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Yoga

  • “Yogas citta vritti nirodah” Yoga Sutras 1.2
  • “O Arjuna! As the ignorant men work with attachment to action, so should the wise act without attachment, for the welfare of the world.” Bhagavad Gita 3.25
  • “Hail, Hail, Hail, Shri Hanuman, Lord of senses. Let your victory over the evil be firm and final. Bless me in the capacity as my supreme guru.” Hanuman Chalisa
BhaktiKarmaRajaJnanaSattvaRajasTamasSamadhiDhyanaDharanaPratyaharaPranayamaAsanaNiyamaYamaSelflessSelfishAtmanivedanamSakhyamDasyamVandanamArchanamPadasevanamSmaranamKirtanamShravanamAdvaitaVishishtadvaitaDvaitaYamaKarma YogaNiyamaBhakti YogaAsana,PranayamaHatha and HealthPratyahara,Dharana,DhyanaSamadhiJapa YogaSattvaRajasTamasRaja YogaHanuman ChalisaBhagavad GitaYoga SutrasBhaktiKarmaRajaJnanaSattvaRajasTamasSamadhiDhyanaDharanaPratyaharaPranayamaAsanaNiyamaYamaSelflessSelfishAtmanivedanamSakhyamDasyamVandanamArchanamPadasevanamSmaranamKirtanamShravanamAdvaitaVishishtadvaitaDvaitaHathaAsanaPranayamaShatkarmasDevotion & ActionDisciplinePhilosophyHanumanChalisaYoga Sutrasof PatanjaliBhagavadGitaTraditional Four YogasRegrouped Four YogasSynthesis into Raja YogaSynthesis into Three SastrasSri RamakrishnaVivekanandaSivananda SatyanandaChinmayanandaDayananda

Four Yogas​

Traditional Four Yogas​

The four paths of Yoga, as I understand it, build on the other. The traditional systems seem to have no real ordering. Any path can be taken as standalone while combining with the other yogas. As is described the yogas sadhanas are each rivers that flow to the same ocean. However, I find that the Four Yogas are easier to conceptualize as a path from worldly to pure consciousness.

Each path yogic path we attempt to grow to be more sattvic.

  • Karma: Selfless Work
  • Bhakti: Devotion
    • Japa: Mantra
  • Raja: Meditation
    • Hatha: Health
    • Kundalini: Energy
  • Jnana: Self-Knowledge

Each of these yogas are built on the gunas. The gunas are: sattva, rajas, and tamas. We all start at a Selfish Karma Yoga state of being. Even starting Yoga is a selfish act. This is a tamasic state of being. As we progress we try to move towards a sattvic state of being. This means following the tenants of each yoga and correcting our actions.

Regrouped Four Yogas​

Synthesis into Raja Yoga​

I find that the Four Yogas can be synthesized into the Eight Limbs of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. Karma, Bhakti and Jnana Yoga can be incorporated into the Niyama limb. While I did mention the structure of the Four Yogas earlier as how to conceptualize going from tamasic selfishness to sattvic pure consciousness the difficulty lies in that each system has its own practices (sadhana).

Having each yoga as a separate path that is followed is like jumping around from one practice to another without any real structure and depth. It is for this reason that I find the Eight Limbs of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras to be a framework from which to practice the Four Yogas together.

  • yama (Karma Yoga). Moral Restraints
    • ahimsa. Nonviolence
    • satya. Truthfulness
    • asteya. Refrain from Stealing
    • bramacharya. Celibacy
    • aparigraha. Refraining from Coveting
  • niyama (Bhakti Yoga). Observances
    • saucha. Cleanliness
    • santosha. Contentment
    • tapas. Austerity
    • svadhyaya. Study of the Sacred Texts and Mantras. Includes Jnana Yoga
      • sravana Hearing
      • manana Reflection
      • nididhyasana Meditation and Contemplation
    • ishvarapranidhana. Surrendering the fruits of all action to the Divine
      • śravaṇa: Hearing. Stories, scriptures, and teachings.
      • kīrtana: Chanting/singing. Japa, mantras, prayers
      • smaraṇa: Remembering. Meditation
      • pāda-sevana: Serving the Feet. Serving the community.
      • archana: Worship. Worship at home or in the temple. Making the home itself a temple.
      • vandana: Prostration/Offering Obeisance. Prayers
      • dāsya: Servitude. Selfless work
      • sākhyatva: Friendship. Prayer in the form of conversation
      • ātma-nivedana: Self-surrender
  • Hatha Yoga
    • asana. Posture
    • pranayama. Breath Control
  • Japa Yoga
    • pratyahara. Withdrawal of the Senses
    • dharana. Concentration
    • dhyana. Meditation
    • samadhi. Absorption

Since Raja Yoga is my primary focus, samyama and samadhi is the goal of the practice. In many cases the approach to the Yoga Sutras is a linear path from the Yama to Samadhi. But the engineer and businessman in me thinks that this is a bit too linear. Instead I start with samyama and figure out the obstacles in my path of citta-vritti-nirodha (stilling the mind). I then work backwards to figure out what is holding me back from stilling the mind. The other limbs are addressed as needed to fill in the gaps to still the mind. This way I can continuously improve my practice and figure out what is holding me back.

Synthesis into Three Sastras​

In the synthesis of the Four Yogas into Raja Yoga I found that the path essentially leads to three sastras that can be the core foundation of the sadhana. While there are endless amounts written on Yoga I found that these three texts provide a sufficient distillation of the essence of the Four Yogas to take with you during everyday life and create a practice.

In essence these three sastras provide a basis for the practice of the Four Yogas.

The three sastras are: Hanuman Chalisa, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and Bhagavad Gita. Within these three texts contain the full representation of the Four Yogas.

  • The Hanuman Chalisa represents devotion and action. Being a short 43 verse song it can be remembered and recited throughout the day. Each verse of the Chalisa repreents an aspect of Hanuman's life and virtues to be emulated. Being short it provides an effective representation of Bhakti and Karma Yoga.
  • Yoga Sutras of Patanjali represents discipline. The Yoga Sutras provide a systematic approach to building discpline and practice to still the mind. This stilling of the mind starts incorporating other things including the four yogas, as well as health, meditation, food, and lifestyle. This systematic approach provides a basis for daily life.
  • Bhagavad Gita represents philosophy. Lastly, the Bhagavad Gita is a synthesis itself of the Upanishads. So it represents the philosophical basis for understanding Brahman. The Bhagavad Gita provides the intellectual basis for understanding the Self. This philosophical breakdown provides a basis for Jnana Yoga. Undestanding the Bhagavad Gita is the culmination.

So I do think that in a busy life these three sastras provide a sufficient basis for sadhana. It is not always possible to practice, or meditate or stay within a routine. But being able to recite or memorize and understand these three sastras provides a sufficient meditation wherever you are.

Teachers​

The Synthesis of the Four Yogas is not something that I made up but rather extracted from the teachings of various teachers primarily Swami Vivekananda and Swami Sivananda. My practice involves the Ramakrisha and Sivananda lineages. While other teachers are also available I find that these teachers provide me with a good basis.

  • Sri Ramakrishna. Devotion and Bhakti. The teachings of Sri Ramakrishna create a basis of devotion through Bhakti with a focus on experiential. The Sri Sri Ramakrishna Katamrita provides a basis for the harmony of the four yogas through Ramakrishna's Vigyana Vedanta. This creates a spiritual foundation for the practice of the four yogas.
    • Swami Vivekananda. Strength, Courage and Karma. Vivekananda's teachings provide a basis for Ramakrishna's teachings to the modern world. The reformulation is focused on minds that are largely based around Englightenment values. His teachings are amazing reading for people like myself who are Indian and understand the cultural context of Bhakti, but grew up in the West so have a preference for logic and reason which Vivekananda provides. Further, Vivekananda provides a remasuclation of Karma Yoga that is focused on strength and action.
      • Sri Aurobindo. Integral Yoga. I don't know when I will get to the teachings of Sri Aurobindo but in many ways Aurobindo is the Jnana Yogi of the Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda lineage.
  • Swami Sivananda Saraswati. Synthesis of the Four Yogas. Sivananda is an amazing and prolific writer who has provided writings on every yoga. He provides practical instructions on how to practice the four yogas as opposed to keeping them relatively theoretical. His practical instructions are what I use as a basis for my practice.
    • Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Hatha and Systematic Practice. Satyananda takes the teachings of Sivananda and provides a systematic approach to the practice of hatha yoga while incorporating the other yogas. While Sri Ramakrishna and Vivekananda warned against hatha yoga as it take you into the body as opposed to transcendence. However, I do think that asana are useful while keeping caution around pranayama and mudras. I primarily use Satyananda's teachings for the practice of asana and largely ignore some of the Bhakti and guru aspects of his teachings. This is especially so as there are sexual scandals around Satyananda and his lineage, but I do think his teachings on hatha yoga are useful.
    • Swami Chinmayananda . Jnana and Vedanta. Chinmayananda provide a practical basis for Advaita Vedanta. A basis for the practice of Jnana Yoga in terms of Adi Shankaracharya's Advaita Vedanta. Further, Chinmayananda's writings are light in terms of how he explains the teachings of Advaita Vedanta making difficult concepts easier to understand. As I read it his teachings are intellectually rigorous while Ramakrishna and Vivkananda's teachings are more experiential.
      • Swami Dayananda Saraswati (Arsha Vidya). A disciple of Chinmayananda who provides a more traditional and orthodox approach to Advaita Vedanta. While Chinmayananda provides a more modern approach to Vedanta, Dayananda provides a more traditional approach. In a sense it is an evolution to go from Chinmayananda to Dayananda.

Bibliography​