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Yoga is the Path, the Goal and the Guiding
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Working for a World united in Spirit
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Yogacharya Shri Somananda |
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Fight for a just cause! |
Namas-kaara
(Respectful Greetings)
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With deep love and respect we welcome you to The Yoga Order's
Well-Spring of Spiritual Illumination. May you find what you seek and may you
seek that which is worthy to be found. May the Light of Truth guide you on the
path! This Web Site is dedicated to teaching the truth about
Yoga. It aims to remove common misconceptions, provide information on the
correct beliefs and practices of Yoga and offer guidance to all those who
have a genuine interest in following the true teachings of Yoga. THE YOGA ORDER The Yoga Order is an independent Spiritual Initiative run
by people from all walks of life who are united in their belief that Yoga is
a special gift given by the Supreme Being to humanity for its Spiritual
upliftment. The principal aim of the Order's members, associates and
friends is to promote the teachings and practices of Yoga in the original
tradition as revealed in the ancient Scriptures of India. In particular, we
aim to correct the excessively body-orientated, materialist image Yoga has
acquired in the West and encourage its followers to return to its authentic
Spiritual roots. THE ETERNAL LAW OF THE UNIVERSE On a higher level, The Yoga Order is the Universal
World Order of Unity and Harmony which Yoga seeks to establish on Earth in
accord with the Supreme Being's Divine Will. This Universal World Order is the expression of the Eternal
Law of the Universe (Sanatana Dharma) which God established at the
beginning of time as the inner mechanism of His Creation. We believe that
only by abiding by this Universal Law can the human race eradicate suffering,
conflict and injustice and establish a true Kingdom of Righteousness on
Earth. In line with this higher goal, the Supreme Yoga Council for
Spiritual Guidance was formed by an international body of Yoga Teachers
with the aim of providing Spiritual seekers all over the World with answers
to some of life's most urgent questions. This guidance enables Spiritual
seekers to know how to conduct themselves in accord with the Spiritual Laws
of the Universe and create happiness and fulfilment for themselves and their
fellow humans. How to use this Web site: As will become apparent, Yoga touches on so many aspects of life,
that to study Yoga literally amounts to studying life itself. For best
results, therefore, this Web site must be used with an open mind and the
sincere intention of learning about the Spiritual facts of life. Of particular relevance to everyday life is our discussion on Karma and Reincarnation, Right Conduct (Dharmacharya), Yogic Diet, War and
Peace, and related topics. Teachings and Practice,
Momentariness, Image-Worship,
Meditation provide general guidlines on Spiritual
practice. Other subjects are of interest in a cultural, historical,
philosophical, political and religious context. How to become a Yogi offers a
profound insight into the true meaning of Spirituality as well as enabling
the seeker to gain a broader perspective of Yoga's unique position among the
various faiths of the World. Whether taken individually or jointly, all of the above are
instrumental in enhancing the seeker's correct understanding of life.
However, as Yoga constitutes the main subject matter of this site, it is well
to begin with an enquiry into its true meaning. WHAT IS YOGA? There is an ever-growing number of all kinds of teachings and
practices that are nowadays passed off as "Yoga". For this reason,
it has become necessary to provide a proper definition of what constitutes genuine
Yoga. The Oxford Dictionary of the English Language defines Yoga as
a Spiritual (Hindu) system designed to effect reunion with the Supreme Spirit.
This is a concise yet correct definition of Yoga which is fully supported by
scriptural authority. Thus it is written: "Yoga is the Union of the Soul
with the Lord: Atma-Ishvara-samyogo Yogah" (Pashupata Sutras). Similarly, in the Bhagavat Gita we find the following verse: "By
practising Yoga with Myself as the Highest Goal", says the Lord, "the
Yogi attains the Supreme Peace of Nirvana". Although Yoga is often taken to be a system of physical
exercise, it is essential to understand that Yoga is first of all a Spiritual
Experience as well as a Power. As an Experience, Yoga is the Supreme Being's Awareness
or Knowledge of being One with Himself and with His Creation. As a Power,
Yoga is the Unitive Force whereby God holds everything together, from the
Universe down to the smallest form of life, in a harmonious, unitive Whole. THE HIGHEST EXPERIENCE In the Sanskrit language which is the classical language of
India, the word Yoga literally means Unity and Harmony
as well as the Means whereby the same can be attained, that is, any
act or process of joining, linking, uniting, bringing together, holding
together, making whole, harmonising, healing, etc. Yoga, therefore, is Unity, Union, Oneness, Communion,
Togetherness, Love, Completeness, Wholeness, Health, Harmony, Happiness,
Fulness, Satisfaction, Peace, Stability, Constancy, Changelessness, Eternity,
Divinity, Perfection. As the eminent scholar and historian of religion Prof. Mircea Eliade
has aptly observed, "if the word "yoga" means many things,
that is because Yoga is many things" (Yoga - Immortality and
Freedom). Yoga or Unity is many things because everything depends on it. For example, Love is an experience of Unity between two
beings. The highest form of this is experienced between man and the Supreme
Being. Another example is Peace. Again, this is experienced as a
result of Unity (or Harmony) between two people. The highest form of Peace,
however, is that which comes from Unity with God. And so on. In consequence, the following may be said about Yoga,
namely that, as explained in the Holy Scriptures of India (Upanishads, etc.),
Yoga is: 1. A state of Harmony, Unity and Oneness of the body,
breath, senses and thought. 2. On a higher level, Yoga is Unity of the mind and Soul. 3. On the highest level, Yoga is Unity of the human Soul
and God. Moreover, Yoga is also the experience of Peace, Happiness,
Love and Satisfaction that comes from a state of Unity at any
of these levels. THE HIGHEST LONGING OR DESIRE Since un-Spiritual, materialistic life prevents man from
enjoying a state of Harmony, Oneness and Unity, there arises in him the
longing to experience such a state. This longing is the first expression of
Yoga. If the question arises as to how can a longing qualify as
Yoga, the answer is this. Although longing for something may be said
to be negative in the sense that it is expressive of a need or lack, it is at
the same time positive in that it connects the person who longs with that
which is longed for. By virtue of its linking us with the object of our
longing, such a feeling constitutes Yoga. Thus Yoga is not only the Highest Spiritual Experience but
also the expression of Mankind's deepest longing: the need to experience
Unity, Wholeness, Oneness, Happiness and Peace. While the most basic
expression of this longing is the desire to be whole, healthy and happy, its
highest expression is the desire to experience Unity with the Supreme. A LIFE OF HARMONY AND UNITY In consequence, Yoga is a Way of Life that is inspired
by the desire to live in Unity, Harmony and Happiness. As a result of this Desire,
man begins to actively seek to regain his original state of Unity which he
enjoyed before he descended into a state of disunity. This seeking manifests itself in all his actions, from
everyday activities to Spiritual Practice, properly speaking.
Spiritual Practice is the expression of the Power of Unity whereby man
eventually returns to the Experience of Unity with his Creator. This
is why all religions, from those of Ancient India and Egypt down to
present-day Islam, have taught that all things come from God and to God they
at last return. Now since Yoga stands for all the various aspects of Spiritual
Life, from the initial Longing for a life in Unity and Harmony to the Unitive
Spiritual Practice towards this end, to the Power of Unity whereby
Unity and Harmony is brought about and finally, the Experience of
Unity with the Supreme, Yoga represents the very essence of all religious
and Spiritual effort and the foundation of all faiths. For this reason, Yoga must be regarded as the True Religion.
All other faiths are true to the extent to which they agree with Yoga and
false to the extent to which they disagree. In fact, agreement or otherwise
with Yoga is the best criterion for determining the truthfulness of any
faith. THE SUPREME MEDICINE Yoga Practice is the Expression of the Unity-Generating
Spiritual Process whereby Wholeness, Oneness and Unity is attained. By
practising Yoga we set in motion this Process of Spiritual Elevation, of
Awakening to Real Life, to the Universal Unity of Being, and consciously
participate in it. The conscious entity who willingly participates in this
Process is the Soul. The Soul - called Atman in Sanskrit - is
the personal, individual self who is our true being. Despite our physical
appearance and contrary to official scientific and political opinion, we are
not physical bodies but Souls. We are living orbs of radiant light,
intelligence and energy. Individual Souls are part of an unlimited, all-encompassing
Reality called Shiva, the Over Soul (Parama-Atma). Shiva is the
Supreme Principle of Yoga: the Light of All Lights, the Cosmic Soul, the
Universal Consciousness, the Source Intelligence Who creates, supports and
regulates all life, the Infinite Ocean of Being Which contains and holds
together the entire Universe and by Whose Power everything moves. In
short, the Intelligent Life Principle of the All. Everything, from the smallest object or form of life to the
entire Cosmos, is a creation of, and has its existence in, the Infinite Ocean
of Shiva's Universal Consciousness Which lives in perfect unity and harmony
with Itself and with all things and beings It contains. There are two conflicting tendencies that characterise human
beings: the tendency towards Unity and Universality, and the tendency
towards Disunity and Individuality. The life of ordinary, Spiritually
untrained people is determined by the tendency to Disunity and Individuality. This tendency begins as the awareness of oneself as a
distinct, separate and limited being and culminates in selfishness and the
desire to control, use and exploit other beings and objects. The stronger this tendency is allowed to become, the more
man's awareness of his existence in God is obscured. He becomes like one who
blunders about in the dark. He knows neither who he is nor where he is going
to. He indulges in thoughts and actions that lead him further and further
away from the Light of God. As a result, he suffers many painful experiences. The only way out of this predicament is the practice of Yoga
which leads to the Path of Unity with God (Shiva Samadhi or Shiva Samyoga).
Yoga, therefore is the Supreme Medicine and Cure for all ailments. A TIMELESS SPIRITUAL PATH The essence of Yoga is Unity. Unity is also the essence
of life. Without Unity, there would be no life. Without Unity, everything
would disintegrate into disunity, chaos and death. This is a fact that cannot
be denied. Yoga or Unity must, therefore, be admitted to be the essence of
all life. However, perfect, complete and unadulterated Unity only exists
on the higher planes of existence. On the lower planes, such as Planet Earth,
Unity (Yoga) is often disrupted by Disunity (Viyoga). In order to preserve Unity and Harmony in the World, God's
Universal Consciousness manifests Itself from time to time as a higher
intelligence which imparts the Secret of Unity - or Yoga - to the World. An
instance of this ocurred over 5,000 years ago (3102 BC) in the Holy Land of
India where the Science of Yoga was revealed to a few Evolved Souls by an
Emanation of the Universal Consciousness known as Lord Shiva Shri Kantha, the
Embodiment of Goodness and Compassion. This transmission of Higher Spiritual Knowledge has been
carried on through an unbroken line of Enlightened Yoga Masters (including
Lord Buddha) and is continued today by the World Teacher Mahaguru Shri
Soma-Natha Maharaj Dev. By practising Yoga in the original tradition, we
put ourselves under the influence, protection and guidance of the Universal
Being and act as living conduits through which Its Wisdom and Power can enter
the physical World to create peace, happiness, goodness and beauty in and
around us. The Yoga Order aims to promote the teaching and practice
of Yoga in the original tradition of Shiva (also known as Shiva Yoga, the
Path of Unity with the Supreme) which is the Glorious Path to Liberation
trodden by all righteous Souls from the beginning of time. All sincere
seekers of truth are warmly invited to join us in our Spiritual Work. |
To contact us e-mail:
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