THE MEANING AND PURPOSE OF YOGA
PART III: Exturnal and Internal Practice
by Bhole Prabhu

EXTERNAL PRACTICES:

The first four rungs or steps--yama, niyama, asana, and pranayama, comprise the path of hatha yoga, which is preparatory to the last four stages of raja yoga.

Yama and niyama are ten commitments of attitude and behavior. One set of disciplines (niyama) is meant to improve the human personality and the other (yama) is meant to guide our relationships and interactions with other beings in the world. Thus yoga is an education for both internal and external growth.

The five yamas, or restraints, are nonviolence, truthfulness, nonstealing, sensual moderation, and non- possessiveness. Their practice leads to changes in behavior and emotions, in which all negative emotions are replaced by positive ones. The five niyamas, or observances, are cleanliness (both external and internal), contentment, practices which bring about perfection of body and senses (tapas), study of the scriptures, and surrender to the ultimate reality. The niyamas lead to the control of our behavior and eventually are extremely positive factors in developing the personality.

In the beginning we should not be discouraged by the challenge of these first two steps. For example, even before we have succeeded in developing the trait of nonviolence completely, we will see increasing peace in our lives and meditation as a result of attempting to practice this yama.

Usually, when hatha yoga is taught in the modern world, only asanas (physical postures) and certain breathing practices are taught. Yama and niyama often are ignored. Because of this, hatha yoga has become somewhat superficial, sometimes emphasizing only physical beauty or egoism about skill and strength in postures. Certainly asanas and breathing exercises create physical health and harmony, but only when our minds are free from violent emotions can we achieve a calm, creative, and tranquil mental state.

Actually, there are two types of asanas--meditative postures and postures that ensure physical well-being. A stable meditative posture helps us create a serene breath and calm mind. A good meditative posture should be comfortable and stable, ensuring that the head, neck, and trunk are erect and in a straight line. If the body is uncomfortable, it makes the mind agitated and distracted. The second kind of postures are practiced to perfect the body, making it limber and free from disease. These postures stimulate specific muscles and nerves and have very beneficial effects.

The fourth step of raja yoga is pranayama. Prana is the vital energy that sustains body and mind. The grossest manifestation of prana is the breath, so pranayama is also called the "science of breath." These exercises lead to calming and concentration.

INTERNAL PRACTICES:

The four steps of hatha yoga prepare the student for the four internal practices of raja yoga. These internal practices are pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.

The fifth step of raja yoga is pratyahara or withdrawal and control of the senses. While we are awake, the mind becomes involved with the events, experiences, and objects of the external world through the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. The mind constantly gathers sensations from the external world through these senses and our mind reacts to them. To attain inner calmness, the student of yoga will want to develop the ability to voluntarily remove the distractions of the world outside. This is not a physical process but a voluntary, mental process of letting go of our involvement with external sensations.

Our sensory impressions distract the mind when we want it to become aware of serenity within. Thus, it is useful to learn dharana, or concentration, the sixth step in raja yoga. In concentration, the scattered power of the mind is coordinated and focused on an object of concentration through continued voluntary attention. This voluntary attention uses a conscious effort of the will, and it is developed through consistent practice. Through concentration, a scattered, weak mind is focused and made more powerful.

The seventh step in raja yoga is dhyana, or meditation. Meditation is the result of continued, unbroken concentration. Concentration makes the mind one-pointed, calm, and serene. Meditation then expands the one-pointed mind to the superconscious state. Meditation is the uninterrupted flow of the mind toward one object or concept. When the mind expands beyond conscious and subconscious levels and assumes this superconscious flow, then intuitive knowledge dawns. All the methods of yoga prepare us to eventually reach this stage of meditation and thus attain peace, perfection, and tranquility.

In our daily lives, meditation can be very helpful in eliminating many physical and psychological problems. A significant amount of the disease we experience is actually either directly or indirectly the result of conflicts, repression, or emotional distress arising in the conscious or unconscious mind. Meditation helps us to become aware of these conflicts and to resolve them, establishing tranquility and peace. In this way, meditation becomes a powerful resource for facing the challenges of daily life.

If we really consider how we learn in the modern world, we realize that despite all our emphasis on education, our education is one- sided and shallow. We may learn to memorize equations and facts, but we do not really learn to understand and develop our own inner life. Our minds remain scattered and our emotions persist as negative, conflicting forces. We are able to use only a small portion of our mental abilities, because we are preoccupied with confusion, fear, and inner conflict. Meditation helps us to overcome these limitations; it helps us to become aware of the subtler and more positive powers within. In gaining this awareness, we become creative and dynamic. Abilities such as intuition, which many consider unusual or rare, are actually within the potential of all human beings who meditate. Such gifts are available to those who make contact with the deeper aspects within themselves.

Prolonged and intense meditation leads to the last step of raja yoga-- the state of samadhi, the superconscious state. In this state we become one with the higher Self and transcend all imperfections and limitations. The state of samadhi is the fourth state of consciousness, which transcends the three normal states of waking, dreaming, and dreamless sleep. A person who attains samadhi becomes a gift to his or her society. If humanity is ever to achieve a more evolved civilization, it will be possible only because of our growth and evolution as human beings.

A person who is established in samadhi lives his or her whole life as a spontaneous expression of the unhindered flow of supreme consciousness. This superconscious level is our human essence; it is universal and transcends all the divisions of culture, creed, gender or age. When we become aware of this state within, our whole life is transformed. When we transform ourselves and experience serenity, peace, and freedom, we also transform our societies and all of human civilization. This awareness of the infinite consciousness is the practical and real goal of yoga. ---- Bhole Prabhu lived in the Himalayas, and was a yogi, poet, and philosopher renowned as an original thinker. ---- Bhole Prabhu lived in the Himalayas, and was a yogi, poet, and philosopher renowned as an original thinker.