Yoga - union with the divine
The word 'Yoga' is typically associated with complex postures or asanas (that form a part of Hatha Yoga). However, it actually means union with the divine or the universal self. The approaches for attaining union with the divine are the various paths such as Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga etc. These paths are explained in the Bhagavad Gita. The Gita also explains that the result of all these forms of yoga are one and the same. The wise know that these paths are all 'Yoga'. The state or realization obtained by one who follows the path of Karma Yoga and one who follows the path of Jnana Yoga are the same. If the word 'Yoga' is not associated with Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Jnana Yoga, the words that are left (i.e. Karma, Bhakti, and Jnana)are very different in meaning. Karma means action, Bhakti means devotion, and Jnana means knowledge. These words on their own have a limited meaning. However when the word yoga is added to these words, each of Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Jnana Yoga becomes similar to the other. The word Yoga has this unifying effect. A person cannot attain Yoga merely through action, devotion or knowledge. However, the combination of the three when applied in an integrated manner leads to Yoga. The message of the Gita is not merely desireless action, devotion to God, or knowledge. The message is to perform actions with devotion and universal love in a manner that leads to knowledge by realization. These paths have synergies that in turn lead to the ultimate goal, which is Yoga or union with the divine. A person who strives for union with the divine through one or more of these paths is known as a Yogi. Once the state of realization is attained, the path that led to it becomes immaterial. No matter which path the person followed to attain union with the divine, the person is known simply as a Yogi.
posted by Arjun Bala at
8:10 AM
10 Comments:
This is a good post. Concise :) However, you said that the Gita explains that all 3 paths of karma yoga, bhakti yoga and jnana yoga lead to the same goal. Where is the reference for this?
Because as far as I've learned, I know that it is only Jnana yoga that directly leads to Kaivalya moksha. The other paths of yoga only prepare our minds to establish the knowledge of Brahman. Do you agree? So even though the other paths too lead to the same goal, it is a matter of whether it is direct or indirect. Jnana yoga is a direct path whereas Bhakti yoga and karma yoga are indirect paths.
I would also like to know what you think of Bhagavad Gita text. Do you think it is a text for everyone to take up and study?
Thanks for the post! :)
-Priya
http://www.asitis.com/5/4.html
See Chapter 5 on Karma Yoga verse 4.
sankhya-yogau prthag balah
pravadanti na panditah
ekam apy asthitah samyag
ubhayor vindate phalam
the translation provided is "Only the ignorant speak of karma-yoga and devotional service as being different from the analytical study of the material world [sankhya]. Those who are actually learned say that he who applies himself well to one of these paths achieves the results of both."
The Bhagavad Gita is more than just a text.
http://arzoon.blogspot.com/2010/10/big-picture-of-gita-more-than-just-text.html
Reading the text is helpful, but it is more important to apply what you read in daily life. Merely reading the text or quoting verses from it will not lead to knowledge or wisdom unless they are internalized and applied.
The Yoga of Knowledge and the Yoga of action are one as explained in
http://arzoon.blogspot.com/2010/01/nature-of-true-knowledge.html
Each of the paths is only a partial truth and the whole truth is only one. The point about the various paths being one can be understood better by visualizing a yogi who has attained union with the divine. Such a self-realized person is a Karma Yogi, Bhakti Yogi as well as a Jnana Yogi. Any action performed by such as yogi is Karma Yoga. Such a person sees the self in all beings, and all beings in the self. Hence such a being is in a state of universal love and devotion. Such a person has the highest knowledge of the self and hence has a perfectly balanced state of equanimity. To such a person, the path that led to the perfect state is irrelevant. What matters is only the state itself.
Chapter 5, Verse 4 (Bhagavad Gita, Shankara Bhashya, Advaita Ashrama Publication) says:
"The fools, not the learned ones, speak of Saankhya (the Path of Knowledge) and (Karma-) yoga as different. Any one who properly resorts to even one (of them) gets the results of both."
You have misquoted the word "saankhya" here. In Bhagavad Gita, the word "saankhya" means Jnana Yoga. Jnana yoga is a path taken by a person whose ONLY goal in life is to understand that he/she is Brahman, and this person is ready to be exposed to this knowledge. Karma yoga is a path taken by a person who is NOT ready to follow Jnana yoga, but has the desire to understand that he/she is Brahman. In this verse, Vyasa explains that a wise person knows that any one who properly resorts to even one of them will get the result of both, which is citta shuddhi (mental purification) and possibly moksha (liberation).
Before quoting this verse, you should have looked at Verse 1-3. Arjuna asks which out of the two (renunciation of actions v.s. karma yoga) is better? For Arjuna, in order for him to do his duty, Krishna had to say Karma yoga is the better of both. Whereas for a person who has achieved mental purification, Jnana yoga alone is enough.
While talking about "renunciation of actions" v.s. "karma yoga", Krishna suddenly makes a jump in Verse 4, by talking about "sankhya yoga" v.s. "karma yoga". Shankara explains clearly in his commentary why Krishna does this. Krishna clearly uses the words carefully, be associating renunciation with Knowledge and karma yoga with the "means" to attain this Knowledge.
So this reference of yours does not really answer my question. In fact, Bhagavad Gita does not say that all 3 paths lead to the same goal.
Btw, please avoid using the book, "Bhagavad Gita: As It Is", because the translations are not word-by-word accurate. You noticed how in the translation I provided, "devotional service" and "analytical study of the material world" do not appear?? This is wrong translation. It will change the whole meaning of the original verse! Be cautious about this. Try to get always, the word-by-word translation.
~Priya~
Hi Priya...personally i don't refer to 'as it is' much because the translations are exaggerated. But the link was easily available on a google search. The verse that i quoted is the right one, but the translations provided are many.
You are correct that karma yoga is the means to attaining knowledge. The knowledge in turn, when applied in actions, leads to righteous actions which internalize or 'realize' the knowledge. It is an iterative process of theory and practice. Knowledge is a continuous process. The moment a person stops learning and applying what he has learnt under the assumption that he is a 'jnani', he becomes bound by ego and is no longer wise.
Just as the fire burns wood into ashes, the fire of knowledge burns the seeds of karma into ashes. Thus a person who has attained divine knowledge is freed from the bonds of karma.
As mentioned by you 'a wise person knows that any one who properly resorts to even one of them will get the result of both'
A seeker who is attached to the path loses sight of the goal.Each seeker follows a different path according to his or her predispositions. For Arjuna's predisposition and situation, Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga were ideal. To Gautama Budhha, perhaps the paths of Jnana Yoga and Raja Yoga were more attractive. Once the goal is attained, the path that was used becomes insignificant. Gautama Buddha starved himself and meditated to extremes. However, once he attained enlightenment, he himself said that these extremes are not necessary to attain enlightenment, and he advocated a middle path. To different seekers, different paths lead to the same goal.
If you are looking for an exact reference for 'all 3 paths of karma yoga, bhakti yoga and jnana yoga lead to the same goal' in the text of the Bhagavad Gita, you may not find it in such words. You have to read between the lines :)
Thanks for reading my blog and commenting on it. I am learning more and more from your comments.
From http://1stholistic.com/prayer/hindu/hol_Hindu-moksha.htm
Kaivalya Moksha is suggested by the Sankhya School of Philosophy of Hinduism. It talks about viveka-jnana that causes purusha's moksha by disentangling purusha from prakriti.
This state is useful to attain moksha by disentangling identification with the body and nature.
Hinduism talks about different states and so does Buddhism.
The ultimate goal that i am referring to is attained while living in prakriti and being a part of it, while also retaining a consciousness of purusha being independent of it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvikalpa
In this ultimate state, a person may may even engage in performance of material duties with no loss of inner God-union. It is a permanent state, but it is dynamic.
Also see my earlier posts on perfection
http://arzoon.blogspot.com/2006/01/perfection-is-dynamic.html
http://arzoon.blogspot.com/2005/12/perfection-and-free-will.html
http://arzoon.blogspot.com/2008/04/in-highest-samadhi-all-actions-karma.html
Join Time Rays - the knowledge revolution. www.timerays.com
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