5 2 S p i r i t ua l i t y S t u d i e s 3 - 1 S p r i n g 2 0 1 7 ancient Charaka Saṃhitā, show it to be the source of health and longevity. This, the core of yoga therapy, is in the practice of chitta-pra-sadanam, making the mind a clear and pleasant place through the observance of the brahmavihārās listed above. Not just āsanas and prāṇāyāmas but the yama-niyamas centred in ahiṃsā are the true therapy. They produce endorphins to help reduce our levels of hostility, cultivate amity (meditations of loving kindness and compassion), which in turn generate the same endorphins, slow down our breaths (producing dirgha-sukshma state of breath without an effort) so that facilitate expending less number of breaths, and because our life-span (ayur-daaya) is measured in the number of breaths, grants us a longer life span, ayuh, the first wish of every living being. This is the ethics of emotions as yoga therapy (Veda Bharati 2010). Perhaps there should be a conference simply on bhaava-sam-shuddhi, “purification of sentiments” (Bhagavad Gītā 17: 16) as the first principle of yoga therapy. May the present pursuits help and guide the seekers to that saumanasyam (beautiful-mindedness) and saam-manasyam (harmonious-mindedness), which is both the true source as well as the state of health. 12 The Means of Liberating Oneself and Others It is important to constantly experiment withUpāya Kaushala Pāramitā, one of the ten perfections required of an aspiring-to-be Bodhisattva. The perfection in the means and methods for liberating oneself and others. Some of the conclusions are: There is no difference between teaching on one hand and running a family or organization or any relationships or communications even “business” communications on the other. The latter becomes a part of the teaching. This must always reflect the level of realizations one has arrived at with regard to the principles of ahiṃsā, maitrī, and so forth. On the basis of that the author began the difficult task of de-conditioning oneself. This required sifting through all “formative impressions”, saṃskāras, gathered from the day I can remember myself. De-value and discard those that were not conducive only to the perennial goals, and to the principles like ahiṃsā andmaitrī and so forth. Thus, in inter-relationships within the organizational family, fully aware of each participant’s shortcomings – as they (just like the author) have not yet reached perfection – one must use the best of each person’s qualities, as far as they have reached the desired steps on the path to perfection; not keep looking at their shortcomings; continue to “make use” of their strengths and valuing and appreciating the services they CAN perform; not judging them negatively; waiting for them to perfect themselves in the areas that still need improvement, and patiently wait, wait, wait, even into many future incarnations as my Master has so patiently waited on my perfection (not yet achieved, alas) for so many incarnations; keeping on trying to design and redesign the organizational family to help achieve these goals, and one must (we also must) continue the self-experiments inUpāya Kaushala Pāramitā. 13 Sādhanā The sādhanā suggested in the previous sections cannot be accomplished without deep inner peace and tranquility. For this tranquility to be maintained and further deepened, and made our permanent nature, continued meditations, contemplations and japa practices are essential. All this also requires sankalpa-bala or sankalpa-shakti, power and intensity of resolve. Before going on further with this, a few necessary hints: • Before meditation, take a shower (at least for one main meditation of the day) and wear clean and loose clothes. • The surroundings of your meditation seat should be neatly and beautifully arranged. • The asana that you sit on should be unrumpled, neatly folded, unwrinkled, clean. • You may burn some incense if you prefer. Light a candle or a “deepak” if you prefer. Surrender all your spiritual practices, and expectations therefrom, to the divine guru spirit and the guru(s) of the Lineage. For developing and strengthening sankalpa-bala, one can suggest two levels of mantras, six mantras of shiva-sankalpa hymn. The results of the japa of this hymn are mind’s pacification, samādhi of the mind (samprajñāta samādhi), and highest samādhi. It is advisable to memorize these six mantras, or at least the first one of the six. Study, understand, contemplate their inner meanings. If even one mantra is too long, just recite many times: “tan me manah shiva-sankalpam astu” –“may that mind of mine be filled with shiva-sankalpa”. This japa with contemplation is for developing general sankalpa-shakti. In the Himalayan tradition, besides mantras, there are mahāvākyas, “Great Sentences”. These are short and succinct
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