January 2021 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami--Why Study?

[Srivatsa Ramaswami]

January 2021 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami--Why Study?

Wish you a happier and more prosperous New Year in 2021

Why Study?

2020 caused considerable pain world over. Tens of thousands died prematurely due to the pandemic. Many more were crippled. Large part of the world population was under lockdown for a long time causing much sorrow and mental depression. Incomes plummeted. It was a very unhappy period of time. Hope that things may start to improve from now on and one hopes the year 2021 would see some solid recovery in health, economy and happiness,

During the year I started by teaching the text "Yoga Yagnyavakya"  @ Yoga Vahini in Chennai. It was followed by a 100 hour Vinyakrama TT program again organized by Yoga Vahini for the fourth year in succession. Thereafter the world experienced the ferocity of the virus in full force. I was confined to my home in Chennai since March 2020 and have not yet ventured out. All my programs like those of many others were cancelled. 

But I was able to teach some programs on line despite the limitations of on line programs. Many participants were forgiving about the limitations like keeping the audio and video mute and unable to participate in discussions during the program. It was virtually a monologue running for 150 mts at a stretch for over a week. I wish to thank all the participants and hosts for their patience, interest and support

Yoga Yagnyavalkya is an outstanding yoga text. It contains additional information not found in the better-known texts like Hatayogapradipika and the Yoga sutras. Using the Ashtanga Yoga format the text provides a very profound yoga system that may be appealing to many yoga practitioners. During the year I was able to teach this text two times more at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. 

The other important text was Yoga sutras complete, sutra by sutra and word by word. It was organized by Liz Richards of Ananta Yoga Studios in Ireland. My guru would say that in the midst of many yoga books, Yoga sutra stands out as a complete book on yoga philosophy. He would say that anything said in other yoga or other books that violate the basic tenets of Patanjala yoga should be rejected by yogabhyasis. While texts like Hatayogapradipika contain many nuts-and-bolts information on hatayoga, some procedures are unacceptable to practitioners of yoga following the principles and yamaniyamas of Patanjali. The text contains a unique interpretation of the term yoga. The first four sutras contain the quintessence of Raja yoga.

Ananta yoga Studios also hosted another online program . This was Karma Yoga from the holy Bhagavatgita, the first 6 chapters of it. Sri Krishnamacharya taught the Gita to many of his long-time students. He also used to give public lectures on the Gita. Even as the Gita is considered one of the three important Vedanta texts (prastana traya) it is also a great yoga text. In fact, each chapter is called a yoga chapter. Sri Krishnamacharya used to point many parallels between the Gita and the yogasutras. Many terse statements in the sutras are made accessible by the rather easy to assimilate presentation by the Lord to a yoga novice like Arjuna. The best commentary of the Gita is Gita itself.  I will be teaching Bhakti yoga (Ch 7 to 12) of the Gita from February 15th to 20th. This 15 hr program will be on line and hosted by Ananta Yoga Studios in Ireland. It is planned to do the last 6 chapters of the Gita (Jnana Yoga) sometime a little later.

I also taught the complete Taittiriya Upanishad. It was a 20-hour eight-day program conducted by Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Taittiriya Upanishad is one of the 10 major Upanishads and contains the succinct svaropa lakshana or definition of Brahman the ultimate reality as per the Vedanta school. Many yogis are familiar with the five kosa or sheath model of the human system and the transcendental Atman/Brahman which is pure unvarying consciousness by which all creatures become aware of the objects as citta vrittis.  A very absorbing upanishad which also is regularly chanted by many in India. 

My friend Sriram Sarvottam  organized a 20-hour eight day on line program on my Guru's Sanskrit work "Nathamini's Yoga Rahasya". It will be very helpful for those who would like to get a better understanding of Sri Krishnamacharya's yoga. It has four chapters and a very absorbing section quoted from Vishnu Purana. It was well attended.

I also taught a few short programs. Yoga Vahini in Chennai organized three programs of 2 hrs each on three successive Sundays. One was on introduction to Vinyasakrama with Tadasana or tree pose. Another program was on pranayama wherein I introduced ten different varieties of pranayama and also mantra pranayama. There was another session on the chanting of Suryanamaskara and the participants performed one suryanamaskara  at the end of each of the 32 anuvakas. My internet connection was poor (it was my first on line program)

I also taught a 2 hour Tadasana program, hosted by Tim Feldmann @ Miami Life Center.

Sri Krishnamacharya taught me hundreds of vinyasas, scores of asanas, different pranayamas for the first few years and then started teaching to chant several chapters in Yajurveda. He spent hundreds of hours teaching me to chant the entire taittiriya aranyaka including the upanishad (except ch VI) Taittiriya kataka and others. Then he started teaching several texts he said a yoga student may want to study. I never asked him to teach me any specific text but he would choose and teach. He taught the yoga sutras word by word, sutra by sutra then went on to teach Samkhya Karika, the Bhagavat gita, hatayoga pradipika. Then he started teaching the important Upanishads, he said a yoga student may well spend time studying. It included Mandukya, mundaka, prasna, taittiriya. Then the three vidyas of Chandogya upanisad viz., Sadvidya, bhuma vidya and dahara vidya. Also several vidyas from Brihadaranyaka. Upanishad Then the first chapter of Brahma Sutras. Why should a yoga student study any books? The asanas are exciting enough, are they not?

The goal of asanas and pranayama is mainly to make a yogabhyasi reduce the dominance of rajas and tamas so that one can slowly become more satvic and thus become fit for meditation or antaranga sadhana. Then what should one meditate upon? The texts say that the atman or real self should be meditated upon. The texts give us a clear indication of the nature of that which constitutes the Self. Why should one know the Self? Why not strive hard to make the whole person enjoy life with good health a yoga regimen of asanas and maybe pranayama would likely provide? But in spite of all our practice and good health, many people tend to become depressed or feel deep sorrow even with all successes in life. Some feel this more when life becomes a struggle riddled with unexpected and unsettling turns and twists. Here is a quote from Chandogya upanishad

Narada went to Sanatkumara and said that he had read the four vedas, the puranas, the itihasas, vyakarana (grammar), filial rites, mathematics, omens, underground treasures, logic, moral science, astronomy, vedic studies, geology, archery, astrology, snake science, music, dance and other fine arts and many more. "True, I have studied a lot but know only the meaning of the words of these sciences .. But I do not know the Atman, my real Self. I have heard from great sages like you that only those who know the Self (Atman) are able to overcome sorrow.  In spite of my vast studies and knowledge I am depressed, am in great sorrow. Please teach me about the Atman and take me across over this ocean of sorrow/depression." --- From Bhuma Vidya of Chandogya Upanishad.

And the Lord in the Gita says that of all the bodies of knowledge (vidyaanaam) the Lord is (in) Atma Vidya (adhyatavidya) or self-knowledge--X 31

So, the understanding of the nature of the Self is necessary and the yagabhyasi is in a favourable condition to do that as he/she is likely to be satvic due to the bahiranga sadhanas. This atmajnana is said to be achieved in three stages. Firstly, is the stage of knowing at the intellectual level, by studying the appropriate texts like the ones Krishnamacharya would teach. This is called paroksha jnana or understanding or knowing about the Self through someone else's eyes, say the author of the book like Patanjali and may be the eyes of the teacher. A person who studies these texts would get some understanding of the nature of the Atman or Purusha which many others who have not practised yoga have no clue about, even if they are great intellectuals or scholars or vidushas. The second step after the learning stage is contemplation which should lead to conviction. With the prima facie view of the Atman from the book-learning one should contemplate deeply on the import of the text and be convinced about the truth enunciated in the text. That conviction about the subject matter of the text which is Atman here is the second step. Some may be convinced after deep contemplation and some may be convinced that it is not correct. This understanding arising out of deep conviction is known as the anumana prajina. This itself is a great step. But then a few who have the enormous capacity of concentration due to yoga practice may be able to have their mind or buddhi experience the real nature of the Atman/Purusha. This understanding is called direct experience or yougika pratyaksha or direct yogic perception. 

As per the above Chandogya quote, study of the nature of Atman is necessary to overcome sorrow/depression or Shoka. Lord Krishna relied on teaching the nature of Atman to Arjuna in the battlefield to remove Arjuna's deep depression. Additionally, those who believe in the Karma theory would know that our Karma bundle associated with the ignorance of the nature of the Self leads to never ending cycles of future births. And many of these yoga, samkhya and vedanta texts implore one to take efforts to end the samsara cycle. But then the first step is to study these texts. 

It is clear that most people who study these nivritti sastra texts, will be able to complete the first step of this process or journey. Many yoga practitioners after spending many years practising asanas and pranayama could well start the first step and obtain paroksha knowledge from these texts. A few then may spend time contemplating on these teachings to get a clear conviction about the nature of Atman. Of course, the third yogic state of direct perception and consequent Kaivalya may not be possible except for a very very few. But what happens if I merely know about the Atman or Purusha or reach the second stage. This question was asked by Arjuna to which the Lord replies that such yogabhyasis  in the next birth will be born in a yogic family and the past yoga samskaras will surely draw them towards continuing in the yoga path until Kaivalya is reached. 

Once a yogi, always a yogi --even in future births--

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In January 2021,  I am scheduled to teach a two-day 4-hour workshop on Visesha vinyasa yoga hosted by Atma Yoga Shala in Chennai. Here is the link to register

https://atmayogashala.com/vishesha-vinyasa-krama-and-pranayama-with-srivatsa-ramaswami/?fbclid=IwAR1pVChD9fNkUvun8XIXwEZ1sHzwRjxwXughVZNAcTfGpi6Ukf-L25FNe10

ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः
सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु
मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah
Sarve Santu Niraamayaah |
Sarve Bhadrani Pashyantu
Ma Kashchid Dukhabhaag Bhavet |
Om Shanti Shantih Shantih ||

 

Om, May all be happy,
May all be free from illness
May all witness everything auspicious
May no one suffer
Om Peace, peace, peace