How to Realise the Supreme Energy Being?
Ram S. Ramanathan MCC
Systemic, Sustainable, and Spiritual Self Development Coach Author: Coaching the Spirit & Re-creating Your Future Books & Programs
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Samadhi can also be reached through devotional contemplation of the Supreme energy Ishwara ||23||
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The Supreme energy is Purusha,?the creative source, untouched by misery, the results of actions, or?desires.
In Ishwara the seed is the ultimate in omniscience ?25?
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领英推荐
Repeat and contemplate on it ||28||
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Vedic philosophy has 6 schools. These are,
None of these schools speaks of a God in form or name, instead tap into the essence of the divine through spiritual intelligence. Samkhya speaks of the creative force being Purusha and Prakriti, seemingly dual, but integrated as one energy. Vedanta reflects the Upanishad and speaks of Brahman as the integrated eternal One and infinite energy beyond and before creation, with Atman as the holographic fragment of this energy in every creature.
The word Ishwara used by Patanjali in 1.23 means creator or owner. In that sense it may be a derivative of the word Isa used in Isa Vasya Upanishad, meaning the Supreme cosmic energy Brahman. Brahman in Vedanta is the supreme non-dual energy, the source of all creation. Brahman is eternal, infinite, formal and unreachable, reflected in each element of creation. In Samkhya, this Supreme energy is presented in 2 parts, the inactive Purusha as the source and the active Prakriti, as the creator. This is a simple and intelligible, but scholarly definition of spiritual intelligence.
Many commentaries of Yoga interpret Ishwara as God or Lord with form. I feel it’s incorrect. Yoga is non-denominational in line with Samkhya, Vedanta and other Vedic philosophies, and does not speak of a god in form, only as an energy, in spiritual intelligence. Patanjali is not a worshipper of god in form. Why bring in form, prayer and worship?
I feel the same with the Bhagavad Gita, a cornerstone of spiritual intelligence. Krishna is not the property of any religion. As the Parabrahman, Krishna and Rama are above and beyond form, above and beyond creation. When Krishna speaks of worship in the Gita and to worship him, Krishna refers to devotional surrender to the energy of Krishna. Only this understanding can help us navigate through the myriad distractions of the material world to a deeper understanding and realisation of our energy Self, as a pathway to spiritual wellness accessible to all.
The energy of Krishna, Rama or Shiva is reflected in every living creature, both in the good they do and not so good. It is laughable that religious leaders say that Rama ate no meat. Perhaps he did or didn’t. In the human form Rama is portrayed in Ithihasa, religious history, he was a kshatriya prince allowed to eat meat. More importantly, as the supreme energy one worships him, Rama is reflected in every living creature, including carnivores. So what if he ate meat? Does it devalue the supreme energy, the creation of the universe? Focusing on the divine essence within each being, rather than judging their outward behaviour, fosters spiritual intelligence and promotes spiritual wellness in ourselves and the world around us.
In 1.23 Patanjali provides multiple paths to spiritual wellness saying that this supreme energy can also be reached through devotional contemplation, not merely through intense and committed practices as mentioned in earlier verses. This may mean the paths of gnyana, of wisdom, and bhakti, devotion, in addition to dhyana, meditation, which Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga focuses on. This is in alignment with what Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita as the multiple pathways to Yoga through karma, action; dhyana, meditation; gnyana, wisdom; and bhakti, devotion, each nurturing spiritual intelligence in unique ways.
?In 1.24, 1.25 and 1.26 Ishwara is equated with the eternal, infinite and omniscient Purusha, as the source of all creation, source of all knowledge and wisdom,? free from all mind movements beyond the guna, beyond pain, pleasure and effects of action and outcome.? This Purusha, free from the limitations of the mind and beyond the realm of duality, is the essence of spiritual intelligence and the ultimate goal of spiritual wellness.
In 1.27 and 1.28, Patanjali says this supreme energy’s word is AUM and should be repeated in contemplative devotion. AUM is called the Pranava mantra, Pranava referring to the primordial sound of creation, as the source of all creation.
?Everything Patanjali says is in alignment with the Upanishad and Gita. Mandukya explains the meaning of the Pranava mantra AUM as four states of awareness. The ultimate state of awareness, simply called Turiya, Fourth, corresponds to the state of Samadhi as witnessing disengagement described in Yoga. The syllable A in AUM refers to the mindful, sensory awareness state of Jagrat. The syllable U refers to the subtler dream state of the subconscious Sapna. The syllable M refers to the unconscious and yet aware deep sleep state of Sushupti. The final silent syllable of Bindu is the mindfree energy state of Turiya.
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In the silent intonation of AUM, one can glimpse Ishwara.
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Reflection
?AUM as a practice is a mantra. In Sanskrit, mantra means ‘man trayate’, ‘protecting and healing the mind’. It is a technique for holistic wellness using breath as the vehicle.
Learn to pronounce AUM in alignment with breathing and energy centres. Learn to pronounce them as Sanskrit words not American. Take in a deep breath, filling and raising the stomach. Exhale in 4 stages. In the first stage focus on the energy centres below the navel intoning the sound Aaa.. as in ‘afar’. Shift as stage 2 to intoning the sound Oooo… as the oo in ‘moon’,? focusing on the heart chakra. Shift as stage 3 to intoning the sound Maa… as in ‘mother’, focusing on the throat chakra. In the final stage 4, close your mouth and intone silently MMM… focusing on the third eye chakra. Ideally, exhalation in the final silent stage should be equal to the sum of the previous three. If you can exhale for 20 seconds it’s a good beginning.
Three to five chants should help calm you. It’s a chant with breathing awareness, not music. Don’t be creative. Just follow the process. It's a non-denominational technique, accessible to all regardless of their beliefs, offering a path to inner peace and spiritual intelligence.
?Let’s integrate the wisdom of Vedic philosophy, the Bhagavad Gita, and Patanjali's Yoga Sutras into our lives to cultivate spiritual intelligence and spiritual wellness. Through mindfree action, devotional contemplation, and practices like AUM chanting, we can access the divine essence within ourselves and contribute to a more harmonious and enlightened world.
Ram is a co-founder and mentor at Coacharya?https://coacharya.com. Ram's focus is the integration of Eastern wisdom with modern science, spiritually, systemically and sustainably. Visit Coacharya.
Data, Analytics, ML, AI Executive serving Healthcare, Life Sciences, Financials, Automotive driving better patient, customer outcome utilizing technology innovations.
10 个月Superb. Well written. Thanks.