Mundakam 1 - Section 1 ( Om Peace ! Peace !! Peace !!! )
Brahma, the creator and protector of this universe, arose as the first among Gods. He expounded the science of the knowledge of BRAHMAM (Brahma-Vidya), the foundation of all knowledge (all sciences) to Atharvan, his eldest son. Whatever Brahma told Atharvan, that knowledge Atharvan gave to Angir. Angir taught it to Satyavaha of the family of Bharadvaja, and Satyavaha taught to Angiras the knowledge traditionally obtained by the success on of teachers.Saunaka, the great householder, approached Angiras in the manner laid down by the scriptures and questioned; What is that, O Bhagavan, which being known, all this becomes known?
BRAHMAM ( The Universal Cosmic Energy ) is the cause of this world. By attaining the knowledge of BRAHMAM, the effect, the world, is comprehended.
Angiras replied to Saunaka: There are two kinds of knowledge to be acquired. So those who know BRAHMAM say, Para and Apara, i.e., the higher and the lower.
Para is the knowledge of BRAHMAM.
Apara is that which treats of the means and fruits of good and bad actions. The object of the lower science is to show the cause of virtue and vice and their consequences. Apara Vidya is ignorance. It teaches nothing ultimately real. It must therefore be rejected in the end.
The lower knowledge is the Rig-veda, the Samaveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda, Siksha (phonetics), Kalpa (code of rituals), Vyakarana (grammar), Nirukta (etymology), Chhandas (metre) and Jyotisha (astrology). But the higher knowledge is that by which the immortal is known.
BRAHMAM can be obtained only by the removal of ignorance.
Brahma-Vidya is called Para-Vidya, because it is a help to salvation, it leads to the attainment of the BRAHMAM.
Para-Vidya is the knowledge of the immortal which can be known through the Upanishads.That which cannot be seen or seized, which has no origin, which has no properties, which has neither ear nor eye, which has neither hands nor feet, which is eternal, diversely manifested, all-pervading, extremely subtle and imperishable, the wise regard as the source of all beings.
BRAHMAM sees without eyes and hears without ears. Decay is not possible in BRAHMAM, as it is ever full and self-contained. That knowledge by which the immortal BRAHMAM is known is what is called PARAVIDYA
1. The knowledge
which is a means to the attainment of the highest Brahmam can be attained only by the grace of the
preceptor, after one's having renounced all desire and egoism, and having
acquired the four means of salvation.
2. Brahmam is not grasped by the senses as it is subtle and infinite, but is
realized by the intellect purified through knowledge and meditation.
3. The individual soul attains liberation through the knowledge of Brahmam.
4. Just as rivers, when flowing into the ocean, become one and the same with
it, so also he who knows Brahmam becomes identical with Brahmam.
5. The fruits of sacrifice are but perishable and transitory.
6. Cultivate discrimination, dispassion, austerity, faith, concentration, love
for solitude, for the attainment of immortality and eternal bliss.
7. Seek the knowledge of Brahmam from a qualified teacher and is established in
Brahmam.
8. There are two kinds of Vidya; Apara (the lower) and the Para (the higher).
The former is founded on the four Vedas and the six Vedangas. The latter refers
to Brahmam which is all-pervading, immortal, indivisible and self-luminous.
9. Just as a spider projects the web out of its body and then again withdraws
it into itself, so also Brahmam projects this world and then withdraws it into
itself.
10. Brahmam is a target to be penetrated by meditation on Oam.
11. Brahman is the immortal Soul, the one warp of the world and the individual
souls, the self-luminous light of the worlds, full of bliss, omnipresent. It is
in front, behind, above, below, to the right and to the left, and shines with
all splendour in the heart of all.
12. Spiritual discipline, ethical duties and spiritual practices enable the
aspirants to attain the knowledge of the Supreme Self.
13. Meditation will help the aspirants to develop dispassion, discrimination,
faith, purity, and attain immortality and eternal bliss.
No matter where you go always do your duty as you see it and know that I will there inside you, guiding you, every step of the way. In the years to come, you will experience me in many different manifestations of my form. You are my very own dearer than dear to me. I will always protect you as the eyelids protect the eyes. You already have me and I have you. I will never leave you and you can never leave me. From this point on, do not hanker after anything. Do your duty, with unwavering love, seeing all as God. Be Patient. In time, everything will be given to you. Be Happy. There is no need to worry about anything. Whatever is experienced, whatever happens know that this Avatar aims it so. You are all sacred souls and you will have your part to play in the unfolding drama of the new Golden Age which is coming.
Kundalini is a dormant energy, seated at Mooladhara chakra and symbolized as a 3 ½ coiled serpent.When awakened it leads to the expansion of the mind, beyond all that we know. It changes the quality of awareness, experience, intellect and intuition of the mind. It awakens our potential, our hidden qualities and abilities. We know there is a lot more to us than what we see. We know that we only use a very small segment of our brain, less than 10%, only a tiny bit of our potential. Looking at it in this perspective, imagine if we were to use 15%, 30% or even more. Imagine what could be accomplished. So far science has not been able to help us out here.
When we want to follow the path of Pranayogakriya we must follow a strict but simple and gradual process. Many people try to rush the process through other means and this can lead to permanent problems. The path is not to be taken lightly, and though, Kundalini awakening may be out of the reach of most, there are many other positive aspects of these practices. This path of will uses no specific asanas as described in Pathanjali’s Yogasutram or Hathayogapradeepika by Swami Swatmaraman. It uses pranayama, and meditation with the focus on cleansing and purifying the chakras, which helps to evolve our personality.
A chakra is a wheel, circle, or vortex of energy. They are the main energy points of the body and are the switches for distribution to other areas. There are many chakras but six of them are most important.
They are Mooladhara, Swadhisthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddhi and Ajna.
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| Arrangement of Chakras |
Mooladhara is the first chakra, where man goes from animal consciousness and begins the human world. It is the last chakra of the animal evolution, the beginning of human spiritual evolution. It governs the basic emotions of fear, security, courage and survival instincts, as well as the sexual and excretory functions.
Swadishstana is the second chakra and relates to the reproductive organs, joy, happiness, pleasure and sexual desire.
Manipura is the third chakra and relates to power, action, willpower, self-esteem, vitality and ego. It governs the digestive system.
Anahata is the fourth chakra and relates to compassion and indiscriminate love. It governs the heart, lungs, circulation and respiration.
Vishuddhi is the fifth chakra and is the communication centre as well as purification.It governs the throat, vocal chords, thyroid and neck region.
Ajna is the sixth and most important chakra. It is said that Ajna has control over all the functions of a person’s life. It is the command centre of the mind, the opening or access point. It relates to the intellect, intuition, wisdom, psychic abilities and the central nervous system.
Many techniques are used to help awaken and purify these chakras. Only when the chakras are ready, it will be possible for the Kundalini to arise. What is used most are asanas, mantras and various types of meditation, as well as pranayama and yoga techniques. But the yama-niyamas are very difficult to follow,without which, it says, no one can get a balanced state of mind. There is the significance of Pranayogakriya. This is the most innovative and practical method to reach to the final goal of yoga -
AN EMPTY MIND WHICH IS NOT DISTURBED BY THOUGHTS.
Our body-mind complex has two opposites, STRESS and RELAXATION. Stress is energy consuming and relaxation is re-energising.Yoga and ancient techniques keep telling us to relax; maybe to help us conserve the energy for better utilization and progress as a human being.In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna tells King Arjuna the Science of Yoga on the battle ground. The situation with King Arjuna is very difficult,he is fighting for his rights and rights of his people but the enemy he is facing, is his relatives and beloved teachers.
This war will result in many deaths, so King Arjuna is stressed, sad and in pain. He wants to escape the war and is ready to leave his rights.But Lord Krishna tells him the Science of Yoga. The science of Yoga is to reach the balance of mind, thoughts, intellect, emotions which, is the aim of life. Lord Krishna maintains the focus on the state of mind independent of what is the outcome of any action. Lord Krishna advises that loss or gain, pain or pleasure, victory or failure should not affect the state of mind. This is the philosophy of relaxation as per Bhagavad Gita.
Many times, a question is raised why this great philosophy was told on the battlefield / warfront instead of in a peaceful place like a yoga ashram. When the surrounds are peaceful, it is easy to be peaceful,calm and relaxed. But the daily life is not like that, in fact for survival everyone has to struggle and there is always negativity in struggle. One cannot escape this stress and pain in life. But one can learn to have this relaxed state unaffected by stress and pain. Even when we achieve this peaceful state for some time, the next moment or situation is different and the stress is again there. The relaxed and peaceful state of mind in every moment of life is very important. The awareness of the present moment, independent of past and future, is the subject of discussion in Bhagavad Gita which is the key to relaxation.
Our experience of a moment is always affected by negativity of the past events and experiences and is overshadowed by worries and insecurities of the future. If a present moment is carrying a weight of so much of negative energy, how can we remain balanced and relaxed? For a relaxed state of mind in any moment, it is important to accept the moment or situation, this acceptance is very important for further actions. Many times we refuse to accept what comes our way, and that stresses us, for example - a sudden loss of family member. It is difficult for us to accept this and this creates a lot of emotional stress.
Lord Krishna tells Arjuna to accept what is coming his way,he maintains that very little is under our control in this world, so the best way is to accept the situation and try to find a solution to the problem, instead of thinking why this has happened to me?Even if the situation is because of my past mistakes, I should have the heart to accept whatever is there for me now. Expectation is another important aspect which affects the actions at that moment.Last month I prepared for my university exams. While I was studying, the stress of it started affecting me, and it was based on the expectations I had from myself. I was expecting too much, which created stress. This stress also affected the performance in the actual exam, I forgot a few things that I knew and I could have presented better in my papers but I did not because of stress.Many times we expect something from others and when others do not respond the way we expect, this creates stress and pain, the event that I mentioned relating to my anger last month was related to these similar expectations from other people. If I could have avoided any expectations, the angry and stressful state of mind could have been avoided. The eflection on this event surely made me aware of necessary control and management of emotions in the future. So the relaxed and balanced state of mind is one of our most important achievements.
The aim of Pranayogakriya is to maintain this relaxed body-mind state independent of past and future negatives. The action in the present moment should be the reflection of this relaxed and balanced state.
Pranayogakriya is a high energy meditation technique developed by
Sadguru Sree Divyathma Yogananda Sreeraj. Pranayogakriya is an enjoyable and healthful practice that helps you move,breathe, and live with greater joy and ease, and experience life with a peaceful sense of well-being. Body and breath move as one to unite and purify mind, body, and spirit. As you ease toward the quiet within, all "doing" comes to rest and just "being" becomes effortless.
Prana is simply life force energy. All living things and the Universe itself consist of this energy. Breath is our own amazing and yet tangible experience of prana, so naturally, awareness of our breath - which Pranayogakriya emphasizes - enables us to experience our personal connection to the Universe. As we follow breath beyond our physical limits and active minds, we uncover our true nature of peace and bliss, and our most authentic Self comes to life. Pranayogakriya is a self-honoring way to achieve yoga's ultimate goal: to become centered and balanced in the union of all that we are, and experience the freedom and bliss of simply being.
