ADVAITA-L Digest - 29 Jan 1999 to 1 Feb 1999 (#1999-23)

[Giridhar]

>Date:    Mon, 1 Feb 1999 12:39:17 -0500
>From:    "Vaidya N. Sundaram" <sundaram at ECN.PURDUE.EDU>
>Subject: Re: vivekachUdAmani
>
>On Fri, 29 Jan 1999, Harsha (Dr. Harsh K. Luthar) wrote:
>
>> In Yoga, they say that when Shakti Joins
>> Shiva at Sahasarara, this union results in liberation, and at death of the
>> body the Prana exits through the Sahasarara resulting in Maha Samadhi. The
>> exit through the Sahasarara is meant to be a sign of the final Mukti.
>> However, on the path of Jnana, the pranas do not exit but are absorbed into
>> the Heart that is the Self. How do we reconcile these two seemingly
>> divergent explanations?
>
>namaskAram:
>  I do not know much about the Yogic references to Maha Samadhi you
>make, so my answer will not be complete.

Having learnt/practiced Kundalini yoga and then atma vichara for a while,
it is my feeling that the explanations are not divergent but depends on
how one defines mukti.

According to yoga, when prana leaves thro' sahasarara, then one goes to
Brahmaloka, never to return to "mortal" existence and is liberated from
the cycle of births and deaths. Advaita does not disagree with the concept
of Brahmaloka etc. (see Madhusudana sarasvati's commentary relating to
attaining Brahmaloka through bhakti alone).

However, the real advaitic stance is more logical and stringent.
Mukti is something that is "attained" right now. It is only a "rediscovering"
of the Self by the removal of (avidya, dvaita. There is nothing to attain,
only the avidya has to leave.

My experience, based on my Guru's words, is this : "Exercises" like
Kundalini yoga, kriya yoga etc etc. are all _very_ useful till a stage,
when adequate concentration and chitta shuddhi is attained. Later, all
these practices have to be essentially looked upon as "unreal" and the
mind turned inward to realize the Self by atma vichara. Essentially,
all these yogic practices are useful till one has the "maturity" to look upon
all the lokas (including this one) as unreal and concentrate on the Real.

AUM shaantiH

gm

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