Secret of Life-13

THE SPIRITUAL COURSES

Yoga and Meditation

True Knowledge prescribes four exercises of yoga to
attain the fourth state of consciousness. The four
are

Ø Bhakti Yoga (Path of Devotion)
Ø Gnana Yoga (Knowledge of Wisdom)
Ø Karma Yoga (Path of desire less action)
Ø Hata Yoga (Use of Body and Mind)

Bhakti yoga has been prescribed for emotional persons.
His mind predominates his intellect. He is less
rational and discriminative. He possesses lots of
love within him, which needs to be channelised towards
a personal God. He requires an emotional method of
attaining spiritual Reality.

Gnana yoga is prescribed for those whose intellect is
predominant in their personality. There are some who
always seek scientific explanations for all statements
of findings. He does not fall prey to emotions. He
is inquisitive. He is discriminative. He is
analytical and logical. He demands reasons for
everything in his approach to life. This exercise is
meant for him who seeks such scientific explanations.
As he contemplates himself into transcendental
reality, his vasanas fall off, thereby making him
ready for meditation.

Karma yoga is for energetic people. He has a balance
of both emotion and intellect. He has to satisfy
both. His head and heart are simultaneously employed
in activity, work, and service.

There are some others who are 'indolent'. Neither
emotion nor intellect is developed in them. They are
not capable of any of the above three yogas. They
have to depend on their physical assets and hence
physical exercises. For them is prescribed Hata Yoga.
Hata means force. Physical force when used
frequently starts generating feelings in his mind.
This mind starts converting him into an energetic,
intellectual and emotional man.

Meditation is the ultimate entrance to Truth. These
four yogas lead to the path of meditation.
Meditation is not easy to perform, even if it looks
apparently so. The mind requires to be conditioned so
as to be ready for concentration and meditation. The
mind is the fastest traveler. It can travel to any
place within no time. Containing the mind to be
concentrated on one object is a difficult task. The
three yogas help us to achieve this control of the
mind.