Please refer to the text when answering the following.
(a) Explain the purpose of Swatmarama’s Yoga Systems
as expounded in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika.
Swatmarama is very much aware of students natural urge to ‘ jump
the gun’ shall we say. He has a very systematic approach
to Yoga and his whole writings insist that Hatha Yoga and Raja
Yoga are one and the same thing. They are both means to the
same end, Samadhi. In 1:2 of the HYP he comments “Swatmarama
Yogi, having saluted his own guru, gives out Hatha Vidya(knowledge)
solely form the attainment of Raja Yoga.”(1) “not
to obtain siddhis” (psychic powers) (2). He is only too
aware that people fall into a power trap very easily and when
they reach the point of obtaining siddhis (which should be
an accidental by- product) fall by the wayside. He is very
much in favour in the Yogi observing the Yamas and Niyamas
and living an almost monastic existence, before trying to practice
the advanced postures he places in the HYP.It would have been
assumed that less advanced asana work would have been practised
for some time with the guidance of a guru. Brahmananda explains
further that if the path is not followed slowly that at best
the students will “give up the whole effort in disgust
and become the bitterest enemies of Yoga, denouncing it as
false whenever they can get hearers”(3) or at worst “commit
serious mistakes in the processes and end their lives as maniacs
or suicides”(4).
This is a strong warning. So the system
works as follows. The observances, asana, diet and pranayama
(not advanced) are practised first “one who is of a flabby and
phlegmatic constitution should first practice the six acts[kriya].
Others should not, as they have not these defects, the three
humours( wind, bile and phlegm) being equal in them”(5).
Then when one is well practised in Pranayama moving onto more
advanced stages using Kumbhaka and Bandha. When one obtains
Kevala Kumbhaka “(which consists in restraining the breath
without puraka and rechaka)”(6), then one can discontinue
the pranayama practice, as “there is nothing unattainable
by him in the three worlds. He can restrain his breath as long
as he likes through his kumbhaka. [Then] he obtains the stage
of RAJA yoga”(7). Again “before practising the
mudras and intense pranayamas, you definitely must be careful
about your diet. You cannot indulge too much in uncontrolled
sexual practices as this will draw prana in the wrong direction.
So practice celibacy as much as you can, but don’t suppress
sex, sublimate it. Practice Yamas and Niyamas, do lots of japa
for purification.”(8)
These mudras are highly mystical and again in the wrong hands
can be dangerous this is why Swatmarama warns us to keep them “secret
as a box of diamonds”(9). Through working with these
advanced practises in conjunction with a guru, the Kundalini
starts to rise, when this happens the student is told “practice
the Bhastrika kumbhaka constantly” (10), so that “the
middle nadi (sushumna) becomes straight(for the easy passage
of prana”(11). We are now preparing for samadhi.
So with the previous practices we have been attempting
to keep the prana in sushumna for extended periods of time.
By using pranayama, blocks such as bandhas and mudra we
increase dharana (concentration) by extending the pranayama,
mudra and bandha further, by the use of japa and mantras
we reach dhyana(meditation) and samadhi is obtained by
maintaining the pranic energy in sushumna for further extended
periods as the kundalini begins to rise.
“Samadhi is when the mind doesn’t function
any more and you see your Self (Atman) clearly, or when
there is Oneness with the Brahman.”(12)
This is the last stage, the goal that Swatmarama guides
his students to, in his last stanza he explains that if
one does not reach this stage he is really an utter failure
in Yoga.
(b) Write a paragraph on each of the following.
- Nadis
There are considered to be 72,000 Nadis running through
the energetic body these are not to be seen on the physical
level, but are psychic knots. There are three main nadis
in Yoga. Ida, pingala and sushumna.
Pingala nadi is on the right of the body and deals with
the left side of the brain, which is “analytical,
mathematical, scientific, rational”(1) but can be
too active, always doing not being.
Ida deals with the left side of the body and the right
side of the brain which is more “philosophical, devotional,
compassionate and peaceful in nature”(2) but is very
inert.
Sushumna is the central nadi, and if we can work into
or activate this nadi we reach middle ground. Within sushumna
we have the seven main chakras.
- Granthis
Granthis are psychic blockages which
can be pierced or undone with the help of yoga and a guru.
They are obstacles in our evolution as spiritual beings.
They block the upward flow of prana, but they do have a purpose.
If we were to pierce them too quickly we would get a pranic
overload and breakdown. They are three in total,
Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra. “The Brahma Granthi
is in the Muladhara chakra, the Vishnu Granthi in the Manipura
chakra and the Rudra Granthi in the Ajna Chakra”(3).
It is said that it can take several lifetimes to pierce
these blockages. So we may come into this life-time with
no Granthis cleared or one or two. That is why some individuals
are searching for the meaning of life from day one and
others never do.
I enjoyed Cathy Turners view of Granthis
in Spectrum Autumn issue 1999, which Derek Lucas copied
for the group. It is not everyone’s view, but it
made a lot of sense to me and made me realise that I had
experienced more than previously thought. She describes
Brahma Granthi being released when we realise there is
more to life than this hard edged world, and thought that
experiences such as death could bring this about. Now I
don’t know if she was describing ones own near death
or someone elses death, but I do know I became spiritually
aware as a child when my Father became ill with cancer
and eventually died. I accepted life and death very easily,
and was hungry to learn about spirituality.
The next Granthi, Vishnu, she describes as being released
when we experience capacity for unconditional love. Unfortunately
for me I think I am going through this process at the moment,
as she says this is the time when one may find difficulties
in relationships. My marriage broke down last year finally
and I have had a very difficult time coping with a different
reality, however I think I am coming out the other side
now very bruised, but with a different perception of love.
I am not so judgemental, view all relationships quite differently
and I do not feel I have as many conditions on my friendships
as I once did. I am learning a very hard lesson.
The final granthi Rudhi, I have yet to pierce, as this
happens when one can accept what ever the universe throws
our way, for a religious person this would mean accepting
God in everything we do. Now even as a child I believed
this was the only way, but I have never been able to
achieve this. Maybe this lifetime I will.
- Chakras
Chakras are energy wheels or vortices running along
the sushumna nadi. They are said to be linked with colour
sound and images, but as Brahmanda comments “A
word of caution: never take anything literally in Yoga…………….The
petals on chakras are………symbols,
hinting at energy pattern radiations. Such things are
given so that the mind can visualize.” (4)
The colours and sounds vary with tradition and it should
be down to your own work in meditation that you draw
any conclusions. However, these are the colours, sounds
and images as I know them.
Muladhara; colour (red), bija mantra
(lam), petals(4), symbol (square with an upside down
triangle), location (male: between genitals and anus,
female: posterior to cervix). Associated with primal
instincts, procreation, excretion etc., with downwards
energy apana
Swadisthana; colour (orange), bija
mantra(vam), petals (6), symbol (crescent moon), location
(sacrum), associated with pleasure, sexual, food etc.,
and again apana
Manipura; colour (yellow),
bija mantra(ram), petals(10), symbol(upside down triangle),
location (solar plexus), associated with will power,
fire
Anahata; colour (green), bija mantra
(yam), petals(12), symbol (triangle overlaying upside
down triangle {like a star of David}), location(heart
centre), associated with divine devotional unconditional
love, prana energy.
Vishuddhi; colour (blue), bija mantra
(ham), petals(16), symbol(circle), location(throat),
associated with communication or udana energy.
Ajna; colour (indigo), bija mantra
(aum), petals(2), symbol(crescent moon), location(eyebrow
centre), associated with intuition and vyana energy.
Sahasara; colour (violet, white), bija
mantra (silence after Om), petals (1,000), symbol (arch),
location (above crown of the head), associated with the
higher self, communion with God.
(iv) Kundalini
Yogis describe a coiled serpent at the base of the spine
in muladhara which can be raised to sahasara in order
to achieve spiritual enlightenment. My understanding
of this is coiled or pent up energy. This energy if we
had no samskaras to burn and no granthis in the way,
would be able to move freely up and down the sushumna
in a straight steady flow. However, due to karma we have
certain energy blocks in our chakras and granthis and
these must be released slowly but surely if we want to
reach enlightenment. The “Awakening of the kundalini
means that your vibratory level goes up. At that time
sensual experience becomes dull and boring; you no longer
need drinking, smoking and gambling. It makes no sense
to you because you have discovered that satisfaction,
peace and happiness are within. Your peace and joy will
increase proportionately as this is realized. What ordinary
people consider as happiness, is for you nothing but
pain. When experience comes it means kundalini is awakened.”(5)
The problem is that we live in a secure system, we know
certain illusions (maya) as our truths, so going out
to dinner, cinema, certain friends, holidays, smoking,
drugs etc. may appear to give us pleasure. If we undo
our truths too quickly or in other words pierce those
granthis too violently, the rush of energy rising from
muladhara to sahasara will be such a shock to our system
and our way of thinking so challenged, that it can cause
serious psychological problems. We see things as they
really are far too quickly and this shakes our foundations
and instead if you like placing the steeple on top of
our carefully built church it brings the whole building
crashing down and we have to start again.
However if we work through our spiritual blocks (granthis),
and personal issues slowly, it is not such a shock every
time we reach a new understanding about ourselves and
the universe.
Reference:
(a)
(1) Swami- Visnu –Devananda, The Hatha Yoga pradipika,
(1987), Om Lotus Publications, page 6
(2) Page 6
(3) Page 19
(4) Page 19
(5) Page 63
(6) page 85
(7) Page 86
(8) Page 106
(9) Page 108
(10) Page 145
(11) Page 146
(12) Page 153
References:
(b)
(1) Swami- Vishnu- Devananda, The Hatha Yoga Pradipika,
(1987), Om Lotus Publications, page (5)
(2) Page (4)
(3) Page (103)
(4) Page (57)
(5) Page (91)
Bibliography:
Swami-Vishnu-Devananda,The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, (1987,
Om Lotus Publications
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati, Prana Pranayama Prana
Vidya,(1994), Bihar School of Yoga
Swami Satyanada Saraswati, A Systematic Course In The
Ancient Tantric Techniques Of Yoga And Kriya, (1981),
Bihar School of Yoga
Cathy Turner, Spectrum, Autumn (1999), Kundalini a Personal
View
