The Greatest Healer is You

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#21

[QUOTE=ray_killeen;63638]Anand Kulkarni, your posts throughout this Forum has inspired me to contemplate research and even experiment practices. You express knowledge in your words and undoubtedly you practice what you write, although I’m not certain when you speak of direct experience vs. borrowed knowledge, informative none the less. Certainly you have tremendous respect for Guru considering him a positive influence, and I’m trying to ask this in a non bias manner, but do you understand why one may be perplexed as to how much faith you place in Guru? Is there a worthy Guru who wants to be placed on a pedestal or expects their transfer of conceptual knowledge, experiences and indescribable concepts be accepted without question, perhaps it’s more of a religious ideology then a yogic Truth? Again I ask out of curiosity not out of malice.[/QUOTE]

Dear Friend(s): (That “s” is because I see two of you in the picture!)

I appreciate your kind words and pass on the compliments to the Almighty.

My [I]Guru~Parampara[/I] (tradition/ lineage) tells me that [I][B]Ishwara[/B][/I] (Absolute/ Almighty), [I][B]Guru[/B][/I] and [I][B]Atman[/B][/I] are one and the same thing, not three different.

I was confused about this “idea” for quite some time. However, once one realises (experiences) that the three are driven by the same Divine Power (and also residing within us as divine but dormant kundalini), this “idea” establishes itself within us.

Since the Almighty (even as an "Abstract Power) is only a Giver and not a taker, He would work through personifications who have cast away all the taking (sense desires), only to remain as Guru who as as Divine Power kindles the [I]Kundalini[/I] of aspirants.

This awakened divine power then continues as Guru within aspirant. So this is the “positive influence” of Guru.

Now you tell me, would there be any Guru who wants to be placed on a high pedestal? It is we who realise that he is indeed on a high pedestal.

The question of how much faith one should have in a person, always was, is and will always remain relevant.

Faith is a word which falls short of what is intended to be conveyed. We use a word [I][B]“Shraddha”[/B][/I]. It a kind of an inner attitude functioning without the influence of any doubt whatsoever.

For doubt to vanish, the mind must vanish. So we come back to square one. What is that aspect within us which is higher than mind and therefore, with which mind must merge and hence “vanish”?

The answer is Prana. So have [I][B]Shraddha[/B][/I] in [I][B]Prana[/B][/I]. Give a free hand to[I] Prana[/I] for a few minutes daily. Sit relaxed, calmly close the eyes ant let [I]Prana[/I] do the breathing for you…

After repeatedly attempting the above practice and only when [I]Shraddha[/I] is born, one finds Guru and yoga begins.

Coming to your question again, I would say that as a person, Guru is one in whose presence, thoughts reduce greatly, by virtue of [I]Prana[/I] rising up.

regards, anand

p.s. I feel, a discussion on Guru would be relevant in all threads. Without His Power, there can be no healing, no inner purification and no yoga.

#22

no

The best (i.e easiest/fastest) healer would be (you wouldn’t believe me)

The best guide would be (not you).

Hillarious! And I wouldnt not believe you either.

#23

thanks

#24

you are so right. in many cases this “coming to oneself” happens too late…
inspiring post, thank you kima

#25

yoga_teacher_training,

"I agree, we are our best healer and guide "

I know that these days it is popular to be saying such things, but whether this is true or not all depends on what you mean by “you”. Most people mean the ego. If by this you mean the ego, no, the ego is not the best healer and guide. But if you mean by this - opening up the mind and body to a dimension within yourself which is beyond the mind and body, then yes. This is why authentic “healings” happen, it is because your whole system has become receptive to a space which is the very ground of your being, it is the very life source which keeps your mind and body working. Ordinarily, because your system is not receptive enough, the transmission does not go through, and no healing takes place - there are far too many physical and psychological obstacles which are preventing it from taking place.

#26

can you explain more about this?

#27

Most of the “healings” which have a more permanent effect are because your consciousness has become receptive to a dimension within you which can be called “divine”. When that dimension becomes available to your awareness, then the mind and body are empowered by tremendous energy, because that is the dimension which is in fact sustaining the mind and body, and all of the energies involved in their working. That is why it is not a coincidence that as you progress in something like meditation, you will find many psychological and physical disorders suddenly start disappearing the deeper you enter into yourself. It is because once your awareness starts becoming more sensitive to a dimension which is the very source of your being, then as you progress towards it, certain healings of the mind and body happen as a side-effect. This is a totally different process of healing, it happens not because you are searching to be healed, but it is just a consequence of going deeper into yourself. Most of the methods which focus on healing through a healing technique are in fact quite dangerous. Because unless you have enormous awareness and understanding, you can create several imbalances if you tamper with your system in the wrong way. Our system is very complex. If there is even an imbalance in any one part, all of the other parts become imbalanced - everything is interconnected. Because everything is interconnected, if you do not have a holistic understanding of man himself - from his body, to his mind, to that which is the source of the mind and body, you may correct a few problems here and there, but you will never truly feel healed. It is one thing to heal the body of a certain sickness, and it is another thing to heal the mind from attachment. And if you are carrying stress, fear, and anxiety within yourself - this damages the body in many ways. Because the mind and body are not separate, they influence each other on so many levels. So - it is my own feeling, that if most “healings” are to be effective, it has to be approached in a holistic way - taking the full man into consideration, not just a small part of him.

#28

[QUOTE=AmirMourad;63870]yoga_teacher_training,

"I agree, we are our best healer and guide "

I know that these days it is popular to be saying such things, but whether this is true or not all depends on what you mean by “you”. Most people mean the ego. If by this you mean the ego, no, the ego is not the best healer and guide. But if you mean by this - opening up the mind and body to a dimension within yourself which is beyond the mind and body, then yes. This is why authentic “healings” happen, it is because your whole system has become receptive to a space which is the very ground of your being, it is the very life source which keeps your mind and body working. Ordinarily, because your system is not receptive enough, the transmission does not go through, and no healing takes place - there are far too many physical and psychological obstacles which are preventing it from taking place.[/QUOTE]

Dear friend:
Your words

no, the ego is not the best healer and guide.
are in tune with yoga science. In fact, I would add ego (body identification), whose wrongdoings have accumulated, maybe over several births, is the cause of numerous diseases. Again ailments could be physical, mental, emotional.

Again, your words

This is why authentic “healings” happen, it is because your whole system has become receptive to a space which is the very ground of your being, it is the very life source which keeps your mind and body working.
would lead one to put [I]prana[/I], the life force in charge of the system, rather than ego.

Again, your thoughts,

Ordinarily, because your system is not receptive enough, the transmission does not go through, and no healing takes place - there are far too many physical and psychological obstacles which are preventing it from taking place.
have a solution in the highest yoga path known as Mahayoga as described in Yoga-Shikha-Upanishad Ch.1, ver.129.

So, the mind follows [I]maruta[/I] (air that automatically enters and leaves the body), which is the form of [I] prana[/I], in animate creation. [I]Prana[/I] then envelopes the mind and takes over the direct working of [I]samskaras[/I], leading to cleansing or yogic cauterizing of the [I]karmic[/I] cause that had produced the ailment.

regards
anand

#29

“would lead one to put prana, the life force in charge of the system, rather than ego”

There are many levels to healing. There is that kind of healing which is just concerned with the body. That is of the most superficial and least effective kind. There is that kind of healing which deals with the mind, that is less superficial and more effective than that which is only concerned with the mind. Then there is that kind of healing which deals with not the body or the mind, but the subtle energies which are maintaining the mind and body. That is of a far deeper level. But there is that which is even deeper than dealing with prana, but in coming into contact with the source from which prana arises.

#30

[QUOTE=AmirMourad;63908]“would lead one to put prana, the life force in charge of the system, rather than ego”

There are many levels to healing. There is that kind of healing which is just concerned with the body. That is of the most superficial and least effective kind. There is that kind of healing which deals with the mind, that is less superficial and more effective than that which is only concerned with the mind. Then there is that kind of healing which deals with not the body or the mind, but the subtle energies which are maintaining the mind and body. That is of a far deeper level. But there is that which is even deeper than dealing with prana, but in coming into contact with the source from which prana arises.[/QUOTE]

Dear friend:

But there is that which is even deeper than dealing with prana, but in coming into contact with the source from which prana arises.

Would like to understand.

regards
anand

#31

yes, me too…

#32

if there any sense, it must be deep

#33

Anand,

What you are referring to as prana refers to the whole spectrum of subtle energies in the subtle body, such as udana at the throat which assists in speaking, samana at the navel which assists in digestion, apana below the navel which assists in excreation, prana at the chest which assists in breathing and heart regulation, vyana which is pervading all over the body, and so on. So one method of healing is through manipulation of these various subtle energies of the subtle body. Ones awareness will have to be very sensitive for this, very subtle. Before even manipulating with anothers subtle body, you will first have to learn how to obtain a certain amount of control over your own. Beyond this - if your awareness penetrates even deeper beyond these pranas which maintain the mind and body, then you can open up the mind and body to be receptive not just to the pranas of the subtle body - but to one`s own divine nature, the source of existence itself.

To make it simpler to understand - your awareness can be sensitive to various different levels of your being, the physical, the mental body, the astral body, the etheric body, the causal body, or the so called spiritual body. In yogic terminology - this would be the koshas, annamaya kosha (the sheath of the physical), pranamaya kosha (the sheath of prana), manomaya kosha (the sheath of the mind), vijnanamaya kosha (the sheath of knowledge or intellect), anandamaya kosha (the sheath of bliss, because when you come into contact with it, one experiences bliss), and a sheath beyond this which has no name - which is one`s own true nature. The kind of healing which is just concerned with prana just involves the pranamaya kosha, the sheath of prana. There are healings which happen by coming into contact with subtler levels than this.

#34

[QUOTE=AmirMourad;63929]Anand,

What you are referring to as prana refers to the whole spectrum of subtle energies in the subtle body, such as udana at the throat which assists in speaking, samana at the navel which assists in digestion, apana below the navel which assists in excreation, prana at the chest which assists in breathing and heart regulation, vyana which is pervading all over the body, and so on. So one method of healing is through manipulation of these various subtle energies of the subtle body. Ones awareness will have to be very sensitive for this, very subtle. Before even manipulating with anothers subtle body, you will first have to learn how to obtain a certain amount of control over your own. Beyond this - if your awareness penetrates even deeper beyond these pranas which maintain the mind and body, then you can open up the mind and body to be receptive not just to the pranas of the subtle body - but to one`s own divine nature, the source of existence itself.

To make it simpler to understand - your awareness can be sensitive to various different levels of your being, the physical, the mental body, the astral body, the etheric body, the causal body, or the so called spiritual body. In yogic terminology - this would be the koshas, annamaya kosha (the sheath of the physical), pranamaya kosha (the sheath of prana), manomaya kosha (the sheath of the mind), vijnanamaya kosha (the sheath of knowledge or intellect), anandamaya kosha (the sheath of bliss, because when you come into contact with it, one experiences bliss), and a sheath beyond this which has no name - which is one`s own true nature. The kind of healing which is just concerned with prana just involves the pranamaya kosha, the sheath of prana. There are healings which happen by coming into contact with subtler levels than this.[/QUOTE]

Dear Friend:

Yes you are right, I’m referring to the whole spectrum of [I]Pranas[/I]. In fact I am referring to [I][B]“Chaitanya”[/B][/I] that name for [B]Universal Prana[/B] which is enlivens the soul and subsequently assumes the five forms that you have mentioned.

However, one must know that even out of the five [I]Pranas[/I] you mention, how is a beginner to get mind awareness or control as you say, over them except maybe [I]Prana[/I] and [I]Apana.[/I]

Further, just as it it is illogical to try and lift a bucket while standing in that very bucket, it would be futile to attempt “control” of that very divine force that created you.

Hence it is best to surrender to the all pervading [I][B]Chaitanya-Prana[/B][/I]. This is most easily possible by means of the simple practice given in[I][B] mahayoga[/B][/I].

Let [I][B]Chaitanya-Prana[/B][/I] do the inner work. The Chaitanya_Prana in you will generate healing [I][B]yoga-kriyas.[/B][/I]

regards
anand

#35

Ananda,

“it would be futile to attempt “control” of that very divine force that created you”

That is true. That is why I have not said anything about control of the divine, but of coming to a deep receptivity which is capable of opening the mind and body to a dimension which is beyond the mind and body. To me, that is the deepest level of healing, but that is when healing becomes just a side-effect of enlightenment. So I was simply making a distinction between healing which happens as a result of intentionally trying to heal, and healing which happens just as a side-effect of enlightenment. Because there are things which can only be “healed” through enlightenment - no amount of control of prana is going to be of much assistance. You may be able to get rid of a headache, or a cold, or you may even be paralyzed in some part of the body and learn how to walk again, or you may have a certain psychological sickness - depression, neurosis, paranoia, and influencing the pranas of one’s system may be useful for such things. But as far as the basic root causes of man’s sufferings are concerned, one will have to enter into the depths of the unconscious and uproot the weeds completely through a flame of insight. Without insight, without wisdom - all of this pranic manipulation by itself is fruitless as far as one’s psychological sufferings are concerned, nor is it going to dissolve the obstacles which are preventing oneself from coming to more awareness. Control at the most can only help prepare ones mind to be struck by insight like lightning, but it cannot do more than that - in itself it cannot produce insight. Insight always happens when you are least expecting it, it is not something you can force into your fist.

“Hence it is best to surrender to the all pervading Chaitanya-Prana. This is most easily possible by means of the simple practice given in mahayoga.”

No, it is not most easily done through Mahayoga. You are just speaking on behalf of your entanglement in your own tradition. Of course, others who are entangled in their own tradition have also claimed that theirs is the easiest, the fastest, the most efficient. Some followers of kriya yoga have referred to it as the “lightning path” to enlightenment, because they claim it is the fastest method to enlightenment. But the reality is, that any method is going to be more or less effective depending on the programming of the individual. For one person - one method may work very well for him. For another person - the same method is a hindrance. It is just like any principle of medicine, you cannot give the same prescription for all of the different ailments. Because what might be medicine in one context, may become poison in another. So no, surrender is not “most easily possible by means of the simple practice given in mahayoga”. Perhaps, for some, certain methods may be the most effective according to their unique situation.

#36

[QUOTE=AmirMourad;63936]Ananda,

“it would be futile to attempt “control” of that very divine force that created you”

That is true. That is why I have not said anything about control of the divine, but of coming to a deep receptivity which is capable of opening the mind and body to a dimension which is beyond the mind and body. To me, that is the deepest level of healing, but that is when healing becomes just a side-effect of enlightenment. So I was simply making a distinction between healing which happens as a result of intentionally trying to heal, and healing which happens just as a side-effect of enlightenment. Because there are things which can only be “healed” through enlightenment - no amount of control of prana is going to be of much assistance. You may be able to get rid of a headache, or a cold, or you may even be paralyzed in some part of the body and learn how to walk again, or you may have a certain psychological sickness - depression, neurosis, paranoia, and influencing the pranas of one’s system may be useful for such things. But as far as the basic root causes of man’s sufferings are concerned, one will have to enter into the depths of the unconscious and uproot the weeds completely through a flame of insight. Without insight, without wisdom - all of this pranic manipulation by itself is fruitless as far as one’s psychological sufferings are concerned, nor is it going to dissolve the obstacles which are preventing oneself from coming to more awareness. Control at the most can only help prepare ones mind to be struck by insight like lightning, but it cannot do more than that - in itself it cannot produce insight. Insight always happens when you are least expecting it, it is not something you can force into your fist.

“Hence it is best to surrender to the all pervading Chaitanya-Prana. This is most easily possible by means of the simple practice given in mahayoga.”

No, it is not most easily done through Mahayoga. You are just speaking on behalf of your entanglement in your own tradition. Of course, others who are entangled in their own tradition have also claimed that theirs is the easiest, the fastest, the most efficient. Some followers of kriya yoga have referred to it as the “lightning path” to enlightenment, because they claim it is the fastest method to enlightenment. But the reality is, that any method is going to be more or less effective depending on the programming of the individual. For one person - one method may work very well for him. For another person - the same method is a hindrance. It is just like any principle of medicine, you cannot give the same prescription for all of the different ailments. Because what might be medicine in one context, may become poison in another. So no, surrender is not “most easily possible by means of the simple practice given in mahayoga”. Perhaps, for some, certain methods may be the most effective according to their unique situation.[/QUOTE]

Thanks and regards
anand

#37

Hi,

In fact the only healer in this world is you.

Ashwin

#38

Amir mentioned the five major prana?s: udana, samana, apana, `prana?, vyana. All ten (major, minor) prana?s are usually referred to as the prana?s since the ?prana? (chest/breath) is how we access and become aware of all ten. If the mind stands between us and reality we must manage the mind, one of the skillful ways to gain control of the mind is to become in tune with the subtler force called prana and feel its affects throughout our systems as vice versa. The human vessel, conduit or body is sustained by the same energy that sustains the universe and just as the vastness of the oceans is completely represented by one drop of water such is the same for cosmic prana. These concepts are nothing to believe or accept rather experience beyond question during Samadhi.

#39

you are so right, artof living…

#40

[QUOTE=ray_killeen;63947]Amir mentioned the five major prana’s: udana, samana, apana, `prana’, vyana. All ten (major, minor) prana’s are usually referred to as the prana’s since the ‘prana’ (chest/breath) is how we access and become aware of all ten. If the mind stands between us and reality we must manage the mind, one of the skillful ways to gain control of the mind is to become in tune with the subtler force called prana and feel its affects throughout our systems as vice versa. The human vessel, conduit or body is sustained by the same energy that sustains the universe and just as the vastness of the oceans is completely represented by one drop of water such is the same for cosmic prana. These concepts are nothing to believe or accept rather experience beyond question during Samadhi.[/QUOTE]

Dear Friend:

Yes, all yoga aspirants are told about the five main and the five sub-pranas (Naga, Kurma, Krikara, Devadatta and Dhananjaya). Even apart from these, there are numerous pranas since there are numerous sub-functions to be carried out within us.

I think you will agree that it would futile to attempt control over these [I]pranas[/I] or even develop an awareness of these [I]pranas[/I]. Moreover. what purpose would it serve? It would be like an errand boy keeping a watch over the chairperson of the company he works for!!

Coming to the superiority of Mahayoga, I am not repeating it out of any attachment as some here may misunderstand. There are valid reasons which everyone can test out.

[ol]
[li]In [I]Mahayoga[/I], unlike other yogas, the doership is replaced by seership. This way, there is neither a chance of doing the wrong yoga or doing yoga wrongly. The [I]yoga-kriyas[/I] that divine chaitanya-prana precipitates are the ones that are appropriate for the particular aspirant.[/li][li][I]Mahayoga[/I] is devoid of body and mind, the two biggest hurdles for inner purification.[/li][li][I]Mahayoga[/I] gives the yoga aspirant divine inner joy i.e. that joy which is totally independent of mind.[/li][li]Lastly and importantly, [I]Mahayoga[/I] is not named after any person or institution, since it not created by any person as such. So there is no question of any cult.[/li][/ol]

Being trained in science and engineering, I too started my yoga journey by learning different things in Hatha, Mantra etc., no doubt attaining some amount of progress which I now say is was germination of yoga disposition. However now, after adopting Mahayoga, I can say that when Guru’ Grace descends, [I]Prana Shakti[/I] ascends.

regards
anand