Yoga – its true meaning
[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]
DAILY READINGS
Day 1002
Swamiji speaking at a Yoga retreat camp.
Sri Ramakrishna is the eternal source from whence he has come. And his disciple, his counterpart, the great Swami Vivekananda, echoes that and tells us how to find it. He says religion is not in dogma, in doctrines, in argumentation – it is in being and becoming. And he qualified this: you can achieve it through Karma Yoga – work; Bhakti Yoga – worship; meditation – which is Raja Yoga, or Jnana Yoga – the yoga of knowledge.
Perform, practise these yogas and become what? Become that which in reality, you are. This which we see, is only apparent [Maya]. But in reality what are you? Swami Vivekananda said, 'That is religion.' And what is religion? Religion is the divine way of living. Divine way of life. By living it, without effort, you will reach it. Because you do not live it, you have to exert and put in effort. But if it becomes your way of life, then where is the need for effort? Because it becomes effortless.
In these yoga camps [retreats] – which are for just a very short time, we try to sample the different sadhanas [spiritual practices/paths] and try to live an integrated yoga through which the programs are made. Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. And yogas that we ourselves may not even be conscious of. Generally the yogas are categorised in this way – four. But Hatha Yoga [physical exercises/postures], Mantra Yoga [repetition or japa of a sacred sound syllable or one of the many names attributed to God], these are all yogas. Anything that reminds one of the Divine, is yoga. Because the first step is the uniting in the mind, in thought. And the yoga is accomplished when you are united. Because there is no barrier between the worshipped and the worshipper.
Sri Ramakrishna said you must go away in solitude, but it's difficult for us to go by ourselves. Then what is the next best thing? Satsanga [prayer or religious service]. Sat-sanga. Sat means 'truth', 'sanga' means company. 'In the company of the truth.' How? We take aid from the satsangis [those attending satsang] who try to march the path of God. Who have got the same goal in mind – and we get together. We converse about God, we discuss God, we discuss our problems – we meditate together. Thus creating vibrations of harmony, purity and painlessness. What is that? Joy, joy, bliss, bliss, bliss – all bliss [ananda]. Nothing but bliss.
You and I can play a great part – we are here to assist each other. We are here to encourage each other. Don't let your mind drift away for even one second from the purpose for which you are here. Do not let your mind go into worldly things. Just like the housefly. It sits on everything, even on the flower, but by the time it comes to a flower, it has sat on so many worldly things that it is not attracted by the nectar of the flower itself. Now we have become yogis in a sense. We must help each other. No gossip. No gossip. No gossip. No worldliness, no worldliness, no worldliness – forget the world. Only you exist and God exists.
Let's experiment. Let us see if the great scientists [Rishis, sage-seer-saints] of old told us the truth. And how will we know if it's the truth? Only by practising, only by putting into practice what they did. Otherwise it is useless, because you're all going to be groping about, you will all be moving in darkness. So you have a great responsibility – each one of you – that are in this camp, to help others. Fun and frolic must go into the background. If we have to laugh, let us laugh in the thought of God. If you have to cry, let us cry in the thought of God. So much so that every thought, word and deed must become an offering to God. And I am sure that the satsangis will never want to offer an impure thought to God. It is the purest and most perfect, and the flower of his life, that we must offer to God.
1) Care should be taken by the reader to understand and take Swamiji's words in these postings, in context. Every teaching or instruction that he gave was specific to the people who were with Swamiji at the time.
2) Mouse-over the words highlighted in red in the posting for further explanation or links.
There are currently available, 150 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order.
For more about the Holy Trinity, and also the founding Swamis of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, please mouse over their names below:
Sri Ramakrishna Sri Sarada Devi Swami Vivekananda
Swami Nischalananda Swami Shivapadananda
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna - read online
Reference websites – please mouse over the name and click to connect:
Ramakrishna Math and Mission Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa Ramakrishna Dham