Namaste!


After a long, uneasy silence (okay, only 5 days or so), I emerge from my hibernation in the high Himalayas to gift you with...


20 Quest-ions!TM


(a game of great skill!)TM


(TM stands for "Transcendental Meditation)TM


Before we begin, however, let me say this:
There's a lot here, and I don't want this to be overwhelming or get too heady. That's why I will suggest that you take one question at a time. You can give me very abbreviated answers to these questions if you wish, as they are meant to be a kind of study guide. Of course, I would love to have an entire treatise on these subjects from you, but I don't expect that, except from a few of you, and you know who you are . It's more important to me that you are reading and learning, that's all. And according to the path of Jnana Yoga, there really is only one Question, and that is "Who Am I?" All other questions are merely footnotes to that. I say that so that this does not become too intellectual, but so that we balance the heart and intellect as we do this, and rely as much on your own intuition as your reason.


With that said, play on, and thanks for playing!


Om Shanti, Alan




Let's Play...20 Quest-ions!TM



(a game of great skill!)TM



(TM stands for "Transcendental Meditation)TM





1) You have now read two books, Desikachar's "The Heart of Yoga," and Paramahamsa Yogananda's "Autobiography of a Yogi" (the books will be abbreviated to "HY" and "AY" from here onward). Which book resonated more with you, or which appealed to you more, and why? Which book do you feel will be of greater assistance to you in your teaching? In your life?



2) Now, was there anything that bothered or disturbed you in either book? Or, what criticisms could one make of these books, if any?



3) Is Yogananda's book entirely believable to you, or are there things which he says that you have some doubts about? If yes, what are they?



4) In "The Heart of Yoga," Desikachar says a few things which run counter to what many of us in the West have learned in our yoga training. For example, he says that it is optimal to breathe first into the chest, and then the abdomen, and not the other way around. He also says that sometimes and for some students it is beneficial to hold one's breath in performing the asanas -- something that many styles/schools of yoga advise against. Desikachar's comments on Kundalini are equally remarkable in that they seem to differ so much from what many have said on the subject. Here is a brief excerpt from HY:



"The concept of kundalini is confused by many imprecise definitions, and even a text such as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika contains contradictory descriptions of it. The definition that follows is derived from what in my opinion is the best, the clearest, and the most coherent text on this subject, the Yoga Yajnavalkya. There kundalini is defined unambiguously as an obstacle. What is to enter the sushumna at some stage or other through your yoga practice is, according to this text, not the kundalini itself, but simply prana. Many books say that it is the kundalini itself that rises up through the sushumna, but this does not make sense if we follow the Yoga Yajnavalkya, one of the oldest texts that deals with this aspect of yoga. One of its central concepts is that prana and the various forms it takes in the body are linked to the practice of yoga, and it says that if we are successful in our practice, the kundalini is burned up, making the way clear for prana."



Actually, this is one point on which Yogananda (via Sri Yukteswar) agrees: The Kundalini represents the serpent power, which is the force of sexuality, and this is an obstacle to spiritual growth (see the chapter in AY, "Outwitting the Stars), though many others have referred to the serpent power (i.e., Kundalini) in more positive, even glowing terms. Any comments on all of this?



5) Although Yogananda and Krishnamacharya were contemporaries, both inspired two seemingly disparate streams of yoga in the West. While both figures played their role in modernizing yoga, Krishnamacharya's life's work has greatly influenced much of the physical yoga (often called Hatha Yoga) that we see today, while Yogananda's work has influenced many to pursue the path of Raja Yoga (or Kriya Yoga). We can see this in Desikachar and Yogananda's books: In AY, we see many pictures of saints, gurus, and enlightened masters, but not a single one of Hatha yogis performing asanas, while in HY nearly every picture is of Krishnamacharya in one crazy yoga posture or another. In AY, Yogananda puts very little emphasis on Hatha Yoga, noting that while it "is useful, and produces spectacular physical results," it nonetheless "is little used by yogis bent on spiritual liberation" (see the chapter "I Become a Monk of the Swami Order" -- pg. 226 in my edition). Meanwhile, Desikachar spends a good deal of HY discussing the finer points of asana and pranayama, and he included Hatha Yoga as one of the valid paths of yoga, for after all, it is included in Patanjali's Eight-Limbed Path (referred to as "Ashtanga Yoga," but also "Raja Yoga"). How do you feel about all of this?



6) After reading Yogananda's book, did you feel at all inspired to go to India, or to be initiated by a living master, or to practice Kriya Yoga? If so, why so, and if not, why not? Related question: Where do you stand right now on the issue of whether it is important to have a guru or not? And even before that, in your own words, what/who is a guru? (Please do not refer to the "Love Guru" video for assistance on this one.)



7) Both Yogananda and Desikachar make the point that Om (or AUM), according to the scriptures, is literally the sound of God, or even God "Himself." How do you feel about this? Does it change how you feel about AUM? If you teach yoga, will you chant AUM with your students? If so, how will you explain to them its meaning and purpose?



8) Although many spiritual teachers have written books, many of these same teachers, like Yogananda, have stressed the relative unimportance of books when compared to real spiritual practice and experience. How do you feel about this? Of what value and purpose are books for you?



9) This quest-ion is related to quest-ion #5: Did you know that Bikram Yoga originates from Yogananda's own family? I took the following from a Wikipedia article on Bikram:



"Bikram is a disciple of Bishnu Ghosh (younger brother of Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi). The Bishnu Ghosh guru lineage has focused on translating Eastern philosophies and practices into a language that is more closely attuned to the Western mindset than can be found within their original traditional Indian contexts."



What irony, huh? I was thinking of making a field trip to the local Bikram Yoga studio so that you could get a taste of this style of yoga. Haven't made reservations, though, as I have reservations about it, which I'll tell you about some other time. In the meantime, what do you think Yogananda would have said about this turn of affairs, and how yoga is being practiced in the United States 60 years after his passing?



10) [Half way there!] We have learned about the various paths of Yoga: Bhakti (Devotion), Jnana (Wisdom), Karma (Selfless Service), Raja (Meditation/Eight Limbs), Hatha, Tantra, and Mantra Yoga. There are others, but these are the most common. Yogananda mentions that his guru, Swami Yukteswar, was primarily a Jnani (practitioner of Jnana Yoga), while he himself tended toward Bhakti Yoga. Which do you personally feel most attracted to, and why do you feel/think that is? Do you see the value in having a well-balanced education and practice in all of these?



11) In AY, Yogananda speaks about "Self-Realization" ( and sometimes the synonymous "God-Realization") as the goal of Yoga (and life). How do you feel about this? After reading AY, do you have a greater understanding of what it means to be "Self-Realized"? And do you feel inspired to make this the goal of your life? Or does it seem too lofty and far away a goal to strive toward? You will have noted that Desikachar does not wax as poetic about "God" or "Self-Realization," though he does speak about how understanding the mind, and learning to tame it to some degree, can have very beneficial results. Comments?



12) Yogananda's guru, Sri Yukteswar, wrote a book entitled "The Holy Science," which compares the Hindu and Christian scriptures (I have a copy and will show it to you when we're together again). Yogananda also went to some lengths to show the great similarities between the Hindu and Christian teachings, even going so far as to say that Christ was a Yogi. From reading Yogananda's comparisons, how do you feel/think a devout Christian might think/feel about them?



13) In a brief footnote in the chapter "The Woman Yogi Who Never Eats," Yogananda quotes his guru as follows: 'Sri Yukteswar used to say: "The Lord has given us the fruits of the good earth. We like to see our food, to smell it, to taste it -- the Hindu likes also to touch it!"' And to that Yogananda adds: "One does not mind hearing it, either, if no one else is present at the meal!" Pretty funny stuff, huh? So do you think Yogananda was hearing his food a lot when he was writing AY, and if so, does that in any way alter how you hear his words?

I'm sorry, that's horrible. But it does bring a serious issue: This business of farting in yoga class. What to do about it? It's a serious problem -- nay a disease, a scourge!-- which just will not go away, as much as you gently plead with your students not to do it. They just go right on ahead doing it all the same. So...how will you deal with this plague of the yoga world? How will you assist in wiping out this evil menace once and for all? In other words, how will you react if and when one of your students lets one rip in class? Will you laugh, like I do? ('Tis an inward chuckle, mind you.)



14) Both Yogananda and Desikachar speak of "Ego," which in Sanskrit is "Ahamkara" (literally, the "I-maker," because it creates our sense of separate selfhood). Have you had any insights about Ego since embarking on this course of study? Do you have any sense that the ego oftentimes can keep you from seeing things as they truly are? Or is your EGO preventing you from seeing that? (Just kidding -- or am i? : )



15) Do you have a sense that these questions are becoming entirely too silly?



15b) I can't let get you away without answering a proper question #15, so here's #15b: How do you feel about the ancient idea (first propounded by Hippocrates, no doubt) that "laughter is the best medicine"?



(Or do you like better this quote from Sri Yukteswar: "Wisdom is the greatest cleanser"?)



16) Does the 8-limbed path (Ashtanga/Raja) make sense to you? Have you experienced any degree of depth in your meditation, or have your meditations otherwise felt beneficial to you? Do you feel that "Samadhi" is a worthwhile goal, realistic, and worthy of your pursuit? Or do you feel that there is something wrong or missing from this particular model? How will you explain the Eight-Limbed path to your students, if at all? Does it fit in with how you perceive yoga?



17) Would you consider yourself to be a yogi or yogini? You will have noted that Yogananda mentions a number of women saints and holy personages of the feminine persuasion (and how do you feel about that?), but the one and only instance in which he uses the word "yogini" is in reference to Giri Bala, the saint who didn't eat or drink since the age of 12. Given that kind of competition, can we truly call ourselves "yogis" and "yoginis," or should we just give up and refer to ourselves as mere "yoga practitioners," or even "yogi/ni wannabes?



18) Some of the world's great magicians have made a side career out of debunking spiritualists, psychics, and those who claim to perform miracles. Houdini is perhaps the best-known example. Today, Penn & Teller and Chris Angel have programs in which they try to debunk those who suggest they do something greater than mere magic. For yourself, how do you personally know if you are being deceived, either in what you read, or by someone who makes a metaphysical claim or performs a paranormal feat? What do you feel that Yogananda's relation to the miracles he relates was?



19) What have you gained from the study of yoga thus far that is of practical value to you? What do you feel will remain with you for the rest of your life? What do you honestly and realistically know you can feel good about teaching others?



20 How have you found the course so far? Please be gentle -- especially if you are wielding an axe!