Yoga of Synthesis
Encyclopedia
Swami Sivananda
's approach to yoga
was to combine the four main paths - karma yoga
, bhakti yoga
, jnana yoga
and raja yoga
along with various sub-yogas such as kirtan
and hatha yoga
. This is reflected in the motto of the society that he formed, the Divine Life Society
. The motto says, "Serve (Karma Yoga), Love (Bhakti Yoga), Meditate (Jnana Yoga), Realise (Raja Yoga)." In his own words, "One-sided development is not commendable. Religion and Yoga must educate and develop the whole man - his heart, intellect and hand."
These paths are usually seen by others as different and separate, suited to different people addressing their individual temperaments or approaches to life. There is consensus that all the paths lead ultimately to the same destination - to union with Brahman
or God. Swami Sivananda
, however, saw a need for balance in every individual's spiritual development. He maintained that though the seeker would naturally gravitate toward one path, the lessons of each of the paths needed to be integrated by every seeker if true wisdom is to be attained. Thus he did not see them as different paths but as methods to be used in concert for the one destination. He even gave a simple formula for application by way of a song. As if to express his conviction in this winning formula to his disciples during his last days, he wrote “Serve, love, meditate, realise” when asked to write a note.
is path usually chosen by those of an outgoing nature, Swami Sivananda recognised that every seeker needed to be selfless and see no difference in "all these names and forms". Service purifies the heart by teaching one to act selflessly, without thought of gain or reward. By detaching oneself from the fruits of one's actions and offering them up to God, one learns to sublimate the ego. To achieve this, Swami Sivananda recommends that we serve with Atma Bhav i.e. with an attitude and conviction that everything is yet another aspect of God. "He who works in the world with Atma Bhav will eventually reach Atma.".
for all to develop love for God and creation. Through prayer, worship, ritual and ultimately developing a tangible relationship, a seeker surrenders herself to God, channelling and transmuting her emotions into unconditional love or devotion. Chanting or singing the praises of God form a substantial part of bhakti
.
, jnana yoga
uses the mind to inquire into self-nature. We perceive the space inside and outside a glass as different, just as we see ourselves as separate from God. Jnana Yoga leads the devotee to experience his unity with God directly by breaking the glass, dissolving the veils of ignorance. In a nutshell, Swami Sivananda said, "To behold the one Self in all beings is Jnana". Before practising jnana yoga, the aspirant needs to have integrated the lessons of the other yogic paths - for without selflessness and love of God, strength of body and mind, the search for self-realisation can become mere idle speculation.
is often called the "royal road". It offers a comprehensive method for controlling the waves of thought by turning our mental and physical energy into spiritual energy. Raja yoga is also called ashtanga yoga referring to the eight limbs leading to absolute mental control. The chief practice of raja yoga is meditation. It also includes all other methods which helps one to control body, energy, senses and mind. The hatha-yogi uses relaxation and other practices such as yamas
, niyamas, mudras, and bandhas to gain control of the physical body and the subtle life force called prana
. When body and energy are under control meditation
comes naturally. Swami Sivananda recommended the various aspects of raja yoga to develop strong will power and a healthy body to all seekers.
Swami Sivananda
Swami Sivananda Saraswati was a Hindu spiritual teacher and a proponent of Yoga and Vedanta. Sivananda was born Kuppuswami in Pattamadai, in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. He studied medicine and served in Malaya as a physician for several years before taking up monasticism...
's approach to yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
was to combine the four main paths - karma yoga
Karma Yoga
Karma yoga , or the "discipline of action" is a form of yoga based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Sanskrit scripture of Hinduism. Of the four paths to realization, karma yoga is the science of achieving perfection in action...
, bhakti yoga
Bhakti yoga
Bhakti yoga is one of the types of yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies which denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion to a personal form of God....
, jnana yoga
Jnana yoga
Jyâna yoga or "path of knowledge" is one of the types of yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies...
and raja yoga
Raja Yoga
Rāja Yoga is concerned principally with the cultivation of the mind using meditation to further one's acquaintance with reality and finally achieve liberation.Raja yoga was first described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and is part of the Samkhya tradition.In the context of Hindu...
along with various sub-yogas such as kirtan
Kirtan
Kirtan or Kirtana is call-and-response chanting or "responsory" performed in India's devotional traditions. A person performing kirtan is known as a kirtankar. Kirtan practice involves chanting hymns or mantras to the accompaniment of instruments such as the harmonium, tablas, the two-headed...
and hatha yoga
Hatha yoga
Hatha yoga , also called hatha vidya , is a system of yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a Hindu sage of 15th century India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika....
. This is reflected in the motto of the society that he formed, the Divine Life Society
Divine Life Society
The Divine Life Society is a religious organization and an ashram, founded by Swami Sivananda Saraswati in 1936, at Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh, India...
. The motto says, "Serve (Karma Yoga), Love (Bhakti Yoga), Meditate (Jnana Yoga), Realise (Raja Yoga)." In his own words, "One-sided development is not commendable. Religion and Yoga must educate and develop the whole man - his heart, intellect and hand."
These paths are usually seen by others as different and separate, suited to different people addressing their individual temperaments or approaches to life. There is consensus that all the paths lead ultimately to the same destination - to union with Brahman
Brahman
In Hinduism, Brahman is the one supreme, universal Spirit that is the origin and support of the phenomenal universe. Brahman is sometimes referred to as the Absolute or Godhead which is the Divine Ground of all being...
or God. Swami Sivananda
Swami Sivananda
Swami Sivananda Saraswati was a Hindu spiritual teacher and a proponent of Yoga and Vedanta. Sivananda was born Kuppuswami in Pattamadai, in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. He studied medicine and served in Malaya as a physician for several years before taking up monasticism...
, however, saw a need for balance in every individual's spiritual development. He maintained that though the seeker would naturally gravitate toward one path, the lessons of each of the paths needed to be integrated by every seeker if true wisdom is to be attained. Thus he did not see them as different paths but as methods to be used in concert for the one destination. He even gave a simple formula for application by way of a song. As if to express his conviction in this winning formula to his disciples during his last days, he wrote “Serve, love, meditate, realise” when asked to write a note.
Karma yoga
Karma yogaKarma Yoga
Karma yoga , or the "discipline of action" is a form of yoga based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Sanskrit scripture of Hinduism. Of the four paths to realization, karma yoga is the science of achieving perfection in action...
is path usually chosen by those of an outgoing nature, Swami Sivananda recognised that every seeker needed to be selfless and see no difference in "all these names and forms". Service purifies the heart by teaching one to act selflessly, without thought of gain or reward. By detaching oneself from the fruits of one's actions and offering them up to God, one learns to sublimate the ego. To achieve this, Swami Sivananda recommends that we serve with Atma Bhav i.e. with an attitude and conviction that everything is yet another aspect of God. "He who works in the world with Atma Bhav will eventually reach Atma.".
Bhakti yoga
Normally appealing to the emotional by nature, Swami Sivananda urged bhakti yogaBhakti yoga
Bhakti yoga is one of the types of yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies which denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion to a personal form of God....
for all to develop love for God and creation. Through prayer, worship, ritual and ultimately developing a tangible relationship, a seeker surrenders herself to God, channelling and transmuting her emotions into unconditional love or devotion. Chanting or singing the praises of God form a substantial part of bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
.
Jnana yoga
Taking the philosophy of VedantaVedanta
Vedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...
, jnana yoga
Jnana yoga
Jyâna yoga or "path of knowledge" is one of the types of yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies...
uses the mind to inquire into self-nature. We perceive the space inside and outside a glass as different, just as we see ourselves as separate from God. Jnana Yoga leads the devotee to experience his unity with God directly by breaking the glass, dissolving the veils of ignorance. In a nutshell, Swami Sivananda said, "To behold the one Self in all beings is Jnana". Before practising jnana yoga, the aspirant needs to have integrated the lessons of the other yogic paths - for without selflessness and love of God, strength of body and mind, the search for self-realisation can become mere idle speculation.
Raja yoga
Raja yogaRaja Yoga
Rāja Yoga is concerned principally with the cultivation of the mind using meditation to further one's acquaintance with reality and finally achieve liberation.Raja yoga was first described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and is part of the Samkhya tradition.In the context of Hindu...
is often called the "royal road". It offers a comprehensive method for controlling the waves of thought by turning our mental and physical energy into spiritual energy. Raja yoga is also called ashtanga yoga referring to the eight limbs leading to absolute mental control. The chief practice of raja yoga is meditation. It also includes all other methods which helps one to control body, energy, senses and mind. The hatha-yogi uses relaxation and other practices such as yamas
Yamas
Yamas, and its complement, Niyamas, represent a series of "right living" or ethical rules within Hinduism and Yoga. These are a form of moral imperatives, commandments, rules or goals...
, niyamas, mudras, and bandhas to gain control of the physical body and the subtle life force called prana
Prana
Prana is the Sanskrit word for "vital life" .It is one of the five organs of vitality or sensation, viz. prana "breath", vac "speech", chakshus "sight", shrotra "hearing", and manas "thought" Prana is the Sanskrit word for "vital life" (from the root "to fill", cognate to Latin plenus...
. When body and energy are under control meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
comes naturally. Swami Sivananda recommended the various aspects of raja yoga to develop strong will power and a healthy body to all seekers.