In February 2010, the editor of this blog had the good fortune to spend several hours over a few days with P. P. Kaka Maharaj (Gurudev) in a discussion on Maha Yoga. We will be posting translated and edited excerpts from that discussion over the next couple of weeks. The following is the first part of that discussion
Editor: Thank you Gurudev for this opportunity to talk to you about Maha Yoga on behalf of the readers of Self Awakening, our quarterly e-newsletter (archives available at www.mahayoga.org). Last year we had a similar discussion in which you spoke about your own life experiences and your advice to Sadhaks. Incidentally, that interview was very well received by readers of the e-newsletter as evident in the feedback we got. This time I would like to get your thoughts on Maha Yoga, Deeksha (initiation) and Sadhan (meditation). Shall we begin?
Gurudev: I am happy to hear that the discussion we had last year was well-received. Let us hope the discussion we are about to have will also be useful to Sadhaks. Let us begin.
Editor: Great. We hear quite often from you and others in our Parampara (lineage) that Maha Yoga is the best approach to Yoga. Most of us who have been following this path for a while believe it is, because of the experiences we have had over the years. But people who are new to Maha Yoga often ask us why we believe that is the case. It would be great if you could shed some light on this topic.
Gurudev: As you are aware, there are several different approaches to Yoga, all with the same goal of taking a Sadhak to self-enlightenment. There are Hatha Yoga, Laya Yoga, Mantra Yoga and Raja Yoga, among others which are designed to take a dedicated and diligent Sadhak eventually to self-enlightenment. All these forms of Yoga require a Sadhak to devote long periods of time under the supervision of competent Gurus, in practices that are designed to eventually result in self-awakening. But these are very difficult approaches to follow and most Sadhaks, while deriving many benefits, both physical and mental, fail to become spiritually awakened. Given the popularity of Hatha Yoga these days, I would like to point out that even in the great Hatha Yoga treatise, “Hatha Yoga Pradipika”, after describing all the asanas and other practices, in its very last verse the author, Svatmarama, says:
As long as Prana (Universal Life Energy) does not enter the Sushumna (the subtle pathway or “Nadi” along the spine) and reach its highest goal at the crown of the head, as long as the absolute is not manifested in Samadhi, as long as the I does not become one with the Brahman (Supreme, Universal Spirit), so long all the talk of knowledge and wisdom is merely the nonsensical babbling of a mad man.
So, even after describing all these difficult and long-term Hatha Yoga practices, there is a disclaimer at the end that these practices may not necessarily result in the Sadhak’s Kundalini becoming awakened.
Maha Yoga, on the other hand, is a direct approach to having self-awakening happen. A Sadhak following this approach does not need to do anything in terms of Yoga practices; in fact the less he involves himself in intentional “doing” of any practices during Sadhan (meditation), the better will be his progress. So, if the Sadhak is not to do anything, then who is going to be the “doer”? The “doer” will be Prana Shakti (Mother Energy, or Universal Life Energy). Prana Shakti is a subtle form of energy, the gross manifestation of which is the breath we inhale and exhale as long as we are alive. Once awakened, the Prana Shakti will clean out all blockages in the pathways (Nadis) within our subtle bodies, so she can move freely throughout our subtle bodies. All a Sadhak needs to do is to get out of her way during Sadhan; and she will not stop until she enters the Sushumna Nadi and takes him all the way eventually to the Samadhi state! So unlike the other Yoga approaches which involve “doing” various practices under the supervision of a Guru, a follower of Maha Yoga needs to just entrust himself to the inner guidance of the Prana Shakti and let whatever needs to happen, happen. And once unleashed, the Prana Shakti will not rest until the Sadhak achieves self-enlightenment.
Editor: Thank you for that clear and important differentiation between Maha Yoga and other approaches to Yoga. We hope Sadhaks internalize the key attribute of Maha Yoga, which is that the Sadhak is not the “doer” of Sadhan but it is the Prana Shakti within himself which is both the “doer” and the Guru. Now moving on to the next issue, we often get asked about the benefits of Maha Yoga. It would greatly help the Sadhak community if they can hear from you all the different ways Maha Yoga can benefit them.
Gurudev: Maha Yoga has the potential to uplift all attributes of a person’s life (Jeevan Kalyan). Not only that, it has the potential to uplift all human-kind as described in the Bhagvad Geeta. In fact I consider the Geeta to be a discourse on Maha Yoga itself, because all the different Yogas discussed there by Lord Krishna are aspects of Maha Yoga.
As I mentioned earlier, Maha Yoga does not involve “doing” on the part of a Sadhak. So that makes it very simple, because the Sadhak does not need to “do” anything, he has to simply let it “happen” during Sadhan. It does not involve an external Guru. Once the Prana Shakti is activated in a Sadhak, she becomes the Sadhak’s Guru; a Sadhak has to simply allow her to guide him. And unlike an earthly Guru who might make mistakes in his judgment about what a Sadhak needs for spiritual progress, Prana Shakti, which is the Sadhak’s internal Guru knows him intimately, including all the Samskaras (past actions and thoughts which influence a Sadhak) from this and all of his previous lives! So she can guide him in the best possible way, helping clear out all the blockages in the pathways of his subtle body (Nadi Shuddhi) to eventually take him to self awakening and enlightenment. And further, because the Sadhak allows the Prana Shakti to be the “doer”, his ego becomes diminished, and unlike other approaches which have the Sadhak be the “doer” of whatever practices that are prescribed, a Maha Yoga Sadhak has no difficulty letting go completely of his ego, a very important precondition, when he nears the Samadhi state.
The clearing of blockages to the flow of Prana in a Sadhak’s subtle body (Nadi Shuddhi) has all kinds of benefits. It is as if God becomes pleased with the Sadhak! By God, I mean the Prana Shakti. And once that happens, the Sadhak’s outlook towards life changes, he gradually reaches an elevated spiritual state and he finds that whatever needs to happen in his spiritual life or otherwise, happens automatically. He will find himself less directed towards chasing material things not necessary for his spiritual progress, thus he will find himself more contented with his life. He will also find his material circumstances change so as to enable his spiritual progress. The material world experiences he needs to have in order for him to progress spiritually will happen automatically. He will develop a sense of calm, which might help him materially as well, but more importantly, his need for material progress as a definer of his self-worth will gradually disappear. Over time he will develop a sense of detachment and the intensity of his desires and aversions will gradually diminish. He will begin to see his life from a very different perspective. His pleasures will be more in the spiritual realm rather than the material. He will begin to truly experience heaven on earth!
