A unified view of various forms of practices

In the last several weeks we discussed 3 different types of practices – Patanjali Yoga, Buddhist Meditation as well as Hata yoga. Can we unify all these three practices? This is something I always wondered.

I know, I am trying to unify things that are inherently different in terms of method, goal and domain. But it is always nice to see them as related things by looking at their commonality and ignoring the differences.

I like the Upanishadic view of existence, where the existence (Sath) springs up from something that is almost non-existent (Asath). Non existence only means that it is inconceivable (Avyakta) or non explicit.  In the end, the Upanishads believe that this existence finally gets re-absorbed into where it came from.  And the cycle repeats.

The forward journey is called Prasava (creation) and the backward journey is called Prati-prasava (re-absorption). 

(For  more details,  read my book “Important Missing Dimensions in our current understanding of the mind”.)

I see meditation as a way of going back to where one came from or moving on the path of Prati-prasava. Different practices stop at different stages of re-absorption.

Hata yoga limits its domain to mainly the body and a little bit into mind. It revolves around ‘i’ (small i). Patanjali’s Yoga goes a lot beyond and almost goes up to self realization – i.e. up to the soul level. A yogi on this path attains the ‘I” (capital I) state. The Buddhists go further back to even to a stage beyond soul – into the domain of Avyakta itself, i.e. no ‘I’ (neither small nor capital) state.

I personally am not very happy with the Hatayoga’s over restricted narrow domain. At the same time, I am not for the Buddhists’ complete march backwards. The main reason for my rejection of the Buddhist goal is that it only helps one individual. What about the infinitely many who are left behind?

There is also the very pertinent question – “is going back to the origin really the goal of existence?”

What is needed is to stop somewhere in between so that you know who you are and at the same time can help others to move along. That is the way of a true Yogi. I believe that even Buddha agrees with me. Or else why did he spend his entire life time helping people to come out of miseries? He could have attained nirvana straight away!