Vedic term literally means uniting or unity. It's about the uniting of one's consciousness. It is filognostically the discipline of spirituality leading to stability in wisdom (gnosis), bliss and consciousness.
One discerns many forms of yoga, but one mostly speaks of a threefold (trikânda) consisting of:
*1 bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion,
*2 jñana yoga, the yoga of knowledge and
*3 karma yoga, the yoga of labor.
Hatha yoga, is what popularly is meant with the term yoga, it is the uniting of the forces of the body by means of postures. In that context one also speaks of the eightfold ashtânga yoga consisting of the eight limbs discussed underneath. Raja yoga, a specific school therewith, is a part of that again. Aadhar yoga , the yoga of Anand Aadhar, literally the foundation of happiness, is the integral approach of yoga in the sixfold notion of filognosy.
Yoga is the nuclear discipline of Hinduism, referred to in all holy vedic scriptures (s'ruti and smriti), and is formally an integral part of the six philosophies of India, the darshana's. See further uniting.
Basic values
The basic values of yoga in which one achieves control by fortitude and detachment (abhyâsa and vairagya), are known as the legs of the bull of dharma or the vidhi: they are satya (truth), dayâ (compassion), s'auca (cleanliness) and tapas (penance). These values are implemented in filognosy as the foundation for its moral reality, principles and virtues.
The vow of yoga
The basic confession of penance in yoga is called yama it says in Sanskrit: ahimsa satyâsteya brahmâcarya âparigraha yama; it means nonviolent, truthfull, without stealing and celibate, not striving for possessions.
Angas, as levels of transcendence
The eight levels of transcendence one speaks of in filognosy are derived from the eight angas or limbs of yoga:
Like in yoga first respecting the don'ts of the vow to follow these principles (yama) and following the do's of regulating the activities as discussed (niyama), after which you sit in postures (âsana) to regulate your breath (prânâyâma), turn inward (pratyâhâra) and concentrate with a mantra (dhâranâ) to meditate (dhyâna) and find absorption (samâdhi) and stability in the self, is also your whole life in filognosy a process similar to such an individual exercise. One should not think all too linear about the following enumeration.
- 1)
Yama-level: At first you may be pretty physical being young and eager to build a life,
attracting others and showing off. The beginners level is wrestling with the vow of yoga to be pure in this being nonviolently, truthfully, non-possessive and not stealing of penance in celibacy, even in marriage.
- 2)
Niyama-level: At the next level or field of respect in
transcendence, you wrestle with the order of a regular practice. You should study, be clean, serve the cause, sacrifice, be hospitable, be content, be charitable, be faithful and be of attendance. This takes some time to settle in your life balancing to the order of time. It is like a sport you practice to integrate your actions. Difficult in the beginning, but sweet on the long run.
- 3)
Âsana-level: At the next interest of
transcendence you learn to develop the right attitude of service in control of the body. Experimenting in competition, competing with the weaker approach of your previous life, you have to learn to cooperate, to cooperate to the general directives of the classical science. Next to the poise of
meditation to control the physical energy, it is the poise of life in general also that you develop being a good sport in command of the dog that is your body. It is not as easy to master yourself as it seems. It requires the vow and exercise of the level before this one. You have to practice the austerity, develop the attitude and thus be in control.
- 4)
Prânâyâma-level: The level following you learn to use your breath to concentrate. In the
reality of life this usually is the breath you practice controlling your speech. You have to say the right thing to find intimacy with others, get married and be a reliable partner in control with himself. So there you are again; in order to build and keep relations, you need the vow, the regulation and the control over the body as a precondition. Now at this level, in this field of yogic interest, we get above the waist so to say, from the private going public and do we morally directed with the body under control build a formal society of accountable and faithful people.
- 5)
Pratyâhâra-level: Next level is the level where you turn inward. You can't fix yourself on the diversity of the outside word only and stay concentrated, stay focussed on the cause of a happy life for all. Now you have to develop meaning in your relations. You have to concentrate on that and be responsible, accountable, trustworthy, as a beacon of clarity to be a meaningful other. One might think yoga is a selfish practice of turning turning inward, but filognostically you realize that you cannot develop any quality without the meaning of the soul being the
reality of values and God that you share with others. Even the strictest yogi trying to meditate in the forest for enlightenment has to build a life relating to his environment in such a manner that a certain quality is achieved that is love and peace for all of life outside and inside of him. The meditator cannot separate himself from life. He is life and sees it equally everywhere around him, that vision of the soul is the concentration on the inner
reality that is needed. In fact one gets more real being deeper making sense with other living beings, not more distant being an escapist and stranger on the run for social responsibilities. 'Let this yoga not go at the cost of prescribed duties' writes sage Vyâsa in the Gîtâ. So one concentrates on the soul in keeping in touch with others by appointments to the original order of time and thus you make life meaningful, thus you make a difference. This level is crucial, here one cares, settles and loves as the filognostic, as the person of comprehension, with a heart that you have to be alive with being real with the yoga.
- 6)
Dhâranâ-level: Further transcending in emancipation knowledge starts to count. To have a more closely defined agreement with yourself and others to assert yourselves, discuss and contemplate, is crucial for the society you're part of and have to learn to take responsibility for. This is the actual concentration that makes your person and life. Taken strictly individual it is the practice of mantras, succinct sayings of your wisdom and experience. But with others together in agreement being of service to the filognostic cause and modeling that for others you have to concentrate on everything conducive to the humanity and the justice for all living beings and the whole planet. That is the enlightened self-interest thereof for which you must assert yourselves in discussions and learn to contemplate matters in focus.
- 7)
Dhyâna-level: After this follows the
meditation in which one arrives at understanding, at know-how. Now it is serious business, a science of acting without acting; of directing without directing. You learned to have a heart and be a model. Now, in order to be a quiet witness, you have to investigate and doubt what would be contrary to the cause. Now the concentration is in function. Once having realized this more detached position of being more of a quiet witness, you attain to the next level.
8)
Samâdhi-level: What follows as a consequence of the vow, the regulation, the exercise, the practice, the relations, the heart, the assertion, and the understanding, is the absorption of selfrealization wherein the unwanted finds destruction, the wanted is created and the culture reaches it's celebration in maintenance. As a seer finding stability in the moment of the here and now with the ether in this position of
transcendence, constitutes the practice of being a full human being in everyday life in respect of the fields being balanced with the
principles. It is not to be renown as such; one may very well in the background with the traditional lordships of creation, destruction and maintenance be ruling the business of the wisdom and
transcendence. In this last stage is what matters the stability of your being absorbed in the blissful, the durable and the conscious of one's being connected in the yoga.
One may go from low to high, from the ethereal to the material, with these levels or areas of interest of the eight-fold yoga in your life climbing to heaven, but equally you may descend to be of concrete actions and presence this way. This ability to go up as well as going down is the (âroha/avaroha) quality of having matured in filognosy, of having that love for the knowledge that you and the rest of this world need to survive, be motivated and rejoice.
See also
External Links
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