On the international yoga day today, the most relevant question that all of us should ask ourselves is, are we happy? Are humans happy in general? Is anyone around us happy? Not momentarily, not for few hours or few days, but always, in all circumstances? If we are so smart, so intelligent, then why are we not happy? Please think about this.
Now, how yoga is related to this? Well, yoga is a systematic and holistic approach towards happiness. It's goal is to bring us face to face with who we really are. With its practice, all chitta-vritti (mind modifications or alterations e.g. distractions, conflicts, etc.) are eliminated and when this happens, what remains is our own self. According to upanishads, this self is sat-chit-ananda. Yoga calls it purusha, vedanta calls this brahman, Buddhists call it shunya, and many know it as consciousness. Whatever we may call it, it's true essence is ananda, blissfulness. When we discover this in the core of our being, we have found the fountain of the eternal happiness and peace.
Patanjali, who codified yoga, describes it as ashtanga (eight-limbed) yoga. It starts with yama-niyama (controls and observances), and goes to asana, pranayama, pratyahara (one-pointedness), dharana (ability to fix attention to one thing or place or idea and move it from one to another at will), dhyana (elongated periods of dharana), and finally samadhi (elongated periods of dharana when the object of dhyana also dusappears). Samadhi leads to kaivalya where the yogi understands that it's the same self everywhere. Vedantins call it moksha. Buddhists call it nirvana.
So, let's begin our journey to this beautiful self-discovery, for which yoga is a great path. Let's start practicing a bit of yama-niyamas, and do some asanas and pranayama. If we continue further with this yoga-anushasana, with full sincerity and seriousness, we will surely move steadfastly on this path towards our goal.
Good luck. God bless you.
Now, how yoga is related to this? Well, yoga is a systematic and holistic approach towards happiness. It's goal is to bring us face to face with who we really are. With its practice, all chitta-vritti (mind modifications or alterations e.g. distractions, conflicts, etc.) are eliminated and when this happens, what remains is our own self. According to upanishads, this self is sat-chit-ananda. Yoga calls it purusha, vedanta calls this brahman, Buddhists call it shunya, and many know it as consciousness. Whatever we may call it, it's true essence is ananda, blissfulness. When we discover this in the core of our being, we have found the fountain of the eternal happiness and peace.
Patanjali, who codified yoga, describes it as ashtanga (eight-limbed) yoga. It starts with yama-niyama (controls and observances), and goes to asana, pranayama, pratyahara (one-pointedness), dharana (ability to fix attention to one thing or place or idea and move it from one to another at will), dhyana (elongated periods of dharana), and finally samadhi (elongated periods of dharana when the object of dhyana also dusappears). Samadhi leads to kaivalya where the yogi understands that it's the same self everywhere. Vedantins call it moksha. Buddhists call it nirvana.
So, let's begin our journey to this beautiful self-discovery, for which yoga is a great path. Let's start practicing a bit of yama-niyamas, and do some asanas and pranayama. If we continue further with this yoga-anushasana, with full sincerity and seriousness, we will surely move steadfastly on this path towards our goal.
Good luck. God bless you.
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