Attaining the Supreme
It would not be fair not to discuss the highest goal of yoga. What good are yoga postures and breath work if they cannot overcome the process of death and birth, lead one to self realization, or transcend the illusion of the material world. By definition yoga means linking of the consciousness of the infinitesimal living entity with the supreme living entity. As eternal living spiritual souls we are all originally God conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by the illusion of this material atmosphere. The purpose of this page is not to promote one particular sect rather to outline the highest goals which appear to be present in most religions and satisfy the highest goal of "Yoga."
There are three aspects of the supreme
Brahman - The indescribable, eternally effulgent, indestructible, transcendental living entity. This is the state usually referred to as Samadhi and almost every tradition makes reference to it. Jesus said: "the kingdom of heaven is within." This is achieved only after great practice in meditation. In the Bg. [.6.t 20-23] "This is characterized by one's ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys through transcendental senses." This is an eternal state full of knowledge and bliss [sac cid ananda] and upon gaining this the practitioner feels there is nothing higher. The drawback to this is that after merging with the impersonal infinite the soul, being always active, needs variation. and that makes this station temporary and easy to fall down from.
Paramatma - The localized aspect of the Supreme Lord within the heart of all living entities. God is in all things and all things are in God. This stage is only complete when a loving relationship with the Supreme Lord has been established whatever language of God, Lord, Jehovah, Allah, etc. you use. Krsna says "A true yogi observes Me in all beings, and also sees every being in Me. Indeed a self realized man sees Me everywhere." Bg..[6. 29] How do we attain this state? Again in Bg.[6. 28] "Steady in the self, being freed from all material contamination, the yogi achieves the highest perfection stage of happiness in touch with the Supreme Consciousness".
Bhagavan - The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the possessor of all opulences. Bhagavan is the ultimate realization of the ultimate truth. Therefore, both Paramatma and the impersonal Brahman are within the Supreme Person. The Spiritual kingdom is conscious, eternal, full of bliss, faultless, unperceivable by the material eye, and inconceivable to the material mind. The Supreme Lord resides in this inconceivable place. Sac [eternity] cid [knowledge] ananda [bliss] vigra [form]. The difference here is form, "Transcendental.or Spiritual Form "
In the impersonal philosophy there is no reciprocation between the Supreme and the living entity, but in the personalist philosophy there is.
Breaking the Cycle
"From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to my abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again." Bhagavid-Gita Ch. 8 Text 16,
How do we develop a loving relationship with God to reach the spiritual kingdom and keep us from coming back to the cycle of birth and death?
Japa Meditation. Fixing ones mind on the transcendental sound vibration of the Maha Mantra which springs forth automatically from the spiritual platform. By practical experience one can at once feel a transcendental ecstasy coming through the spiritual stratum. The chanting of the Maha Mantra contains the "Omkara" and is directly enacted from the spiritual platform and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness - namely sensual, mental and intellectual.
Kirtan - Engaging ones mind and body by chanting and dancing in ecstasy.
Knowledge-We purify the intelligence by reading the Bhagvad-Gita -As it Is. which explains any question pertinent to self realization and molds our character.
