On May 11, 8:39 am, NBennett <nancy...@rogers.com> wrote:

nancy

Thanks for the response and great questions. Seems like every time I
read something you write I have to smile. You (and Richard :-) are
moving so far, so fast,  it is a joy to behold...

Wisely you put forward the question:

Sure it is. No monk'ness or nun'ness required :-) In fact you will
read time and again from the masters that it is a "higher" and more
substantial form of yoga, to practice in the real world. That those
who are willing to strive to integrate yoga in there real (dutiful)
lives are practicing a superior form, even more so than those who
retreat to the mountain or forest.

When trying to understand the science of yoga and it functions and
effects, it is important not to confuse religious, cultural,
linguistic, historical and other regional attributes with the art and
science itself. Yoga is universal. Obviously it is going to be
practiced in different context, language and style in the West then it
is in the East. Many things eastern are couched in "religious" ideas
and are communicated in poetic terms. That's their history and
development. Westerners tend to be business like, practical minded and
pragmatic (even while being religious). This is our history and
development.

We wouldn't sit down to an Ethiopian meal and proclaim, "what am I
suppose to do with that? I've never seen that, I can't understand and
cook that. It's incomprehensible to me, it must only be for Ethiopians
or people who devote their lives to it." No, hopefully we just eat, we
enjoy and we grow from the sustenance and revel in the company of
those who have fed us. The truth is, while having a very different
look, smell and flavor, it is none the less food. For those of us who
can't get past the appearance of things and discern their real
meaning, we face a life of fear, unhappiness and inevitable death, all
devoid of joy and a sense of belonging and oneness (yoga).

Likewise in a jnani-like manner you inquired :-)

These all sound like duties to me. Seems you may be most of the way
there already :-)

Why not? We judge things constantly. Unfortunately for most of us we
judge things inaccurately. Jnana is the yoga which concerns itself
with "discriminating" or separating truth from fiction or what is real
from what is not. Could this be anything but a good thing? Especially
in a work a day world. Wouldn't you rather be making decisions and
taking actions on information which is true or real, than on
information that is not. No matter how well reasoned and responsible a
decision we make or action we take, its going to come out bad if its
based on bad information. So I think learning to tell what's true from
what's false has very practical and beneficial use in any and every
aspect of our lives.

You have learned over the course of your yoga study / practice that
you can do things you thought unlikely or impossible. Your eyes (inner
and outer) have been opened to truths perhaps you were not aware of
and so your heart / mind continues to open even greater
possibilities . This is how one aspect of yoga (hatha - physical)
intertwines or overlaps another aspect of yoga (jnana - knowledge). As
you learn more about the "different" types of yoga you will see they
all overlap and are at their base, all the same (yoga - unity).

I get from your questions and comments you've made before that it
would be helpful if some set down just how a western who lives in the
real world goes about practicing real yoga. There is substantial
material covering hatha yoga which has come all the way to commercial.
Raja has been adapted for the west by maharishi and others and bhakti
by the Self Realization Fellowship and some other religious
organizations. Jnana and karma are not well understood or supported on
any scale as they are such individual disciplines. I suggest the
writings of Richard Hittleman, Yogananda, Vivekananda. There are other
western equivalents like Emerson, Ernest Holms and perhaps the very
best in practical day to day applications, Emmet Fox.

Jared
o
^