O good looking one, you shine verily like a knower of Brahman. Who may it be that instructed you?" He confirmed saying, "Some ones other than human beings. But it is you, revered sir, who should instruct me to fulfil my wish." –Chandogya Upanishad VIII.IV.ix.3 Gyana Yoga is the branch of Yoga that seeks to realize the absolute truth by meditating on our knowledge of the world. Gyana Yoga is the chief path to realization described in the Upanishads. Bhakti and Karma are occasionally mentioned briefly, but the main purport of the Upanishads is to acquire the mystical experience through Gyan (knowledge). Gyana Yoga is the path followed by the ancient rishis of India, and it is their prophetic insights acquired through this path that have given rise to Hindu philosophy. Even today, it is the chief path followed by the ascetics of India. These ascetics are still extant throughout India, most particularly in the Himalayas, in schools or "Ashrams," where monks from throughout the country are drawn and initiated into what is virtually the most demanding quest for an ultimate answer to life. They are people from all walks of life, and their caste, language, or social status is immaterial. They are driven by a burning desire for that which is immortal, and for this search, they have given up their homes, families, wealth, and every aspect of a social life. The ancient drama that once drew the sages of the Upanishads continues to be played out in contemporary India as well, which still has its share of prophets and sages. Gyana Yoga is traditionally considered to be the hardest and most demanding of the Yoga paths. It is the most unforgiving and demands a complete renunciation of everything that is maya. Maya, the enchanting and beguiling nature of the world, is the great enemy, and the Yogis in the Upanishads and other sacred texts of India speak harshly of all temporal attachments. Even qualities like love and kindness are harmful for the Gyan Yogi. They are seen to be equally oppressive and binding. Maya binds us not just by catering to our baser instincts but through our goodness as well. Our love for our dear ones, for our families and children, ties us up as effectively as our baser passions. Things like kindness and compassion for others do the same, as such emotions make us more involved in the world in an effort to help others. This in turn leads us into the arms of maya, and we are diverted from our spiritual quest. Hence Gyan Yogis have to abandon all social ties and bindings as they begin their quest.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Jun 2013 07:11:51 +0000
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