Yoga & Samadhi
15 Mar 2021 HYN Himalayan Yoga Academy
Yoga is a universal subject and practiced worldwide. It is becoming a global interest and necessity. Yoga techniques and practices have their origin in Yoga Daarshan. Yoga is a state of happening which is infinite, never complete but is always in fullness. Yoga happens through practice and regular experiment in life (through spiritual and welfare practice-collectivephilosophy). The final and inner means of yoga is Dhyana(Meditation) through any kind of yogic practice as said in Bhagavad Gita and Sanatan Dharma- the book talks about the forms of yoga as wells as ethical practices –The practice of DHARMA in human life (The word dharma explains to be the real self, nature of a human rather just being a religion. Dhyana is a means of transport for yoga or Samadhi i.e. is an insight of Individual Liberation also referred to in Vedantas, Upanishads, philosophical practice, cultural practice, religious practice within society. Through Vedha, Geeta, Yoga sutra, Gurukul system, Yoga Sutra main goal is liberation. Prachhaya darshan that began with the existence of nature-ancient most.
Sage patanjali is referred as the founder of Yoga and author of Patanjali Yoga Darshan the classical book entirely based on philosophy of Yoga. Shiva is referred as the Adiyogi and Krishna is also referred as the great Yogi. Sage Vasyaa said “yoga samadhi”; yoga is Samadhi and the state of Samadhi is yogaH. The path of liberation begins from our body, technological advancement is a materialistic idea that fulfills human needs and desires and the path to go beyond the body is yogaH. What people understand as yoga is not completely true, actually yoga –unity/union happens after dhyana and Samadhi. YogH is to be in the state of existence, yoga is the fruit of yoga sadhana(practice). State of direct-realization. Through Samadhi, yogah-oneness-unity happens i.e. through the practice of the limbs of yoga, the yoga happens. Samadhi is a liberated state free of bondage and suffering. Through various sadhana it is achieved, the state of achievement, the destination, the goal is the state of Samadhi. ‘Sama’ and ‘dhi’ when our buddhi/wisdom works in equanimity-with no division, freedom- without bondage, undisturbed that is Samadhi- self guided state/ character guided state. Not influenced by religion, culture, practices but through the atman inside. Samadhi in fact is the way of living- according to the frutitation of yoga- transforms life then one decides his karma/action according to the state of Samadhi. Samadhi is the last limb of yoga in any form yogic practice. The last state of yoga sadhana is dhyana and the last state of fruitation of yoga is Samadhi. The man in Samadhi still has the infinite path to walk mukti, moksha, nirvana, kaivaliya contained here. “samatto yogah uchhate” see and feel everything as one without diversion, uninfluenced by differences created, state of neutrality, out of bondage and suffering-unbothered by actions in the environment, compassion to every being in existence as its own part-as one. The isolated phase-purest form of the soul. Understood as the end state of spirituality but depends upon how dense, in depth one wants to travel in Samadhi. Settling all kinds of suffering, physical suffering, mental suffering life suffering, all kinds of bondage, differences to live the life of freedom as a bird- do birds worry about life? It doesn’t, it’s free so to feel the state of freedom in life is the state of Samadhi- the highest state of human consciousness.
In 1983 Swami Viveknanda was able to revive the science of yoga in the modern world. Development of the modern world and comfort man lacked an active lifestyle so the necessity of asana- only physical practice was approached in the beginning; the limb of yoga i.e. asana was popularized and practiced as exercise. Looking through- from the phase of agricultural society, the world moved to industrial society then to technological society with the change in structure of society eventually man started to face every kind of illness and crisis- physical, physiological and psychological. In the present context yoga is working on holistic well-being for man to be fixed in every possible way. Though in the beginning yoga was accepted as an alternate form of exercise in modern society but now people have started to understand its spiritual aspect. People now keep interest in its fundamental principle, knowledge and science behind it, yogH sadhana, therapeutic aspect of yoga (psycho therapy), eastern psychology, and meditation moreover they seem to focus on meditation to manage their mind-overcome stress, and this way yoga has been popularized at present.
As said by Yogacharya Subodh Simkhada. Yoga Guru- Himalaya Yoga Academy.