WHAT YOGA CAN DO TO US

Professor Arvind Kumar Gupta
Page No. 1-10

(1) Who am I? (2) Why am I born? (3) Where am I going after death? (4) What is the purpose of
life? (5) How to deal with the mind? (6) How to be happy and peaceful? Indian philosophers
provide answers for all these questions in the form of YOGA.
What is Yoga?
There are several answers to this key question:
(1) Yoga is the restraint of mental operation (process). (2) Yoga is the disconnection of connection
with suffering. (3) Yoga is balance (equanimity). (4) Yoga is said to be the unification of the web of
dualities. (5) Yoga is the union of Individual self (through mind restraining process) with the
Universal Self. In the light of these various definitions, yoga can be described in different forms as
below. However, these forms are inter-related. Bhakti yoga (through devotion), (2) Karma yoga
(through self-less action), (3) Jnana yoga (through self-enquiry and knowing), (4) Mantra yoga
(through mantra), (5) Naada yoga (through transcendental sacred vibrations), (6) Raja yoga or
Ashtanga yoga (through eight-limb approach), etc. From this constituent description of a human
being, an important question arises: how does perception occur? The answer is: The internal
instrument (antahkarana) operates in the process of perception in a four-fold manner:
(1) First, the mind (manas) gathers information through the senses. (2) Second, the information is
examined by the individual’s intellect (buddhi), which is discriminating and is decisive. (3) Third, a
decision is made and is identified and related to self through egosense (Ahamakara). (4) Finally,
the resulting impressions are retained and recorded in consciousness (chitta). It is also important to
note that Maharishi Patanjali has given the various obstacles that a seeker could face in one’s own
all-round development and the final realization through yoga. The nine primary obstacles are:
(1) Disease (Vyaadhi), (2) Mental laziness (Styana), (3) Doubt (Samshaya) , (4) Lack of
enthusiasm and delusion (Pramaada), (5) Lethargy (Aalasya), (6) Reluctance to give-up the
craving of sense-pleasures (Avirati), (7) Erroneous perception (Bhranti-darshana) (8) Despair due
to progress in concentration (Alabdhabhoomikatva) and (9) Inability of retaining a level of
concentration once obtained (Anavasthitatva).