Actual Practice to Self-Realization: Yoga Ashtanga - Niyama (Part 3)

The following is the fifteenth installment of a new book on Tantra Yoga that I am writing. As a follower of this blog you have the opportunity to read this soon to be published book as each chapter comes out. So please make sure to check this blog as often as you can. Or better yet, sign up as a follower of this blog to be automatically notified via email when each new installment comes out.

YOGA ASHTANGA (8 Limbs of Yoga)

(1) Yama (ethics - dont's)

(2) Niyama (recommended practices - do's)

(3) Asana (yoga posture)

(4) Pranayama (breathing exercise)

(5) Pratyahara (making the mind introspective)

(6) Dharana (concentration)

(7) Dhyana (meditation)

(8) Samadhi (enlightenment)

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(3) Asana (yoga posture)

Asana is the third step of yoga ashtanga, and it is one portion of yoga. There are many so-called yoga teachers who teach asanas only and call it yoga. Many of them don't even know and practice ashtanga and call themselves yoga teacher. Asana practice is not the way to become a circus star or to impress others by doing weird postures. And being a yoga teacher, is not a carrier or occupation. It is a selfless devotional service, and of course it is not a way to make money or to be famous attitude toward to be a yoga teacher should be no difference from being a monk or ascetic spiritual practitioner. (Actually it is so). Also priests and doctors (and politicians) should have this attitude towards their occupation. But looks like they are the richest unhealthy people in our low-consciousness society.

Remember, asana is a third step of yoga practice, and yoga practice is the way to self-realization.

There are uncountable benefits and effects that you receive by asana practice. Also you can expect miraculous effects thru this practice.

Proper attitude towards asana practice is to "Practice for the sake of practice." "Practice asana for asana." For example, you can lose weight, heal disease, become really flexible, through asana practice. But those are not the main purpose of asana practice. These are mainly side effects of asana practice. You don't (or not supposed to) practice asanas to lose weight, to gain flexibility or heal disease. When asanas are practiced correctly, these side effects follow naturally. And best results can be obtained when you totally forget about the results when you are practicing. Since spiritual practice is done to become egoless, selfless, the practice is the practice of no attachment. (Why egoless = no attachment? Who is attached to what?).

When one is practicing asana to obtain flexibility or to lose weight he or she is practicing for the effect itself. That is nothing but attachment and expectations towards the results. It is full of attachment towards "healing from the disease." Therefore you cannot heal and lose weight. Ironically, the best way to get the best effect is to forget about the effects. Completely and just practice for the sake of practice, because attachment (ignorance) is the source of suffering. This is the reason why many zen monks cannot attain enlightenment: so much attachment towards enlightenment, so much attachment to "no attachment"...

Actual Practice to Self-Realization: Yoga Ashtanga - Niyama (Part 2)

The following is the fourteenth installment of a new book on Tantra Yoga that I am writing. As a follower of this blog you have the opportunity to read this soon to be published book as each chapter comes out. So please make sure to check this blog as often as you can. Or better yet, sign up as a follower of this blog to be automatically notified via email when each new installment comes out.

YOGA ASHTANGA (8 Limbs of Yoga)

(1) Yama (ethics - dont's)

(2) Niyama (recommended practices - do's)

(3) Asana (yoga posture)

(4) Pranayama (breathing exercise)

(5) Pratyahara (making the mind introspective)

(6) Dharana (concentration)

(7) Dhyana (meditation)

(8) Samadhi (enlightenment)

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(2) Niyama (do's) - practices that are recommended (continued...)

5. Worship of God.

In Tantra yoga, God refers to Lord Siva, the creator God of this world. Siva also refers to "pure consciousness" and is the founder of yoga. In this way, practicing yoga ashtanga itself also can be a worship of God.

Actual Practice to Self-Realization: Yoga Ashtanga - Niyama (Part 1)

The following is the thirteenth installment of a new book on Tantra Yoga that I am writing. As a follower of this blog you have the opportunity to read this soon to be published book as each chapter comes out. So please make sure to check this blog as often as you can. Or better yet, sign up as a follower of this blog to be automatically notified via email when each new installment comes out.

YOGA ASHTANGA (8 Limbs of Yoga)

(1) Yama (ethics - dont's)

(2) Niyama (recommended practices - do's)

(3) Asana (yoga posture)

(4) Pranayama (breathing exercise)

(5) Pratyahara (making the mind introspective)

(6) Dharana (concentration)

(7) Dhyana (meditation)

(8) Samadhi (enlightenment)

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(2) Niyama (do's) - practices that are recommended

1. Cleanliness.

To keep the body and mind clean. Yogis in India take a holy bath three times a day to maintain the body clean. Controlling the breath by pranayama is an effective way to clean the mind. By practicing pranayama, mind becomes calm and strong and will not be influenced by outside stimulants. Breath and mind is always related to each other. Concentration and meditation to anahata chakra and ajna chakra is also a profound way to clean your mind.

2. Contentment.

Simply stop the mind of "I want this" and "I want that"; instead, appreciate and be thankful for the things that you already have.

3. Motification/Ascetic Practice.

Practices such as fasting, celibacy, very intense asana, pranayama and meditation practices. By practicing fasting, for example, one is able to control the most fundamental desire of a human being: the desire to eat. One can control the fundamental desires of man and able to control the senses and emotions which relates to the physical body thru ascetic practices.

4. Chanting.

Chanting of holy text. Mantras and chanting of holy sound Aum is an important yoga practice. Chanting is practiced is every religion. Chanting of Sutras (Buddhist bible) is one of the major practices in Buddhism. Even in Zen monasteries, the monks spend a lot of time chanting Sutras. (Zen Buddhism is known as a sect which does not depend on Sutras.

Holy Sound Aum

Aum is a sound of the Universe. Aum is the sound of God (or Aum is God). Aum is the origin of the word, and without words we wouldn't understand anything. We can see the tree without knowing the name of it. But to know about it w

e need the thought and word. Without word there is no thought. We would not know anything without thought in this phenomenon world. Therefore, this world is related with word, and word relates to thought and thought relates to the world. The Bible said "In the beginning was the word, and word was with God, and the word was God." In this way you can understand that nobody invented the word because the word itself is God. Aum is God.

Actual Practice to Self-Realization: Yoga Ashtanga - Yama (Part 3)

The following is the 12th installment of a new book on Tantra Yoga that I am writing. As a follower of this blog you have the opportunity to read this soon to be published book as each chapter comes out. So please make sure to check this blog as often as you can. Or better yet, sign up as a follower of this blog to be automatically notified via email when each new

installment comes out.

YOGA ASHTANGA (8 Limbs of Yoga)

(1) Yama (continued)...

5. Contentment (own only things that are necessary).

I want this. I want that. I want that too! This is known as the desire to possess, an instinctive desire of a human being. By controlling the endless desire to possess we also create peace in our society and our mind. Try to practice to possess only what is necessary for life. Simplify your belongings and life. In life what is necessary and what you want is different. What you want may not be what's necessary in your life. Satisfying our "desire to possess" makes our materialistic society more materialistic.

Siddhis of Yama

According to yoga sutra (the holy text of yoga), when a yogi accomplishes complete non-violence, any being around this yogi becomes peaceful - even bad people, murderers, or violent wild animals will not harm him.

You can create results without action. In other words, you can make things happen by just saying without doing. This is the siddhi of no lieing, the speaking only the truth practice. By practicing "no stealing" very deeply and completely it is said that various treasures from the world will come to you without you desiring for it. (In this dimension, by just imagining having sex with somebody else's wife, is considered stealing a wife and is considered taking).

When one practices celibacy, one will receive great power after one has been practicing celibacy for a certain period of time (6-12 years), along with meditation practice. Those practitioners who are able to transform the sexual energy to spiritual energies, their body and mind becomes extremely healthy and clear, and the most peaceful state of mind can be attained.

By practicing "contentment" deeply one is able to see the past, present and the future with clarity. When you are free from the "desire to possess" mind becomes extremely clear, so clear that you can see through past, present and future.

NEXT WEEK: Niyama (do's)

Actual Practice to Self-Realization: Yoga Ashtanga - Yama (Part 2)

The following is the 11th installment of a new book on Tantra Yoga that I am writing. As a follower of this blog you have the opportunity to read this soon to be published book as each chapter comes out. So please make sure to check this blog as often as you can. Or better yet, sign up as a follower of this blog to be automatically notified via email when each new

installment comes out.

YOGA ASHTANGA (8 Limbs of Yoga)

(1) Yama (continued)...

2. No Lying (speak only the truth).

This is common sense. I don't think I have to explain why "no lying." When you lie, people who you are lying to may not realize that you are lying, but you know that you are lying. This means that every time you lie to somebody, actually you are lying to your self. Again, when you lie, your subconscious mind will record it, and it will be reflected in your conscious mind. Therefore you will lose "peace of mind." In order to maintain peace in our society and maintain peace in our mind the precept of "No lying" is very important. One of my students said: "Yes, it makes so much sense and it is simple, but difficult to do." That's why we practice!

3. No Stealing (taking things away from others).

As zen master Dogen said, "You are myself and another individual is otherself", therefore, you and the other is one. When you steal, you are stealing from yourself... what a stupid behavior. Everything you do, good or bad, will stay as KARMA. In other words, everything is recorded in the subconscious mind. Anything that is inputted in the subconscious mind has to come out in reality. So, negative influence to your mind and body is created by the act of stealing. Also, you will be punished by society's law against stealing.

4. Celibacy (controlling desires).

No sexual behavior for certain period of time (celibacy). Sexual desires are one of the strongest desires of human being. By practicing celibacy one will be able to control the various desires that we experience in life. Fasting practice is similar to celibacy. Both practices will provide you a calm and peaceful mind. Mind suffers from various desires. So, if you can control your fundamental desires, then mind becomes free, calm and peaceful.

Actual Practice to Self-Realization: Yoga Ashtanga - Yama (Part I)

The following is the tenth installment of a new book on Tantra Yoga that I am writing. As a follower of this blog you have the opportunity to read this soon to be published book as each chapter comes out. So please make sure to check this blog as often as you can. Or better yet, sign up as a follower of this blog to be automatically notified via email when each new

installment comes out.

YOGA ASHTANGA (8 Limbs of Yoga)

(1) Yama (ethics - dont's)

(2) Niyama (recommended practices - do's)

(3) Asana (yoga posture)

(4) Pranayama (breathing exercise)

(5) Pratyahara (making the mind introspective)

(6) Dharana (concentration)

(7) Dhyana (meditation)

(8) Samadhi (enlightenment)

Yoga is a method for awakening and developing the chakras and kundalini shakti. Yoga is a system to attain superconsciousness and it is a way to enlightenment.

There are eight steps to self-realization known as Yoga Ashtanga (8 limbs of yoga) and this is yogi practice. So being a yogi means the practice of ashtanga in life.

The eight limbs can be separated into three parts:

1. Basic moral practices.
2. Physical practices.
3. Spiritual practices.

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(1) Yama

1. No Violence (no killing).

Hurting and destroying other people, other living beings and things using violence, usually comes from the emotion of hate, anger, and lust of conquest (desire to subjugate) and not being able to control these emotions. After the violent act, emotions and thoughts of the guilty conscience and repentance becomes recorded in the subconscious mind. The conscious mind is affected by this process and the result is a very unbalanced mind that is not able to be at peace. This condition is very destructive to the meditation practice.

Non-violence is also very important to keep the peace in our society. This is why many spiritual and religious practitioners are vegetarian. How can you eat killed animals if you want to practice non-violence? "I did not kill them" you may say, but by purchasing and eating you are killing them indirectly and thereby contributing to violence. Generally speaking there are two different kinds of vegetarians. The first practice because of health reasons. These people are usually very healthy and happy because they practice vegetarianism for complete health. Another group of vegetarians are religious/spiritual practitioners. They practice no killing - non-violence of Yama - the very first step of all the spiritual practice. The benefit of this principle is very profound and receiving good health is merely a positive side effect. The real benefit one receives from this precept is incredible and only personal experience can explain this adequately. So in a sense, those vegetarians who practice vegetarianism only for health reasons, can be called "selfish vegetarians." I apologize for the label.... but vegetarianism is a basic must for those who attempt to awaken and develop the svadistana chakra, the second chakra. And also, those who claim to be a yoga teacher... must be a vegetarian, of course!!! Anybody who can not even step into a most basic practice of yoga, should not even think of calling him or herself a yoga teacher.

TANTRA YOGA (Part 9): Chakras - Sahasrara Chakra

The following is the ninth installment of a new book on Tantra Yoga that I am writing. As a follower of this blog you have the opportunity to read this soon to be published book as each chapter comes out. So please make sure to check this blog as often as you can. Or better yet, sign up as a follower of this blog to be automatically notified via email when each new

installment comes out.

CHAKRAS (continued)...

(7) Sahasrara Chakra

You can leave your physical body through sahasrara chakra. You can ride on your astral body and leave this physical body (astral projection) and return to God, where you originally came from. In there, you'll hear the voice of God and realize the reasons for all existence, God, and be led to supreme ecstasy. (You have no more questions, you know everything). You can leave your body and get into another's body and give positive influence to the mind and body of others. The self (you) becomes wider, more free and able to be one with God in higher dimensions... siddhis of completely awakened sahasrara chakra. This itself is the completion of our evolution.

By the way, sahasrara chakras is the most high, supreme chakra of human beings!!! But it is the lowest chakra of divine spirits (gods), like muladhara chakra is the highest chakra in animal kingdom but lowest in our kingdom.

Look for the continuation of my book in the upcoming blogs where I will discuss the actual practice to reach self-realization: yoga ashtanga.