Kriyayoga Sadhana in Patanjalian Perspective

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1 KRIYAYOGA SADHANA IN PATANJALIAN PERSPECTIVE Kriyayoga Sadhana in Patanjalian Perspective Dr. B. R. Sharma, Ph.D. Principal G. S. College of Yoga and Cultural Synthesis Kaivalyadhama, Lonavla, India

KRIYAYOGA SADHANA Need of Kriyayogasadhana For yogasadhana, the whole psyche of sadhaka should be aligned with yogic ideal. Mere wishing or willing is not enough.

2 KRIYAYOGA SADHANA Need of Kriyayogasadhana For yogasadhana, the whole psyche of sadhaka should be aligned with yogic ideal. Mere wishing or willing is not enough. This needs self discipline and therefore, Patanjali starts sadhanapada with Kriyayoga. Unless and until sadhaka cultivates the essential knowledge and insights and make the klesas comparatively powerless, his going directly into higher yogic realms like ashtanga yoga may set violent reactions and inner-resistances and he may get blocked once for all with pitfalls like vitarkas, viksepas and he may get totally discouraged about yogasadhana itself. On the contrary, with a firm footing in kriya-yoga-sadhana, he is enabled greatly to reduce the onset, as well as, recurrence of such pitfalls, whereby he could adopt necessary remedial measures to overcome any difficulties experienced in his Sadhana.

3 KRIYAYOGA SADHANA Kriyayoga Kriya means action but action can not take place unless there is desire and desire will not be there unless there is knowledge. It indicates that in the initial stage sadhaka should undergo certain discipline that not only tests the three aspects of his nature but also helps in developing all round and balanced growth of his personality wherein there is harmony in his thoughts, words and deeds. All the three aspects of his nature can be tackled through Kriyayoga which consists three components-tapas, Svadhyaya & Ishvarapranidhana. Tapas is related with our action (kriya shakti) faculty Svadhyaya to the thinking faculty (jnana shakti)and Ishvarapranidhana to the feeling faculty (iccha shakti).

4 KRIYAYOGA SADHANA Tapas The term Tapas literally means the process of heating, as we purify the golden ornament by putting them into fire. Similarly when Tapas applied to the human body, in the form of mauna, fasting, asana, pranayama, bandha, mudra etc. is purported to purify the body by way of removing several forms of bodily impurities/unwholesome elements like toxins etc. and making it and its various systems function efficiently. Thus Tapa refers to the process of removing the bodily impurities through subjecting it to certain practices. Then and then only person becomes karmsu kaushalam. Tapas also encompasses yukta-ahara and yukta vyavahara etc. All Hathayogic practices can be taken into consideration The best form of Tapas is the practice of Pranayama (Pranayama paramam tapah Manusmriti). Thus austerity helps us in refining and improving our action faculty (kriya shakti)

5 KRIYAYOGA SADHANA Svadhyaya Svadhyaya literally means self-study, one s own study. Traditionally the term has acquired the meaning which stands for To study holy scriptures and recitation of mantras e.g. recitation of OM which will ultimately lead us to analyze one s own life and its relation with the world. This in turn results into receptive attitude towards yogic practices with utmost commitments. Svadhyaya Pathanam Adhyayanam Chintanam (reading) (understanding) (Penetrating) Thus, svadhyaya refines and develop our thinking faculty (jnana shakti).

6 KRIYAYOGA SADHANA Ishavarapranidhana Ishavarapranidhana. i. e. Surrender to God in the form of detachment towards the fruits of one s actions leading towards minimizing one s kartabhava (feeling of doer) which is the root cause of all worldly problems.thus, Ishavarapranidhana refines our feeling faculty (iccha shakti). It becomes clear that an individual should undergo the kriyayoga discipline that not only tests and develops all the three aspects of his nature but also produces an all round and balanced growth of his personality..

7 CONCEPT OF KRIYAYOGA SADHANA The Context of Classical Yoga In Classical Yoga we get the three schools of yoga - Karmayoga, Jnanayoga, and Bhaktiyoga. In fact, every school of yoga presents an integral approach to avoid imbalance development of the three basic aspects of human beings and therefore, one cannot make water-tight compartments of these schools of yoga. It means that any action becomes karmayoga only when it is performed with bhakti as a form of worship and such bhakti is available only to the one who has the Jnana, i. e., knowledge. This is obvious even in the cases of bhaktiyoga and Jnanayoga. Thus kriyayoga refines and re-chennalizes the three basic faculties viz. knowing, feeling and action of human being in an integrated manner. These three together are tackled by Kriyayoga which represents the ancient tradition of jnana- bhakti karma.

8 CONCEPT OF KRIYAYOGA SADHANA Deductions Patanjali has taken an integrated view of Jnana-Karma & Bhakti in his kriyayoga. The school of karmayoga can be counted under 'tapas'; Jnanayoga under svadhyaya; and bhaktiyoga under isvarapranidhana. According to Patanjali the three components of kriyayoga have got equal importance emphasizing that these three have to be mutually supportive and well-integrated to get the desired end. Patanjali makes this fact clear by using the term 'kriyayogah' in its singular form. So Kriya yoga prepares the sadhaka by way of refining his/her potential and he/she becomes fit to take up the antaranga - yoga - sadhana by way of attenuating the Kleshas and cultivating the inner ambience for Samadhi.

9 Antarangayogasadhana (PYSIII/1-3) Dharana Dhyana Samadhi Dhyata Dhyana - Dhyeya Dhyeya Samyama

10 Dhyana: Textual & Traditinal Perspective. Dhyana to trace the origin of thought and Thought is a subtle form of speech-inaudible to ear. When we speak words are audible to ear Thus thought is the subtle form of soundvaikhari madhyama pashyanti para (audible) (inaudible) (inaudible) (inaudible) Process of thinking starts from the deepest level of consciousnessfrom Para it becomes grosser & grosser and reach to the surface level of consciousness as the bubble starts from the bottom. Any thought on surface is appreciated. Is there any way by which we can consciously appreciate all the stages of thought before it reaches the surface, that is nothing but yogic meditation through which we can transcend thought & experience.

11 Forms of Dhyana Dhyana Saguna Nirguna (suksma) (with form) (without any form) (shabhavimudra) Sthula jyoti (tejomaya) space (image (steady, clear& effulgent ( at crown centre of personal speck of light at the centre space within or outside god) of the heart or muladhara is one and the same.) crystal ( AUM in the centre of eye-brows Bow=Om, arrow=soul & target =brahman) or (Breathing, or qualities like-love, forgiveness, ahimsa etc.) (Sadhaka s choice)

CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF CLASSICAL TAMIL, CHENNAI CELEBRATION OF 3RD INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA (IDY)

CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF CLASSICAL TAMIL, CHENNAI CELEBRATION OF 3RD INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA (IDY) - 2017 Dates: 20th June 2017 and 21 st June 2017 Venue: Conference Hall, CICT Report: As per the MHRD guidelines