YOGI ASHWINI
Every microcosm in this creation exists in layers. Cut across a bark or peel a fruit and you will see the layers. A human being too exists in layers, the panchkoshas — five layers of being. At a basic level you may relate to things around as substance, but at the subtler level they all possess energy. Every being, every object, every event, every day corresponds to a specific charge of energy.
In yoga, you access this creation from the realm of energy. It is from the level of energy that you effect a change on the physical plane. When you start relating to the dimension of energy, you free yourself from the ties of rituals and customs, men and material, and that’s when the underlying patterns of this creation are revealed to you. You are then able to tune yourself to those patterns and pave your way for union with the Supreme.
Look at the lives of great men from the past — Krishna, Rama, Christ, Guru Nanak... Today we celebrate their birth, marriage, victory and salvation. Yes, they were all divine beings. But so is each one of us — the only difference being, they had realised their potential by accessing the energy in the world through the practice of yoga and Sanatan Kriya. We, on the other hand, relate to the physical events, oblivious of the energy patterns that generate them.
Our ancestors had predicted the plight of man in Kalyug, where one would forget all the gyan (knowledge) and live in darkness. Hence, they marked important dates with certain stories, customs and rituals for us to notice them. Have you ever wondered why Rama came home on Kartik Amavasya or why Krishna was born on the Ashtmi of Bhadrapad (a month in Hindu calendar)? The answer is simple — because the energies on these days are conducive to the positive forces of the creation.
The month of Shravan is associated with the legendary “samudra manthan” (churning of the ocean). The suras and asuras started the churning of the ocean in order to please Goddess Lakshmi. They decided to share the fruits of labour equally. Fourteen ratnas came out of the ocean, followed by the venom (halahal), which neither group was willing to accept. Hence, Shiva had to intervene. Then came amrit, which was taken to Devalok.
For a spiritual seeker, the story marks the time that is ideal for tapa and sadhna, which include introspection. The energies in this month are such that all beings (deva or danava) can access them with equal ease, to accomplish the myriad sidhhis (ratnas). It is the time of the year when both the daivik and asuric energies are at their peak and hence the role of Guru (Neelkanth or Shiva) cannot be undermined. The union (amrit) is impossible without his grace.
Raksha Bandhan falls on the last Purnima of Shravan, marking the end of this powerful month. It has come to be associated with the tying of a talisman, essentially to seek protection of the creation from negative energies. The day must be devoted to the higher practices of yoga and Sanatan Kriya under the guidance of a Guru to access positivity and to realise your hidden potential.
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