YOGA AND THE WEST: THE DILEMMA OF SIMPLIFICATION 

By Ved Kovid, Durgadas

(c) Ved Kovid, Durgadas. All Rights Reserved.

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Many people may find me and my views on Yoga and Vaidik Sciences quite controversial from the norm. For a start, let us remember that the term 'Vedic Yoga' is quite new to western ears, but is quite ancient in India. Over 100 years ago, several reformers began challenging the authority of Western scholars about Vedic sciences, of which my family was a part of also. My Nana (maternal grandfather's) family moved to Dehradun from Rajasthan to secure a better education in Vedic sciences and Sanskrit learning. The key was going back to the core Vedic texts and Samhitas and weeding out the later interpolations that only served to cause confusion, as well as misinterpretation among European 'scholars' of the Vedas. 

Later, various Swamis, themselves stemming from various ashrams across India, engrained with ideologies from their own sampradayas and mixed views about the Vedas, began bringing Yoga to the West. Iyengar Yoga comes through Krishnamacharya, but has nothing to do with the Taittairiya (Black Yajur Veda) recession to which they belonged - Krishnamacharya received his Hatha-Yoga training from a Gurkha in Nepal - the Gurkhas (militant people of Nepal) being products of the militant-Yoga system and descendants of Gorakshanatha who developed it for rajasic (mainly Pitta) people with strong physiques and digestions to combat Mussalman invaders. Asanas (yogic postures) and quick moves provided them agility, as it always has done in Dhanurveda (Vedic martial arts) and Gandharvaveda (Natya Shastra or Dance and Music). It only later became a system of its own accord and from there, the West have reduced it down further, eliminating the Tantric elements of it, remoulding it, somewhat. Iyengar and Krishnamacharya being Sri Vaishnavas (devotees of Vishnu stemming from Ramanujacharya in the 12th Century AD) perhaps also decided to drop the Tantric elements - Krishnamacharya himself being an Ayurvedic Vaidya and giving personalised and tailored Yoga sessions to people, not simply classes or en-mass instruction as Iyengar has done, and then his own disciples watering it down further. 

Not the other Yoga Gurus and Teachers today. Most of them have learnt from Iyengar types, who themselves had a desire to teach. Yogananda's system of Kriya Yoga itself was modified from Lahiri Mahasaya's original form with Sri Yukteshwar, Yogananda's own Guru modifying the Yuga system and writing books as 'The Holy Science' in an attempt to correlate Biblical passages with Yogic lore. Basically, their system was a "Yoga for dummies" system. Others have also been the same and sadly, like everything in the West (since that dude 2,000 years back!), whatever any teacher has said, becomes the Gospel alone in their minds and reduced to that.

Many more vast traditions of Yoga are found in the Vedic and Tantric systems of India that are not popular among the masses. Tantra itself has become reduced to sexuality, when in fact, Tantra is simply "updated Hindu ritualism" of the Brahmanas (Vedic ritualistic texts); the Tantric rituals include the poojas and many yagyas we have today, adaptations from the Vedic originals along with unique sadhanas (spiritual practices and disciplines) to updated versions of the Vedic deities. Even Swami Vivekananda stated this - although it seems to have gone largely ignored by the masses.

A Yoga Teacher traditionally in India was actually an Ayurvedic Vaidya, a Jyotishi, a Pujari, Shastri and an Alchemist. They included the mystic Siddhas and such and didn't spend their lives teaching pranayamas, mantras or asanas. Dekho - take a look - Patanjali, Agastya, Vasishtha, Bhogarnatha, Sri Krishna, Bhagwan Shiv, Bhagwan Buddha - all are in Padmasana, Siddhasana etc. - seated postures! That is how they became Siddhas, by teaching stillness of (a) deha (body) which then stilled (b) manas (mind) and (c) indriyas (senses). By doing so, they entered the "ninth" limb of Yoga - Samyama (yogic concentration - lit. 'equalised control'), the culmination of the three higher 'angas' or limbs, dharana (concentration), dhyana (contemplation) and samadhi (absorption, lit. equalised contemplative state)! By deep Yogic samyama, they penetrated into the depths of mysteries of society, the cosmos, planets and localised things as herbs, rivers and their properties. Later, Seers as Bharadwaja, Atreya and Dhanwantari modified these systems and made them more accessible for people, which were written down by their disciples, from which we have Charaka and Sushruta Samhitas (classical Ayurvedic texts) and why they emphasise Yoga. Charaka and Sushruta were not originators of what they wote - they simply wrote down what their Gurus and Paramgurus (grandsire Gurus) had taught - which themselves, was a simplification of the greater more vast body of knowledge from Vedic times. Same also with Yoga.

By noting these aspects, we see what has become as 'Yoga' in the West, or even 'Vedic Yoga', is quite reduced. The Rig Veda actually has two main Yogas - Bhakti-Yoga or Yoga of devotion through devotion bhavas of the hymns and Mantra-Yoga and Tantric-Yoga, whereby the inner body is transformed. There is also some Karma-Yoga (Yoga of action or service) also, falling under Bhakti (devotionalism), with relation to reference to Vedic rituals to the Devatas (deities) and also to help transform the body and psyche through the Homas and mantras also. The Rig Veda also emphasises the need to harness Vata (Prana or breath) or Vayu (wind) and also 'Asate' or Seated postures or Sthira and Dhruva - still and fixed positions. Again, there is no gati - no movement in the Vedic Yoga, as it emphasises yukta (controlling) the mind, body and senses or movements of pranas (personified as ashwas or horses commonly).

So, there is much to reflect upon. I know today the 'Ego of teaching' is due to the rajasic nature of the world, foods and even society! From a Yogic perspective, you're not simply a sattvic person as you have adopted a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle - you have to also keep away from, or develop a 'pratyahara' or withdrawal from the rajasic (commercial) aspects of society also. Most spiritual and Yoga groups and individuals today however, actually make it their mission to align themselves with such rajasic streams in society. I won't mention it, but the large Yoga body in the world today of which many Yoga teachers belong is one such example - the other is that which feels their meditation techniques are the cat's whiskers! These are quite rajasic, arrogant organisations and DO NOT represent the true Hindu nor Vedic Yoga in any way shape or form, though they like to float around the 'Vedic' idea!