V.Srinivasan
V.Srinivasan
V.Srinivasan
Chapter 9 - Hinduism - Raja Yoga & Tantra - Enlightenment through Absolute Focus
3 minutes Posted Jun 3, 2020 at 5:02 pm.
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This chapter on Hinduism summarizes the key tenets of Rajayoga and how to attain Enlightenment through Absolute Focus.  This chapter touches upon its eight courses and how practicing these can help one attain Mukti. The chapter also focuses on Tantras, a practice of controlling one’s mind to focus only on God even in extreme levels of distraction to reach Mukti.  •Generally when we say Yoga we all think Yoga is exercise to various parts of the body including breathing techniques which can make our body and mind very active. •These techniques are called Hathayoga. •While Hathayoga is mainly for the well being of the body, the Raja Yoga is intended towards controlling of one’s mind in such a way that it becomes dispassionate and peaceful under any kind of adverse circumstances and finally mingles with Brahman ( God). •Rajayoga consists of eight successive courses , which are Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyachara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. •Through these levels one has to focus his mind more and more towards the God (Brahman) so that at the stage of Samadhi, mind loses its grip on all other matters and only the object of Dhyana, ie the God occupies the mind. •Thus one reaches Mukthi. •Tantras are another group of Shashtras which dwelve on Shakthi (energy). Tantra means liberation of energy and expansion of consciousness from its gross form. It is a method to expand the mind and liberate the dormant potential energy. •There are different group of Tantras prescribed for Tamasic (laid back), Rajasik (energetic and ambitious) and Satvik (spiritually evolved) people called Pashwachara, Virachara and Divyachara. • There are 64 prominent Tantras and they prescribe hundreds of rituals and ceremonies for three different groups of people indicated above. Tantras’ principles form the basis of all yogic practices. •Some of the tantras require the sadhakas (practitioners of tantra) to contact with attractive sense objects such as wine and woman but at the same time draw his mind away from such things and fix it towards his chosen god. Sometimes the tantra sadhakas has to sit on a corpse in a lonely crematorium on the darkest night. •It is expected that by Tantric practices mind becomes dispassionate about various matters which create greed, fear, anger etc and attain Mukthi over a period. •The practitioner of Tantra gets ability to influence the mind of the audience through the use of appropriate tantric methods depending on the nature of the audience (Tamasic, Rajasik, Satvik).