Our Viewpoint

A boatman was asked by a passenger who was a stranger to the area, “What kind of people live on the other side of the river?” “Well, the people on the other side are indeed very wicked, very bad,” was the reply. However, the stranger in his travel on the other side did not find anyone bad. In fact, the people were very good. He then asked the people on the other side, “What kind of people are on the opposite bank?” The people generously said “Well, the people on the other side are good people.” The stranger narrated what the boatman had said, they replied “Well, one or two persons may have had bad?? experiences but you can’t say all people are bad”. The stranger realized that goodness and badness lies in our own self.

Bura Jo Dekhan Main Chala, Bura Na Milya Koi, Jo dekhu dil khojke, Mosay bura na koi! (I went out in search for the crooked, I met not a single one. When I searched myself, I found none worse than me. )


As this Doha by Kabir suggests, we should not have a negative angle. But, by family background, by education, by culture, we have many prejudices. We do not see things as they are but rather as we like to see things.


We love our habits, our opinions, our beliefs, our ideals. We, as a result of such a strong way of thinking, also suffer. A child that is taught by his family to see only wickedness suffers a lot and is critical with all. He is apprehensive, tense; there is less of joy and selflessness. We should, at least, understand that our thoughts are not entirely our own. They are acquired from other sources. Many opinions are emotional and conditioned.


Yoga is a de-conditioning of wrong opinions. It makes us free from strong emotions, attachments, beliefs which are the cause of lot of our problems. We can learn a lot by putting ourselves in another person’s position.


In Ahimsa and Satya this is suggested. Try to realize how the other individual feels and suffers. Try and understand if your hurt is a grievous; done out of cruel intention, done by yourself or allowed to be done by others and you just instigated it; whether the hurt is through thoughts, words or actions. To understand another person and to appreciate.

Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra



Published in the October 2011 edition of Yoga & Total Health magazine.

PREVENTION OF DISEASE

~Hansaji

Vaidya S. C. Chaturvedi is a highly qualified medical practitioner of the Indian system of Ayurveda. He teaches at Ayurveda medical colleges, is attached to the Bombay Hospital and has written several books on the subject of Ayurveda. The following are the questions and answers as recorded by the interviewer.

Q. Ayurveda takes care of those who are sick. In yoga we believe that a person ultimately suffers because of personal ignorance or Avidya. Has Ayurveda anything to offer by way of preventing disease ?   

A. Aturveda is a total science of health and prevention definitely has a place in it. Ayurveda emphasizes care in terms of food, Ahara, and an adequate amount of activities, Vihara. It takes care of both curative and preventing aspects of health.

Q. Has Ayurveda anything specific to offer?

A. Yes, the right daily routine, Dinacarya, and the right seasonal discipline, Ratucarya. But in India many of the healthy habits of life have been integrated into religion. Preventive habits have, therefore, become a part of our way of life.     

Q.  What does Ratucrya mean ?

A.  To understand what is meant by seasonal discipline, one has to know that our body is made up of the same five elements as the universe is, i.e. earth, fire, water, air nd ether. If there is a change in the universe or season, there is a change in our body, too. If we are not aware of this and carry on our old routines, we might suffer.

Q. What role do seasonal changes play ?

A. They can disturb the physiological balance of the body through great fluctuations in temperature or extreme heat or cold. Insufficient cold during the cold season can also cause disease.

Q. What do you recommend during weather fluctuations ?

A. In India we say that there are six seasons, but actually there are only three: summer, winter and the rainy season. The blast week of a season and the first of the following one, i.e. 15 days, are called Rtu – sandhi. This is a period of disease where the body suffers the most. One should therefore rest more and make some changes in diet and daily routine.

There should be more of purgation and cleansing because congestion or blockage or tension will affect the system immediately. Release of tension is possible through conscious relaxation. As far as diet is concerned, vegetable and fruit help to clear up the system, and one should gradually change over to the diet best suited for the coming season.

Q. What do you suggest for the cold season ?

A. In this season the water and air elements are in excess. This should be balanced by hot food containing more fire elements. Dry fruits with milk , different milk preparations, jaggery and honey, some spices like pepper, jeera, cardamom and plenty of vegetables should be part of the daily diet. Cold drinks or ice-cream should be avoided. Likewise, swimming, getting wet or cold or exposure to the breeze. In winter one should never sleep during the day. One should have more exercise. Yogic asanas twice a day plus some recreation activities like games would be good. Of course one should also wear warm clothes.

Q. What are the usual causes of disease, according to Ayurveda?

A. Disease arises due to deficiency, excess or vitiation either in metabolic components, Dosas or in vital components, Dhatus.  They have to be kept in an equilibrium, which is done by means of diet, medicines and patient’s own deeds.

Q. Does Ayurveda believe that time is the final reality?

A. Since time preserves us, cares for us and destroys us, we are all affected by it. Time is the ultimate; in other words, we have to do the right things at the right time.          

Published in the September 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine

BREATHE AWARENESS

– Review

Article Bi Monthly 2009

Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, New Delhi.

                            by  Mahamandalersar Swami Ved Bharati

Image source-
http://www.lajollayogacenter.com/events-1010swamivedabharati.html

Alphabet of meditation is breathing in one of the Sufi traditions. Naqshbakdiandi order places the most prominence on breath awareness. One of the beautiful names of God is used as one may do mental recitation of ILLILLAH (but one God). With inhalation in the Gospel according to St. John some time after the crucifixion Christ appeared and breathed and breathed into them and said, “Receive Ye the Holy spirit” (John 2022). In Mount Athos at the Autonomous Monastic of holy Mountains boy the Greek and the Russian versions teach the system of remembering God a prayer with breath awareness. The texts advice that breathing practices with prayer be undertaken under the guidance of a master. In China the practice of breath awareness is as ancient as it is in India.   

Mahamandaleswar Swami Ved Bharati’s conversation with Taoist guides in China had confirmed that in China they continue to teach the breath awareness practices that parallel ones in Indogenic systems.

The practice of breath awareness is familiar to the Tamil Siddhas. The major saints of medieval India placed a great deal of emphasis of understanding breath and using it as a vehicle for higher realization. Guru Granth Sahib reportedly admonishes the devotees to pay attention to breath and let the name of God be remembered at each breath. The Buddhist follow this. Both the Chinese Ch’an and the Japanese Zen also teach concentration on breath from below the navel. There are debates among Jainas as to the efficacy of breathing exercises.

Yogi Yajnavalkya Smiti speaks of not forcible inhaling or exhaling (force would be if grains of flour kept in hand should not get stirred). Even non-jerky breathing is emphasized. Length of exhalation and inhalation should be even. No breaks. Exhalation is when meditation begins. Do not keep changing methods, one can later get into a state of consciousness and a physical and emotional correlation without using the technique by just a Sankalpa.

Published in the November 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine

TRUE STORY OF A MIRACLE YOGI

A big team of researchers medical men and media personnel thronged to Malad near Bombay to witness Yogi L. N. Rao walk on water some years back.

Yogi Rao came out of the enclosure, waved to the gathering, put his right foot on the water surface which did not hold his foot; he put his left foot into the water and that too went into the water and lo and behold he sank into water.  His disciples dived into the water and salvaged the drowning man back to earth.

Yogi Rao smiled and said the mistake was he did not have his bowel movement in the morning and this is why he was drowning.  He was clever, the audience was aghast, the world press moved away and Yogi Rao quietly slipped out from the backdoor..

He met Yogendraji after many years and laughed and said he was just checking how many fools there existed cheating the world even today. He was amazed that there are still many fools left in the world capable of cheating the world!

Published in the October2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine