By MN Kundu
Paramahansa Yogananda often said that after his exit from the physical body, his lessons would take his place to aid and advise the spiritual aspirants. On the occasion of his birth anniversary, let us ponder on his legacy of lessons on Self-realisation, spreading practical and theoretical teachings on yoga for union with the cosmic Self.
Yogananda felt the pulse of the people, their spiritual whereabouts, scientific inquisitiveness, and worldly compulsions and framed a comprehensive curriculum on yoga, blending Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Mantra Yoga and Laya Yoga.
Raja Yoga, the rocket route to Self-realisation, meant for ascetics has been made accessible to householder aspirants as well. The foundation of the path has been made intellectually firm with spiritual wisdom and dynamic, emotional fuel of divine romance with the cosmic Beloved. And in that process, life becomes an offering to God with selfless service to the Omnipresent all the time during mundane activities. Meaningful chanting with continuous internalisation constitutes the recurring refrain in the spiritual journey to Self-realisation.
Yogananda is widely known as an emissary of Kriya Yoga, which according to Maharshi Patanjali constitutes tapasya, swadhyaya and Ishwarpranidhan. Tapasya means persistent practise of equanimity under all circumstances. Swadhyaya involves analytical and assimilative engagement with lessons on Self-realisation. While Ishwarpranidhan means spontaneous offering of life to cosmic will.
Thus, it is a chemical composition of Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga for total transformation of the devotee. Usually, Kriya Yoga is understood to be a dynamic process of meditation, in which prana is moved from gross, material manifestation of the divine to subtle elements and unified field of consciousness towards Spirit, through microcosmic spinal stairways of wakefulness in man, made in the image of God, as an epitome of the cosmic play of Nature and Spirit in creation.
Yet, the first hurdle comes from the lethargic body and wavering mind. Yogananda developed 39 Energisation Exercises to recharge every body part with prana and cosmic source of energy at will. For the wavering mind, silent chanting technique of ‘Hong-Sau’ is a way to build concentration and meditative calmness. Maharshi Patanjali described that denotation of God is ‘Aum’, a cosmic vibration which can be felt through Yogananda’s Aum technique meant for realisation of cosmic vibration behind creation and the Spirit beyond the delusive dualities and triple guna dynamics.
From time to time, aspirants find their practice of yoga to be a mechanical routine due to the gravitational pull of maya. To keep it ever new and interesting, Yogananda taught all sorts of prayers and visualisations to attract direct benefit of divine grace. His cosmic chants composed as musical downpour of devotional appeals melt us from within. Talking to God as the nearest of the near and dearest of the dear and taking every problem to him opens our heart and makes us receptive to divine will. Moreover, acceptance of worldly life as divine play and ourselves as players enables discriminatory non-attachment to the impermanent flux of phenomena.
Ancient art and science of yoga is an excellent way to explore the realm of cosmic consciousness and Spirit beyond. And one can venture into the same through the study of Yogananda’s ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ and lessons on Self-realisation with suitable practical inputs for practice.
Today is Paramahansa Yogananda’s birth anniversary.
Courtesy - TOI.
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