While most people think of yoga as the yoga postures and physical exercises, it is only among the traditional Institutes and scholars of yoga the understanding is there that the root document of yoga is the Yoga Sutras of sage Patanjali, which not only provides the principles of yoga, but is rather embedded in a philosophy of existence. This philosophy of existence suggests that all of creation is a distributed computing system, connected wirelessly, with every element playing its little role to unfold the cosmic drama. This philosophy gives deep insight into the human problem, why we are the way we are, the meaning of life, the reason for illnesses, paradigms of healing adopted by alternative healing approaches that confound western medicine, and the suggested optimal approach for a fulfilling and happy life.
Yoga philosophy’s story of creation unfolds as follows. There is a God, out of whom emerges energy, sometimes called Shakti or Prakriti. This energy is not dumb energy, but rather programmed energy to do a certain act – the first programmer being God, and this first creation being the Master program. Some of this programmed energy becomes “dumb” matter, while some other parts remain in the form of programmed energy, while the remaining component of that programmed energy permeating matter becomes what we understand as “live” beings – plants, animals, birds, human beings. All of these entities are integrated with the cosmic system by wireless connectivity with the central server of the Master program. Since all of these are connected wirelessly, God too is part of the connected system.
Each individual computing unit, like each one of us, besides the material component, consists of software and a transmitter/receiver with its own cosmic id (like the mac id in our computers – that is the soul for computer geeks). These work in the following way:
- The transmitter/receiver – call it a wireless modem in computer parlance – activates whenever there is spare capacity in the computing system. That is usually in deep sleep or when one is in meditation when other parts of human sensory function are no longer demanding resources. This is the source of program updates to our system which actually provides the immunity strength for each one of us. There is established scientific research that correlates deep sleep with immunity level.
- The programs within us, in the yogic language called Sanskaar or Vaasana or Klesha or Karma, reside in our genetic system and are constantly being updated by the immune system. This is the field of epigenetics. Thus genes don’t matter, but rather how genes express themselves (in the programming) as a combination of the original genes and updates is what really matters.
- The programs interacting with matter works to make us who we are: in looks, health, personality, nature of thoughts, what attracts us, etc. The physical expression comes in our musculo-skeletal system and everything else in our bio-chemistry.
- The remaining element that has been left unsaid is the power or energy flow that makes the entire system function through immunity, genetic expression, bio-chemistry and musculo-skeletal system.
The understanding of yoga and also acupuncture – the real Oriental acupuncture, not the Western explanation – is that there are subtle channels in the body called Naadis that serve as information channels for the human system. Dr. Kwan Soh of Seoul National University in his work with rats and rabbits has shown these to exist – colorless tubules, call them fiber-optic cables of the body’s circuitry – which are like 20 microns in size containing mitochondrial DNA and adhere to any tissue, being present in muscular tissues, lymphatic channels, blood vessels, nerves, etc. These can be seen under an electron microscope only after dyes are used and washed, and different types of dyes are needed in different kind of tissues to see them. Dr. Soh calls them the primo-vascular system or Bonghan Channels in published literature that can be accessed through pubmed.
Yoga’s view is that keeping these system channels, circuitry, clear off blockages to permit perfect information and energy flow is essential for good health. The way to clear the system is to create movement and flush the system with exercise. For the musculo-skeletal system, it is Aasanas, the yoga postures that everyone knows about. For the energy flow in the body, it is Praanaayaama, the breathing exercises. For the bio-chemistry system, it is vibrations called Pratyaahaara, which includes music, mantras, the vibes of a place, the company we keep and whatever we consume (food, water, air). Genetic expression is exercised with the power of focused thought called Dhaaranaa in Yoga. Absorption of thought in whatever activity we may be doing, driving, eating, doing cross-word puzzles or mathematics or any type of analytical or creative activity, or any functional activity with full mental focus including religious or spiritual, keeps the thought channels well-exercised – a formula well recognized to prevent Alzheimer’s in old age. Finally, the immune system is well-exercised by deep sleep (Nidra as Chitta Vritti) or meditation called Dhyaana in Yoga.
Thus Aasana, Praanaayaama, Pratyaahaara, Dhaarana and Dhyaana are five zones of exercises in yoga. But the purpose of yoga is to communion with the highest reality, realize the nature of existence, and develop the ability to know anything. Sage Patanjali adds three more elements in his eight-fold yoga process that he calls Asthaanga yoga. The first two are preparatory that help the journey of practicing the exercises in the five zones: Yama and Niyama. Yama refers to having the restraint of a thinking person while Niyama refers to having regular habits that foster discipline to perform the exercises daily without fail. The remaining one, the eighth of Ashthaanga yoga is the communion with what is beyond. This is called Samaadhi. There are several levels of this described by Patanjali. First it leads to minor intuitive abilities and later on one can order one’s own weather (Pradhaana Jaya – conquering nature), and at the highest one can talk with God and be in constant communion with God (Kshana Prati-yogi).
Such realization makes one understand that we are the best ever robots made. We are born to serve the drama of God who has created it all. Being of service to God’s purpose is the purpose of our life. We should not be affected by the innumerable irrelevances that hit us on a daily basis; thereby focusing our energies only on our duties (Sva-Dharma) that are given to us as part of the role allocated to us. Doing our duties without being affected by anything makes life effortless and fulfilling.
Thus the message of yoga is that being part of this distributed computing system of the universe, we have a role to play – our individual Dharma – and the best way to perform these actions is to be generally non-judgmental.
In the next issue, we will discuss how to know ones duty, what prevents us from being generally non-judgmental, and the role of yoga exercises that help us prepare to be non-judgmental. Since yoga is all about learning to live life effortlessly and in fulfillment, other subjects of daily living like eating right, having good health, purpose of marriage, etc. will be discussed in future issues.