Gurugram November 2019 | Preface

Blessed Self,
Om Namah Sivaya

Greetings from the Sivananda Ashram Headquarters Val Morin.

As the new high season begins in the tropics and southern climates we are more than happy to inform everyone the Sivananda Organization is extremely busy imparting Swamiji’s teachings and mission for World Peace.

Sivananda Centres are building, renewing and expanding to meet the needs of an ever increasing interest in yoga. During during the month of November alone 5 TTCs will be offered with locations such as France, India, Canada and the Bahamas. Also in November for our more advanced students, there will be an ATTC in the Bahamas and a Sadhana Intensive in Rudraprayag, India.

You can now apply for Teacher Training Courses online on the new Sivananda Organization website – www.sivananda.org

What are your dreams of your yoga practice for 2020? Is it time to take your yoga to another level? Join a Teacher Training course to learn deeply about what yoga is. There are plenty of courses to choose from and in beautifully selected locations around the world.

Here’s a story of one such yogi on a quest in India into a deeper yoga practice. This new article “What is the BEST Yoga Teacher Training in India? My TOP 10 List” appeared in the publication, www.path2yoga.net.
https://www.path2yoga.net/2019/07/best-yoga-teacher-training-india.html

And very good news, our LA Centre has a permanent home now. The report of the grand inauguration can be found in the Sivananda News section, at the last section of this GURUGRAM, under Los Angeles Centre.

Thank you all for your continued enthusiasm and support towards Swamiji’s teachings and his mission. It is through your continued support, Sivananda teachers are able to share Swami Vishnudevananda’s mission. We strive to do so without compromising the authenticity of the message, carrying the same devotion and dedication as Swamiji.

May Master and Swamiji’s blessings be with you all always. Pranams to all.

Lead a contented life – Sri Swami Sivananda

All upcoming 2020 TTC, ATTC and Sadhana Intensive courses can be viewed here “TTC | ATTC | SI – Calendar” on the NEW Sivananda website, under the tab, Teachers’ Training. You can now conveniently apply for Teacher Training Courses online on the new Sivananda Organization website – www.sivananda.org

Meditate deep to the chambers or your heart. – Sri Swami Sivananda

Chapter I: “Samadhi Pada – On Contemplations”

I.18. VIRAAMA-PRATYAYAABHYAASA-POORVAH SAMSKAARA-SHESHO’NYAH

‘This other state of Samadhi, Asamprajnata or non-distinguished, is based on persistent practice. It arises when all perception has been extinguished and only the impressions remain.’

Commentary:
Asamprajnata Samadhi translates “without any object into which attention is absorbed”. Through constant practice all thought recedes into silence. This the point of connection with Pure Consciousness.

This is the highest, Asamprajnata Samadhi, which brings Kaivalya or Independence. Here, there is no Alambana for the mind. It is rendered perfectly steady. All Samskaras have burned. There is no Triputi here. This is not the Laya state or deep sleep. There is perfect awareness. This is a stage where a Yogi receives the highest knowledge. Here, there is Prajna or pure consciousness. This is the state that resembles the ocean without waves. The only Sadhana for attaining this state is Para Vairagya. Rajas and Tamas are completely destroyed. When there is Ekagrata, Samprajnata Samadhi is possible. Asamprajnata Samadhi is possible when there is perfect Nirodha of mind. Para Vairagya brings complete rest to the mind. All Vrittis stop. This is the highest end of Raja Yoga, which gives freedom.

Cultivate strong patience. – Sri Swami Sivananda

The Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, narrated in the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata. The Bhagavad Gita is comprised of eighteen discourses, with a total of 701 Sanskrit verses. The timeless scene takes place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Sri Krishna, through a swift conversation with Arjuna, reveals profound, sublime and soul stirring spiritual truths, plus, rare secrets of Yoga, Vedanta, Bhakti and Karma. Those who study, and endowed with Faith, can reap the full benefits of the Bhagavad Gita, and the science of the Soul.

Over the next few months we will review Swami Sivananda’s summary of each chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.

Chapter II – Sankhya Yoga – a summary by Swami Sivananda.

Sanjaya explains the condition of Arjuna, who was agitated due to attachment and fear. Lord Krishna rebukes him for his dejection, which was due to Moha or attachment, and exhorts him to fight. After failing to convince Sri Krishna through his seemingly wise thoughts, Arjuna realizes his helplessness and surrenders himself completely to the Lord, seeking His guidance to get over the conflict of his mind. The Lord takes pity on him and proceeds to enlighten him by various means. He explains to Arjuna the imperishable nature of the Atman, for which there is no past, present and future. The Atman never dies, therefore Arjuna should not grieve. As It transcends the five elements, namely, earth, water, fire, air and ether, It cannot be cut, burnt or dried. It is unchanging and eternal. Everyone experiences conditions like pleasure and pain, heat and cold, due to contact of objects with the senses. The senses carry the sensations through the nerves to the mind. One should be able to withdraw the senses from objects, like the tortoise which withdraws all its limbs within. Krishna asserts that only one who has the capacity to be balanced in pleasure and pain alike is fit for immortality. Krishna goes on to tell Arjuna that if he refuses to fight and flees from the battle, people will be justified in condemning such action as unworthy of a warrior. Having taught Arjuna the immortal nature of the Atman, Lord Krishna turns to the performance of action without expectation of fruit. A man should not concern himself about the fruit of the action, like gain and loss, victory and defeat. These are in the hands of the Lord. He should perform all action with a balanced mind, calmly enduring the pairs of opposites like heat and cold, pleasure and pain, that inevitably manifest during action. Krishna advises Arjuna to fight, free from desire for acquisition of kingdom or preservation of it. Arjuna is eager to know the characteristics of a man who has a stable mind. Such a person, Krishna tells him, will have no desires at all. Since he is content within, having realized the Self, he is entirely free from desires. The consciousness of the Atman and abandonment of desires are simultaneous experiences. The various qualities of a Sthitaprajna (a stable-minded person) are described by the Lord. He will not be affected by adversity and will have no fear or anger. He will take things as they come, and will not have any likes and dislikes. He will neither hug the world nor hate it. The man of stable mind will have perfect control of the senses. The senses are powerful and draw the mind outwards. One should therefore turn one’s gaze within and realize God who resides in the heart. The Yogi, having achieved a stable mind, remains steadfast even though all sense-objects come to him. He is unmoved and lives a life of eternal peace. Krishna concludes that the eternal Brahmic state frees one from delusion forever. Even at the end of life, when one departs from this body, one does not lose consciousness of one’s identity with Brahman.

The spiritual consciousness dawns during silent meditation. You forget the world and the body during meditation. – Sri Swami Sivananda