The Secrets behind the Mind of a Genius according to Raja Yoga..and more..

As the Northern winds continue to blow cold and winter still holds its icy grip over Canada..A much loved spiritual teacher Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj the head of the Vedanta Society of Toronto and a handful of `Die hard' students sit around a table in the Vedanta Society of Toronto Canada and listen to the immortal words of the Vedas handed down through the centuries from teacher to student...They explore the spiritual mysteries and truths of the most ancient sages and Rishis of yore..here they continue the study of Raja Yoga which is a form of dynamic meditation which the rishis practised for many many years and even life times.
Here the Powers of the Mind which this dynamic meditation produces has been described.Today we studied the spiritual and mystical explanation of what makes a person a Genius and master of all knowledge in any field according to the ancient science of Raja Yoga..( The Royal meditative path). The teacher refers to two books. Raja Yoga from the complete works of Swami Vivekananda and an explanation of the four paths by Swami Sarvagathananda Maharaj the late president and head of the Vedanta Society of Boston and Providence USA.

Before and after each class the Spiritual Teacher reminds his students that These powers are great impediments in the search for true spirituality. The aim of meditation and spiritual practice is not the attainment of powers . The powers can destroy a person if he does not have the moral and spiritual purity and ability to go beyond them. Meditation and all spiritual practices need to begin with the guidance of a spiritual master. The powers described have often been experienced in the lives of great saints and prophets of every religion . There are not the results of ` a few yoga classes' or ` a few hours of meditation here and there' ..they are Mile stones in the spiritual path that indicate where the yogi ( spiritual aspirant has reached) they are Not the destination and goal of spiritual practices..however they show us how amazing and wonderful the mind and the soul is and how it can reach the farthest limits imaginable and unimaginable to man ..The Book Raja Yoga from the complete works of Swami Vivekananda. This book is a study of the Yoga aporisims  of Patajnaji .
The Yoga we are studying is the serious meditative methods and their Science . The spiritual truths of the Vedas ( Ancient Indian scriptures date back thousands of years. ) The compilation and commentaries by Patanjali are believed to date back to 322–185 BCE according to Wikipedia.We studied the spiritual and mystical explanation of what makes a person a Genius and master of all knowledge in any field according to the ancient science of Raja Yoga..( The Royal meditative path).

                   Patanjali's Yoga Aphorisms; Raja Yoga : Powers of the Mind.

प्रातिभाद्वा सर्वम् ॥३४॥34. By the power of Prâtibha, all knowledge.

All these can come without any Samyama ( Meditation that is deep and continuous over a long period of time and over the ages ) To the man who has the power of Pratibha (spontaneous enlightenment from purity). When a man has risen to a high state of Pratibha, he has that great light. All things are apparent to him. Everything comes to him naturally without making Samyama.

Discussion : Our teacher the Revered Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj explained that Genius on any field whether as in a Scientist like Einstein or a legendry world leader like Abraham Lincoln, a film director like Satyajit Ray, a poet like Rabindranath Tagore or William Shakespear..any where and every where that we see incredible intelligence and insight and brilliance..is a result of great spiritual practices from former life times.." It is the result of ' Sadhana' ( spiritual austerity)and purity that comes from great spiritual discipline...finally when that `genius' benefits the world it comes from God..

A question arose about meditation. Was it easier to meditate on the `abstract qualities'  as described by Patanjali on on a particular form or name of God we believe in.
Swami K said that meditating on the form of God which appeals to the devotee most will give him the qualities of that form. Example for the followers of Christ  , meditation on Christ makes them Christlike..which is merciful, forgiving, saving and serving others, self sacrifice and extremely spiritual. For those who love Krishna..the qualities of Krishna such as non violence, kindness to all creatures, happiness, freindship, courage and so forth..for the follower of Hanuman great strength and courage and great devotion to their chosen ideal.In fact in India , traditional wrestlers always keep the image of Hanuman in their practice rooms just as Musicians and Artists in India ( even the Muslims) keep the pictures of Ma Saraswati in their practice rooms. Another question arose whether it was easier or even right to meditate as one with God or separate..Swami K answered that one discarded all ego and arrogance and spiritual pride and thought of self as one with God..then the path was quicker. However he has always cautioned that meditation and other spiritual should be performed under the guidance of a true spiritual teacher or mentor.

Finally God is one and all pervading and Vedantists believe that he can take on any form and any name and that is why they say that each path is true and ultimately leads to the same goal. That is why Vedantists do not subscribe to any one fanatical/ dogmatic view as the `only' truth .as Sri Ramakrsihan said..all ghats ( steps that lead to the river..) take us to that same Ocean of truth and bliss..the truly spiritual and enlightened man will never fight with others about their views.
 That is why Swami Vivekananda firmly said that Religion and Politics Cannot go hand in hand..wherever they do..there spiritual truth does not exist.

ह्रदये चित्त-संवित् ॥३५॥35. In the heart, knowledge of minds.

Discussion :Spiritual masters can read the minds of people because they have meditated in their hearts. The spiritual master Sri Ramakrishna would say that he could look into the mind and hearts of people like looking into  clear glass..he could understand the true character and potential of a person just in one short glance..or meeting..

सत्त्वपुरुषयोरत्यन्तासंकीर्णयोः प्रत्ययाविशेषाद् भोगः परार्थत्वात् स्वार्थसंयमात् पुरुषज्ञानम् ॥३६॥
36. All action of Sattva, a modification of Prakriti characterized by light and happiness, is for the soul. When Sattva is free from egoism and illuminated with the pure intelligence of Purusha, it is called the self-centred one, because in that state it becomes independent of all relations.

Discussion :Here again Swami Kripamayananda maharaj spoke and length about the need to discard and kill our little ' ego's when we tread on the spiritual path. " A person can grow spiritually only if he renounces his or her ego completely..a few  `supernatural' or ` Yogic' powers bring extreme egotism in the `spiritual aspirants' of any religion. They can mislead and misguide others and finally theses people destroy themselves .Even in modern times we are all witness to `popular and famous " evangelists and `prophets' and ' Cult leaders' who have had steep falls..after a period of great fame and popularity..that have led to self destruction. 
Swami K referred to a story often told by Sri Ramakrishna : A man had gone away for 12 years to practice extreme spiritual austerity in the wilderness while his younger brother stayed home to care for their old and frail parents. The man returned and told his brother that he had miraculous powers.." Can you show me some ? asked the brother .." ..the ' spiritual brother' then displayed his ability to walk on water..and cross the river.." is that all "asked his sibling?" I can pay a couple of cents and cross by boat..what have you achieved that money cannot do..? what spirituality did you achieve by these tricks?" Most people crave name and fame once they get some powers..There is  a saying in the Indian scriptures " if you have and use even one of these powers you cannot reach God" you lose the goal..
Swami Kripamayananda maharaj also spoke on how growing and rising to higher spiritual levels changes our view.." It is like being in a plane over the city..everything looks beautiful and the `same' below..that is why those who are truly spiritually evolved do not see difference between people, races, creeds, faiths..they do not teach the fanatical path of
 " Only my way is right and everyone else is false". They do not stand on podiums and say 
" They follow false paths, condemn them " The true man of God realizes that everything has come from the same God and all he has is love, compassion and a feeling of unity..the true man of God does not try to disunite people or destroy unity and love and oneness with the message of hate and pride.."People who are spiritual are forgiving" he said.
On the subject of hate he said " All spiritual teachers from Jesus Christ to Sri Sarada devi taught is not to hate..we have to lower ourselves and take the same evil nature when we recognize the bad in another..he spoke of Sri Sarada Ma's lesson of trying to see the good and noble even in the the person we dislike the most..much like the lessons of Tao which is to find the tiny white spot in a black circle as an exercise in meditation.." said Swami K.
"Religious and `spiritual pride" is from the Ego and one cannot grow unless one destroys the little self..cautioned our spiritual teacher..It is our ego that discolors everything..our relationships , our work , our lives..give it up..make time to connect with God every day in the silence and depths of your heart and reach for the highest.." said our teacher..
 
Our teacher Reverend Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj will be visiting Belur Math in India from 20th January for the celebration of the concluding program of 150 th Birth anniversary  of Swami Vivekananda (Whose works we study). Hundreds of Monks( Sanyasis and Sanyassins) and thousands of devotees from all over the world will be attending this celebration:
See http://www.belurmath.org/ for more .. 
Our freinds Dr Neel and Soumya are soon leaving Canada to join the University of Stanford California. Dr Neel was granted a Post doctorate research position in the field of Pharmacutical Sciences. Our Swami prayed a special blessing over their lives and wished them both well...in everyway..in the years to come..
Our class will resume in Mid February 2014.  though we will miss our Swami dearly we know that where ever we are and where ever we go..we are always together in our journey towards our goals....

The Power of Thoughts ..Raja Yoga..and the Secrets of the ancient Rishis..how a person can be at two places in the same time..

PATANJALI'S  RAJAYOGA APHORISMS

CHAPTER III

POWERS OF THE MIND

The chapter in which the powers of the mind developed through great discipline, meditation and purity are described  .

We are back in the Class of Raja Yoga at the Vedanta society of Toronto Canada..over the last few weeks we have been reading and talking about the "Powers of the Mind" that can be developed by meditation and spiritual discipline. The book is the Complete works of Swami Vivekananda / in Raja Yoga Swami Vivekananda discusses the ancient Indian science of Meditation and Yoga by the seer Patanjali. Our Teacher The reverend Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj ( Swami K) who is also head of the  Vedanta society of Toronto.  We also refer to the treatise on the complete works by the late revered Swami Sarvagathananda Maharaj who was the head of the Vedanta society Boston USA and a very senior monk and spiritual master. Here is sharing the immortal words of  the rishis...and a brief synopsis of the discussions we have in our class..
Note : The word ' Yoga' is usually  associated mostly with the physical disciplines of " Hatya Yoga" which is popular the world over and is more a tool for physical fitness.  However Here the Yoga we are studying is the serious meditative methods and their Science . The spiritual truths of the Vedas ( Ancient Indian scriptures date back thousands of years. ) The compilation and commentaries by Patanjali are believed to date back to 322–185 BCE according to Wikipedia.  The teachings and our discussion is noted below.

  तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम् ॥२॥. An unbroken flow of knowledge in that object is Dhyâna. :             By the conquest of the gross comes light of knowledge.

When one has succeeded in making this `Samyama,' ( absolute focus and concentration in meditation for long periods of time and regularly : Concentration, continuation and culmination..) All powers come under his control. This is the great instrument of the Yogi. The objects of knowledge are infinite, and they are divided into the gross, grosser, grossest and the fine, finer, finest and so on. This Samyama should be first applied to gross things, and when you begin to get knowledge of this gross, slowly, by stages, it should be brought to finer things : Here are some examples of the powers of the mind ....but a note of caution here...

ते समाधावुपसर्गा व्युत्थाने सिद्धयः ॥३८॥These great powers are obstacles to Samadhi ( ultimate realisation of God ); but they are powers in the worldly state.

After each reading Swami K reminded students that in the spiritual path of Vedanta which we follow..Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa on whose teachings our centres are based had a great distaste for miraculous and supernaturual powers and abilities which many so called spiritual aspirants run behind. He always stated that these super natural powers were the greatest impediment to the real love for God and true spirituality. True devotees shun and reject any power..and those who want them are actually seeking name and fame for themselves and not God.

Some of the powers which come from the Mind are described below . The extracts have been taken from the Book Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda which we are studying ( Chapter 3 Powers of the Mind) where he explains the four Yogas  by Patanjali.. The discussion and comments are in Blue.

In the verses on powers of the mind one power in particular has often thrown is much debate.
This is the power  of bi location or  Transportal according to Patanjali.

कायरूपसंयमात्तद्ग्राह्यशक्ति-स्तम्भे चक्षुःप्रकाशासंप्रयोगेऽन्तर्धानम् ॥२१॥                                                                                   
. By making Samyama on the form of the body, the perceptibility of the form being obstructed and the power of manifestation in the eye being separated, the Yogi's body becomes unseen or seen in different places :This is the power of vanishing and being present at two different places at the same time.
Discussion :Can a person be in two places at once? There are many intriguing accounts throughout history of people who claim to have either encountered apparitions of themselves - their doppelgangers - or have experienced the phenomenon of bilocation, being in two separate locations at the very same time. The ancient Indians texts such as Patanjali and Raja Yoga which we are studying says that it is possible for those who are masters of Yoga ( Meditation and spiritual practices ). Sri Ramakrishna was seen by an ardent devotee of his in far away  Dakha ( East Bengal) though he never left Dakshineshwar.This devotee talked with him and even touched him.

In another incident that happened in the district of Dhaund near Pune in India in1950 an amazing incident was witnessed by a large number of people including senior police officers. A squadron leader named officer Shinde at the SRPF  (Special Reserve Police Forces) HQ  who was attracted to the spiritual and mystique..was seen to have led the police parade and received the guard of honour during a very important function presided over by the I.G ( Inspector General) of the state. These were the early days after India had just become independent from British rule.
The program was attended by senior officers and police personnel from all over the district. 

Meanwhile even as the parade was taking place the same squadron leader who was leading his group at the ceremony was found  lying in a state of unconsciousness in his bed in the residential quarters. ( Barracks) His room partner and domestic staff  found him there and were extremely confused. The news spread like wild fire. This was a state of Bi- location or the rare phenomena of being at two places at the same time...that too in a police academy ! The Squardon leader was at first confused , he then realised that a great spiritual power had manifested and though he felt he had fallen asleep from exhaustion his `astral self' or mirror image had led the parade. He spent that night meditating alone under a  `Neem tree' and dilapitated temple that stood just outisde the SRPF campus. In his heart and through his soul came the searing call..A call heard by those rare and wonderful souls from age to age..a call that makes kings give up their thrones and walk alone into the vast unknown..A call which the sages and seers through thousands of ages have heard and continue to hear until today..The call of God that knows no power or wealth or treasure on earth .. The next day which is recorded as March 18th 1954  the squadron leader  left the force and became a wandering monk..in search of his spiritual mission in life..Years later he built a beautiful hermitage in the outskirts of Pune city. That hermitage is Ramdara and the monk was 1008 Devi Puri Maharaj or Sri Dhundi Baba as he was known to thousands. He passed away in July 2002  and was revered and loved by thousands of people.The story of his life with the detailed account of many such incidents and his  travels from the plains of the Indian sub continent to the Himalayan mountains...His spiritual journey and the extraordinary spiritual experiences he had in many of the temples and holy places in India as a wandering monk  has been published in the Marathi language and translated into English too. His hermitage   Ramdara ( Loni Kalbhor) stands to this day as a beautiful monumental place of peace and harmony and the peaceful   vibrations continue to attract hundreds of people who seek solace and peace in the journey of their lives..A Photograph of Ramdara temple which was built by  Sri 1008 Devi Puri Maharaj ( Dhundi Baba ) near the city of Pune, India.

For further reading on the western view point of the phenomena of  Bi location / trans portal which is being at two places at the same time  :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilocation

For further reading on the ancient Indian Vedic explanation complete works of Swami Vivekananda: Raja Yoga.

Some of the other powers of the mind are described below..

मैत्र्यादिषु बलानि ॥२४:By making Samyama on friendship, mercy, etc. (I. 33 ), the Yogi excels in the respective qualities

बलेषु हस्तिबलादीनि ॥२५॥: By making Samyama on the strength of the elephant and other strong beings, their respective strength comes to the Yogi

प्रवृत्त्यालोकन्यासात् सूक्ष्म-व्यवहित-विप्रकृष्टज्ञानम् ॥२६॥:. By making Samyama on the Effulgent Light (I. 36 ), comes the knowledge of the fine, the obstructed, and the remote. ( the power of clairvoyance and prophesy)

प्रातिभाद्वा सर्वम् ॥३४॥: Or by the power of Prâtibha, all knowledge

All these can come without any Samyama to the man who has the power of Pratibha (spontaneous enlightenment from purity). When a man has risen to a high state of Pratibha, he has that great light. All things are apparent to him. Everything comes to him naturally without making Samyama.

ह्रदये चित्त-संवित्
॥३५॥:In the heart, knowledge of minds.World leaders who can understand the minds and hearts of the masses...spiritual masters who can look into the heart and soul of all people..

On  a closing note two of our favorite `class mates' are moving away by the end of January to the USA. With both sadness and pride in our hearts we say farewell but not goodbye to Dr Neeladhdri and his really sweet and friendly wife Soumya..Dr Neeladhri C has been selected for a Post doctorate research position at the University of  Stanford in California USA in the field of Pharmaceutical Science. A point to note is that both Neel and his wife Soumya ( who is also a scientist) have always been friendly, humble, sweet and encouraging to everyone in the class. When I asked permission to mention them in my blog..they said that they were honoured..but actually the honour dear Neel and Soumya is mine..there is a saying that "Great people make others feel great and small people try to make others feel small". They are truly great in every way.
A point about the story of immigrants and immigration in Canada. Most Indian come to Canada as highly educated professionals. This makes them all mutiple times more qualified than most of the people born in Canada. Almost 75 % of new immigrants land in jobs that are not worthy of their qualifications or experience. When the USA and other countries honour the education and the talents of our best..it redeems and enhances all of us..the victory of one is the victory of all.. In the Vedanta Society of Toronto itself there is a higher percentage of members holding doctorate and post doctorate degrees than probably any other place other than a university. However the followers of Vedanta and Sri Ramakrishna come from every walk of life..the humblest of the humble and the greatest of the great.Vedanta belives in equality of all people and all faiths.

The late Rev Swami Pramathananda Maharaj who was the first head of the Vedanta society of Toronto and a strong patriot of India was often pained to see many Indian immigrants struggling professionally in Canada. He spoke up very strongly and firmly and took this issue of injustice up with both the Indian and Canadian government. While Canada is a great country..its greatest failure is that it is unable to harvest the sea of talent that has come here and goes unseen and un heard of in the form of highly educated skilled immigrants who work at jobs that do not match their qualifications or skill sets..The skilled and highly educated immigrants who come here under the `professional skilled' cadre are also the group that brings in their hard earned money and wealth created in other lands to invest in Canada . Yet this group is one of the most neglected and sidelined.

Next week we will explore the amazing powers of the mind again in the company of our much revered  Swami Kripamayanada Maharaj and all the students as we bid or friends Neel and Soumya a fond goodbye..
Class of Wednesday January 8th 2014.

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ततः प्रातिभश्रावणवेदनादर्शास्वादवार्ता जायन्ते
॥३७॥From that arises the knowledge belonging to Pratibha and (supernatural) hearing, touching, seeing, tasting and smelling.

The questions that arose were of whether it is better to meditate on the abstract qualities or on the chosen form of God we like the best. Our Swami K advised that when we meditate on the form of God we like the best then the qualities of Godliness and all the powers come to us naturally..example  to the followers of Christ..meditating on Christ the true Christians are merciful, kind, forgiving and Christ like.not dogmatic..Meditating on Hanuman makes the followers of Hanuman steadfast, strong in faith and body..extremely devoted and intelligent..meditation on Laxmi gives one wealth and her qualities of stability and beauty etc  and meditating on the individual Istha ( the one God you believe in.the most.gives you all)..

In methods of meditation the discussion arose on whether it was right to meditate as one merged with the deity himself... or as some one outside us..Swami K opined that when one mediates without arrogance or pride as one with God in the depth of his heart..that is the best and quickest way to reach the goal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_impact_of_immigration_to_Canada