Hello and welcome to episode 19 of The Ask Sri Vishwanath Show. Today I want to talk about what Krishna thinks about Yoga and the most popular misconception and belief people hold on Yoga.
Today’s question comes from Kay. She says “I’ve been practising various forms of yoga. They are good, they help me keep my emotions in check but they don’t help me achieve the power and peace that the great men and women enjoy”
That’s a really great question Kay. We get a lot of questions like this. Yoga is helping people but they are not getting as much out of it as they should be. The first thing we need to do is see what Krishna says about yoga.
Two types of people
Krishna looks upon this universe and beyond. He categorizes people into two categories. On is Samkhya which are the enlightened beings. These people are already enlightened. They know their purpose and they know what they want to do in life. Everyone else – you, me good people, bad people are known as yogins. A yogin is a person that must practice yoga in order to connect with their consciousness. So according to Krishna there are two types of people. The enlightened ones and the ones seeking enlightenment.
The one seeking enlightenment includes everyone. The people who go to mosques and churches but also atheists criminal and terrorists. We are all under that one umbrella called yogins. Yoga is the process of uniting your body, mind and intellect with the spirit.
Four types of yoga
Krishna says there are four types of yoga. Jnana, which is the yoga of knowledge and also the easiest form. The second is Bhakti yoga which is the yoga of devotion. The third is Raja yoga which is the one we see all over the word, the one with exercises and positions. A lot of people seem to be very fascinated with this yoga its very much in fashion at the minute. The final one is karma yoga. This form of yoga is done through good works and selfless acts.
Don’t look upon all these forms of Yoga as different. They are all forms of the same yoga. For example Raja yoga is raja plus yoga. Karma yoga is karma plus yoga and so on. Yoga is an integral part of spirituality. It is the secret of transcendence. It is present in all religions but it just has a different name. Whether you approach god through work, devotion, concentration, breathing or direct meditation – it doesn’t matter. Yoga is an important ingredient in the recipe that will unite you with your consciousness.
The fastest way to freedom
Vivekananda says that of all of these four types of yoga Jnana yoga is the fastest way. Bhakti yoga comes naturally to most people. We all know how important love and devotion is to spirituality. The other 3 types take up a lot of time and require a lot of effort but the fastest and easiest is Jnana yoga. Raja yoga is becoming very popular in the west but Krishna and Vivekananda always advised people to practice Jnana yoga.
Remember the purpose of all of these types of yoga is to ensure you enjoy freedom in this lifetime and beyond. But freedom from what? What are we bound to? We are bound to the script. Every day each of us have a script running and we must follow it. We are also bound by emotions. Regardless of effort and will power we can be bound to our emotions which leads us to act upon them.
The first step in Jnana yoga is to know the jiva. It doesn’t matter what form of yoga you choose to practice or what religion you are the first step is always to know the consciousness. The second step is to become the jiva. So once you know the jiva you must become the jiva. We talked about this in earlier episodes. You withdraw your emotions and then you can become detached.
Manifest the dharma
The third step is manifesting the dharma. Once you do the first two you will be in a position where you can unite with your consciousness.
The reason why Jnana yoga is the fastest and the easiest, remember the others can take a lifetime to master. Remember the purpose of all this is to be free in this lifetime and beyond. You don’t get another life. This is very important. People miss this a lot. You can do lots of fancy exercises and breathing. They look good and are beneficial to the body and mind but they will not set you free. The purpose of yoga is not to find a little freedom in the mind. The real purpose is to completely set you free instantly.
So you really should be focusing on Jnana yoga and not the others. The other forms are good but 99.9% you will not feel the required benefits of enlightenment or freedom from the body. Jnana yoga is so easy, anyone can do it. Krishna says that “even if among sinners you are the worst of sinners with this raft of knowledge you will attain me.”
So focus on this yoga because it is the fastest and most important yoga. Don’t get too caught up with breathing exercises and posing. Yes it is good for you to a certain point but it will not help you attain freedom. The only way is through knowledge of Jnana yoga. This yoga is more powerful than time itself. Time can destroy the effects of all the other types of yoga but it will never destroy Jnana yoga. This is the secret.
It’s funny because the 3 least important yoga’s are the ones that are marketed the most. Don’t be fooled by clever marketing and advertising. If you want to experience the true and real benefit of yoga then you must focus on Jnana yoga. It is the only form of yoga that will set you free.
Effort
Remember the effort required for all four is the same. Think about it. Would you work for ten hours to earn money if you could work for four hours and earn the same? No you would choose the fastest route. The same applies here. Choose the yoga which will give you the greatest return for the effort you put in.
So please kay focus on Jnana yoga. We have plenty of courses for you to take which can help you or if you would like to speak to me directly you can email me at free109@gmail.com .
You can also download my book for free. It’s called the lens of Krishna and I think it would really be of help to you.
I hope I answered your question. Remember you keep asking questions and I’ll keep answering them.
