Newsletter Jan 31, 2007

Synopsis of Last Week Classes

Friday - Raja Yoga Class - Jan 26

Aphorisms: 4: 4-5
The body is an instrument, if you know how to 'use' it to reach the goal of ultimate freedom, by doing the spiritual practice with it. Body becomes an obstacle if we misuse it and thus get more fettered through identification with it. The spiritual practice, as has been mentioned earlier, is weakening the impressions (samskaras) through 'abhyasa & vairagya' i. e. practicing concentration on the ideal and refraining from the distracting influences. When a spiritual aspirant knows that this is the goal, he cannot wait to attain to it, he wants to finish the job as fast as it can be. He feels the terrible pain of living in the bondage and wants to do everything he can to get rid of the bondage as early as he can. So, instead of using just one body, he creates many & presses them into this task, just as in some big construction work, if it needs to be finishes early, the builder puts in more workers, more machines.
For people running after enjoyments of the senses (bhoga) their mind creates a suitable body based on the desires. There is no freedom to create different/more bodies there. But a Yogi has this freedom and capability too.
Of course, the success depends on harmonizing all these men/machines, to optimize and synchronize their capabilities to help the task. Just as in our body, the different limbs, different organs perform their tasks in a synchronized manner to achieve the objective of the soul, so the yogi can create several bodies, synchronize them and thereby finish the 'task' early.
Many interesting questions were asked/answered about 'who' controls all these created bodies, what about their 'individualities' etc.

Sunday - How to Study Scriptures? - Swami Yogatmananda - Jan 28
Scriptures contain revelations of saints and sages. As the ultimate Truth is beyond words, scriptures can only indicate It through words and hence we find different interpretations of the same text. The study of scriptures is important because they contain wisdom of those highly evolved souls who have transcended all reason and doubts and have attained total fulfillment in life by experiencing the unchanging Truth behind all changing panorama. The compassionate sages have no other purpose of sharing this knowledge except helping ignorant people to go beyond sufferings. Study of scriptures shouldn't be for academic achievements but for transforming the life.
Christian Mystic Meister Eckhart says that, a scripture should be read in its highest significance and we fathom it more and more as we advance in spiritual life. Brahmasutras, the philosophical text of Vedanta, explains the way to the Truth is through proper study of scriptures. Scriptures should be studied devotionally and analytically - both are equally important. Sri Ramakrishna says - scriptures contain mixture of sand and sugar. Become an ant and pick up only sugar. Thomas a Kempis writes in his Imitation of Christ - read scripture with great love for the Truth and with the spirit in which it was written.
Study of scriptures should bring humility and purity in our life. Once we reach the goal, scriptures become redundant. Apparent contradictions in scriptures are inevitable because their guidance is for the people of different levels and hence they should be understood harmoniously. Hindus have three layers of scriptures: 1) Philosophical - contain principles which are beyond time, space and causation.
2) Smriti - contain details of application of principles according to social situations.
3) Mythologies - Truth is presented through various stories so that ordinary people can grasp It.
Life will be illumined if we study scriptures in their right import and transform ourselves accordingly.