The Fourfold Yoga - Part I - An Introduction Yoga is derived from the word Yuj which means to unite. Union with Cosmic Creative Intelligence is the aim of Yoga. The Fourfold Yoga has been prescribed for Cosmic Union in Oriental Philosophies. They are 1. Union via Action ( Karma Yoga ) 2. Union via Psychic Control ( Raja Yoga ) 3. Union via Universal Love ( Bhakthi Yoga ) 4. Union via Wisdom ( Jnana Yoga ) Union via Action is for the person of active temparament. Union via Psychic Contro is for the person of adventurous temparament Union via Universal Love is for the person of emotional temparament. Union via Wisdom is for the person of intellectual temparament. These four paths are not different from one another. They are all part of the Fourfold Yoga. Certain qualities are to be inculcated in the seeker if he is to achieve the Ultimate Goal. Prajna has been defined as the discriminative intellect. When the intellect discriminates between the Real & the Unreal. The intellect which discriminates between Being and Non-Being. This quality should be incorporated by the Intellectual Man if he is to progress in the path of Jnana Yoga. Love is defined as the greatest of all the positive qualities of man. This quality is to be incorporated by the Emotional Man if he is to progress in the field of Bhakthi Yoga. Control of Mind or Psychic Control through Raja Yoga should be incorporated by the Adventurous Man if he is to progress in the field of Raja Yoga. Selfless Service should be incorporated by the Active Man if he is to progress in the field of Karma Yoga. In other words, since the Fourfold Yoga has been prescribed for mankind , all these four great qualities - Selfless service, love, psychic control & the discriminative intellect should be incorporated by the spiritual aspirant to develop in the field of Yoga. Yoga was defined by Aurobindo as a methodic process towards self-perfection through a development of the latent potential at the five levels of Being - physical, vital, mental, intellectual & spiritual. Normal man lives only in the first three sheaths - physical, vital & mental. Only when we use our hidden spiritual potential - the intellectual & the bliss sheaths - can we unfold our full mental potential. The Seven States of Consciousness Man lives in 3 relative states of Consciousnes- waking, dreaming & Dreamless sleep known in Sanskrit as Jagrata, Swapna & Sushupti. Now there is a Transcendental state of Consciousness known as the Fourth ( Tureeya ) & there are still higher states of Consciousness. These are the seven states 1 .Waking 2. Dreaming ( REM sleep ) 3. Dreamless Sleep ( non- REM ) 4. Transcendental Consciousness ( T C) 5. Cosmic Consciousness ( C C ) 6. Glorified State of Cosmic Consciousness ( G C ) 7. Unified State of Cosmic Consciousness ( U C ) eastrovedica/html/fourfold_yoga1.htm
Posted on: Sat, 25 Jan 2014 00:09:05 +0000
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