थे 'योग वार्स' पार्ट III

The reasons for what I discussed in the last topic, number two, are not hard to find for this phenomena's popularity. It comes frm the fact that the US is no longer a rural, agricultural nation per se nor an industrial giant in the modern world as it was in the past but is on the pathway to the 3rd World, via gambling,increased government bureacracy and employment in some newer agencies,etc, top-heavy with management and supervisory personnel, and a number of paper-shuffling, computer-gazers, and a number of other unproductive or other non-productive positions and careers WHICH DO NOT CREATE NEW WEALTH..... Although these positions and careers still use the 'archaic' language to describe such in terms of the older industrial environment in the US, they really do not apply but refer to expenditures, consumption, and lower levels of such by shifting focus to a GROWING ELITE OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, STARTING WIT CONGRESS AND ENDING UP IN THE WHITE HOUSE(?) as well as the GROWTH OF CORPORATIONS that work hand-in-hand with all ADVOCATES OF SOCIAL CONTROL & SOCIALL COLLECTIVISM that began with COMPULSORY EDUCATION.....of which this discussion will not elaborate further since the topic is about systems of yoga and the frenzy to compete and dominate that systems and schools and various gurus/swamis/etc. all are seemingly attempting to do if this article is accurate in its statements on this...More on the systems involved when I have time to discuss this better...

'थे 'योग वार्स' पार्ट II

At the time of my youth and early adulthood, there weree very few practitioners and 'studios' and other places devoted to yoga and adjunct practices like Tai Chi,QiGong,Thai Massage(and other systems), aroma therapists, psychic consultants,karate/kungfu/martial arts, Zen, Tibetan Buddhism, and other things often labeled as 'New Age',which at that time were listed under 'dubious' practices and charlatanry by mainstream thinkers, medicos(save for a rare few) and academics. Nowadays, in my rambles and drives around Vermont & New Hampshire, in particular as well as a few other places, I find hardly a nook or cranny in the remotest rural areas where some type of 'certified' studio, dojo,and new-age curio shop ahs not penetrated and been erected. Moreover,elaborate spas, retreats, worshops, ashrams, temples,etc.exist-so in one sense, THE MOUNTAIN(omposed of all these esoteric, mystical practices and systems)HAS COME TO MOHAMMED-meaning one does not have to travel to India, The Far East,Egypt or any other exotic land or inaccessible area, to learn, study, practice or embrace any of these abstruse subjects. A casual visit to a bookstore,if you can find one in some places), a library(if they are still in existence at the time of this writing and not shutting down or completely switched to digitalization and electronic storage), a magazine rack in a super market of mall,focusing on the women's mag sections where a lot of this is shelved for sale or go on internet forays to multiple websites on all of these things that have proliferated or to search for such topics of a recondite nature, will often give the FALSE IMPRESSION that these things are a permanent fixture in aFICKLE 'civilizaton' and a changing Culture/Society.

थे योग WARS

An article,written by Emily Wax of the Washington Post, entitled 'YOGA WARS' SPOIL SPIRIT OF ANCIENT INDIAN( read Hindu, my take and word choice)SYSTEMS caught my eye. I will not repeat the gist of the article which gives a very brief outline of things, but enough to give ardent practitioners a whiff of things to come. At one time in the US, when I was growing up and in High School,people tended to think of YOGIS as people who 'STOOD ON THEIR HEADS',a notion made popular by a particular comedy movie(which involved as I recall some wresling), and by varous 'fakirs' &n 'yogis' in circuses, sideshows, carnivals, stage shows,etc. as well as various articles in magazines for the 'lower classes and males'. But I had been delving into yoga, spiritualism, Rosicrucianism,Buddhism, varous religions and philosophies,etc. along with many otehr subjects both mundane as well as occult, so my youthful enthusiasm was not discouraged or dimmed expcet for a few brief episodes of scepticism,cynicism, and 'scientific' doubts about everything.

THE THIRD ROOM OR HOUSE

The room before the FOURTH ROOM OR HOUSE is that of THE WAY OF THE YOGI. Those who enter this room first, without entering or knowing of the other two previous rooms, especially the 'introductory' room, are apt to find themselves confused if not stagnated and 'condemned' to spend everything in this room,unless they achieve what is often called, BLISS, NIRVANA, HAPPINESS, BRAHMAN,SATORI,ETC. and if they do, then they may find themselves or can enter the FOURTH ROOM. But even here entrance into the room is not enough, as the room may well be empty and devoid of what was wanted.

DO NOT MISTAKE TECHNIQUE FOR THE GOAL!

VARNA-THE BASIS OF THE CASTE SYSTEM

Most of us are somewhat familiar with the Caste system of India and efforts to either modify it or destroy it in various ways or also to enforce it. The merits of this system, like that of the European Feudal System, have been debated and extolled and discussed by a great many scholars, psychologists, human rights advocates and experts, and politicians as well as historian and anthropologists and while all this is important, we can just touch on what the original intentions of such actually were perhaps. Varna means "COLOR' and this was a way to differentiate and classify and control people on the basis of skin color or, as some claim, RACE. The original classification of the CASTE SYSTEM WAS: BRAHMINS(scholars and priests),KSHATRIYAS(RULERS & WARRIORS),VAISHYAS(FARMERS & MERCHANTS), SHUDRAS(FARMERS & PEASANTS), while a 5th group existed called PANCHAMA-'outsiders' or those outside the caste system.

YOGA IN INDIA

I read an article by Ilana D. Arazie for the Associated Press in my local morning paper about her trip to India which was subtitled: CULTURAL IMMERSION,SELF KNOWLEDGE which is a rather heady topic for most persons to digest. Nevertheless, many others are taking, partly as a result of various yoga classes now found in most major and minor US cities and even small towns and villages, as well as in various media sources that suggest such trips, excursions to MOTHER INDIA and other Asian destinations, like Thailand,etc. this particular group, which follows the popular Alan Finger who founded ISHTA YOGA , went to Samonde a village in northern India,and the experiences described and the comments made by the writer remind me of the trips of the late P.D. Ouspenksy took to India and other places of 'spiritual' knowledge in the last century. These are described in his books, IN SEARCH OF THE MIRACULOUS and somewhat in THE FOURTH WAY. For most people who have never been to India or any other Asian or African or South American country, culture shock is often overwhelming and few people, even in such groups, are well prepared for such. Complete ignorance of all the languages and dialects, the customs, religions,and geography,especially of India, and no opportunity except to step right into them can be most enlightening and will tell more about the traveler than about India, its people or its culture, or for that matter, yoga. the writer did,however, co9me away realizing, or I hope so, that yoga is not merely the series of poses and postures and exercises she does in modern,comfortable NYC studio once or twice a week or whatever. The bewildering array of street experiences, the ordinary life of Daily India, offers a most unique chance for 'self-transformation' and 'self-knowing' that tends to elude most tourists. One practice the writer encountered and describes is that of 'resonating metal bowls' placed on certain centers of the body and tapped or struck with a mallet' is worth mentioning. It was performed by a Sikh and this can be found also among Tibetan yogas as well. Another highlight for her was a visit to GANDHI'S MEMORIAL. She also availed herself of rickshaws, those marvelous conveyances invented by a Westerner actually, which do not produce gas fumes and contribute to 'green house gases' and 'global warming' but give employment as well as 'exercise' to many who otherwise would have no source of income.