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Meditation of ancient raja yoga. Achievements. Theory. Practice

Posts in this topic: 16

Jonsnow

Without masturbation: 3 years, 10 months, 4 days

Advances in Raja Yoga

When a person begins to engage in spiritual practices, it is important for him to know what he will receive as a result of this. Therefore, I will list the main achievements and abilities that develop through the meditation of the ancient Raja Yoga.

As a result of this practice:

1) The strength of concentration and clarity of thinking increases. Meditation disciplines the mind - it stops wandering, we gradually get rid of negative and empty thoughts, unnecessary conversations and wrong actions. As a result, any work is done quickly and accurately.

2) The ability to see dignity and virtue in others develops(and not shortcomings) and, adopting them, we ourselves become more virtuous.

3) Changes in character, behavior, outlook and attitude towards others, improves relationships, increases communication skills. Knowing the philosophy of karma: what is good and what is bad, we try to do only the right deeds

4) Raja Yoga helps to maintain a balance between the spiritual and physical sides of life... This practice frees one from the body consciousness and all the vices that arise from it: lust, greed, anger, fear, attachment, ego, envy, from all negative habits.

5) Our health improves by relieving stress since internal conflicts end, and harmony of mind and intellect, soul and body comes. There is a very deep connection between our state of mind and our body. A stressful state of mind is the cause in ninety percent of physical illness. Only when the mind is healthy is the body healthy.

6) By controlling the mind, we are able to control our thoughts and senses and also use your time economically. The intellect gains strength, thanks to which it can easily adapt, accept criticism and change.

The practice of meditation stops the VD-internal dialogue. Knowing the philosophy of karma, we understand that all the suffering we are experiencing at the present time, we deserve by committing sinful actions in this and past births, thus accumulating the account of sinful actions.

7) By practicing Raja Yoga, we close the old account of wrong and sinful actions... Raja yoga is compared to fire: like fire, it burns old vicious sanskaras, removes impurity and negativity from the soul. The soul is cleansed, receives a lot of strength, becomes light and light. The soul seems to grow wings; she experiences supersensible joy and bliss, which is more than happiness.

8) Spiritual forces develop.

Eight Spiritual Forces:

1. Strength of Packing

This is the ability to leave (store) in your mind and consciousness only what is necessary. Thanks to this power, we do not carry negative and empty thoughts with us everywhere, which frees us from mental and physical fatigue. We save our energy and keep a positive outlook on things and situations.

2. The Power of Patience

This is the ability to go beyond the influence of negative situations, to be able not to react to negativity even in thoughts. Even if someone provokes me to insult, criticism or anger, if physical suffering comes, then I can remain internally calm and joyful thanks to this power.

Someone may mistreat us, criticize unfairly, insult us, but a true yogi does not feel irritation or discontent even in his thoughts.

Stones are thrown into a fruit tree, and it gives fruit in return, just as we give everyone pure feelings and good wishes, accepting victories and defeats, praise and glorification with dignity.

Only on the basis of the consciousness of the Soul will I be able to give souls true Love, Strength and Peace.

3. The Power of Acceptance

This is the ability to be above any conflicts and negative situations. Get along with those who have weaknesses and shortcomings, but at the same time do not spread this garbage around you, talking about them with others. Just like the ocean, which can take in all the rivers ...

4. Power of Discrimination

With this power, we can shape our thoughts, words and actions, as well as the thoughts, words and actions of others. Just as a jeweler can recognize and distinguish a fake diamond from a real one, so I must be able to maintain positive, worthy thoughts and abandon negative and harmful ones. It is negative thoughts that often cast a shadow, interfering with true discernment. Through meditation we eliminate them.

5. The Power to Make Decisions

This power allows you to make clear, quick, accurate and impartial decisions. To do this, we need to be above the influence of situations, emotions and views of others. It also requires a very clear understanding of what is wrong and what is right.

Raja Yoga meditation gives the intellect such clarity and strength, thanks to the understanding and awareness of your inner world.

6. Power of Endurance

This strength helps to maintain calmness and inner stability when serious problems and obstacles come in life. Such courage develops in the soul through meditation, through which we experience our original nature (peace, strength, love ...) and become detached from the consciousness of the physical costume. Then we are able not to fall under the influence of problems, highlighting the positive side of what seemed absolutely negative.

Having understood the Knowledge of the soul, the three aspects of time, the law of Karma, one can cope with any situation with courage.

7. The Power of Collaboration

Developing this power requires a gaze of spiritual consciousness so that we can see everyone as our brothers. This creates unity and increases the strength of the team. Thanks to this collaboration, every task is easy.

8. Power to Disconnect

This is the art of turning your thoughts to a point (a state of introversion). We have many moments in life when there is no great need to involve our mind and intellect in work, then instead of wasting time and energy, we can go beyond the sound and consciousness of the body, go to the eternal House of the soul, to the Supreme Father. This controlling force brings consciousness to the highest form of concentration and fills the soul with divine power.

9) Willpower develops

10) Intuition develops

11) The soul is freed from the "burden": depression, guilt and depression go away.

12) A person easily gets rid of bad habits.

13) Establishes a healthy daily routine and lifestyle

14) Develops self-esteem and self-confidence

15) The general level of vitality rises: optimism and activity

16) Accuracy of actions increases and virtues develop:

Carelessness

Fearlessness

Politeness

Flexibility

Foresight

Discipline

Benevolence

Kindness

Maturity

Introversion (introspection)

Sincerity

Ease

Love

Mercy

Courage

Indefatigability

Unselfishness

Obedience

Acceptance (the ability to appreciate the virtues in others and adopt them)

Simplicity

Joyfulness

Determination

Self esteem

Modesty

Sweetness, sweetness

Humility

Cooperation

Patience

Tolerance

Accuracy

Confidence

Satisfaction

Royalty

Honesty

Purity

Enthusiasm

17) Analytical skills are improved.

18) Creativity improves.

Theory

The word yoga means union or union; It involves controlling the mind, intellect and controlling the five senses through daily meditation practice.The soul is cleansed and receives a lot of strength, it becomes light and bright ...

Raja Yoga is a loving memory of the Supreme Father. People are more likely to remember the person from whom they receive something. And therefore, if we learn and realize what can be obtained through this practice, we will have a goal and there will be time for its implementation. The Supreme Soul is Almighty. He is like the Ocean, and from Him you can get all the treasures.

Target

Raja Yoga is the highest of the teachings, because its goal is perfection. Not just a little change in a person for the better, no. The very goal of Raja Yoga, by definition, is perfection. It is recognized that the soul was divine. Now she has lost her divinity. But it can be returned. That is, Raja Yoga deals with the soul. Yoga (connection) is understood as a method through which the very essence of a person, the very nature of the soul, that is, sanskar (habits) is transformed. This means that the negative qualities accumulated over the past several millennia will disappear, and the original divinity will shine again.

Method

The goal of Raja Yoga is perfection. Her method is connection with the Almighty. Connecting myself with different people or even with prophets and messengers, I cannot reach my most exalted state. But when I unite with the Almighty, I gain strength to eliminate my shortcomings, assimilate all the virtues. I am reaching perfection.

The stage of perfection

The LEVEL OF PERFECTION can be defined as a state in which the soul is COMPLETELY SINNESS, GOOD, FILLED WITH ALL DIVINE GIFTS AND QUALITIES, in which VIOLENCE IS COMPLETELY ABOVE, the soul leads a higher lifestyle.

The teachings transmitted to us by the Almighty, and the method of meditation that He gives us, make this possible. Yoga means union, Raja Yoga means union with the Supreme. This is the highest of all unions. This is the yoga through which the soul attains perfection.

I become the master of myself, the master of my thoughts and feelings, of my “I”. I can develop in the direction I choose myself. Instead of being a blind instrument in the hands of circumstances, events of the external world, and even the will of other people, the soul sees the goal and will go towards it with constancy and inflexibility. Achieving this goal is her highest task..

Practice Meditation

Meditation is a process of pure sublime reflection, a journey into the depths of oneself, comprehension of one's inner world and awareness of one's spiritual essence. Spiritual consciousness (self-awareness) helps in the development of personality and the disclosure of inner potential.

States of meditation

Raja Yoga has two meanings.

First- "Royal Yoga", that is, the practice thanks to which I - the soul, become the king of myself, the master of my thoughts and feelings.
Second meaning- "The Highest Union" or "Connection with the Most High", thanks to which we receive the powers of God. This "union" gives us a feeling of inner happiness, the enjoyment of a state of purity, peace and bliss.

In order to establish an accurate and strong Yoga (connection) with the Almighty, one must have an accurate idea of oneself as a soul, as well as of the Supreme Soul, that is, of the One with Whom we want to meet.

You also need to understand in what "language" we can communicate with Him, and about the place where the meeting can take place - about our House, the World of Souls. But all this knowledge must be present in us at the level of practice: one must constantly be aware of oneself with the soul.
Then only we will be able to take our thoughts away from the body and from the material world, tuning in to the wave of God. Then we achieve union with Him, directing thoughts full of love to the Father.

1st stage - Attitude.
External silence is important here. You need to relax, calm your thoughts, be aware of your thoughts and slow down their movement. If extraneous or empty thoughts appear in the mind, then they must be noticed and transformed, replacing them with positive strong thoughts.

We begin to create thoughts about ourselves (soul), about the Supreme Soul and about the Eternal Home. At the same time, one should not just think about it, but visualize every thought, try to feel it, realize it, penetrate into the depth ... Thinking about peace and strength, feel peace and be filled with strength ...

3rd stage - Concentration.
This state occurs when the mind stops wandering. There is no longer a need to create thoughts, since we become the embodiment of strong thoughts: about the soul, about the Supreme Soul ...
Thoughts and feelings merge together.

4th stage - Awareness.
Pure sensation replaces thoughts. The soul experiences lightness and freedom.
Rays of light, strength, peace, purity, vibrations of love coming from the Supreme Soul fill the soul and spread throughout the world.

Practical exercises for meditation

Exercise number 1

Choose a quiet place so that your hearing and sight have no unnecessary distractions. If you want, you can turn on quiet, gentle music to help create an atmosphere of relaxation and lightness. Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight. Read the following words slowly and quietly (Try to experience and see in your mind's eye everything that is said so that you really feel what these words express):

Outside this room, nothing exists ... I feel completely isolated from the outside world and free to study myself ... I direct all my attention inward, concentrating all the energy of my thoughts in the center of my forehead ... I separate from my physical body and physical environment ... I begin to realize the silence inside and outside myself ... The feeling of natural peace takes over me ... Waves of peace gently wash over me, eliminating any anxiety ... I concentrate on this feeling of deep peace ... There is only peace ... I am peace itself ... Peace is my true state of being ... My mind becomes very quiet and clear ... I feel light and satisfied ... returning to my natural state of calmness ... I sit enjoying this feeling of peace and quiet ...

The best time for this kind of meditation is in the morning, before you start your day's activities, and in the evening, when you have finished all your activities. The duration of the exercise is 10 minutes. Throughout the day, keep reminding yourself that peace is your true nature. As you practice meditation, these calm, positive thoughts will appear more and more in your mind, and peace of mind will gradually begin to become more natural.

WHO AM I?

At first glance, it seems that such a simple question is very easy to answer. But as you begin to think about it, you realize that your name or description of your physical appearance is not enough to describe the myriad of thoughts, moods, actions and reactions that make up your life.

Even describing your actions confuses you because you are playing different roles. You start the day, perhaps, as a wife, then at work you become a secretary, an official or a teacher, at dinner you check your son's lessons. Which of these roles is yours? In every role you play, different qualities of your personality are manifested. Sometimes you feel that you have to play so many different and opposite roles that you no longer know who you are. If you meet your boss at a party, and at the same time your parents and friends come up to you, you become confused, not knowing how to behave. And you have not only established a certain way of interacting with them yourself, but you have also limited them in your mind to a certain role. You are capable of treating them only as your boss or as your parents, but not just as other people. Yet you realize that your true personality is not determined by the role you play. Who are you really?

You need something permanent, reliable and unchanging. This is how our bodies appear. But we all know that this is an illusion, because our body does not remain constant and unchanged.

In meditation, we turn to our ability to think and identify with it, because we always have thoughts, regardless of our age. Their content may change, but our ability to think is unchanged.

First of all, "I" is a thinking, feeling being. And thoughts are not something physical that can be felt with the help of physical senses. You cannot see a thought or taste it.

“I” is not a physical, but a spiritual being. And we use the word "soul" to refer to it.

The soul is something that cannot be destroyed, something indivisible, beyond any physical dimension. The soul is the source of everything you do, all thoughts, all words, all actions. Everything that you do, think or say, is done by you, the soul, through your body.

Your true personality is your soul, and everything else is just different roles that you play: teacher, woman, mother, friend, relative. A good actor or actress can play any role. They will play their part as well as they can, but they will never really think, "I am Hamlet" or "I am Cleopatra." They know that no matter how they get used to their roles, at the end of the day they will take off their costumes and return to their true identity. So, no matter what role you need to play, you should always understand and remember that your true nature - the soul - is a living, spiritual, eternal essence, and your body is just a temporary physical suit.

The soul initially possesses its inherent natural qualities that you are looking for. The first quality is peace. All you need to do is to feel yourself as who you really are, that is, to constantly be aware of yourself as a soul. This is what is called "spiritual consciousness." This can be experienced not only during meditation, but also in the process of performing actions. As you become more and more aware of who is performing each action, you gain more and more control over your thoughts, feelings, words and actions. Then the natural awareness of your true nature fills all your actions, and the desire to find peace of mind is fulfilled.

During meditation, you begin to think about your true nature. You fill your mind with thoughts of the soul and its true qualities. In the beginning, it doesn't matter how quickly thoughts arise, as long as they go in the right direction. If thoughts get distracted, you gently return them to thinking about the soul again. Once you start experiencing the right thoughts, you start enjoying them. A simple phrase: "I am a calm soul" comes true when you begin to experience it.

The task: experience detachment from the body. When you look at someone, do not pay attention to name, race, gender or age, look at him as a soul, the same as you, but just playing a different role. This will help you develop the qualities you need to remain calm at all times, such as patience, tolerance, and love.

Exercise number 2

Choose a quiet and peaceful place. It is good if this is a room that you do not use often. If this is not possible, then choose a corner where familiar objects would not distract your attention. Always sit in the same place, and gradually it will itself remind you of your goal - of meditation. This little mental preparation will help you concentrate. The exercise time is 10-15 minutes. Lighting should be soft, calm. You can turn on pleasant soft music.

When you finish your meditation, take at least one minute to reflect on your experiences. See how your mood has changed.

Another tip that will bring you greatbenefit.Meditate not only when you feel like it. The greatest progress is possible when you really do not want to meditate or when you feel that you cannot meditate. This is the time when you need meditation most of all!

I withdraw my attention from the physical body ... I focus on myself ... I listen through these ears ... I look through these eyes ... I am behind these eyes ... I am an eternal spark of life energy ... This life energy gives strength to the body ... I am a non-physical entity ... eternal soul. I am an actor ... this body is just my costume ... I focus my thoughts on a point in the center of my forehead ... a tiny point of conscious light ... I feel completely detached from the body ... calm and light ... I am a star emitting light ... Inside myself I find a deep peace and contentment ... Now I know my true "I" ... Eternal, pure, calm soul ... I am an ocean of peace ... all conflicts are over ... a deep, deep silence takes possession of me ... I am a calm soul.

SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS

Why should the thought “I am a calm soul” be of more benefit to you than the thought “I am the body”? It allows you to be detached from the role you are playing. The most important thing is to understand what the word “detachment” means. It does not mean striving for external or internal isolation, when all connections are interrupted. It also does not mean that you become an indifferent observer of what is happening around you. This word means that you have the awareness that you are an actor.

You play your role with great enthusiasm and love, but you do not allow grief, situations or people to influence your own understanding that you are a calm person. In fact, the word “detached” cannot be separated from the word “loving”. Realizing yourself as a soul, you feel your natural qualities: peace, love and happiness, and it is with them that detachment should be associated with you. You simply do not allow external factors to influence you, your true state of peace.

Spiritual awareness will help you improve your attitude towards yourself and others. You will stop comparing yourself to others, and move on to realizing your own worth. This will not in any way lead to a feeling of superiority, but simply to a sense of stability and self-confidence. Self-doubt is replaced by deep faith in yourself. You will understand that you are surrounded by the same souls, whose qualities are also peace, love and happiness.

When someone is angry with you, do not respond harshly, feeling threatened. A quarrel will surely begin. This is a manifestation of the bodily consciousness. Instead of seeing a calm soul in the interlocutor, you look at his role and think that this is his true nature.

Spiritual consciousness can help you.

Realize that their anger must be related to their own confusion. This will serve as your protection and you will not invent a threat of attack when there is none. In addition, a calm reaction will help defuse the atmosphere.

When you are determined to look at people as souls, then you will respond to their anger in a completely different way, regarding it as something temporary and not inherent in their nature.

When spiritual consciousness appears, spiritual understanding comes after it, spiritual vision opens. Treat the people around you like little children, because they do not even understand who they are (and they are also souls). They identify with the role they play, be patient with them, give them love and positive emotions. They will definitely feel it. They just don't know, so why be angry with them?

Spiritual awareness also allows you to feel natural in the company of other people. Ease and simplicity in communication on your part helps them to feel free. They see that you do not expect anything from them. You see only good in them. Increasing love and respect for other souls develops as you realize your spiritual kinship with them. This is the realization that we are all friends in misfortune living in the same world.

Exercise number 3

The first step is to simply relax. Many people would consider it a tremendous achievement if they were able to relax at will.

When we relax, everyday sorrows and worries disappear and our mind is free to think about subtle things.

What your mind is filled with, so are your experiences. Thinking about peace helps you experience peace. And the more you relax, the deeper becomes a pleasant feeling of relaxation and tranquility, spreading from within.

When meditating, use very simple thoughts or uncomplicated topics. Two or three carefully selected thoughts are enough. Repeat them calmly, giving yourself ample time to explore the feelings behind them. For example:

Peace is like drowning in a feather bed ...

Lightness is flying on a cloud ...

Love is a warm golden glow in my mind ...

Exercise number 4

As you become immersed in such thoughts and experiences, you will gradually feel that you move away from worldly thoughts and tensions and become light and free. Now you have gained spiritual consciousness, awareness of your true nature. It is this ease of awareness that you need to bring into your daily life in order to easily and effectively overcome any problems and obstacles that arise in front of you. Like a flying bird, the mountains will appear to you as small bumps.

For the next few days, take only two or three simple topics or phrases, such as:

I am a calm soul ...

I am a being of light, filled with peace and love ...

carrying these feelings to others, to the whole world ...

Calmly ponder these thoughts, delving deeper and deeper into the experiences they cause, until your thoughts and feelings merge together. When this happens, the discord between what you do and what you think disappears, and the soul feels contentment and fulfillment.

Also, look at others as souls who play a role, like actors.

ABILITY OF THE SOUL

Sitting and feeling peace is one thing, but actually using it to transform your life is something else. There may be a gap between intention and action, and then you have to say: "I didn't want to do that, but ..." or: "Sorry, I didn't mean to say that." To have complete control over your life, you need to not only know, but also understand the process of turning intention into action.

For example, a factory uses different materials and components: spare parts, nuts, bolts, electrical wires, paints, and so on. They are similar to your feelings and intentions. In the manufacturing process, these materials become a finished product that we can compare to action. But imagine that there is a recurring defect in these finished products. You could repair every item that leaves the assembly line, but that would be time-consuming and hard work. And besides, the factory was not built to release faulty goods.

Therefore, it will be a mistake to start changing your life simply by changing your actions outwardly. This will have an impact to some extent, but you will continue to face “faulty” activities coming off the “workflow” and this will seem like hard work without much reward.

Instead, check the “raw material” of your feelings and familiarize yourself with the “production process” of your desires and actions. The better we understand how we “work,” the easier it is for us to eliminate those actions that we do not want to do. What is a "manufacturing process"?

First and foremost, the path from experience to action is through thoughts. Thoughts arise in our mind. Thoughts, like the mind, cannot be regarded as something physical, it is the ability of the soul.

For example, you have a thought: "I want to drink a glass of juice."

Thought can be viewed in two aspects. The first is the thought itself, the second is the awareness or understanding of this thought. To understand thoughts, INTELLIGENCE is used.

With the help of this, the second, ability of the soul, we determine the value of what arises in the mind (thought). Therefore, when we say, “Think before you say,” we are asked to use our intellect and determine whether our thoughts are worthy of being spoken aloud.

The purpose of meditation is to put a brake on your thoughts.

There is the ability of the soul, which includes the ability to store the impressions left in the soul from our actions. These impressions are called SANSKARAMI. (This word is from Sanskrit, and there is no exact translation for it.) Habits, inclinations, temperament, manners are based on sanskars, imprinted in the soul by the actions that she performed. Sanskaras create our personality in the same way that individual shots of a feature film create a narrative. Everything is recorded: whether it be a physical movement, a word, or even a thought.

In turn, the thoughts that arise in the mind in a given situation depend on the sanskaras, which determine the distinctive features of souls, their individuality.

You can create beautiful, positive sanskaras when you sit in meditation and feel calm. This sensation forms the sanskara of peace, which next time will replace the old sanskara of irritability.

Exercise number 5

Take one aspect that you would like to change in yourself. Several times a day create one or two very strong, positive thoughts that will help change a negative habit or character trait, investing in it all the energy and all the enthusiasm that you have. This will create a very strong sanskara. And when the positive thought “I want to change” comes into your mind again, it will bring with it an experience of enthusiasm, which will help you at the appropriate time to translate this intention into action.

For example, if you want to get rid of the habit of criticizing people, keep creating a positive thought throughout the day:

"I will look at everyone as calm souls, I will only see their virtues and characteristics."

MAINTAINING BALANCE

Peace, detachment, ease, spiritual consciousness in meditation is wonderful, therefore, having received positive emotions in meditation, try to keep them as long as possible. And transfer the experience gained in meditation into your daily life.

There are four aspects to keep in mind in order to maintain inner balance. And if all four aspects are given due attention, then we can not only be in inner harmony, but also naturally progress. These aspects are: UNDERSTANDING, CONSCIOUSNESS, IMPLEMENTATION and GIVING.

UNDERSTANDING refers to the understanding of knowledge. You already know the basic facts: "I am the soul, my nature is peace." By scrolling this information in your mind, playing with it, comparing it to your life, you begin to create a complete picture. One day you will come to understand that you are in control of any situation.

AWARENESS refers to meditation and is the foundation of the experience. Even if you can establish all the logical connections between the pieces of information received, but until you have realized their true meaning, you cannot say that you have understood them. For example, out of two students who read the same poem without error and are equally able to retell its content, one can become so imbued with its meaning that it will change his whole life, while for the other this poem will remain only an exercise for developing memory.

How can we understand the meaning of such words as peace, love, soul, detachment?

Only after experiencing them.

The true meaning of the word "peace", its deepest content is the experience of peace. It also gives you a foundation for faith, because only when the word and the experience coincide can the soul feel confidence and conviction. For example, politicians or traders often make us feel uncomfortable because we don't feel enough sincerity or truth in their words. What they say does not always reflect their thoughts or facts in reality.

EMBODIMENT refers to actions. We have just talked about the harmony between knowledge and experience. If there is a contradiction between them, then trust and stability disappear. There is a need to restore the balance between "internal" and "external". If you sat in meditation and felt like a peaceful soul, and then immediately after that you became angry with someone, then this makes the experience of peace meaningless, and the soul will feel confusion and confusion. Meditation needs to be made practical by translating its positive power into action. It is wonderful to experience an exalted state in meditation, but your goal is to manifest during the day only those states, glimpses of which were previously difficult to achieve in meditation.

In general, translating the results of meditation into practice should be conscious. This will not happen supernaturally or on its own if you do not pay attention to it.

If even during meditation you catch the sanskara of peace, the old sanskara of anxiety can continue to create negative thoughts in your mind for a long time, and sometimes very strong ones. And only with the help of the conscious can you recognize and change your behavior. Each of your refusals to act at the prompt of your sanskara will weaken it.

It is important to understand here that you will never make progress if you do not make an effort to practically change your negative actions and habits. If your good thoughts during meditation constantly contradict your actions, your mind will turn into a battlefield instead of becoming an abode of peace.

GIFTING Is a harmonious and altruistic attitude towards people.

You should pay special attention to this aspect also because it is the relationships with others that fuel your anxiety. It's easy to be friendly and generous when everyone is friendly and generous. Unfortunately, in today's world we often find ourselves in situations where relationships range from mildly uncomfortable to openly hostile. In such situations, the practice of giving becomes your reliable protection. It protects you from negative experiences, and also brings benefit to any unfortunate person who has reached the point of aggression. You cannot give and receive at the same time, so if you intend to spread only peace and good wishes, then you do not have reciprocal feelings of fear, resentment or awakening anger.

If you are still angry or allow carelessness, then this suggests that you need to return to the repetition of the material already passed.

Giving means that you have no desire to receive an answer or a reward. Such giving is true, selfless, and pure.

The bestowal will still come to you, at least in the form of happiness and satisfaction, and there is no need to desire or expect this. When you have already gained sufficient experience in the practice of meditation, then donation will occur without the help of words. The knowledge and experience of meditation will become so part of your life that you will give others a feeling of peace and virtue simply by being in spiritual consciousness. It will become so natural for you that you will simply always be in spiritual consciousness without thinking about it.

When all four aspects: understanding, awareness, embodiment and giving are in harmonious balance, the soul will be in harmony with itself and others. This state of practical spiritual consciousness is called "liberation while alive."

Exercise number 6

Practice detachment from your own thoughts. Feel that you, the soul, are sitting in the cinema and watching your own thoughts appear on the screen of your mind. They will gradually slow down. If you find that your mind is disobedient or even negative, focus on the thought: “I am a soul. I am a calm and peaceful soul. "

KARMA

Karma is one of the laws of the universe. When you were not yet aware of your true nature and fully identified yourself with your physical suit, you did not understand that your every action leaves a deep mark. Now, having learned that you are a soul, you began to realize that every action leaves a record that you carry with you. You found it very difficult to determine what was right and what was wrong. In different periods, your definition of right and wrong has changed.

What is the criterion by which you could determine absolutely exactly what is right and what is wrong?

Only in the consciousness of your true self - “calm soul”, you are able to understand exactly what is right and what is wrong. The soul can perform actions simply by being in spiritual consciousness. These actions will be beneficial actions that bring happiness and positive results.

In the bodily consciousness, there are no pure intentions behind actions. In this case, your actions are performed with hidden selfish motives, such as greed, arrogance, and so on, and therefore they bring sadness and negative results. What matters is the consciousness with which the actions are performed.

The law of Karma, the law of bestowal, applies to the spiritual realm and is absolute.

It says that every action has a return. What

You commit to the world and to other people, you get back in equal amounts.

If you bring happiness, then sooner or later you will receive happiness in return; if you cause sorrow, then you will receive sorrow in return.

The law is simple, but being assimilated in all its depth, it can provide an opportunity to penetrate into the meaning of world events. There are many expressions to illustrate this truth. For example: "You reap what you sow." Karma is also known as the law of cause and effect.

Having understood this, you realize that the effect can take place only when there is a cause. So, Karma (which literally means "action") is the cause, and the fruit of Karma is the effect. Everything that happens to you is due to your past actions or Karma.

Usually people tend to forget that they themselves are responsible for what they have. If the fruits of Karma are bitter, you point your finger at others, saying that they are responsible for your suffering. But now you understand that if there is sorrow, then you yourself are the cause of it. Rather, your previous actions. Understanding the law of Karma means responsibility for every situation, for your entire life. And even for the lives of their children and grandchildren, up to the seventh generation.

Sometimes only half of the law of Karma is understood, that which concerns predestination. Someone may think in despair: “Everything that is happening to me now is due to my previous actions, and therefore there is nothing I can do about it. This is my destiny. " This is certainly true. Awareness of this truth brings great patience, acceptance, and endurance.

However, the other half of the law of Karma is no less important: by your conscious, pure actions, you can create your own future.

Due to the negative actions that you have committed in the past, you have got into "karmic debts". But there is no point in wasting time on grieving, just now you have to work off this debt, bringing happiness. You must close your past karmic account. However, this does not mean at all that Karma will change immediately, as soon as you change your attitude towards others. With the help of spiritual consciousness, over time, you will certainly receive love and respect from others in return. Every action performed in the spiritual consciousness is an action, the benefit of which extends to everyone, including you. In the spiritual consciousness, you are connected to eternity, and you do not get impatient to see the results as soon as possible. But the results will and will be much faster than you think. Your attitude to life has changed, and as a result, the reality around you has changed. Thought is the seed of action. What the thought is, so is the result. Thoughts, like actions, spread vibrations (color the aura) and affect the energy around you. Karma will return these vibrations to you. Pure, calm, happy thoughts are the most valuable treasure of your life. If you keep wholesome thoughts in your mind, then you will create a pure energy of peace and happiness. If you do not have control over your actions, you will not have control over your mind. This ties in with the previous lesson: if you slow down, you give yourself more time to do things properly. Work done in a hurry always contains mistakes that need to be corrected, which will require even more work. A job done well leaves you in a calm state of mind.

Concentrate fully on what you are doing in the present, and this will allow you to have complete control over both the mind and the body. Continue to take actions in the spiritual consciousness so that you can remain light and calm.

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Raja Yoga is meditation on Paramatma (Ksirodakasayi-Vishnu), but this Vishnu comes from Krishna. Therefore, bhakti yoga (Krishna consciousness) is superior to raja yoga.

This is wrong. We are not meditating on Paramatma, Vishnu or Krsna. Raja Yoga is a loving memory of The Most High Father.

Every person has two fathers. One is corporeal (each person has his own), and the other is the Incorporeal, or Spiritual Father (He is one for all the souls of the world).

He is the Father of all souls, and therefore we are all brothers as souls. The whole world is one single family.
Knowing and finding God as a Father, we find each other, feel our kinship.

The literal translation of the words Raja Yoga means "union" (Yoga - union, union) with the "Supreme". Therefore, practicing Raja Yoga meditation, we direct our thoughts to God and thus unite our mind with the Supreme Father. But in order for this union (Yoga) to take place, it is necessary to know exactly God - the Spiritual Father. More details here:

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Exercise number 7

SEE YOURSELF FROM THE LIGHT SIDE

You are a bright soul.
You shine with the light of your natural energy - peace, purity, unconditional love, joy, willpower ... and transform everything around.
Your energy of enthusiasm brings hope to everyone;
Your strength of peace becomes a support in difficult times;
Your benevolence heals hearts like a balm;
the power of your faith helps you to receive God's help at every step ...

You have a GREAT energy (like the sun)!
You are the younger sun, the sun in your life.
The light of your soul energy illuminates everything around.

Perhaps you are not completely happy with what you have now,
but since you created, attracted into your life what surrounds you now,
then you can create something else!
All in your hands! You are the sun!
You are the creator of your life.

What time do you think
Is your energy at its maximum?
Today (to be precise, here and now)
Just as the sun's heat dissipates with distance, so does your energy dissipate when your thoughts move away from the present.

Right now show in your thoughts a sense of your own spiritual purity or peace, joy or unconditional love, your inner strength ...
Keep this soul light in your inner gaze for as long as possible, and its power will grow. After all, where the attention will be directed, the energy will go there, then it will increase!

Now creates yours today,
today creates your tomorrow,
tomorrow creates a week
week - month,
month year,
and the year creates life!

Live your life to the fullest now!

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Exercise number 8 INTELLIGENCE SOFTWARE

Engaging your mind with positive thoughts, thanks to which the soul is filled with happiness and strength, is an art. If you do not give the mind any task, then, like a small child, it begins to wander in different directions, being attracted to one, then to another, or falls under the influence of some external circumstances and situations that are not always a source of joy and inspiration. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop," says popular wisdom.

The great art is to occupy your mind and plan not only physical activities, but task your intellect so that it is always occupied with some useful thoughts. Otherwise, emptiness appears, and the energy is wasted on something useless, and then fatigue comes ... Protect yourself from this!

To do this, you can practice soul consciousness and reflect on the virtues of the soul, think about the qualities of God and feel your eternal connection with Him ... You can make a whole list of thoughts that fill the soul with strength and happiness, and daily choose something for practice, again and plunge into it again, try to feel and deeply experience.

For example:
“I am a calm soul. Wherever I am, I spread peace. "
"I, the embodiment of peace, I change the atmosphere, filling it with peace and joy."
"God is the Ocean of Love, and I am His child who gives only love to everyone."
"God is my Companion, so all my affairs are solved easily and joyfully."

A decisive thought will help to practice this: "Today the intellect will necessarily act according to such and such a program." If a promise is made in relation to something, then there is the power to carry it out: "It will certainly be done!" If you just think about it, there will be no strength yet. This is the same as with physical affairs: no matter how many of them there are, but having given a promise, we fulfill them. And time is allocated for this, and excuses are rejected. The same is true of the intelligence plans.
Thanks to this practice, there will be very rapid spiritual progress.

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Exercise number 9

BE A STRONG SOUL

Our efforts to gain spiritual strength are based on the idea of each person as a spiritual being and that the original nature of every human soul is it is peace, happiness and purity... The perception of a person only as a bodily being leads to a personality crisis, "blackout", loss of vital energy, which in turn aggravates the crisis in the area of the most important values and relationships. The further predominance of bodily consciousness, shortcomings and weaknesses in human life leads humanity to a state filled with problems, conflicts, tension, losses. The decline has already reached such a state that reliance on the power of science and politics is becoming more and more like an illusion. Life itself makes each of us turn to spirituality ...

The soul is able to regain strength only by establishing a loving union with the Supreme Soul with the help of its mind and intellect.

To create your strong, stable state and unite on the basis of spiritual principles and wisdom - this is the call of the time.

Thoughts for reflection:

The power of the soul- this is power over oneself, which means being able to control one's mind, intellect, and senses.

The power of the soul- this is creative energy, which is necessary to improve the character and education of virtues, the revival of the best human relationships and the transformation of the world.

The image of a strong soul ...

This is freedom from fear, envy, suspicion, depression and anxiety ...

Strong soul creates around itself an atmosphere of joy, purity and peace.

Strong soul always maintains goodwill and emotional balance.

Strong soul is able to win everyone's heart with her simplicity, sincerity and honesty.

Strong soul nobody and nothing blames for the situations in which she found herself, and is not justified.

Strong soul is like a flowing river, which is not attached to anyone, but will willingly give drink to everyone who meets on its way.

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Exercise number 10 CONSCIOUSNESS CONTROL

If there is chaos inside, then outside it will be double. To control consciousness means to control, first of all, thoughts. To begin with, it is very important to set a goal for yourself: “I always remain peaceful, calm of mind. This is a great feeling! No matter what happens, I remain unperturbed as an outside observer. "
If you are detached and simply observe the situation, it will not affect your state of mind. Then your actions will become calm and correct. This cannot be achieved without detachment. Repeat to yourself over and over again:

“I am always calm ...
I am always at peace ...
I feel my inner silence ...
Under any circumstances, I remain calm ... ".

Watch yourself: how long can you remain in silence? There is no chaos of thoughts, you just watch the thoughts arise, giving them direction and remaining completely calm and peaceful. Peace appears inside, which you enjoy.

Peace is a natural state of mind... It is like a necklace around our neck while we are trying to find it somewhere.

Now we are all very restless, so we often get confused, not knowing what to do. Each of us, of course, has a similar experience. If someone touches us on the tram or makes a comment, what a whirlwind of thoughts is spinning in our minds! What for? The action has taken place, nothing can be changed, and continuing to create thoughts about this situation means losing your inner strength. The trash of empty thoughts makes me dirty, tired, upset. A sign of empty thoughts is despair, loss of happiness, no enjoyment of life, complete loss of control over thoughts.

Sometimes we don't even understand why the mood suddenly deteriorates. We begin to think intensely: “It seems that I did not commit any sins, did not make any mistakes, why is there absolutely no joy? What is the reason?".

Why would you be drawn into the stream of these reflections? Do not waste time on them, do not burden your account of empty thoughts. It is better to quickly return to yourself bright, pure thoughts.
It's like a physical illness. The illness may not be serious at first. And it manifests itself only in a mild form, but then the mild form develops into a severe one. And if we do not notice it in a mild form, then in a serious one we see it very well. Likewise, a waste. The empty account grows and grows. It needs to be closed as soon as possible, constantly controlling thoughts and increasing the supply of bright, kind thoughts in the mind. And regularly check the savings account: how much have I saved in a day? However, we often notice and check the empty space in others, not realizing that we need to check ourselves. It is clear that one is tested internally, and others externally, so it is easier to test others.

If you are in a bad mood, ask yourself: “ What good have I done for others today? To whom was I useful? Who has dried up tears and felt light in the heart, because I was there? ". If thoughts are empty, what will be the words, actions? You need to learn to manage your thoughts, live without offenses, assessments, patterns.

Experiment. Take a piece of paper, a pen, and for two minutes, write down the thoughts that arise in your mind.

Do you like it? How many bright thoughts were there? Be attentive to your own thoughts - your condition and your destiny depend on them.

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Exercise number 11 RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

Who is he?
What is He?
What does He do?
What does He inspire? ...

When we say "God," everyone's intellect turns upward.
"God, Allah, Ishwar ..." are all the same. The Father of All Souls is One.
Eliminating Sadness and Giving Happiness to All - One!
Ocean of Knowledge, Ocean of Love, Ocean of Peace, Ocean of Bliss, Cleansing - One God.
It is impossible to see it with the eyes. It cannot be recognized by the gross intellect ...

In order to see and recognize Him, you need to open the "Inner Vision" ...
Let your inner vision become pure and divine, then you can know Him.
It is very important to see Him and know Him ...

Raja Yoga Meditation considers the person as a soul and provides an opportunity for direct connection and relationship with the Supreme Source of the purest energy and highest consciousness. Raja Yoga can be translated as "supreme union" or as "union with the Supreme." Every soul has the right to experience this highest relationship.

Everyone in this world is looking for love and understanding. Everyone strives for harmony in relationships. However, conflicts, tears, suffering are everywhere. When there is no peace and strength in the soul, when there is no love and joy left in the heart, what can such a soul give to another soul? What can you expect from others if their mental strength is depleted and their inner state is at the limit?

There is only one inexhaustible source of spiritual strength, selfless love and boundless happiness. This is God, the Supreme Soul - the One who is called Mother and Father. It is He, being incorporeal, who can give every soul the sweetness of all relationships and fill with strength.

Feel That God Is Yours loving mother, which accepts each of her children and says: "Whoever you are, whoever you are, you are mine." God does not look at color, nationality, origin, poverty or wealth - it does not matter to Him. He is ready to accept and understand every soul, embracing him in the arms of love and light.

How Father God fills us with strength. He is the Truth. He is Almighty. He is the Greatest Authority. Unite your mind with Him, realizing yourself as a soul, and He will fill you with strength. When we remember God, realizing that we are souls, His children, His qualities automatically begin to influence us, we are colored by the color of His society. The Father's virtues become our property.

How Teacher God shows you how to lead a virtuous life. He never loses hope as he continues to explain with love and patience. God again and again gives us the opportunity to learn, develop, move forward, regardless of past mistakes.

God is my Friend and Companion... He gives me lightness and joy of life. He tells me, “Don't hold sorrow in your heart. Whatever it is, tell me - and I will help. " As a Friend, he provides invaluable support. Make Him your friend and companion and you will see miracles begin to happen in your life. With such a Companion, there can be no worries or fears. Then no matter what happens, everything is good.

Feeding on happiness and being filled with strength from the relationship with God, the soul becomes able to benefit others by its mere presence. When the soul acquires the Love of the Supreme Benefactor, the Giver, it naturally begins to radiate the light of His Love. Then the world around is transformed. Choose a place that is quiet so that your hearing and sight are not distracted.
If desired, you can turn on the appropriate music to help create an atmosphere of relaxation and lightness. Usually at the beginning of the practice (when we start to learn the practice of meditation) music helps to tune in to the desired wave.

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Sit in any comfortable position with your back straight. You can sit on a pillow or a special rug on the floor with your legs crossed, or, if this is uncomfortable, just in a chair.

Prepare your meditation text in advance and read it slowly.
At the same time, try to deeply feel and see with your mind's eye everything that you read. Become aware of the depth of meaning in each sentence. Put this into practice - in your inner state.

Outside this room, nothing exists ... I am completely detached from the outside world. I direct all my attention inward, concentrating all energy in the center of my forehead ... I separate from my physical body and physical environment ... I begin to realize the silence inside and outside myself ... The feeling of natural peace takes over me ... Waves of peace gently wash over me, eliminating any anxiety and the tension of my mind ... There is only peace. I concentrate on this feeling of deep peace ... I am peace itself ... Peace - This my true state of being ... My mind becomes very quiet and clear ... I feel light and satisfied, ... returning to my natural state - the state of calm ...

I sit enjoying this feeling of peace and quiet ...

I withdraw my attention from the physical body ... I focus on myself ... I listen through these ears ... I look through these eyes ... I am behind these eyes ... I am an eternal spark of vital energy ... This vital energy gives strength to the body ... I am not the body - I am a soul. This body is just my costume ... I focus my thoughts on a point in the center of my forehead ... a tiny point of conscious light ... I feel completely detached from the body ... calm and light ... I am a star emitting light ... Within myself I find deep peace and contentment ... Now I know my true "I" ... I am an Eternal, pure, calm soul ... I am an ocean of peace ... all conflicts are over ... a deep, deep silence takes possession of me ... I am a calm soul.

Time
The best time to meditate is in the morning after you wash or shower and before starting your daily activities; and the evening, when you have already finished all the cases.
For starters, don't sit (in meditation) for too long or too little. 10-15 minutes is best. Gradually, as you become more experienced, this time will naturally increase.

Completion
When you finish your meditation, take at least a moment to reflect on your experiences. See how your mood and inner state have changed since you plunged into meditation.

How to get experiences and sensations in meditation

The gross material consciousness, the feeling of being a body, prevents the soul from feeling the subtle vibrations of God. Therefore, it is important to accurately learn the first lesson: the soul needs to free itself from the body consciousness, which blocks yoga with God, and realize itself as a soul, a child of God.

To establish a stable Yoga (connection with God), you need to go through 4 stages:

2nd stage - Meditation (positive thinking).
We begin to create thoughts about ourselves (soul), about the Supreme Soul and about the Eternal Home. At the same time, one should not just think about it, but visualize every thought, try to feel it, realize it, penetrate into the depth ... Thinking about peace and strength, feel peace and be filled with strength ...

4th stage - Awareness.
Pure sensation replaces thoughts. The soul experiences lightness and freedom.
Rays of light, strength, peace, purity, vibrations of love coming from the Supreme Soul fill the soul and spread throughout the world.

Beginners have to pay more attention to the first two steps, however, as they practice and develop, the first steps go faster and faster and the yoga practitioner gets more and more experience of concentration and awareness.

The more we practice meditation, the easier it is for us to exercise control over our thoughts.

Over time, we stop the Internal Dialogue.Thoughts become much less.

If there is purity in our life, then we can achieve awareness

Video meditation:

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Raja Yoga is based on the works of the great yogi Patanjali "Yoga Sutras". Raja Yoga is translated as "queen among yogas", "royal yoga". The practitioner gains control over his thoughts, as well as over his animal and divine nature.

Raja Yoga is practiced to release your negative thinking with positive ideas.

Raja Yoga says that there is suffering in a person's life. She tells where they come from, how to overcome them and what methods exist. Strict fulfillment of all the precepts leads to liberation from all worldly sufferings and to inexhaustible inner peace and happiness.

Methods

The path of Raja Yoga is based on working with your inner self. Practicing it, a person begins to realize what for him seemed impossible to realize and understand. She does not deny any facts simply on the grounds that they are difficult to explain. It shows that the presence of "a certain entity above the clouds" cannot be an explanation of strength and belief in miracles.

The teachings of Raja Yoga say that a person has everything necessary to fully satisfy his endless thirst, that he is just a drop of water in an endless ocean of knowledge and bliss... This ocean is inside human consciousness, it only remains to get to it. She also says that there are gross and subtle manifestations in the world. Subtle manifestations are the cause of the gross ones, they are not captured by our five senses. The rude ones are the result that we feel. Raja Yoga improves and expands human perception.

To be successful on this path, the practitioner must accept the mentoring of an experienced teacher, as he will be able to identify a specific effective method for him individually. In Raja Yoga, each case is unique, what suits one person may not suit another.

Raja Yoga gives a person appropriate practices, depending on his level of development. For approved practitioners, this is meditation on their Higher Self. For asserted practitioners, different ways of pacifying the ego (kriya, austerity, scriptures and surrender to God). For beginners, there is an eight-step sadhana.

Eight steps

Raja Yoga includes 8 steps (): , pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.

Pit

This is a set of moral rules that help a person to protect themselves from negative manifestations of the mind, the result of which is always the same - suffering and misery. The pit consists of 5 principles:

(not causing harm to yourself and all living things).
Satya(honesty, truthfulness).
Asteya(not stealing and not appropriating someone else's).
Aparigraha(restricting oneself in material objects, not acquiring what is not needed).
(the vision of God in everything).

Niyama

The practice of Niyama contributes to the development of the most luminous virtues of the human soul. It also has five principles:

Shaocha(purity at the level of the body, mind and spirit).
Santosha(satisfaction with available).
Tapah(discipline and deliberate asceticism, service to the world).
Svadhyaya(study of spiritual literature).
Ishwara Pranidhana(reliance on God and serving him).

Asana

The third stage is asanas. It is physical exercise that makes the body healthy and unites it with the mind, keeping it calm. In translation, asana means "comfortable position".

Pranayama

The fourth stage of Raja Yoga is breathing exercises, the purpose of which is to gain control over your internal energy (prana).

Pratyahara

Fifth step. The essence of this step is to distract your senses from the outside world. By practicing this step, a person acquires mental strength and will with the help of concentration, which help to achieve control over emotions.

Dharana

Sixth step of yoga. Its basis is the ability to concentrate as much as possible on the idea.

Dhyana

In the seventh stage, the practitioner merges with the object of his concentration, that is, with God. This is the highest form of meditation. The one who has mastered the ability not to think about anything goes to Dhyana.

Samadhi

Finally, the last phase is Samadhi. She is the end result. Samadhi is enlightenment, absolute liberation, complete loss of your individuality. A person realizes his real "I" and begins to truly serve this world.

Raja and Hatha

In Raja Yoga, the emphasis is on consciousness. By practicing, one becomes physically healthy, mentally strong and spiritually elevated.

The meaning is to overcome your limited body, make it perfect and thereby achieve enlightenment. In Raja Yoga, the goal is to transcend the limited mind full of illusions. They are united by one principle - overcoming. But the advantage of Raja Yoga is that it helps a person to know the fundamental philosophy of himself and the whole world. But here what a person is looking for plays an important role.

Target

You need to understand that the goal of Raja Yoga is not to control your thoughts, it is only an important additional tool for self-realization. The main goal is to liberate oneself from illusions, break the limitations within the mind and merge with infinity.

The path of Raja Yoga is introverted, that is, redirecting your attention from the outside inward into yourself in order to cognize your real nature. Experienced teachers and mentors talk and prove about the existence of the Supreme Consciousness (God), talk about enlightened people who were able to achieve liberation and became infinite.

Also, Raja Yoga shows us in practice that the gross manifestations of our nature distort and interfere with the full wide perception of the world. The practitioner can achieve four states of consciousness: deep sleep, dreaming sleep, the waking state, and turiyu (enlightenment).

The main challenge for a person who has started to practice Raja Yoga is the acquisition of the skill "not to think about anything" and overcoming his negative thinking, all this is a stage of struggle. Only after mastering this skill, in absolute calm within the mind, the practitioner can realize his true nature, which, in fact, is love.

In the modern world, the word "yoga" is most often understood as the so-called hatha yoga, that is, methods for working with the physical body: asanas, pranayama, less often - shatkarmas, mantras and other practices. And most often at work with your physical body, all yoga ends. But in fact, the preparation of the physical body is only the initial stage of yoga, so to speak, a preface, laying the foundation. And the goal of yoga is not at all to lose weight, a healthy spine, or a state of bliss that can be felt after good practice.

Speaking about the ultimate goal of yoga, it is worth considering such a concept as raja yoga. What is Raja Yoga? Translated from Sanskrit, it means ‘royal yoga’. Why royal? Maybe because it is available only to kings, and not to mere mortals? Not at all. The fact is that Raja Yoga involves working with your mind. And the mind, one might say, is the main driving mechanism of our personality, and everything else - the body and psyche - is already subject to it. Raja Yoga is so named because it allows you to gain complete control over your mind, and therefore over your personality. And in general - over your life.

Thus, the main instrument of Raja Yoga is the highest form. Among yogis, there is a widespread misconception that this very dhyana, in fact, is the goal of raja yoga. But here it is important to separate concepts such as "tool" and "goal". This is the same as with hatha yoga - if a person perceives the health of the body as an end in itself, then his path in yoga will lead to nowhere. To set health as the highest goal (even in hatha yoga) is a big mistake, since such a practice will lead to the fact that a person will spend all his time on maintaining his health in perfect condition, and in the meantime life will pass by. Therefore, a healthy body is just a tool for an effective life.

The situation is the same with Raja Yoga. Dhyana is just a tool for improving your personality. Imagine a strap for straightening a straight razor. So the belt is our meditation practice, with the help of it we improve and hone our restless mind. The razor is our very mind, which in the process of "editing" becomes even more perfect every day. Now think - is the process of sharpening a razor an end in itself? It would never occur to anyone to sharpen a razor and put it on the shelf, admiring its perfect sharpness, day after day. The razor is sharpened in order to be used. It is the same with our mind - we cultivate it through the practice of meditation not in order to be in serene bliss and enjoy the peace of our mind. This is the same as sharpening a razor, putting it in front of you and enjoying its shine.

Raja yoga: what practice gives and what is its purpose

So, we come to the most important question: what is the purpose of Raja Yoga. If peace of mind, as it turned out, is not an end in itself of Raja Yoga, then in which direction should a traveler moving along this path turn his feet?

The traditional definition of Raja Yoga and its goal as “yogas citta vritti nirodhah” (‘yoga is the cessation of the disturbance of the mind’) sounds beautiful, of course, but it cannot be an end in itself. Imagine a person who is in a deep coma - the calmness of the mind is just perfect. However, is such a person a yogi? The question is rhetorical. Thus, the ultimate goal of Raja Yoga is service. In modern society, the word "service" usually evokes negative associations and is something like a synonym for the word "slavery" or something similar. In fact, service is the highest goal not only of yoga, but of human life in general. Serving people and the world means fulfilling your destiny on earth or, speaking in terms of yoga, your dharma.

It is important to understand that not every activity is an adequate form of service. In the modern world, everything is so turned upside down that the generally accepted concept of good may well turn into evil. In modern society, there are practically no activities that would not harm either people or animals, or at least the environment. Almost all human activity is aimed at producing goods and services and increasing their consumption. There is no need to say that service is carried out in this way. What is the most appropriate form of service?

The most benevolent form of service is the dissemination of knowledge. The satisfaction of any desires, one way or another, ultimately leads a person to suffering. And only the striving for liberation from everything that limits us, striving for Truth, for knowledge - this is what liberates us. Therefore, the best we can do for this world is to spread knowledge. There is an old saying that it makes no sense to feed a person with fish, it is better to give him a fishing rod. You should not take this proverb literally (after all, it is recommended to observe ahimsa and leave the unfortunate fish alone), here we are talking about the fact that there is no point in eliminating the suffering of people - it is necessary to eliminate the causes of this suffering.

For example, you see that a person has health problems. And you can, of course, advise him to a couple of asanas or some other technique in order to eliminate these problems. But what's the point? Any illness manifested at the physical level has its cause in the mind of a person, in his worldview, in relation to the world, in actions, and so on. Therefore, there is no point in eliminating the suffering itself; it is much more reasonable to eliminate its cause. Because if you do not remove the cause, but only the consequences, then the disease in a person, perhaps, will pass. If he has not eliminated the negative tendency of his mind that caused this illness, the disease will return, or even worse - it will come in a more severe form, or some unpleasant life situation will occur. Because if a person “does not understand in an amicable way,” the Universe begins to educate him more rigidly. And in this case, you will do the person a "disservice" by helping him to eliminate the problem only at the physical level. Because illness was a lesson, and if it is not passed, then such healing will not be good. And the best thing we can do in this situation is to point out to the person the cause of his suffering. Unfortunately, people are often not ready to hear. But this is already a manifestation of their karma. To point out to a person the cause of his suffering and to give advice that will help eliminate this reason is the most blissful form of service.

One of the best ways to spread knowledge is. This will allow you not to look for ways to spread knowledge and people who really need it. It often happens that a person, inspired by success in yoga, tries to "catch up with everyone and do good to everyone." He begins to impose his truth on everyone, thinking that he is really helping people. In fact, the effect is often the opposite - people begin to think that a person has lost his mind or fell into a sect, and as a result, they begin to feel only aversion to yoga and various philosophical concepts that a person is trying to impose on people. And to prevent this from happening, if there is already a desire to spread knowledge, it is better to become a yoga teacher. This will allow you not to impose your knowledge on those who do not need it, but to work directly with people who themselves came for knowledge. And that will be the highest form of service.

In raja yoga, sometimes there is such an interpretation of service as serving God, higher powers, the Absolute, or some specific gods. And often everything ends with the chanting of the names of God, songs, some strange rituals, round-the-clock eating prasadam and the like strange, to put it mildly, things. As observations show, there is no practical benefit either for the person himself or for the world around him from such a form of service. If we talk about serving God, then many religions assert that every living being is a manifestation of God. And to be able to see the Divine in everyone is the highest skill. And serving God is, first of all, serving people. The desire to awaken in every person his divine principle is the highest form of serving God.

Everyone, coming into this world, has his own purpose. No one is born just like that or to devote their lives to entertainment. Each of us has our own karmic connections and even karmic disciples, whom only we can “awaken”. Therefore, realizing your destiny and turning it into a real service that will change the world for the better - this is the highest goal of Raja Yoga. And working with your mind and improving it is just a tool for cultivating the main qualities in yourself: compassion for all living beings and wisdom that will allow us to serve this world as efficiently as possible. And if this is comprehended, then everything else follows from this. This is what the Raja Yoga Path should lead us to.

Raja Yoga, sometimes referred to as "Royal Yoga", is the totality of all yoga styles. Today, the essence of Raja Yoga goes beyond many areas of yoga.

Raja Yoga emphasizes the importance of meditation for self-realization and purposeful progress of human consciousness. This direction focuses on awareness of one's state of mind, therefore, Raja yoga is also called "Mental Yoga" or "Yoga of Mind".

By practicing the state of concentration of the mind, a person learns to calm his mind and focus on one point. At the moment of deep concentration, we turn inward, discovering the true nature of the divine principle.

You can achieve this by following the eight-year Raja Yoga path, which includes observing the following:

Yama (abstinence): Ahimsa (without injury), Satya (truth), Aseta (without stealing), Brahmacharya (chastity), Apragraha (not greed);
Niyama (Moral Observations): Dry (cleanliness) Santosha (satisfaction), Tapas (strictness), Swadhaya (study of the scriptures), Ishvara Pranidhana (surrender to God);
Asana: steady posture, motionless posture;
Pranayama: control of vital energy through breathing and breathing practices;
Pratyahara: withdrawal, distraction of the senses;
Dharana: concentration of the mind;
Dhyana: meditation;
Samadhi: full realization, enlightenment, union with the divine.

These 8 steps of yoga will help a person to comprehend the basics of yoga, to achieve harmony and clearly see the picture of the inner world, to realize oneself. Any spiritual path of yoga begins with the first two steps - Yama-Niyama.

Pit - Self-control

Yama means self-control and self-control. The first step, which preaches principles and negative qualities, which must be got rid of. Consists of 5 principles:

Ahimsa - the principle of non-violence

Ahimsa means that any living being has the right to life and it is not in our power to decide the fate of these living beings. In simple words - not to inflict pain, suffering, not to kill at the level of thought, word or action.

This includes the consumption of animal meat, since eating requires killing. According to the principle of ahimsa, yogis become vegetarians. This happens naturally, during the practice, purification of consciousness, you feel good and you want everyone to feel this state, even the animal that grew up to become food.

Animals are endowed with a strong instinct, a reflex, the process of which starts at the moment of awareness of impending death. Somehow they sense that their death is coming soon and a feeling of wild fear begins. At this moment, the hormones of fear and death are released throughout the body of the animal, which remain in the meat after killing.

Consuming meat, people do not even suspect why they can suddenly feel uncontrollable fear, outbursts of anxiety, neuroses.

Satya - Truth

Always telling the truth is good and correct, but more important is how we communicate the truth. We have the ability to “throw” the truth at someone like a knife, but we are also able to dress that same truth in loving words.

Truth and truth are important, it is important not only to convey the truth, but also to convey the truth by your actions. Sometimes the truth can hurt like a knife, so you need to try to convey it delicately, tactfully and through your example. The teachings say not to violate the principle of non-violence in all available ways.

Take some advice about truth:

"Each of your words should fall like flowers from your lips."

Mahaprabhuji

Truthfulness means openness of feelings, freedom from evasion, resourcefulness and excuses. Each person must know his own truth and true face inside himself. Of course, for a while you can hide who we are from others, but we are pure in front of ourselves. We are witnessing true personality.

Asteya is not theft

Asteya says about the prohibition of theft. You have no right to take away what does not belong to you, be it material values or intellectual property. Asteya also concerns human feelings - one cannot take away joy, happiness or any opportunity from a person. This area also includes a disrespectful attitude towards nature, destruction of the environment around oneself.

Brahmacharya - a pure way of life

Brahmacharya is one of the stages of spiritual development, which means sexual abstinence or celibacy. But this is more likely not an end in itself. but a consequence of the practice of yoga in life. All our thoughts should be directed towards spiritual development, towards the divine principle. At the same time, it is important to observe harmony in reality, to fulfill duties consciously. By observing brahmacharya, one also acquires virya (energy and heroism).

Aparigraha - Non-Aligned Possessions

Accumulation, buying and storing unnecessary things, excessive consumption - all this is not about aparigraha. The practice of aparigraha is not accepting gifts, not hoarding. The principle of aparigraha means that you should not have a feeling of longing for momentary gratification, even the simplest desires. A person should be satisfied with exactly what he has at a given moment in his life. The more property, the more worries. Less property means more freedom.

Niyama - Discipline

Niyama is the second stage of yoga philosophy, which preaches the qualities that need to be included in your life. It also consists of five principles:

Shauka - Purity

Santosh - Satisfaction

Santosh is similar in meaning to aparigraha and means surprise with what we have. Adhering to the principle of satisfaction, a person is humble, satisfied with the prevailing circumstances and considers what he has to be the greatest wealth in his life. The inner feeling of contentment gives happiness much more than material possessions. In our time of materialism and consumerism, it is necessary to strive for balance.

Tapa - Self-control, Self-discipline

In our opinion, the most difficult rule, since it requires a lot of willpower and discipline. Tapa means following the direction of your development path through adversity and obstacles. You must practice with patience, diligence, and persistence. Sticking to the chosen path regardless of the circumstances is the path to success.

Swadhaya - Study of the Scriptures

Svadhaya means teaching, spiritual enlightenment of the traditional scriptures of yoga philosophy: Bhagavad-gita, Upanishads, yoga sutras of Patanjali, etc. These scriptures convey valuable knowledge and provide invaluable help on the path to yoga.
Ishvara Pranidhana - Devotion to God

Convey whatever you do with the Divine Self with pure devotion. God protects all who betray with trust and faith.

Asana - steady posture, motionless posture

Asana is traditionally defined as "place." Most often this is a sitting posture used for meditation. Usually in yoga this term is used to refer to any physical posture of hatha yoga. This is the third limb of the eightfold path of Patanjali Ashtanga, following Yama and Niyama.

Asana practice is considered important for yogis because it helps to keep the physical body healthy, strong and enduring. Considering that the body is a conduit for the spirit, taking care of the physical body is important for spiritual development. Asana practice can also bring a number of emotional and energetic benefits, increase discipline and concentration, and prepare the mind for meditation.

Pranayama - breathing exercises

This is the fourth step of yoga, which is mind control, achieved by learning to control the body and breath. Pranayama is performed to improve the movement of prana - living energy in the subtle body of a person. It is prana that gives a powerful impetus to work with energy and helps to achieve spiritual development.

Pratyahara - removal of the senses

Pratyahara is the ability to abstract, control your senses and consciousness through the practice of yoga. The teachings say that a constant thirst for the satisfaction of momentary desires distracts us from our true goals. This prevents us from being happy and free.

In conditions of constant absorption of unnecessary information, the human mind processes it and becomes restless. All this noise fills the mind and makes it difficult to notice the reality of what is happening around us.

Pratyahara teaches us to control the state of mind and feelings, to regulate the flow of any information.

Dharana - Concentration

Dharana helps to focus your thoughts and feelings on one object. Usually we succeed in this for a short time, then other thoughts come and distract us. We find out about our lack of concentration in just a few minutes. Until we are able to focus on a thought or object for any length of time, in any situation, we still have not mastered Dharana.

Meditation with candles (Trataka), special Asanas and Pranayamas, and chanting of the Mantra are very helpful in improving the ability to concentrate.

Dhyana - meditation

Dhyana is realized through preparation through various meditation techniques. With the help of concentration, meditation and illumination in this sequence, we gain spiritual perfection and pure consciousness.

What the practice of meditation gives us:

peace of mind and humility;
calm mind and concentration;
knowing yourself, your inner world;
gaining pure consciousness.

We wrote more about meditation.

A person achieves the greatest effect in meditation when his mind is calm. The yogi experiences pure being, the boundaries of the gross and the subtle are erased, and the pure light remains that shines in the heart. This unity is capable of providing answers to many fundamental existential questions.

Samadhi - Full Realization

The end point, stopping the path of development and the complete unity of the inner and outer world. This is the place where a person unites with the Divine principle, the Higher consciousness. Samadhi gives yoga silence, tranquility and eternal bliss.

In this state, all duality dissolves. There is no day, no night, no darkness, no light, no quality, no color. All is one in the Higher Self. This union of the individual soul with the Cosmic soul is the goal of yoga.

Adhering to all the laws of yoga, a person understands his own path of destination in this world. And the most interesting thing about this is that the world will oppose yoga in every possible way on the way to finding oneself - illness, crowd opposition, depression, stress, doubt. Therefore, it is important to accept yourself and understand why all this is being done.

Raja yoga

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Raja Yoga as the Path of freedom from karmic bondage.

The highest authority in Raja Yoga was the sage Patanjali, the author of the Yoga Sutra. He based his teachings of Raja Yoga on the ancient Indian Samkhya philosophy. The main difference between the yoga of Patanjali and the Samkhya is the religious aspect - Patanjali's recognition of the existence of the god Ishvara, free from karmic bondage, while the Samkhya considers nature through the interaction of material essence (prakriti) and spiritual (purusha).
In this context, Raja Yoga is the path to understanding Ishvara, recognizing his existence. And the very word "raja" (translated from the Sanskrit "king") refers to Ishvara.

However, Raja Yoga can also be a path for people who are not inclined to religious consciousness and the search for God beyond their Self.

In this case, the goal of Raja Yoga is to cleanse the purusha (soul, our true Self) from avidya (everyday delusion, false knowledge that prevents a person from seeing the world as it really is). In the Yoga Sutras it is said that the purusha can see only through the medium of the mind.

Therefore, for correct perception, it is necessary to purify the mind. "Since the purusha sees through the mind, the quality of observation depends entirely on the state of mind." "The mind has to become subtle and pure like a crystal so that it reflects paramatma and not vrittis or vasanas." The goal of Raja Yoga is to gradually purify and clarify the mind, as a result of which the Purusha gets the opportunity to see the world undistorted and convey this vision to us. In this case, the raja can be called the purusha himself - our inner king. "Whoever the king is - purusa or Isvara, in any case, raja yoga is yoga in which the king takes his rightful place." That is, the place of the one who controls us.

Patanjali pointed out the eight-step path to achieving the goal of Raja Yoga - purifying the mind and achieving samadhi, the state of Superconsciousness. The first four steps are the same as in hatha yoga: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama.

The purpose of the first two steps (yama and niyama) is to achieve purity of spirit, high morality, which are necessary for further study of raja yoga. This is necessary in order not to waste empty energy on correcting mistakes made in life. The goal of the third stage is to attain a healthy body, since diseases of the body prevent a person from making his mind sufficiently solid and prevent him from concentrating on the spiritual.

A healthy body is necessary as a tool for the implementation of tasks of the following degrees - concentration and meditation, which are associated with a long stay in the same position with a straight back.

All stages are interconnected and complement each other. For example, the principle of satya must be adhered to during the practice of asanas - to honestly admit to ourselves what our body is capable of and to what extent we are currently able to enter the asana, otherwise you can harm your body, and this will no longer be yoga.

And even if we realize that the body is not yet able to go deeper into the asana, but try to break through the rigidity in our body, despite the sharp pain, we violate the principle of ahimsa, which should be applied not only to other beings, but and in relation to oneself. And this also does not contribute in any way to progress in yoga, but often on the contrary - it leads to injuries and the need to suspend the practice for an indefinite period in order to restore damaged body tissues.

The fourth stage - (the method of controlling prana) gives energy and removes many physical obstacles to the study of yoga, such as weakness of the body and laziness. Breathing exercises can help you gain control of your emotions and calm your mind. Body, breath and mind are very closely related. Learning to control the body and breathing, we directly affect consciousness and come to the ability to control it. In most people, the mind is so weak that it is constantly under the control of the body - its desires and manifestations.

The goal of Raja Yoga is to learn how to control your mind, to control it, thus mastering the ability to concentrate its power.

Indian philosopher Swami Vivekananda points out that a person who has achieved perfection in control over prana is able to control the universe. “Just as the Vedas summarize all the diversity of the universe into One Absolute Existence and whoever knows this Unity knows the whole universe, so all manifestations of energy are generalized in prana, and whoever knows prana knows all the forces of the universe, spiritual and physical. A person who is able to control prana controls his mind, and therefore the mind as such. A person who is able to control prana controls his body, and therefore every body in general, since prana is a generalized manifestation of energy. "

The next stage of Raja Yoga, Pratyahara, teaches us to turn the mind inward, to be able to separate the mind from sensory perceptions and control it. To do this, you must first of all stop trying to control thoughts, let them go and just observe them. “Let go of the reins: monstrous thoughts may come to mind, you will be amazed that you are capable of such thoughts. But soon you will be convinced that every day the rumblings of the mind subside ...

In the first months you will be surprised by the number of thoughts rushing through your head, gradually there will be fewer, then even less, until the mind is under control, but for this you need to work day after day. " The goal of pratyahara is to learn to see objects only with the mind, without resorting to the help of the senses. Consciousness becomes a pure mirror of contemplated objects. Consciousness directly receives information about objects, not distorted by the perception of the senses. Pratyahara is also a state in which the senses are used for concentration and meditation - for example, contemplation. The main principle of pratyahara is the subordination of sensory perceptions to the mind.

Concentration, or dharana, the next stage of raja yoga, will come much easier for one who has learned pratyahara. Otherwise, uncontrollable thoughts and feelings will constantly distract from the object of concentration. The goal of dharana is to learn to concentrate on one object, not allowing extraneous thoughts and feelings to disturb this flow of attention.

The capacity for concentration opens (dhyana). If during the onset of dharana the mind moves in one direction, then in dhyana it plunges into a certain object and establishes a connection between its I and the object.

Despite the fact that the sequence of the steps of Raja Yoga was indicated by the sage Patanjali in this order, it should be emphasized again that these steps complement and influence each other. A person who seriously practices asanas and pranayama learns to experience the state of dharana already at these stages, since his mind should be focused on the sensations of the body.

“When performing any practice, be it asanas, pranayama or meditation techniques, the most important thing is mindfulness. This means that attention is directed to a specific activity, such as breathing, and at the same time you understand where the attention is directed. This is the first step to higher awareness. You become an observer in relation to the processes in your own body, then you learn to observe the activity of the mind, and then - and the deeper aspects of the mind. "

At the last stage, in the consciousness of the practitioner, the complete merging of the object of meditation and his own self takes place. "Samadhi is a progressive, consistent going beyond (transcendence) the spheres of object, movement, thought and instinct." In the state of samadhi, which is the goal of raja yoga, the mind is absolutely free from avidya and sees all objects, patterns and cause-and-effect relationships in their true light.

If dharana, dhyana and samadhi are directed at one object, the last three stages of raja yoga are combined into one state - sanyama. Sanyama is complete mental control over awareness of an object. "Through samyama, all other states of consciousness disappear, but the seed remains." The seed is mental constructs, the "foundation for consciousness."

The yoga sutras of Patanjali describe six stages of samadhi: savitarka, nirvitarka, savichara, nirvichara, ananda and asmita.
These are the names for very subtle fluctuations that occur before the highest samadhi - nirvikalpa. In a more general sense, the state of samadhi is divided into two types - savikalpa and nirvikalpa samadhi. In the state of savikalpa samadhi ("samadhi with a seed") in the mind there are objects of meditation (purusha, Shiva, Aum, etc.) - these are seeds that tend to grow. In the state of supreme samadhi, or nirvikalpa, the last traces of samskara and vikalpa are removed. In samadhi there is consciousness, but there is no object.

“Individual consciousness disappears…. There is not even a desire to be liberated. This state without time and without changes is the highest samadhi. " This state is the goal of Raja Yoga, the true realization of a person in this world, giving liberation from the circle of rebirth and suffering experienced by ordinary people in each new physical incarnation.