Yoga Work 11

• Egohood
• A Guru's Follower
• Taken aback

Egohood

Here is another question, and it is pun: "Is my ego spread all over the universe or am I not diluted?"
      There are differing definitions of terms like ego and soul and so on. To some they mean this, to others that. The super-teaching is that there is no space in a heart, and the sound ego (ahamkara, ahangkara) is from the heart. I could render some Upanishads at this point, but . . .

Q: I needed to cultivate an ego to be able to experience my true Self in the world.

In the highest states of Tibetan tantra, nirvana (beyondness-happiness) and the world (sangsara, samsara) as seen as one. That is a high teaching too. There are pages teeming with quotations and renditions here. [LINK]

Q: My false and true Selves are actually one and the same thing except they contradict each other.

And hence life is not all too easy.

Q: So the ego continues to exist after the body dies?

The essence of ego (called ahamkara) is supposedly an integrated part of the human organism, according to such as Sri Yukteswar and the Samkhya and Yoga philosophies of India.
      The higher mind (also called the mahat, "great one" or "spiritual awareness", or buddhi) is first evolved. Next a deep ego consciousness (ahamkara) is evolved. The ego consciousness is faceted into five gross elements, five subtle (fine) elements, (etc.) [LINK]
      Have you looked into Yogananda's yes-and-no-sayings to "ego", by the way? [LINK]
      Gurus talk of dissolving "everything", but they themselves, who stand up and want to be taken seriously, don't seem all that dissolved.

Q: That sounds comforting. But again I have to try to figure out how one can have a personality and be God at the same time (?)

Yogananda once said you experienced (felt) himself to be the tip of a cone. The tip was his personal aspects, the depth of the cone God. I hope the image clears it up.

A Guru's Follower

This reminds me . . . a numerology freak told me, "You are perfect," based on numerology. When I see his picture, I can't help remembering that once he fell off a horse and landed with that face in horse manure . . .

Q: You crack me up! Seriously! I find you a good inspirational source for comedy.

Thanks?

Q: In other words, I like you. Now, I . . . can safely say that you tickle my humour buds.
      There are not many in this world with your kind of calibre, but you sure as hell know how to swing the game. In other words, thanks for being real . . . It doesn't sound a great deal different to Vivekananda's Raja yoga instructions really.

Both breathing and focus help. The main thing is getting blissful. That is supposed to be a good barometer of how things are going.

Q: Anyway, Garibaldanda says that kriya yoga is not dangerous.

If reasonably well done and not overdone, it may be as he says.

Q: I cannot differentiate between my intuition and my actual experience.

It seems hard to advice at a distance too - I mean, one must be careful for the sake of legally proper conduct.

Taken Aback

Thank you.

Q: Did you ever read Yogananda's Second Coming of Christ commentaries?

Some, not all of them. Some are on the Internet also.

Q: If you have, what do you think of them?

I'm taken aback.

Q: It is interesting from a Yogic point of view, but I fear that he left out many of the Jesus sayings that you point out doesn't flow easily with Yogananda's work. Which reminds me, do you think the New Testament is a good place to start in terms of getting the religious "gate" around a person?

No.

Q: New Age teachings on Jesus and Christ differ in their interpretations of the sayings in the NT, sometimes radically.

Agreed. Compare: [LINK]

Q: I noticed that you commented on reincarnation in the NT on your website and that Yogananda had got it wrong concerning Elias etc.

It seems so. [LINK]

Q: But do you not think that reincarnation is hidden in the Bible somewhere?

If it is hidden, where should it be?