July 2010 Newsletter From Srivatsa Ramaswami--Story Time

[Srivatsa Ramaswami]

July 2010 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami—Story Time


Warm Greetings from very pleasant Los Angeles. We are more than half
way through the 200 hour Vinyasa Krama Yoga program. We have completed
eight sequences and the remaining two mega sequences remain to be
completed. We have completed the 20 hr each of Pranayama Program and
the Yoga Sutra Program. We have 19 participants registered and a few
more for individual courses. The participation has been exceptionally
good.

My friend David Hurwitz (Yogi Dave) with whom I coauthored a book
“Yoga Beneath the Surface' has completed a book on Yoga Sutras and it
may be released in the next few days through most probably Amazon. It
is a very lucid presentation, titled
A Brief Introduction to Yoga Philosophy.
The subtitle is: Based on the Lectures of Srivatsa Ramaswami.
. It is based on his attending my Yoga Sutra programs at Loyala
Marymount University in 2006 and then in 2008. You may contact him for
mote details at yogi...@sbcglobal.net

I had mentioned about my retreat in India in December, 2010, organized
by Loyola Marymount University. The dates are as follows
From December 13th-23rd. We will be beginning the retreat at the Purna
Holistic Centre in Delhi (13th to 17th). The 18th will be a travel day
to the Parmarth Niketan Ashram by train to Rishikesh. From the 19th to
the 23rd we will resume the Yoga retreat there. For more details
including fee structure, accommodation etc please write to Alana Bray,
Yoga Coordinator at LMU, at yo...@lmu.edu The daily program is likely
to be three hrs of Vinyasa Krama Asanas, pranayama, mantra chants
and meditation.. We will cover all the 10 mega sequences of asanas.
Then in the afternoon it would be three hours divided between Yoga
Philosophy and Yoga for Internal Organs and systems.


I have been able to write a few articles in the last several
Newsletters. Some friends have taken the trouble to reproduce them in
their websites, e mails or blogs which would help to reach more
interested yogis. I am particularly beholden to Linda-Sama Karl Dynek
in Chicago, Anthony Hall (Grimmly) and Steve Brandon in UK. And Ricky
Tran from Texas. Thank you very much, Linda,Tony, Steve and Ricky
for your generous support and sustained interest.

Here are a few responses to the Chitta Vritti article

Ramaswami,
Thank you for taking the time in clarifying this important point. I
was just in your workshop at Esalen, and you mentioned this. I felt it
was an important concept, and was intrigued. Now it is very clear,
from your enhanced explanation. I also want to take a moment to say -
I learned so much in the workshop, and especially powerful was my
experience of pranayama, and subsequent meditation. I can now see how
one prepares me for the other. I am a school teacher and will soon be
on my summer break. I intend to make the practice you taught us a
priority, every day, and see what happens. I expect it will be a very
deeply expansive experience.
Thanks again,
Lucy Taylor

Dear Teacher,
Once again you delight me with the sharing of your wisdom.
Thank You,
Tony Pena, Englewood, CO

Namaskaarams,

Hope you are well. I just finished reading your latest article and
loved the byline - very profound.
With deepest reverence, my prostrations and namakaarams unto you.
Jyoti
JC

I hope you had a successful trip. I thought your newsletter on chitta
was very good, clear and insightful. Thank you for taking the time
to write for all of us.

All the best,
Eddie Stern

******


Stories of Ganesa

Sage Vyasa's name is known to many. He was called Veda Vyasa because
he organized the Vedic Mantras into the 4 Vedas. His name is
associated with a very popular commentary of Yoga Sutras. He is also
credited with writing the Mahabharata a great epic in which appears
the Bhagawat Gita. Many say that Vyasa was not just one person but
that many of this lineage at different times in history did all these
works. The name Vyas is found to be the surname in certain parts of
India even now. Vyasa means a writer, a composer. There is a story
associated with his writings. Once he wanted to write a monumental
work. He started thinking of someone who would write for him as he
dictated. In the absence of dictaphones or shorthand writing he had to
find someone who could write very fast, someone who could keep pace
with his gushing stream of thoughts. Ultimately he pitched on Lord
Ganesa to do the work. When he requested Ganesa to write his work,
Ganesa agreed but stipulated a condition. Ganesa said that Vyasa
should dictate as fast as he could write. And if there was a pause, he
would stop and leave. Vyasa had no option except to agree for it. But
then he proposed a counter condition. Vyasa said that Ganesa should
fully understand the import of his slokas and not mechanically or
mindlessly write merely the words. With a wry smile Ganesha agreed.
(Can Ganesa smile? I see you smile.)

Vyasa went on dictating furiously and Ganesa kept pace admirably. It
is said that Ganesa broke one of his tusks and used it to write. Every
now and then Vyasa would use a difficult word or concept which would
make Ganesa take a few moments to fully understand the intention of
the author Vysas before putting it down. By the time Ganesa would
briefly ponder over and then write, Vysas would have thought of the
next bunch of verses. It was a very interesting friendly duel.

As an example the following episode is narrated. There is a word,
“Praagnya”. It appears in Mandukya Upanishad and is used to describe
the state of consciousness or atman during the deep sleep stage. The
word can give entirely opposite meaning depending on the context, how
the word was synthesized. If the word is split (vigraha) as pra+
agnya, it would mean a complete ignorant person. Agnya meaning
ignorant ' a' meaning not and gnya meaning knowing. Even now many
people in India use the word derisively to describe someone who shows
off as very knowledgeable but is really ignorant. The word however if
split as Pra+aagnya then it would mean someone who knows the subject
thoroughly, the 'aa' prefix before gnya would mean complete. So
praagnya could mean either a highly learned scholar or a consummate
blockhead. When Ganesaa came across this word he had to ponder a
little bit to know the intentions of the author, does he use it as a
clear description or use it derisively or as a pun. By the time Ganesa
wrote, Vyasa was ready with the next bunch of verses.

Here is another story told about Ganesa. Lord Shiva with Goddess
Parvati was in his heavenly abode called Kailasa (the Himalayas). An
old devotee during a visit to Kailas, offered the Lord a delicious
mango. The Lord then turned to His sons, the elder Gajamukha/Ganesa
(the elephant headed) and the younger firebrand Sanmukha (one with six
heads) and offered the mango to the one who would travel around the
Universe quicker. Soon enough the younger Sanmukha mounted his peacock
vahana (vehicle). (In Indian mythology many gods have their vehicles,
Lord Vishnu used a particular variety of the eagle family called
Garuda; Saraswati, the goddess of learning glides around in her swan
vehicle.) Each Deva used a different vehicle as we use a Bentley or
Chevy Impala. Shanmukha had a head start, he was off to a good start
on his “around the world in.a jiffy” adventure. He was sure that he
would win the race. It was just impossible for obese Ganesa to crawl
along on his mushika vahana or mouse vehicle.

Ganesa had his own strategy. He held his hands in Anjali (salute)
Mudra and went round his parents
Siva and Parvati with great reverence. After completing his
pradakshina (perambulation) he told the divine parents that he had
won the contest and asked for the prized mango to be given to him. He
told his quizzical parents “You two are the Universe, my Lord and I
have completed the task of going around the Universe, have I not?” he
asked. “And see, my brother is nowhere in the frame yet,”he said
trunk in cheek. Sure enough, when Shanmukha completed his round trip
of this vast universe, he was flabbergasted to see his sumptuous
looking brother eating the juicy mango. That he became angry and did
not accept the verdict of his parents is another matter. He had lost
the race. The moral of the story is that bhakti is easier to practice
than jnana, which is especially true of Kali Yuga according to my guru
Sri Krishnamacharya. One's mother and father should be revered as
God, so says the Taittiriya Upanishad. All parents agree.

(Here is a commercial break. I have lifted the story from my book
“Yoga for the Three Stages of Life” and I know not many people have
read the book, so knew nobody would notice it. It contains many more
stories from the puranas and others that are relevant to Yoga.)

Ok, what is the relevance of this story? In Yoga Sutras the first
chapter is intended for the highest evolved yogis-- the Uttama
Adhikaris – the born yogis who could get into a samadhi state at the
drop of a hat. Here there are two types of Yogis, the nirishwara
Samkhya oriented philosophers who do not find the need to accept God
in the creation and running of the Universe, even though it is an
orthodox philosophy subscribing to the authority of the vedas, and the
yogis who accept God. Patanjali in his Yoga philosophy accepts the 25
tatwas (24 tatwa of the prakriti or Universe and one distinct tatwa,
the purusha) but, adds the 26th tatwa Iswara or God to facilitate the
spiritual journey of some aspirants. That is why Yoga Philosophy is
also known as “seswara Samkhya” or Sankhya philosophy which includes
Iswara or God.) While one set of yogis have difficulty in accepting
God in their equation there is considerable number who believe in God.
One interesting facet of Yoga is that it is Universal. It is for
everybody, believers and non-believers alike. So, in the first
chapter, Patanjali addresses the question of Chitta Vritti nirodha and
Kaivalya for both the groups. Those who follow the Samkhya path alone
would practice dispassion towards the 24 tatwas in four groups
(visesha avisesha lingamatra and alinga) because these 24 tatwas are
the non-self and ultimately reach the stage of kaivalya. But Patanjali
recommends another approach -- rather than muddling through the
practice of vairagya on all these 24 tatwas, one may meditate upon the
One Tatwa (eka tatwa), Iswara or God and attain Kaivalya or freedom.
People pray to God for a number things. Here Patanjali suggests
praying for spiritual Freedom or kailvalya. Madhava, who wrote a book
“Sarva Darsana Sangraha” or a “Concise elucidation of all
philosophies”, says (following Sankara ) that the born Yogi who
practices Iswarapranidhana using the Pranava mantra and also
contemplates on the import of the Mantra attains salvation easily,
like Ganesa who worshiped the Lord and Sakti unlike Shanmukha who took
the laborious and circuitous path going around the Universe. The
implication is: those yogis who have faith in God may do well to use
that devotional fervor and make spiritual progress more easily. In
fact my guru Sri Krishnamacharya in spite of his enormous yogic
practice was an ardent Bhakti yogi. Of course one should admit that if
someone has genuine difficulty in having faith in God that person may
follow the step by step yoga approach of the Samkhyas.

“How did Ganesa get the elephant head?” is the next story. Once
goddess Parvati was resting in her chambers. Desiring absolute
privacy, she wanted to have someone guarding the closed doors of her
chamber. So she made a human form from dirt (prithvi) and endowed it
with life (prana pratishta). Some time thereafter, Lord Siva came and
wanted to enter the chamber of Sakti but the newly created and
appointed being refused to let Siva in. Siva is called asutoshi or one
who is easily pleased. The other side of the coin is that he is also
quickly displeased by any wrong doing of the devotee. Enraged, Siva
removed and threw away the head of the gatekeeper and entered the
private chamber of His consort Parvati. Knowing what happened Parvati,
who considered her new creation as her own son, become very upset.
Siva promised Parvati that he would bring it back to life, but first
he had to find a new head. He went out and the first being he found
was an elephant sleeping with the head in the direction of North. Siva
removed the elephant head and placed it on the headless human body
( by some intricate plastic and micro surgery I guess). And thus
Ganesa became the elephant headed God. In India even today there are
several people (me included) who will not sleep with their head in the
northern direction. Some, who always want to give a “scientific”
explanation to every strange practice, say that when you lie down with
your head in the northern direction, the powerful northern pole of
earth's magnet, produces very disturbing reactions in the human brain.
You may shake your head in disbelief but still hesitate to sleep with
your head in the northern direction hereafter.

*****

“What is the purpose of life?, a disciple asked Adi Sankara. The
purpose of Life is to realize that there is no purpose to life,
Sankara said.

The reader then closed the book and asked his friend. “What use is
this knowledge to me?. I am already born.” “But” said the friend, “You
can take efforts to prevent a future birth”

“But how and why? asked the reader of the book.

“Why, because Patanjali says that according to the wise(viveki),
almost all beings are unhappy most of their lives. One can prevent
any future birth by making the karma bundle ineffective by the
understanding through Yoga the true nature of oneself which is pure
unchanging consciousness.” said the friend.

“I am not impressed” said the enquirer, “I do not believe in future
births.”

“Yes, that is another problem”, said the friend. “But the future birth
does not depend upon whether you believe in it or not.”

*****

If you would like to send a response or comment please do not use the
reply tab but send it to the following e mail address.
in...@vinyasakrama.com

Old newsletters can be accessed by visiting my website
www.vinyasakrama.com
and clicking on newsletter

With best wishes

Sincerely

Srivatsa Ramaswami