Improper thoughts,(and actions) such as those of violence etc., whether committed physically or caused to be done or abetted, and improper emotions, caused by greed, anger or delusion, present in mild, medium or intense degrees, result in endless pain and ignorance. Hence, there is the necessity of cultivating the opposites.  Let us see t...