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(Sep 18, 2023) I've had great difficulty reading this book - the formatting, the structure, the broad strokes with no details and the inconsistensies with my own understanding. I know, this book predates most of renowned yoga texts - but I am not willing to shift my way of thinking to comply with the ideas here, even though it might as well be semantics in the end. Additionally, there is hardly a commentary that makes the book compelling for the actual practice. The book is more like a translation of the slokas without the commentary. The information I get is not as useful as other books I've read (thus my basis for comparison). I could imagine, other authors translating the original work and giving their commentaries would differ. To cut the long story, I'm not continuing with the book - it doesn't feel like the best use of my time.
Author: A. G. Mohan and Ganesh Mohan
ISBN-10: 9810716486
ISBN-13: 978-9810716486
Genre: Yoga, Eastern Religion, Spirituality, Philosophy
Pages: 190 pages
Country: India
Publisher: Svastha Yoga; 2nd edition
Publication date: August 5, 2013
Rating:
(2 out of 5 stars)
To broaden my vocabulary, I list down words in the book whose meaning is unknown or ambiguous to me.
Authortiy on Yoga
Yoga Yajnavalkya was written 2200 years ago, and is one of the earliest authoritative text on yoga predating the writing of Hatha yoga pradipika, Gheranda Samhita, Siva Samhita, Yoga Kundalini and Yoga Tattva Upanishads. In fact, these books borrowed many ideas contained in Yoga Yajnavalkya.
Conversational Format
The narrative is in conversation format between husband and wife, Yogi Yajnavalkya and his wife Gargi as he discussed the deeper layers of yoga with special focus on Kundalini and the spiritual and therapeutic applications of Pranayama.
Book Features
The book stresses that yoga is not just for monks or saddhus but also for householders. It takes effort to dispel the mysteries of Kundalini to make it familiar and accessible. Pranayama is also given the spotlight - techniques, applications, and results. It provides insight on meditation - deities with form and without.
Carvaka vs. Sankhya
Carvaka is the philosophy that life was meant to be happy (eat, sleep and be merry). Sankhya is on the other extreme end of the spectrum. It espouses 'enquiry' in searh of the 'right knowledge' - in short, a meaning to existence and not just sex, drugs and rock & roll.
Vedas Proposing Freedom
The Vedas, through yoga, prescribes a code of conduct that benefits the individual and soceity at large (Yamas and Niyamas?).
Seer, Seen and Divine
To understand the Vedas, it's best to see reality comprising of 3 entties and their relationships - Seer (the unchanging true self), Seen (the material world and all its fluctuations) and the Divine (God).
Seen
Seen is everything that exists in the material world that we perceive with our 5 senses, including our thoughts. The world fluctuates and so do our thoughts. This reality is what distracts us because it gets all our attention and we react to it.
Seer
The material world is characterized by fluctions - happy then sad, prosperous then poor, calm then turmoil, etc. But despite this roller coaster ride, there is an entity within us, the Seer, that eternal silent witness. It sees everything in the material world and sees our thoughts, but the Seer remains, unchanged, non-reacting and simply observes.
Divine
The Divine is God, perfect and complete. He is worshipped in various forms - Krishna, Jesus, Allah, etc.
The Relationship between the Seer, Seen and the Divine
Seen and the Seer are Tethered
It would seem that the Seen and the Seer are tethered - that one cannot exist without the other. But that's only because the mind identifies with its thoughts and the perception of the senses. If we break away from the Seen, the the Seer becomes unleashed - we begin to see reality as it really is.
Sankhya Philosophy
Sankhya is saying the Seen world will always fluctuate and there's nothing we can do with it. Thus the only option is for the mind to simply break away from all sense perception, reminding itself that all of perception is not real. In short, Sankhya prescribes awareness and practice - no deity.
Yoga Philosophy
Yoga is essentially the same as Sankhya but adds the concept of a God. That God can help one realize freedom - separating the Seen from the Seer. Thus we can and should have a relationship with the Divine (it should be noted that in Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the deity is not factored-in. It's only the practice as prescribed - no talk of God.).
Vedanta Philosophy
Man's true self and God are one, but before man can see this, he first has to break the illussion of Maya or the identification with the fluctuating material world.
The Practice of Yoga
In Yoga Yajnavalkya, yoga is to merge with the divine in order to attain freedom (again, this is in sharp contrast to Hatha Yoga Pradipika that does not involve itself with God or anything spiritual - it's the practice only).
The Connection between Advaita Vedanta and Saiva/Sakta Doctrines
Name and Form to a Deity
Because of man's limited perception, it is necessary for him to add a name and form to a God - otherwise, God remains an abstract and intangible concept.
The Concept of Prana
Prana is the energy that holds everything together. Without prana, there is no life. But prana cannot be perceived by the senses. We cannot directly control prana, but through yoga, we can indirectly control it (in Shaolin Kung Fu, prana is directly controlled. Thus, a monk can bend the spear using the soft flesh on his neck but redirecting prana there.). The flow of prana can be influenced by the breath, the mind and physical postures. Through pranayama (breath control), the mind is influenced and prana is stabilized.
Prana and Mental State
The distribution of prana is related to a person's mental state - agitated, dull, distracted, focused, and absorbed.
When the mind is absorbed or focused, prana flows into Sushumna and prana dispersion is 96 angulas (5"3') or below. If the mind is agitated, dull or distracted, prana flows along Ida and Pingala and prana dispersion is 108 angulas (~6").
When the mind, body and senses (Seen) are distracted, prana is also dispersed. The goal of yoga is to bring prana back within 96 angulas and this brings the mind into focus or absorption (back to being the Seer). This takes effort, patience and practice - and starts with Yama and Niyama.
Flow of Prana
Prana is subtle energy that flows throughout the body through energy channels called Nadis. There are 72,000 nadis but only 14 are important. Of the 14, these 3 are the most important - Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. Ida is female, on the left side, moon. Pingala is male, on the right, representing the sun. Prana flows only along the Ida and Pingala and from there, prana is distributed to the 72,000 nadis. Prana does not routine flow along the Sushumna - which is the most important nadi of them all. Impurities (toxins, bad diet, pathogens, shallow breathing, bad posture, scattered/malevolent thoughts, etc.) along the nadis block the flow of prana - this results in sickness.
However, through yoga practice (the 8 limbs), the impurties are removed and flow of prana is restored. The 8 limbs are a cleansing process that purifies the nadis.
Sushumna: Vayu and Agni
To explain how Sushumna is related to the Seer and the Seen, we must consider 2 elements - Vayus (pranic winds) and Agni (fire).
5 Vayus
Apana vs Prana Vayu
They flow in separate directions but complimentary in their effects on the body. Prana vayu usually flow us while apana vayu flows down. They have a tug-of-war nature and a balance has to be kept otherwise, one dominates the other and trouble happens.
However, Antara kumbhaka pushes down prana vayu while Bahya kumbhaka pushes up apana vayu. If there is imbalance, like if prana vayu is pushed up too much, it could cause coughing. If apana is pushed down too much, then there is menstrual disruption or diarrhea. Vayus have to stay within their own area.
Agni (fire)
Agni and Prana go hand in hand in the same way that fire and air are complementary. Even in the Gyana mudra, fire and air meet for increased combustion. Agni helps the body assimilate food (heat increases digestive metabolism). Agni can be taken metabolically (heat to increase metabolism), theologically (fire burns the illusion of ignorance), and figuratively (the surging fire in your passion). When prana vayu and apana vayu meet in Manipuraka (through bandhas), agni is triggered and this heat awakens Kundalini shakti from its slumber.
Relationship of the Chakras to the Seer and the Seen
As the Seer is lost in the world of the Seen (the lower chakras), prana flows along the 72,000 nadis. Sushumna is closed - prana doesn't flow through it. When the Seer transcends the Seen, Kundalini awakens and flows through the Sushumna all the way to Sahasrara (aka Brahmarandhra) while activating all the chakras along the way.
Kundalini Yoga
I will quote the commentary verbatim because I find it conflicting with my current understanding of Kundalini. The commentary says,
"Kundalini is the cause of ignorance, avidya, whereby we mistakenly identify and are caught up in the ever-changing world of the Seen.
Kundalini, the creative force which controls avidya (ignorance), blocks the opening of the Sushumna nadi. Sushumna nadi otherwise leads to Brahmarandhra (another word for Sahasrara chakra). Kundalini, the serpent, guards the entrance of the the door to the Divine by coiling three and a half times around the Siva lingam located at the Muladhara and blocking the opening of the Sushumna with Her mouth. Thus, prana cannot enter the Sushumna unless the Kundalini is moved. To move the Kundalini is to remove the veil of ignorance (avidya) or illusion (maya). The process of involution occurs when the Seen is withdrawn from the base of the Sushumna and the Seer, is able to rise to His true abode and reunite with the Divine, the male aspect of consciousness in the Sahasrara. This is the union between the individual soul (jivatma) and the Divine (paramatma). As the Seen withdraws, the Seer becomes the master. This is also figuratively represented as the union between the Shakti and Shiva."
Kundalini goes up
When Kundalini is awakened, it goes up the Sushumna until it reaches the Sahasrara chakra. It can also mean that individual consciousness moves up to merge with cosmic consciousness. Or, it can mean that the Seen has been dissolved or ignorance and illusion no longer exist, thus the Seer goes into involution back to Godhead.
Kundalini is destroyed or removed
Union is achieved when Kundalini is destroyed because Kundalini represents ignorance and illusion (I really disagree on this one. Kundalini is supposed to be the powerful shakti, sleeping until awakened, so it can go up Sushumna and merge with Consciousness - it does not represent ignorance or illusion).
Prana goes up
"Agni and prana destroy the kundalini, thus freeing the Seer to ascend to his abode." - (again, I disagree. Agni and prana join together, merging energy with heat to wake up Kundalini...not to destroy Kundalini. Again, Kundalini is the powerful shakti, not ignorance or illusion).
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita is one of the schools of the Vedanta philosophy saying that everything is part of the Divine - including the Seen. There is only one - no duality exists.
Sakta Philosophy
The Divine Feminine is the supreme being, the source of all creation, the ultimate reality and can be worshipped in many different forms. Yoga is a path to union with the Divine Feminine.
Varnashrama Dharma is the duties or actions that must be done by each person, considering his station in life, and his profession or the division to which he or she belongs. This ultimately leads to freedom for the individual because of efficient functioning of society. ONe's nature ultimately become one's vocation.
But this caste system as practiced today is a corrupt and degenerate version of its original intention - partly due to the Muslim invasion and British colonilization.
Division of Labor
An effective society should have a systematic division of labor. In the Vedic tradtition, there are 4 divisions of labor as follows. But on top of it all is the King or Emperor.
1: Yama
Yajnavalkya and wife Gargi were gathered in his hermitage together with some sages. Gargi asks her husband to teach them yoga. Yaj narrated that he asked Bramha for the highest truth - the way to freedom (note, Yaj didn't ask anything about yoga). Bhamha said the way to freedom is to do yoga along the rules of Varnashrama Dharma but without desires - do your duty without any desires. Yaj then explains that yoga has 8 limbs that are ascending - Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. He explained the many tiers of Yama - conduct or behavior to be in harmoney with society
II: Niyama
Yaj continues with the 2nd limb, Niyama - conduct to self. There are 10 Niyamas and that was discussed.
III: Asana
Yaj continues with Asana - Svastikasana, Gomukhasana, Padmasana, Virasana, Simhasana, Bhadrasana, Muktasana and Mayurasana. With Asana, Yama and Niyama, disease is far away. He advise
d Gargi to practice Shat Kriya, Asana, Yama, Niyama and Pranayama.
IV: Prana vayu
Gargi asks about Shat Kriya (purification of the nadis) and the Prana vayu (energetic winds). Yaj explained the 14 nadis, 10 vayus and instructs Gargi to practice the Nadi Shodhana pranayama.
V: Nadi shodana
Yaj explained in detail, Nadi shodana, one of the pranayamas that purify the body.
VI: Pranayama
Yaj explains Pranayama and its close association to the OM Mantra. He talked about the therapeutic benefits of Pranayama, the ratios, the different types of Pranayama and its effects, right mantra for what Pranayama, of Kevala Kumbhaka, conserving Prana (Shanmukti mudra and asana/OM combo). Yaj explains how to do Pranayama and Mantra chanting depending on your caste. The rise of prana to Sahasrara and the resulting Nada. He stressed the importance of the nityakarma (daily rituals) In my case, my Nitya karma are water therapy, nauli, neti pot, jiwamuthi shodan.
VII: Pratyahara
Pratyahara has 5 different forms and the 4th is enhanced through focus on 18 vital points. The 5th form can produce liberaton by focusing prana on a specific point.
VIII: Dharana
There are 5 types of mental concentration on the Self - Dharana. The 5 forms refer to the deities in the 5 regions in the body. Dharana, through Pranayama can balance the doshas back and cure the resulting diseases from such imbalance.
IX: Dhyana
All great seers have attained realization through Dyana. It is done either in Saguna (with form/attributes) or Nirguna (without form or attributes).
X: Samadhi
Samadhi is the union of Self with the Divine in death. The yogi focuses on the chosen deity in time of dying to be united with it.
XI: Vedic Duties during/after Samadhi
Yaj says nothing should be done while in a state of Samadhi, but once out of it, Vedic duties must be performed.
XII: Seven Steps to Freedom
Outline
1-5: The qualities of Sage Yajnavalkya
(Sep 4, 2023 p. 37) This exalts Yajnavalkya in a way only a devotee could. Yajnavalkya lives in a hermitage in the forest and held in high regard by the brahmins. He has mastery of yoga, of the Vedas, of his emotions (never angry, always forgiving). He is in a constant state of meditation and awareness.
Yajnavalkya metabolizes all his food, thus is free from disease. Disease is caused by undigested food which becomes toxin in the body. This is another reason why being vegetarian makes you impervious to sickness - veggies are easily digested. One hack? Tough foods like meat could be put in a blender so that the body doesn't take too much effort to digest it.
6-8: Gargi 's request to Yajnavalkya to teach her the essence of Yoga
(Sep 4, 2023 p. 38) Yajnavalkya's wife, Gargi, is also realized in the highest of truth. She requests Yajnavalkya to teach her yoga.
9-19: Yajnavalkya meditates on the Divine, (Narayana) and describes how he approached the Creator (Brahma), to learn the highest truth
Yajnavalkya proceeds to teach yoga to Gargi and other attendant sages, as taught to him by Brahma, the Creator. It is interesting that Yaj did not specifically ask Brahma to teach him yoga, but to teach him supreme knowledge (a closely guarded secret), supreme bliss and eternal freedom.
19-27: The path to freedom (Nivartaka) and the path to bondage (Pravartaka), as explained by Brahma
(Sep 4, 2023 p. 3) Doing what you need to do in life given your station in society, abilities and resources (Varna Sharma Dharma) without desire is the secret to non-rebirth. This process is called Nivartaka.
27-29: The three debts of mankind and the means to overcome them
(Sep 4, 2023 p. 3) To free oneself from debt from these 3:
29-40: Brahma explains how one should lead one's life in accordance with Vama Shrama Dharma (doing one's role in society according to the caste system). After explaining the essence of Yoga, Brahma Himself recedes into a state of Yoga
(Sep 4, 2023 p. 43) Even within the caste system, there are several stages where a person is expected to do what is expected of him for the greater being of society as a whole. Some actions are pragmatic and some are simply ritualistic.
41-42: Gargi's request to Yajnavalkya to further explain the knowledge (Jnana) that should go along with one's actions to attain freedom
(Sep 4, 2023 p. 44) Yaj talked about action (karma) with knowledge (jnana). Gargi asked Yaj to talk about knowledge.
43-44: Yajnavalkya's reply that knowledge is nothing but Yoga. Definition of Yoga as the union of the Self (Jivatma) and the Divine (Paramatma)
(Sep 4, 2023 p. 44) Yaj explains that knowledge comes in the form of yoga as having 8 limbs and unites self (Jivatma) with the divine (Paramatma).
45-70: The 8 limbs of Yoga
(Sep 4, 2023 p. 46)
Extent of Prana
(p 61, Sep 17) Gargi request Yaj to talk about nadi and prana. Yaj says all bodies have 96 angulas (1 angula is the width of a person's finger - so your angula will be different from someone else's). The size of the prana is greater than the body by 12 angulas (so, 108 angulas for the size of a person's prana). So, prana seems to extend about 5 inches beyond the physical body.
Center of the Body
The center of the human body is where agni or fire is located, shaped like a triangle, which is between the anus and the genitalia - thus, the perineum or the Muladhara chakra. It should however be noted that the fire chakra is the Manipuraka chakra about 2 inches below the navel. In yoga, depending on the guru or the author, exact locations or even names vary. But, so what if the center of the body is where the fire is? What's the call to action here?.
Kandasthana
Kandasthana is egg shaped, about 2 inches in height and width, and located below the center of the body.
Kandasthana > Nabhi > Manipuraka chakra
In the middle of the Kandasthana is the Nabhi. In the middle of Nabhi is the Manipuraka chakra at the navel, the origin of all nadis (makes sense since the navel is our unbilical cord where life is drawn in). Manipuraka chakra has 12 spokes that pulls the body together (like a spider with its web).
Kundalini
Kundalini resides above the Manipuraka chakra where it stops the flow of prana by covering the passage way with its mouth as it lays sleeping.
Kundalini is held by the 8 prakrti - the 5 elements, mind, intellect and ego. Because of this, the 'seer' is bound by the 'seen' and thus blocked from its freedom. When Kundalini is awakened, the 'seer' is freed and can then rise up and unite with the divine.
Through the practice of yoga, Apana Vayu (prana that takes care of elimination, located in the anal region) together with Agni (fire) awaken Kundalini. This unblocks the flow of prana. Prana then goes upward through Sushumna and into the Brahmarandhra (Sahasrara). All these nadis and their interconnectedness resemble the vein of a leaf.
14 Nadis
There are 72,000 nadis in our system. 14 are the most important. Of the 14, the Ida, Pingala and Sushumna are the most important. Of the 3, Sushumna is the most important.
Ida and Pingala
Both are tethered to each other. When prana flows along Ida/Pingala, time is experienced - default reality. When prana flows along Sushumna, time stops (because time is just an illusion) and Samadhi ensues - the mind is absorbed. Sushumna is thus beyond time (during a breath-hold, prana flows along Sushumna, thus I almost always incorporate kumbhaka in my practice).
*** Ida and Pingala are metaphors for "as above, so below", microcosm-microcosm, yin and yang, etc.
10 Vayus
Vayus are pranic winds with specific areas in the system and specific functions
Ending Thoughts
I thought Yoga Yajnavalkya was just a how-to into the practice of yoga. But this delves into the scholarly and academic aspects of Hindu philosophy - Upanishads, Vedanta, Sankhya philosophy, etc. This was something I wasn't prepared to deal with - I just wanted the yoga practice with enough foundational concept for a deeper understanding. Just the same, I went through the motion, hoping that what I'm reading helps in getting me more established in my yoga practice.
Even though this book predates Hatha Yoga Pradipika, I find HYP to be easier to understand and more comprehensive and detailed (I'm sure this has a lot to do with the commentator and not the original author). With that comparison, I felt that continuing this book would not be the best use of my time - thus I stopped continuing at page 70s in the Prana Vayu section.
--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
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More on Lazi:
More on Siquijor Island:
Jeeps - there are only 2 routes for jeeps within Siquijor Island - and they are rare. Most people have their own motorcycle transport.
Food - these were suggested by a local to me
En route to Cebu City, the ferries usually make a stop-over to Tagbilaran (Bohol) to pick-up more passengers or unload.
There is only one bus plying this route - Sugbo Urban. Tourist class coach, a/c, comfortable, Sun-Fri (these dates keep changing). P420 for bus, P275 for ferry to Liloan. Larena Port around 5 am, makes a clockwise roundtrip around Siquijor Island - Larena, Enrique Villanueva, Maria, Lazi (stops at Lazi market for breakfast and leaves 6:50 am), San Juan, Siquijor (arrives 8am, P50 from Lazi to Siquijor Poblacion) and catches the 1pm ferry at Larena Port (Sundays at 3 pm) for Liloan, Cebu and resumes its land route. Arrives Cebu City (South Bus Terminal) 10 pm.
Sugbo Urban is the cheapest and most convenient way because it goes around the island (clockwise) along the circumferential road, passing through - Enrique Villanueva, Maria, Lazi, San Juan, Siquijor...and back to Larena where it takes the ferry at 1 pm. This saves you the hassle and high transport cost of a tricycle. Besides, it's a long trip from the other side of the island to be taking by tricycle.
These are the nearest popular destinations from Siquijor by boat
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