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Raja Yoga (or) Mental Development

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posted on Mar, 6 2006 @ 04:12 AM
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I have recently read Yogi Ramacharakas' book Raja Yoga or Mental Development.

In my opinion I find it to be very educational maybe a little difficult to follow if your totally unfamiliar with your mind and altered conciousness, although it's presented well, making small steps to explaining larger truths.

I'm wondering why things of this nature aren't made mandatory for all schools, world-wide. The explanation of mental faculties is no doubt a very important topic, if we were all taught at a young age most of the things out-lined in the book we would avoid a lot of addiction, murder, suicide, racism; pretty much any negative branch of human functioning. It's apparent that we're evolving, information is cutting men down, the truth is being proven against all doubts, people who can tell the future, move objects mentally, read minds and all of this is beginning to be studied and understood by scientists in countries where this research is allowed publically. A lot of research I find dedicated to the understanding and progression of our evolution is deemed unsafe and unhealthy for public consumption.

In Raja Yoga, it explains that the true self is universal, meaning we are all one and that our body is merely an instrument which we may fine tune with the proper knowledge.

It explains very well the different layers of covering we have over our essence (our light) and that we shouldn't be hasty, trying to remove all of these coverings at once, but with delicate pratice use the tools of the mind, (our sense organs and conciousness) to replace those negative aspects with positive things. Instead of removing the negative and focusing on that, it focuses on making a positive foundation because positive always outways negative, i.e. instead of trying to erradicate fear you simply begin with small amounts of courage and slowly amount your way to being courageous in anything and everything you do.

Now my problem with all of this is:
These men through-out the years are true saints who painstakingly discovered all of these great and marvelous truths, but there is always a question left over, although I understand it wasn't meant to give specific answers, but even with all of this knowledge and discipline why has no one ever returned with a definite answer as to why we are here, of course millions of peoples' speculation has just created religeon after religeon, society after secret society all training its people to this ultimate knowledge, power and understanding, OF SELF.... Although we continue to speculate where the generous fellow is who put us here, all the while enlightened men run around the planet trying to find quicker and easier ways to enlighten his fellow man.

But of all of these formulas, in all honesty, which is the best?
some religeons enlightenments are quite entry level, but when you get up there which is the highest initiation? Surely the level of "The Christ" is something to aim for, but where does one go to find a teacher? where does one study, in what country are the highest initiated?
and of all these men, surely they know eachother, speak to eachother whether through telepathy or modern means, but what are their plans, are they correlating? or do they take turns? why work behind the scenes?



posted on Mar, 6 2006 @ 04:33 AM
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Originally posted by dnero6911
But of all of these formulas, in all honesty, which is the best?
some religeons enlightenments are quite entry level, but when you get up there which is the highest initiation? Surely the level of "The Christ" is something to aim for, but where does one go to find a teacher? where does one study, in what country are the highest initiated?
and of all these men, surely they know eachother, speak to eachother whether through telepathy or modern means, but what are their plans, are they correlating? or do they take turns? why work behind the scenes?


Like both Buddha and Christ said - Do not put any man (including them)higher then yourself. Do not worship or idolize another man.

Simply put there is no one initiated higher then you nor is there anyone better then you nor is anyone more enlightent or more as a saint then you nor is anyone more angelic or demonic then you.

Study what feels right to you and the teacher will come in many shapes. From another person on the street giving you advice that will stimulate you to go on or cause you to gain new insights. Observe nature in all it's facets from trees to bees, from lakes to oceans, people, sky and everything.

Do not focus too much on what you want to achieve but just walk the path towards it and enjoy it. Why worry about what other people do? It has no effect on you unless you let them.

All masters taught themselves and used life as its tutor. Masters don't need initiations, such as reiki...usui never recieved an initation from anyone so why do we need it? A master understands he isn't a master to begin with, nor do selfproclaimed titles hold any ground nor do any certificates and degrees other people give each other. No man is in a position to judge another.

damn when reading back it sure seems like a suming up of old cliche's (feels old)


[edit on 6-3-2006 by Enyalius]



posted on Mar, 6 2006 @ 04:42 AM
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That wasn't exactly my focus, I more or less meant, once one has become "Super-Enlightened" he or she still lacks the relationship with "GOD" that explains our existance and the mechanics of it.

But you do make a good point that there is no one higher initiated than oneself, it makes sense to quite a degree, although one could take it further under the teaching of the Raja Yogi and say that even though you learn from another physical being you are still learning from yourself because all physical beings are the same.

Although if this statement is true that would mean our Ego is absolutely useless, if we are all one and the same God, than what's the purpose of emotions and such? personality and sensation? if it is all but chaffe in the wind than why have we been blessed with this physical existance, existance in this plane?



posted on Mar, 6 2006 @ 04:52 AM
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So that is your point...ok...

One who has reached "spiritual enlightentment" does have the connection with "God". Or whatever you belief in. The individual does know the answer to why we are here. But do you think that "masters" come out and talk? No because most choose to stay silent. Every indiviual has their own development and growth at their own pace. Why give someone the answers on a silver platter? Sure you'll have the knowledge, but you'll lack wisdom. Knowledge can only become wisdom if you put the knowledge gained into practice.

If someone says the reason to life many people, who didn't reach that stage yet, will say you're a lunatic. How can anyone gain such "profound" knowledge. Who do you think you are? The messiah? blabla bla people will think you're arrogant, obnoxious, a know-it-all and later they will even feel jealous when they find out you are right. People just aren't ready for most things and MUST experience themselves to gain the wisdom necesary for this piece of knowledge.

People need to understand themselves first before the answer will come.

[edit on 6-3-2006 by Enyalius]



posted on Mar, 6 2006 @ 05:14 AM
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But thats not progress because through death and birth those adapted to the knowledge will decease...
There is coming a time when there will be a shift in conciousness and we will all be in the same realm of understanding...


You're under the influence that there are varying degrees by which we advance which is true, but once you have crossed a certain threshold, knowledge merely "IS"....



posted on Mar, 6 2006 @ 05:24 AM
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Originally posted by dnero6911
But thats not progress because through death and birth those adapted to the knowledge will decease...
There is coming a time when there will be a shift in conciousness and we will all be in the same realm of understanding...


You're under the influence that there are varying degrees by which we advance which is true, but once you have crossed a certain threshold, knowledge merely "IS"....


no one will decease. "Masters" have come back time and time again in many forms. People made religions based upon their teachings, the masters themselves felt no need for religion.

For conciouss shift...it's a new-age belief just like they said we shifted to the aquarius age. Different system, different beliefs. Saying it will actually happen is an assumption based on hope. A false assumption at that, but people will find out themselves when nothing spectaculair and earth shaking will happen. They can't read the manifestation when it hits them in the face to begin with
Changes are so subtle at first that after 2000 years people have finally understood the biggest part of "Christs" teachings.

And you're right once you reach a certain stage everything just is, that is when you found balance and feel no need to move to the one side of another in our duality system. I'm not under influence of anything cept myself.

[edit on 6-3-2006 by Enyalius]



posted on Mar, 6 2006 @ 05:37 AM
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For conciouss shift...it's a new-age belief just like they said we shifted to the aquarius age. Different system, different beliefs. Saying it will actually happen is an assumption based on hope. A false assumption at that, but people will find out themselves when nothing spectaculair and earth shaking will happen.

This is exactly why Raja-Yoga may not be the best Yoga for beginners. Bhakti Yoga, may be the best to work with. It preaches simple love and devotion. That devotion is to the devine self, which is everything. If one can show pure love to God/Self/Universe, then one can begin to see that is what the universe was made for. Anything getting in the way of that love is to be avoided.

Kharma Yoga is also a fairly good beginner Yoga as well. This is the knowledge that what you do, and what happens to you in life occurs through kharma. More than that, everything that you do will have a direct connection to yourself in a future life. By seeing this, you will begin to detach yourself from the rewards gained by actions in this life. These false rewards don't matter, as this reallity is an illusion.



posted on Mar, 6 2006 @ 05:41 AM
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Sounds interesting. I'm not much of a Yoga man and use other ways. But I'll have a look at these and see how they work



posted on Mar, 6 2006 @ 05:59 AM
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try Wikipedia for now. Ultimately you'll want to read the Bhagivad Ghita for a better understanding of the spirit behind the ideas. The Ghita is a part of a larger text called the Mahabharata. I'ts a story of a war between dharma and adharma, good and evil, the spirit vs. the desire for wealth and power.

The story has good fight scenes and reads something like a sci-fi story



posted on Mar, 6 2006 @ 06:07 AM
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Already delved into that a long time ago as well as the stories of Yogananda and about Babaji. Ideologies and such are interesting indeed. Gives good insight, but it isn't my path in life so didn't go to far into it since there is so much more to study in life



posted on Mar, 6 2006 @ 11:43 AM
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no one will decease. "Masters" have come back time and time again in many forms. People made religions based upon their teachings, the masters themselves felt no need for religion.

For conciouss shift...it's a new-age belief just like they said we shifted to the aquarius age. Different system, different beliefs. Saying it will actually happen is an assumption based on hope. A false assumption at that, but people will find out themselves when nothing spectaculair and earth shaking will happen. They can't read the manifestation when it hits them in the face to begin with
Changes are so subtle at first that after 2000 years people have finally understood the biggest part of "Christs" teachings.

And you're right once you reach a certain stage everything just is, that is when you found balance and feel no need to move to the one side of another in our duality system. I'm not under influence of anything cept myself.

[edit on 6-3-2006 by Enyalius]


I understand all of this, although I have my own slightly different beliefs on the whole "reincarnation" thing...

Another interesting thing to note is how quickly we're "changing/learning" or having shifts in conciousness, something that used to happen once every so many thousands of years, more recently within tens of years and down to months now down to 32 days or some nonesense.

Also your comment on how "Those who are Wise". or "Those who Know, don't say anything, they stay silent, that is exactly incorrect, they are being tricked by their new found knowledge, those who have the highest training are those who are trying to initiate others; the others are merely stuck on the realization that all is one, so they think, since they're all knowing and fine that it's okay for the rest of the collective energy(other humans) to be diminished, somewhat.

The ability to teach the true self is the ultimate knowledge, one which no one has mastered. If so we would all be "Aliens" by now... lol



posted on Mar, 6 2006 @ 11:55 AM
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Originally posted by dnero6911
if we were all taught at a young age most of the things out-lined in the book we would avoid a lot of addiction, murder, suicide, racism;

Why do you think that? What evidence supports the idea that this guy's babblings are more true than anyone else's babblings?



posted on Mar, 6 2006 @ 11:56 AM
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All of the Yogi Ramacharacha books I have read and throroughly enjoyed. I believe his insight is the purest form to the pathway of self-mastery. The history on Ramacharacka is intersting. You should google it. Other great books by that source are; Gnani Yoga, 14 lesson in oriental occultism, Raja yoga, Bakhti Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Science of Breath, Life beyond Death, the Upanishads, and finally; the Advanced Cource in Yogi Philosophy is PRICELESS.

These books are not the means of worshiping someone elses words, rather, these words help you find your true self. "When the pupil is ready; the master appears."

Anyway, good thread, I was wondering when a Ramacharacha thread would be started. AAC



posted on Mar, 6 2006 @ 01:12 PM
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These books are not the means of worshiping someone elses words, rather, these words help you find your true self. "When the pupil is ready; the master appears."


Isn't it amazing? The ultimate lesson is to believe in no one but yourself. Nothing is real except for yourself. It's the only thing that anyone knows for sure. Yet so many ideologies preach that the self is nothing without (insert deity here). Of course it brings me back to the John Lennon song God in which he repeats " I don't believe in....." and lists a dozen things he doesn't believe in, then continues "I just believe in me, Yoko and me". The only thing that is real is the self, and the love the self feels.



posted on Mar, 6 2006 @ 01:22 PM
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I agree. The unfortunate part is that these ideas aren't shared by most. Furthermore, these ideas are anti what most think to believe. The fortunate part is that in time all truths will be self-evident. The rest are only doing, "the best that they know how to do."

A beautiful aspect of those books is that every reading you learn something new. The words are cleverly designed to fit each persons level of comprehesion. Once your consciousness progresses, so do the words and their meanings. Beautiful. AAC







 
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