THE FOUR PATHS OF YOGA (GYAN, BHAKTI, KRIYA, KARMA)
DOORS TO THE SAME PLACE
Let’s start with a parable! One day a gyani, bhakta, karma
yogi and kriya yogi, found themselves at a holy lingam under a lovely tree that
was in their vicinity! As a discussion ensued forth, they could find no meeting
point. The gyani was an intellectual who had understood God in-depth and had
complete disdain for anyone who could not match his knowledge! The bhakta who
was full of love and devotion, thought all the other yoga’s (gyan/kriya/karma)
were just a waste of precious time which could be better utilized in prayer and
devotion. The karma yogi considered all of them lazy, copping out and taking the
easy way out with fancy philosophies, instead of doing the day- to- day work
that necessary towards Self growth! And the kriya yogi knowing it’s all about
raising ones energies saw the other paths as child play for amateurs!
Just as they were about to leave
in the different directions from which they had come, it started raining
heavily and so they had no option but to stay and take shelter of the tree.
However soon the wind picked up and the rain increased heavily so each of them
moved closer to the lingam for increased succor and shelter. The fury of the
storm became even more furious, the winds were blowing very strong and soon
they were all hugging the lingam for support. Even as they all held on to the
lingam together, arms widespread and touching, they suddenly felt a change, a
pulsating, a presence and became aware
of the lingam coming alive. And almost simultaneously, they began to wonder
what the special moment was about- why when they had pursued Shiva for so many
years and nothing had happened- why was he revealing his presence now in the
rain under a tree with these other yogis?
And then the ‘lingam’ spoke “At last the four of you have got together.
Yes, each one of you has pursued me with complete focus and dedication through
your chosen path, but this is what I was waiting for - the four of you to
come together! Each ones path ripened you, yes, but it is only in My 4 aspects
coming together within you, that I can reveal Self”
Now let’s explore this further! The four main paths to Self/God are
usually known as gyan yoga, bhakti yoga, kriya yoga and karma yoga. However
they are not four different paths but four aspects of the one path to Self.
Only the starting point differs, and based on your nature and sanskars, based
on what you require one of the paths beckon you as you start this wonderful
journey within. As one travels along their chosen path however, they begin to
merge, and this is when the journey deepens.
Gyan and its in-depth understanding of the Oneness that permeates
everything spontaneously leads to love (Bhakti)! And Bhakti naturally brings
about a deep understanding of its beloved (Gyan)! This leads to an almost
effortless expansion of ones energy field (Kriya yoga) and enhanced actions in
day to day living (Karma yoga)! Indeed together they become the one path of Raj
yoga, and life becomes a moment- to moment meditation, and one lives in
increasing awareness of…as… Self.
This could work in any combination, through whichever door you entered! You could start with kriya- expanding
/raising your energy field - whereby you personal consciousness
begins to touch, merge and become one
with universal consciousness... and thus automatically ‘Its’
qualities of love, wisdom and appropriate actions in the
Now. Or let’s take the path of karma- as you live selflessly, you gradually
dissolve the 'separate' self that you are (not), and automatically begin to
merge with all that is… and thus love, wisdom, and energy expansion starts to
happen! Ofcourse this is in brief, but the point is any path can be used as the
door to Self Awareness!
The best clue to determine which
path is good for you, or required by you in the Now, is to see if you are
drawn to it? Does it somehow beckon? Or are you doing it because everyone is
doing it or telling you how good it is?! If it attracts you, it’s the best
guidance that you need to explore this path! Do you enjoy its practices? Do
they feel ‘natural’? This does not mean
there need not be effort or discipline, but the root of authentic
discipline is 'being disciple to'...and being disciple to something arises from
love and joyfulness. If a path doesn’t beckon, doesn’t call
you, know it’s not for you in this now; but don’t shut the door, you may
someday feel attracted to its experiences. Be open to it or be neutral,
don’t shut self off from any thing! As you require a certain ‘path’…or aspects
of it…it comes to you! This is another clue…you will come across it here and
there, friends may suggest it…you may read something and get triggered towards
it! Indeed, when a path has done its work, another may beckon…and it is here that one
must not get stuck to the earlier path out of habit or conditioning!
My journey took a sharp turn in 2000/2001, and in the beginning I would
sometimes fret and feel unfaithful to my earlier phase…but one day deep in
mediation, my ‘earlier’ Master came and danced the waltz with me and literally
swung me into the ‘arms’ of the 'new' Master.... smiling from the edge of the
dance floor till I whirled off with the ‘new’ Master! Ultimately 'they' are all
one, and know which aspect of Guru Consciousness we require in the now!
This
understanding and openness also works the other way! If your friend, lover,
family member is on a path other than you- which you may see as restricting or
less rewarding as your own- know it is
not so- know it is what the other requires in this now! At deeper levels, each of
us treads every path in what we may call past/future lives…(actually all lives
are happening simultaneously) and thus our higher self is a blend of this composite,
from which/whom, we receive the wisdom of this larger composite … in each
‘current’ life too! The awareness becomes a big equalizer! We then feel free to
listen to our heart and allow others to listen to theirs; we move away from
feelings of superiority or inferiority towards different paths; we move from
trying to convert each other…into sincere acceptance that each ones path is for
their highest good in the Now!
Now let’s go back to the parable and view the importance of the paths
ultimately merging for each one of us! We usually think body, mind, heart,
spirit …to be different parts of self but at its deepest they are only aspects
of our one energy field. The body is simply the denser frequency. Whereas
the mind, heart, spiritual self are finer and finer frequencies. Thus when we
impact one- we impact all and thus each path enables us - at all four levels-
opening us to the ‘other’ paths spontaneously. The masters and texts were smart
–and often used this principle when they advocated any spiritual path/practice!
Sometimes the carrot given to us to embrace a certain path/practice was a better body/health… or a peaceful mind
…or love…and so humans did the practice (chanting, awareness, meditation
,prayer or whatever it maybe)…but
actually it led to expanding your energy field and moving beyond self into
Self! Sometimes they used the reverse carrot- it will make you ‘spiritual’ or
make you ‘one with god’ and so you embraced the practice- but it also enabled
your body mind and heart as well…your energy field at all levels…!
We are all a combination of body, mind, emotions and spirit/energy and just
the way we cannot exist only as the mind or only as the body or as energy or
feelings, our path too must ultimately be a combination! Each path (and its practices) enables the
other! For example: Gyan = mind expansion = your energy field expansion = thus
add some kriya and directly add to the energy work done by gyan =
transformation! Kriya (rising energies) can also propel you out of stagnation when
you feel you know it all! Bhakti bestows
on gyan a passion and all embracing quality, instead of it keeping you cold cut
and dry…and separate! Or, Kriya which works directly with (raising/expanding)
your energies, can be greatly enabled with gyan, as it has a base to take even ‘higher’!
Bhakti may peter out like a love affair going awry, if not fired by the urgency
and poignancy of rising energies; if not earthed in gyan, if not practiced in
day to day life! Kriya, your flow of energies allows you to be in the flow…of
karma yoga… day to day life! Or as kriya can enable a ‘higher finer’ energy
field - you will attract like wise experiences in day to day life! We could go
on and on…these are only examples…!
However,
at its deepest, spiritual paths and practices are not about improving self; but
dissolving self! They are not about ‘us’ at all, but about the ‘Presence’
within becoming increasingly tangible!
They work by removing the blocks; physically mentally emotionally and
energetically …so that once these dissolve…once ‘you’ are not present…Self is
spontaneously present! Or we can say they all aid you to expand your energy
field so that over time- you personal consciousness- merge with universal
consciousness that you are! Again no separate you! Say it how you like! Best to
sum it up through Nisarga Maharaj’s words: “Wisdom tells me I am nothing; love
tells me I am everything; and I flow between the two” ......Ummm, even as I would ‘tweak’ what the Great and Beloved
Master shared by saying- Gyan/wisdom makes me aware I am everything; bhakti/ love makes me aware I am no thing; and I flow
between the two; or maybe Gyan/Kriya expand me
into being one with Self/everything and in that the little me doesn’t exist; and Bhakti/Karma enable me to be no thing…and
in that the Self comes alive!
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